Indie book reviews

IndieReader’s reviewers are tough, but fair

Our Reviewers won’t judge your book as compared to other self-published titles, but against other books, period. Our ratings are based on the following criteria, although reviewers are able to award partial stars (i.e. a 1.3 or a 4.7), rather than rounding up or down to a whole or half number.

1/5

Really bad 
Work on it.

2/5

Mediocre
1-2 bright spots.

3/5

Good
Worth reading.

4/5

Very Good
1-2 spots that need work

5/5

Excellent!
Must-read.

* IndieReader receives compensation for most of the books it reviews, along with copies of those books.

IR Approved
February 23, 2024

EMIGRANT TALES OF THE PLATTE RIVER RAIDS

By Janelle Molony
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

EMIGRANT TALES OF THE PLATTE RIVER RAIDS sees author Janelle Molony compile a thorough, blow-by-blow account of a largely forgotten aspect of nineteenth-century trail history.

IR Approved
October 23, 2023

SAD PAPAW’S HERITAGE

By Kenny Harmon
Rating:
4.3 / 5.0

A fascinating history of a German-descended American family, from their 19th-century arrival in the United States to the present, Kenny Harmon's SAD PAPAW’S HERITAGE provides...

September 25, 2023

DELAWARE FROM RAILWAYS TO FREEWAYS

By Dave Tabler
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

More a coffee-table book than a proper history, Dave Tabler's DELAWARE FROM RAILWAYS TO FREEWAYS is a worthy read for any devotee of Delaware’s past.

IR Approved
September 1, 2023

THE GREAT FLIP

By Donald J. Fraser
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Thoroughly researched and supported with numerous citations, THE GREAT FLIP is an incisive, compellingly readable work that offers a welcome refresher on the nuanced, often...

Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

For those with an obsessive interest in historical linguistics and abstract philosophy, historical linguist turned psychiatrist Elliott Martin's detail-dense THE VIRTUOUS PHYSICIAN: A Brief Medical...

IR Approved
August 2, 2023

THE C. R. PATTERSON AND SONS COMPANY

By Christopher Nelson
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Readable and compelling, Christopher Nelson’s THE C. R. PATTERSON AND SONS COMPANY tells the true story of a Black entrepreneur who should be far better...

March 17, 2023

GOVERNMENT 2.0

By Joseph Albert Gorski
Rating:
3.1 / 5.0

Though clearly written and concise, Joseph Albert Gorski’s neo-liberal polemic GOVERNMENT 2.0 suffers from having not been updated since its original publication when much has...

IR Approved
March 10, 2023

STUDENT IMPRESSIONS OF THE MIDDLE PASSAGE: 2010-2020

By Juliette Caruso O'Dell
Rating:
4.1 / 5.0

Author and middle school teacher Juliette Caruso O’Dell's STUDENT IMPRESSIONS OF THE MIDDLE PASSAGE: 2010-2020 offers an intriguing and thought-provoking insight into one of the...

IR Approved
February 10, 2023

DELAWARE BEFORE THE RAILROADS

By Dave Tabler
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

While not a definitive history of early Delaware, Dave Tabler's DELAWARE BEFORE THE RAILROADS is well researched and photographed and brings to life the forces,...

October 24, 2022

A LOT OF QUESTIONS (With No Answers)

By Jordan Neben
Rating:
3.1 / 5.0

Readers may struggle with the wordy approach and overly-ponderous stance, but Jordan Neben’s A LOT OF QUESTIONS (With No Answers)? ultimately delivers on its promise,...

IR Approved
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

Pamela McColl's TWAS THE NIGHT: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, is packed full of vintage illustrations and lesser known historical details...

IR Approved
August 3, 2022

THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE

By Gregory Vizzi, Chief Quiet Thunder Gilbert
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

A work of profound generosity and wisdom that advocates eloquently for the importance of respecting and protecting our environment, THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE is an indispensable...

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