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News, Notes, Talk

Here are the winners of the 2023 Kirkus Prize.

On Wednesday, at a ceremony at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York, Kirkus Reviews announced the three winners of the 10th annual Kirkus Prize: one each in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers’ Literature. The winners were chosen from a list of 18 finalists , which were all published between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023 (for fiction and nonfiction), and October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023 (for young readers’ literature) and reviewed by Kirkus. The winners each receive a trophy and a cash prize of $50,000.

“History and community emerged as central themes in the most outstanding works of literature published this year. We see these ideas come to life in wildly different ways in all three of this year’s winners, each one compelling from beginning to end, begging to be celebrated, discussed, and shared,” said Meg Kuehn, publisher of Kirkus Reviews , in a press release. Congratulations to the winning writers:

FICTION: James McBride, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (Riverhead)

Judges’ citation: Citation: Focusing on the Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where, in the 1930s, the town’s Black and Jewish families lived side by side, James McBride has created a vibrant fictional world as only this master storyteller can. The characters’ interlocking lives make for tense, absorbing drama as well as warm, humane comedy. This is a novel about small-town American life that is clear-eyed about prejudice yet full of hope for the power of community.

NONFICTION: Héctor Tobar,  Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of “Latino”   (MCD/FSG)

Judges’ citation: This vital work of autobiography and cultural commentary—which also serves as a potent manifesto—is an essential book by a veteran journalist and author at the height of his powers. Tobar goes beyond reductive newspaper headlines and inflammatory political discourse to portray the complexities and contradictions of Latinx experience in the U.S. Featuring eye-opening interviews with people from across the country, this elegantly written, refreshingly forthright book brings into sharp focus a massive yet marginalized community.

YOUNG READERS’ LITERATURE: Ariel Aberg-Riger, America Redux: Visual Stories From Our Dynamic History (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins)

Judges’ citation: This rousing work of young adult nonfiction demonstrates that history, far from being dusty and irrelevant, is a subject that teens will eagerly engage with—if we give them what they deserve: provocative, courageous, and inclusive books that respect their passion and intellect. Balancing vibrant collage art with captivating text, Aberg-Riger inspires readers to think critically and ask probing questions. At a time when books that challenge whitewashed history are coming under fire from censors, this is a vitally important work that dares to tell the truth.

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Kirkus Best Books of 2023

Wcag heading.

Announcing the Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2023!

MYSTERY AND THRILLER

NIGHT WILL FIND YOU by Julia Heaberlin

REYKJAVÍK by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir

BIRNAM WOOD by Eleanor Catton

SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

THE DEEP SKY by Yume Kitasei

A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT: A ROOTS OF CHAOS NOVEL by Samantha Shannon

ABSOLUTION by Alice McDermott

THE SUN WALKS DOWN by Fiona McFarlane

THE END OF DRUM-TIME by Hanna Pylväinen

WESTERN LANE by Chetna Maroo

SHORT FICTION

FAT TIME AND OTHER STORIES by Jeffery Renard Allen

WITNESS by Jamel Brinkley

WEDNESDAY’S CHILD by Yiyun Li

FICTIONAL VOICES

BIOGRAPHY OF X by Catherine Lacey

STERLING KARAT GOLD by Isabel Waidner

BEYOND THE DOOR OF NO RETURN by David Diop; translated by Sam Taylor

FICTIONAL FAMILIES

THE BEE STING by Paul Murray

WORM: A CUBAN AMERICAN ODYSSEY by Edel Rodriguez

AND FINALLY: MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH by Henry Marsh

BITING THE HAND: GROWING UP ASIAN IN BLACK AND WHITE AMERICA by Julia Lee

BIOGRAPHIES

KING by Jonathan Eig

LARRY MCMURTRY: A LIFE by Tracy Daugherty

LOU REED: THE KING OF NEW YORK by Will Hermes

ALTHEA: THE LIFE OF TENNIS CHAMPION ALTHEA GIBSON by Sally H. Jacobs

AMERICAN HISTORY

YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO DIE BEFORE YOU CAN BEGIN TO LIVE: TEN WEEKS IN BIRMINGHAM THAT CHANGED AMERICA by Paul Kix

THE SULLIVANIANS: SEX, PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND THE WILD LIFE OF AN AMERICAN COMMUNE by Alexander Stille

