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.

August 30, 2024

WHERE THE SEABIRD SOARS

By Rebecca Babcock
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

While it may alienate some readers, Rebecca Babcock’s WHERE THE SEABIRD SOARS will appeal to many readers of standard romance.

IR Approved
August 21, 2024

REM’S CHANCE

By Dave J. Andrae
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

REM’S CHANCE, by Dave J. Andrae, is a fun, weird meditation on life and death for older millennials.

August 2, 2024

ISLANDS OF WOMEN

By Eileen A. O'Hara
Rating:
3.9 / 5.0

Quirky, irrepressible characters and imagery describing the rich environs of the Florida Keys circa 1906 offer a hopeful story of reinvention and redemption in Eileen...

IR Approved
July 17, 2024

IT RHYMES WITH TRUTH

By Rich Miller
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

With a heartbreaking story, witty banter, humor, and creative storytelling, author Rich Miller invokes an eclectic range of emotions in his debut novel, IT RHYMES...

IR Approved
July 10, 2024

THE JOY DIVISIONS

By Scott Dimovitz
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

THE JOY DIVISIONS, Scott Dimovitz's darkly funny, epic debut conjures the goth-industrial '90s with period-precise wit and Pynchonesque sprawl. 

IR Approved
July 3, 2024

ATTICUS FROM SHAWNEETOWN

By James Varga
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

A quirky blend of hog hysteria, grave-robbing intrigue, and existential courtroom drama, James Varga’s ATTICUS FROM SHAWNEETOWN is a vibrant mosaic of small-town life.

IR Approved
June 7, 2024

TALES OF THE PATRIARCHS

By Jim Shankman
Rating:
4.1 / 5.0

With TALES OF THE PATRIARCHS, Jim Shankman weaves a complex tapestry of ambition and romance set in the silent film era, offering an admittedly challenging...

IR Approved
June 5, 2024

LITTLE SHIPS, A Novel

By Sandra J Scofield
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

In LITTLE SHIPS, A Novel, author Sandra Scofield’s unembellished words and quixotic characters build a heart-breaking, beautifully crafted story of a deeply flawed extended family.

May 10, 2024

ANCILLA

By Sera Maddox Drake
Rating:
2.9 / 5.0

Sera Maddox Drake's ANCILLA, despite its flaws, is sure to appeal to a subset of readers, namely those with a more-than-casual interest in BDSM and...

IR Approved
May 10, 2024

EAST HAMPTON BLUE

By Shelby Raebeck
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Shelby Raebeck's EAST HAMPTON BLUE is a compelling story of a stressed East coast tourist town that beautifully depicts the struggles of a man and...

IR Approved
May 6, 2024

ANEMONE

By Jim Frazee
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

Somber, romantic, and emotionally raw, ANEMONE is a masterful debut that intertwines the intimate dramas of Jim Frazee's characters with the larger elemental forces of...

April 26, 2024

ANIMAL: Notes from a Labyrinth

By Alan Fishbone
Rating:
3.4 / 5.0

Boldly experimental in form, yet with enough narrative drive to hold the reader’s attention, ANIMAL: Notes from a Labyrinth is a refreshingly challenging read. Author...

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