[An] ingeniously constructed literary thriller.”— Minneapolis Star Tribune
“[An] elegant, hypnotic novel. . . . An elegy for lost—and perhaps only imagined—innocence.” —The Washington Post
“Compelling. . . . Perhaps all novelists can be said to wrestle with morality; Mandel seems to wrestle with it at greater length and in greater depth than most. . . . First-rate fiction.” —Dallas Morning News
“A novel noir that wears its influences proudly on the beige sleeve of its trench coat…. Delightful.” —Paste
“Trumpets [Mandel’s] talents: her charismatic verbal grace and acuity, the rich atmosphere she creates.” —The Boston Globe
“Emily St. John Mandel is astonishing.” —Emma Straub, author of The Vacationers
“[Mandel] is a stunningly beautiful writer whose complex, flawed, and well-drawn characters linger with you.” —Sarah McCarry, Tor.com
“Fascinating.” —Booklist
“Riveting. . . . Evocative, intriguing, and complex, this novel is as smooth as the underbelly of a deadly, furtive reptile.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“A rewarding read.” —Foreword magazine
“Result[s] in both sophistication and suspense.” —Publishers Weekly
“[Mandel’s] writing is pure elegance.” —Patrick DeWitt, author of Sisters Brothers
The best novels of 2014 delve into the recent past, the near future, and faraway worlds. Encompassing late-career epics and ambitious debuts, they consider the after-effects of everything from apocalypse to adultery, and reckon with religion and war using dreams, magic, science fiction, and occasionally nothing but the power of prose. Sometimes, in the grand […]