BLACK LIFE IN AMERICA

THE TALK by Darrin Bell

ORDINARY NOTES by Christina Sharpe

CURRENT AFFAIRS

AMERICAN GUN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE AR-15 by Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson

OUR MIGRANT SOULS: A MEDITATION ON RACE AND THE MEANINGS AND MYTHS OF “LATINO” by Héctor Tobar

PAGE TURNERS

ANANSI’S GOLD: THE MAN WHO LOOTED THE WEST, OUTFOXED WASHINGTON, AND SWINDLED THE WORLD by Yepoka Yeebo

WOMEN WE BURIED, WOMEN WE BURNED: A MEMOIR by Rachel Louise Snyder

FEEL-GOOD READS

HOW TO BE: LIFE LESSONS FROM THE EARLY GREEKS by Adam Nicholson

YOUNG ADULT

WHEN GHOSTS CALL US HOME by Katya de Becerra

UNNECESSARY DRAMA by Nina Kenwood

INTO THE LIGHT by Mark Oshiro

THIS CURSED LIGHT: FROM THE LAST FINESTRA SERIES, VOL .2 by Emily Thiede

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Book News & Features

It's the 10th year of the kirkus prize. meet the winners of a top literary award.

Héctor Tobar, left, author of Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino," Ariel Aberg-Riger, author of America Redux: Visual Stories From Our Dynamic History and James McBride, author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Patrice Normand/Broadside PR/Agence Opale/Kirkus Prize; Ariel Aberg-Riger/Broadside PR/Kirkus Prize; Chia Messina/Broadside PR/Kirkus Prize hide caption

Héctor Tobar, left, author of Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino," Ariel Aberg-Riger, author of America Redux: Visual Stories From Our Dynamic History and James McBride, author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.

The Kirkus Prize, a leading literary award, has been awarded this year to authors Ariel Aberg-Riger , Héctor Tobar and James McBride . The prize selects winners in the categories of fiction, nonfiction and young reader's literature from a pool of nearly 11,000 authors whose books appeared in Kirkus Reviews , the influential journal known for starred prepublication reviews.

Established 10 years ago, the prize includes a cash award of $50,000 per author. "History and community emerged as central themes in the most outstanding works of literature published this year," Kirkus Reviews publisher Meg Kuehn said in a statement. "We see these ideas come to life in wildly different ways in all three of this year's winners, each one compelling from beginning to end, begging to be celebrated, discussed, and shared."

Fiction winner James McBride has long been well known on the awards circuit; his numerous bestselling books include his 1995 memoir The Color of Water and the novel The Good Lord Bird, which won a National Book Award in 2013. McBride's The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was described by judges as "a boisterous hymn to community, mercy, and karmic justice."

Book Reviews

James mcbride's 'heaven & earth' is an all-american mix of prejudice and hope.

Their citation noted that the novel is set in the racially mixed Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where Black and Jewish families lived together in the 1930s. "James McBride has created a vibrant fictional world as only this master storyteller can," the judges continued. "The characters' interlocking lives make for tense, absorbing drama as well as warm, humane comedy. This is a novel about small-town American life that is clear-eyed about prejudice yet full of hope for the power of community."

Héctor Tobar won for nonfiction. His Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino," was described by judges as "a pensive examination of the many ways there are to be Latinx in America." Tobar's best known book, Deep Down Dark, from 2014, movingly documented how Chilean miners accidentally trapped underground for months were able to survive. It was made into the Hollywood film The 33, starring Antonio Banderas.

NPR's Book of the Day

Héctor tobar examines latino identity in 'our migrant souls'.

The Kirkus judges called Our Migrant Souls a "vital work of autobiography and cultural commentary — which also serves as a potent manifesto. " It is, they continued, an essential book by a veteran Los Angeles Times journalist. "Tobar goes beyond reductive newspaper headlines and inflammatory political discourse to portray the complexities and contradictions of Latinx experience in the U.S." they wrote. "Featuring eye-opening interviews with people from across the country, this elegantly written, refreshingly forthright book brings into sharp focus a massive yet marginalized community."

The young readers' literature prize went to Ariel Aberg-Riger, whose book, America Redux: Visual Stories From Our Dynamic History , was described by the judges as "an illustrated journey through lesser-known and frequently erased parts of United States history."

