Shawn Syms, Book Reviewer

Book Review

In the Cage

by Shawn Syms

Hardcastle’s descriptions possess an elegant choreography that is vivid, energetic, and well-paced. Kevin Hardcastle, whose story collection Debris won the Trillium Book Award, continues to explore small-town Ontario life in his moody,... Read More

Book Review

The Fata Morgana Books

by Shawn Syms

The dry, expository style accentuates the sexual frankness in these elegant novellas and stories. Adventurous readers of contemporary European literature may appreciate "The Fata Morgana Books", by Jonathan Littell, translated from... Read More

Book Review

Sunland

by Shawn Syms

An unlikely drug dealer supplying an old folks home comes of age in a fast-paced, dynamic new novel of ethics and identity. In richly descriptive and propulsive prose, Don Waters’ dynamic debut, "Sunland", dissects the meanings of... Read More

Book Review

The Proper Words for Sin

by Shawn Syms

Characters grope for meaning amid emotional and moral crises in complex, atmospheric stories. The lives of boys and men are fraught with imperfection and shortcomings in our intensely competitive culture. For the mostly male, mainly... Read More

Book Review

Whitetail Shooting Gallery

by Shawn Syms

Canadian author Annette Lapointe presents a moody, atmospheric portrait of small-town life in Whitetail Shooting Gallery. Set on the Saskatchewan prairies, the novel catalogues relationships characterized by discord, violence, and raw,... Read More

Book Review

An Age of Madness

by Shawn Syms

To a casual observer, it would seem that Boston psychiatrist Regina Moss is surrounded by chaos and instability all day long but has her own life under complete control. Yet appearances can be deceiving, as David Maine makes clear in his... Read More

This must be a new section. We don't have much available for it yet. Head on over to our homepage for a wider selection of content.