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
March 17, 2025

FIRST ELITE

By Emmanuel M Arriaga
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

The capstone of Emmaunel M. Arriaga's Foundra trilogy is vast, detailed, and ambitious. While it does occasionally sprawl a bit too wide to maintain perfect...

March 17, 2025

FOREVER WE DREAM

By Mark Workman
Rating:
3.9 / 5.0

Mark Workman's FOREVER WE DREAM has some extraneous matter that could be cut, but the core emotional arc is strong and well-executed.

March 17, 2025

BLUES JAM

By Stephen Rice
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Stephen Rice’s debut novel BLUES JAM offers an interesting look at addiction and music as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl.

IR Approved
March 14, 2025

THE FONDLING OF DETAILS

By Panayotis Cacoyannis
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Though some of the plot feels perfunctory at times, Panayotis Cacoyannis’s THE FONDLING OF DETAILS is clear in its scenic evocation of London, its disdain...

Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Kenny Wood’s CONNECTING DOTS: To Decode the Deception of Satan and to Worship the True God blends prophetic zeal and endearing personal grit in a...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Though it would benefit from editing in places, A FAR CRY FROM YESTERDAY: Finding Tomorrow in Distant Lands is an engaging account of Manon Rinsma's...

Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Ray Blasing's GENERAL CAREER INTELLIGENCE contains lots of good advice, though its rosy view of AI doesn't grapple with the societal problems the technology also...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

In THE HAPPY, HEALTHY REVOLUTION: The Working Parent's Guide to Achieve Wellness as a Family Unit, pediatrician Dr. Theresa Y. Wee combines medical expertise with...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

Though there are some wrinkles in the presentation, Richard Lowy's KALMAN AND LEOPOLD: Surviving Mengele's Auschwitz contains a story about Auschwitz's horrors that ought to...

IR Approved
March 10, 2025

THE TIDES OF KADAVAR

By Carl E. Wooldridge Jr.
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Though a few more twists and a stronger focus on the overarching conspiracy would have added more suspense and excitement to the tale, Carl E....

IR Approved
March 10, 2025

THE BEAUTIFUL NAME

By Lilly Stewart
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Gripping, moving, and thoughtful, Lilly Stewart’s THE BEAUTIFUL NAME hits hard with gut-wrenching and recognizable depictions of human relationships breaking down under the strain of...

IR Approved
March 10, 2025

REBELS AND SAINTS: CATCHING FREEDOM

By Lena Gibson
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

REBELS AND SAINTS: CATCHING FREEDOM is a dystopian thriller driven as much by hope as by despair. Skillfully plotted and carefully paced, this much-anticipated finale...

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