It is Aberg-Riger's first book. A self-taught artist, she used archival photographs, maps and handwritten text in what the judges called "a rousing work of young adult nonfiction." It demonstrates, they continued, "that history, far from being dusty and irrelevant, is a subject that teens will eagerly engage with — if we give them what they deserve: provocative, courageous, and inclusive books that respect their passion and intellect. Balancing vibrant collage art with captivating text, Aberg-Riger inspires readers to think critically and ask probing questions. At a time when books that challenge whitewashed history are coming under fire from censors, this is a vitally important work that dares to tell the truth."

Edited for the web by Rose Friedman. Produced for the web by Beth Novey.

• Latino history
• Ariel Aberg-Riger
• Hector Tobar
• James McBride

How Important are Kirkus Reviews?

Author: Natalie Harris-Spencer Updated: January 31, 2023

Kirkus Reviews is a publisher that has become synonymous with the gold standard of book review. But, in spite of its name, it doesn’t just do book reviews! It is actually a literary magazine headquartered in New York City that has been going since 1933, publishing not only book reviews , but also interviews, articles, and author, reader, and industry perspectives. Why is it so revered? Well, it is a big player. Massive. In fact, it is the global industry leader of book reviews. A glowing Kirkus book review can do wonders for your book – if you are graced with a good one, which, as I’ll explain, can be hard to come by.

Why are Kirkus reviews so popular?

They are popular because they are in high demand, prestigious, and rare. While notoriously unbiased, Kirkus reviews can also be notoriously harsh, so earning a positive review can be quite the feat for any author. If you get a really negative review (which I would expect that you would disagree with, otherwise you would never have submitted for review in the first place), you do have the option to hide it so that your author reputation isn’t publicly tarnished. In short, authors are desperate to have Kirkus review their books in a positive light, and with good reason. A glowing Kirkus review means that you’ve “made it” in the book review world.

What’s the catch?

I bet the question you’re screaming at me is: “Why on Earth would I put my book up for such forensic examination, dissection, and potential ridicule?” This is where things get even more spicy: good reviews aren’t traditionally earned. If you are a self-published or hybrid-published author, you have to pay for the privilege. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only are Kirkus Indie Reviews prestigious, they are pricey. For a substantial fee, a professional reviewer will read your book and respond with a short, notoriously “impartial” review.

And now, for the tough to stomach bit: it costs $425 for a review in 7-9 weeks, or $575 for an expedited turnaround of 4-6 weeks. For that, you get a review of between 250 and 300 words, without any guarantee it will be positive. To put that in context, 250 to 300 words is nothing. It’s a paragraph. An email, at most. A dent in your work in progress . When it comes to bang for your buck, it’s not exactly what you’d call cheap, especially for struggling writers who may not have got the largest – or any – advance.

However, if you are traditionally published by a Big Five or similar, and your book is being financed by your publisher, your publisher will send galleys of your book to Kirkus , and your book will be reviewed without a fee.

How is the review structured?

Kirkus reviews tend to be pretty heavy on the plot, and light on the analysis. Typically, the reviews start with a logline, followed by a paragraph of plot description (this happens, then this, then this), concluding in a one- or two-line verdict that summarizes the reviewer’s key takeaways from the book. This plot-heavy copy is not so much of a review, as a synopsis. And here’s the galling bit: reviews do not always fill up the 300 words; sometimes, they can be much shorter. Like, a sentence or two. For $425! Value for money if you’re paying for it yourself? Perhaps not. But when you consider the fact that they are invariably written to be quoted, offering bites that can be extracted for book jackets – “A jolt for thriller junkies”, “Stunning”, “Unputdownable”, “A tour de force” and so on – perhaps word count doesn’t matter so much. Perhaps that single line, or word, can propel your book into the stratosphere. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem all that expensive after all.

What is a starred review?

Kirkus stars are like diamonds: extremely rare. A starred review is the top of the top, a prestigious, Holy Grail that highlights books of “exceptional merit”. A starred review represents outstanding writing. Books that gain a starred review are automatically eligible for the annual $50,000 Kirkus Prize . If you are lucky enough to be awarded with a starred review, it’s time to pop open the champagne: you’ve made it.

What’s the benefit of Kirkus reviews?

