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.

July 26, 2024

KILL ME NOW

By Christopher Ridley
Rating:
3.3 / 5.0

Christopher Ridley's KILL ME NOW is a fun read filled with pop culture references and camp, cutting humor. 

IR Approved
June 10, 2024

A MEMORY OF FICTIONS (OR) JUST TIDDY-BOOM

By Leonce Gaiter
Rating:
4.4 / 5.0

A MEMORY OF FICTIONS (OR) JUST TIDDY-BOOM is a bold novel. Author Leonce Gaiter is willing to take chances with the structure of the book,...

IR Approved
January 29, 2024

DON’T PUSH ME

By Michael Hartwig
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

A stirring examination of grief, internalized shame, trauma, and the echoes of hope through generations, DON’T PUSH ME by Michael Hartwig is a necessary and...

September 29, 2023

THE RAVEN KEY

By Harper L. Carnes
Rating:
2.9 / 5.0

While saturated with classic horror elements and realistic explorations of trauma and LGBTQ life, Harper L. Carnes' THE RAVEN KEY lacks effective world building and...

September 15, 2023

THE B-SIDE OF DANIEL GARNEAU

By David Kingston Yeh
Rating:
3.6 / 5.0

A timeless, well-crafted story about love, family, and friendship that transcends the LGBTQ+ genre, David Kingston Yeh's THE B-SIDE OF DANIEL GARNEAU is a satisfying...

IR Approved
April 19, 2023

DANI CAPELLO: Shadows of Men

By M.S. Izbicki
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Though a few thematic threads are left hanging, M.S. Izbicki'S DANI CAPELLO: Shadows of Men both impresses and satisfies with a confident narrative voice, comforting...

February 13, 2023

RAFAEL JEROME

By Tobias Maxwell
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Tobias Maxwell writes with crisp prose, natural dialogue and picturesque imagery in RAFAEL JEROME, an account of a family deep-dive that turns on an interesting...

IR Approved
December 19, 2022

SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW

By Bill VanPatten
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Bill VanPatten's SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW is a diverting, uplifting, and satisfying tale of romance and personal redemption.

December 2, 2022

A ROMAN SPELL

By Michael Hartwig
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Michael Hartwig’s A ROMAN SPELL effectively balances supernatural and fantastic elements with the fundamental fears of first-time queer parents struggling with domestic bliss.

November 28, 2022

OLIVER AND HENRY

By Michael Hartwig
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Like its characters, Michael Hartwig's OLIVER AND HENRY has strong attributes that give it sufficient interest for readers of travel narrative, art history, queer romance--or...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A charming, unapologetically campy, funny, and surprisingly touching look at the lives, struggles, and joys of a group of gay (and one straight!) tennis players,...

June 29, 2022

JEROME KLINGEMANN, LOSER MAGNET

By Joseph F. Delgado
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Get A PROFESSIONAL REVIEW FOR YOUR BOOK!