Kirkus is a credible, industry-renowned resource among authors , publishers, the media, libraries, booksellers, and readers. It is a trusted measure around the world. Its scale is huge, with over a million page views of its website every month, and a steady churn of titles reviewed by its army of reviewers, with a staggering 10,000 or more titles reviewed every year. Once your review is published on their website, it will also be considered for publication in the magazine Kirkus Reviews, and in the Kirkus newsletter, which goes out to thousands of readers. It affords you recognition from a household name. And, crucially, the quotable bit of it can serve as a book blurb – in particular if you are struggling to find big name authors to blurb your book . Kirkus can be that big name for you. It is undeniably a neat marketing tool, and can be used to promote your book on your author website , social media, on Amazon , Barnes & Noble , via a press release, splashed all over your book cover… the list goes on and on.

What does a Kirkus review not do?

Sell your book. While it can absolutely help with your promotion efforts, you still have to actively market it. And in no way does Kirkus promise to do anything active for you. Once it is up on their website, it’s up! You can’t just expect people to find your (hopefully positive) book review on the Kirkus website; you have to actively drive people to your page.

It also does not guarantee you a positive review. While the feeling of receiving praise is unbeatable, you could spend all that money only to be met with unusable criticism, which, by its nature, is subjective.

In short, a Kirkus Review is not a magic bullet for success. Yes, it’s very nice. Yes, it can act as a neat marketing tool. But it won’t make your book a better book, nor will it (necessarily) shift units, not will it increase your readership. Only you can control that. Kirkus reviews are important, but you, the author, are the most important player. If you don’t get a positive one? Meh. It’s not the end of the world. There are still plenty of things within your control that can guarantee that your book will be a success, not least: writing a brilliant book .

Recommended reading

Here at Aspiring Author , we love recommending bestsellers and fawning over hot new releases. On this real time recommended reading list, you will find a list of top rated books on the publishing industry, craft, and other books to help you elevate your writing career.

Sound the Gong (Kingdom of Three, 2)

How To Write A 5-Paragraph Essay: A No-Nonsense Step-By-Step Guide To Mastering Effective Essay Writing, Practical Study Skills, Easy Exercises & Simple Lessons for the Successful Student

Writing Short Romance for Pleasure and Profit: How I Became a Six Figure Author Writing Short Romance

REBECCA YARROS: SERIES READING ORDER

The Truly Successful Author: Build your author career in ten hours per week

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1 thought on “how important are kirkus reviews”.

Even a NYTBR review is no guarantee that a book will sell, though you can carry the blurb with you from book to book to book. I had a friend whose partner got a terrific review in the NYTBR and it sold so poorly it was quickly pulped.

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Market Realist

Have a Love for Books? Here are 10 Platforms That Pay Readers for Reviews and Narration

Posted: December 7, 2023 | Last updated: December 7, 2023

Have a love for books? What if you get paid for reading?

Getting paid just for reading sounds more like fantasy fiction right out of a book lover's imagination. But it turns out that some platforms are willing to pay you to share your thoughts on the kind of literature that you love to explore across genres. Since thousands of new books are released daily, some websites pay people to read, review, and even record books, offering opportunities to earn up to $300 per hour. Keep reading to find out more!

Upwork is an online freelancer marketplace that offers book reviewing opportunities alongside other writing gigs. Getting started only requires people to create a freelancer account, showcase their skills and experience, and upload a portfolio. They then need to browse available jobs, submit proposals for the ones they fancy, and if a client likes the pitch, they send a contract. Upwork not only pays for book reviews but can also help people bag other freelancing jobs.

2. Kirkus Review

Kirkus Review, a platform for book reviews, gives experienced reviewers the chance to assess English and Spanish titles through their Kirkus Indie program. If you wish to apply, be prepared to submit a resume and samples of your work. This platform isn't for beginners. Impressive writing samples and a remarkable publication history can improve your chances.

3. Booklist

Affiliated with the American Library Association, Booklist pays $15 for each review that enables schools and public libraries to select books. They prefer concise "haiku-style" reviews between 150 to 175 words. Each review should include a plot synopsis, suggest the book's target audience, and recommend similar titles. Currently, Booklist isn't accepting applications on their website. However, you can keep an eye out for future opportunities and contribute to this literary community.

4. BookBrowse

If you're passionate about reading and reviewing books, BookBrowse allows users to get started once they express literary preferences, share insights, and provide a brief bio. Reviewers typically handle one book per month, exploring adult fiction, non-fiction, and young adult titles. Moreover, writing and sharing book reviews can help you build an online presence, especially if you post your reviews on platforms like a blog, Goodreads, or social media.

If you love audiobooks and have a captivating voice, you can earn money on ACX, which connects professional narrators with authors in need of a voice for their books. You can earn through an hourly rate or a 50% share of book royalties, and once you've recorded 25 audiobooks, you can apply to become an Audible Approved Producer. Besides that, the Bounty Referral Program lets you earn by referring Audible users to your recordings. To start, visit the ACX website, create a profile, and upload voice samples by reading a snippet from an author's manuscript.

6. Findaway Voices

Another platform that pays people for recording audiobooks is Findaway Voices, where you will receive a custom URL for easy discoverability after creating a narrator profile. Upload samples of your work, along with an audio intro, bio, cover image, and avatar. Similar to ACX, Findaway Voices provides a comprehensive guide and tools to support your success as a narrator.

7. The US Review of Books

For aspiring authors looking for ways to sharpen their writing skills, becoming a reviewer for The US Review of Books is a suitable path. They publish monthly book reviews in their newsletter, helping authors promote their latest works. The site accepts reviews between 250 and 300 words, including plot synopsis and audience insights. They encourage objective writing without first-person language, allowing reviewers to compare books, share opinions, or discuss the author's background. You can apply by sending your resume, samples, and references, and if accepted, you'll have two to three weeks to submit your reviews based on the titles assigned to you.

8. Reedsy Discovery

At Reedsy Discovery, you won't find a fixed payment for your book reviews, but readers can show appreciation by tipping $1 to $5. While it might not make you rich, it's an excellent platform to refine your reviewing skills, especially if you aim for larger sites like Kirkus Reviews. Applying is simple, you just need to provide your email address and name, along with reading habits, preferred genres, and a brief bio. Including links to your best reviews, whether in written or video form, can increase your chances of making more money.

Voices opens the door for voiceover enthusiasts to turn their passion into a rewarding experience With over 5,000 monthly job postings, this marketplace connects artists with projects. Once the project is completed, the payment is deposited into PayPal accounts. Specifically for audiobook projects, one can earn between $250 and $375 per task. Opting for a Premium membership can increase the chances of landing high-paying jobs, making Voices an ideal platform for aspiring voiceover artists to monetize their skills.

10. Online Book Club

Online Book Club offers a unique opportunity for book enthusiasts to earn between $5 and $60 per review. You get to choose titles from a provided list, receive the books for free, and pen down your thoughts. While the first review may not be paid in cash, subsequent reviews can fetch you a decent income. What's great is that you don't need to submit an application or have prior review samples, making it an ideal platform for beginners.

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Kirkus Reviews and the Plight of the “Problematic” Book Review

By Nathan Heller

Kirkus Reviews is a magazine, though few readers of its work have ever seen a copy. Like the Michelin guides, it’s known for verdicts spread across the publishing world, bringing good books to first attention and helping to sweep aside huge piles of dross. A Kirkus review is short—fewer than four hundred words—and written to a form. There’s a one-line précis to start. There’s a paragraph of plot and character summary, culminating in formal assessment. And there’s a quotable verdict of one line or one word (“ Stunning ”). Kirkus’s main virtue is its comprehensiveness: it gets through hundreds of titles even in a slow month. To people who stock shelves, it can be orienting, and, for publishers, it is a geyser of back-cover praise. Kirkus gets its authority from its scale, yet readers generally encounter its reviews individually, book by book.

Kirkus has been getting reviews of its own recently, after deciding to remove a star—its marker for exceptional books—from a young-adult title and revising the accompanying review. At first, it praised “ American Heart ,” by Laura Moriarty. The novel, to be published this winter, is about a fifteen-year-old white girl from Missouri who supports Muslim-detainment camps until she meets a Muslim woman whom she helps escape to Canada. (The novel is said to echo “Huckleberry Finn.”) Kirkus took down the review, and its editor-in-chief, Claiborne Smith, responded to public concern that “American Heart” was a “white savior” narrative: a story about a person of color who relies on the compassion of a white protagonist for rescue.

The book’s female Muslim reviewer, he wrote , was “well-versed in the dangers of white savior narratives.” Even so, he seemed to override her first assessment. In interviews with Kat Rosenfield , of Vulture, and with NPR , Smith acknowledged that Kirkus removed the star after noticing the book’s white point of view. A new, charier review of “American Heart,” meanwhile, replaced the original, noting that the white heroine’s “ignorance is an effective worldbuilding device, but it is problematic that Sadaf”—the Muslim woman—“is seen only through the white protagonist’s filter.”

Kirkus says that the reviewer merely updated her assessment in a way that was “listening” to public complaint. Yet the controversy rattles on, especially because the emendation touches on a broader change, from late 2015, in how the magazine writes about children’s and young-adult fiction. Reviews now explicitly note major characters’ skin colors. Reviewers of books for young readers are given special training to help “identify problematic tropes and representations,” and the reviews themselves are assigned to what Kirkus calls “own voices” reviewers—that is, writers who share an affinity of “lived experience” with characters in the book.

To understand why Kirkus’s decision to revise its review of “American Heart” is insidious, it is helpful to look first at what the magazine has done right. There is nothing unacceptable about removing a book’s star, for the same reason that there is nothing unacceptable about adding one: editors who bestow a distinction of their own invention are entirely entitled to take it away. There is also nothing wrong with trying to balance point-of-view biases in writing and reviewing. In fact, there is a lot to like. The Kirkus editor responsible for instituting these policies, Vicky Smith, has written about her rationale, which appears sane and well-considered.

“Over and over, I’ve heard from parents, librarians, teachers, and kids themselves that it would be wonderful to read books about black kids, or Indian kids, or Native American kids who are just being kids instead of being oppressed in some way,” Smith explained . If you start noting ethnicity to make those books recognizable, she pointed out, you really ought to report whiteness, too. Smith conceded that all of this gratuitous description can read strangely, and anyone who makes a survey of Kirkus’s young-adult reviews will agree. “The torment that has followed the young white woman since freshman year disappears,” one review reads. Another : “Lyra, Gemma, and Pete are white, Caelum has dark skin, and a number of important minor characters are described as having dark, black, or brown skin.” O.K., well, thanks. Still, the laborious specificity seems a fair price for a chance to nudge American fiction toward a state that better reflects American society. Some awkwardness and growing pains are inevitable in a moment of change.

That is not what’s going on with the “American Heart” review. Circumstances conducive to contemporary enlightenment were in place from the start: an observant Muslim woman, presumably given Kirkus’s sensitivity training, was assigned a review about a book featuring a female Muslim character; the protagonists’ races and relationships were adequately described. The reviewer published her assessment. Then, moved to reconsider either by her editorial superiors or by public response (or both), she allowed Kirkus to publish an update to her judgment.

In doing so, Kirkus , one of the country’s most prolific book reviews, has somehow managed to misapprehend both the nature of reviewing and the nature of books. As I’ve written in this magazine , criticism exists in different flavors, but its defining feature is an individualism of response. That response can be wise or unwise, popular or unpopular. A reviewer can squander authority by seeming too often at odds with good judgment. But, without critical autonomy, the enterprise falls apart. The only reason to hire a critic, instead of giving a megaphone to the crowd, is that creative work—books most of all—isn’t processed as a collective. People make sense of art as individuals, and their experiences of the work differ individually, too. A reviewer speaks for somebody , even if he or she doesn’t speak for you.

To assume otherwise risks the worst kind of generalization. I went to high school in San Francisco at the height of the multiculturalism movement. My freshman curriculum did not include “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Great Gatsby,” or “Moby-Dick.” We read, instead, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and “Bless Me, Ultima,” and other books showing the range of American fiction. I’m glad. (One can read “The Grapes of Wrath” anytime.) I remember finding Hurston’s novel brilliant and Anaya’s novel boring. I did not conclude, from these feelings, that African-American literature was interesting and Chicano literature was not. Why would I? The joy of books is the joy of people: they’re individuals, with a balance of virtues and flaws. We are free to find—and learn our way into—the ones that we enjoy the most, wherever they come from.

That specificity of response is what Vicky Smith seems to encourage by opening the full canon of new work to new readers. It’s also, though, the diversity that Kirkus has smothered by issuing a “correction”—the editor’s word—on the political emphasis of a published response. Although it’s easy these days to forget, a politics is a practice of problem-solving, case by case, not a unilateral set of color-coded rules. If certain inputs guarantee certain outputs, what’s in play isn’t politics but doctrine. Kirkus , admirably, is trying to be on the progressive side of a moment of transition in our reading. But its recent choices aren’t about progress, or about helping young people find their way through many voices. They’re about reducing books to concepts—and subjecting individuals who read them to the judgments of a crowd.

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