Indie book reviews

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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
Rating:
4.4 / 5.0

Michael Schwartz's I'M ONLY A GOOD DADDY BECAUSE YOUR MOMMY DIED offers trauma survivors a light to shine through the darkness. It movingly demonstrates that,...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Marlene Zaedyan's THREE SILENT CRIES: Three Battles, One Unheard Scream at a Time is a somber and very moving collection that deals with issues of...

IR Approved
April 1, 2026

RAILROAD MAN: Legacies Son

By Dan E. Hendrickson
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

In RAILROAD MAN, LEGACIES SON, author Dan E. Hendrickson delivers a deeply atmospheric and nuanced historical drama that masterfully balances the internal wreckage of war...

IR Approved
April 1, 2026

WHEN I RETURN TO LOVE

By Eric Harris
Rating:
4.3 / 5.0

Writing about love while avoiding saccharine and snobby sentiments, Eric Harris's WHEN I RETURN TO LOVE keeps the promise it makes in the introductory poem:...

IR Approved
March 31, 2026

THE AWKWARD AGENDA

By Beth Morton
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Beth Morton's THE AWKWARD AGENDA is a satisfying adventure through grief, disability, and mental health that features loveable characters, gripping conflict, and plenty of swoon...

March 30, 2026

#1.1

By Allen Dean Maiora
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

With vivid imagery and the willingness to probe complex ideas, #1.1 by Allen Dean Maiora stands out as a thought-provoking, if imperfect, entry in speculative...

IR Approved
March 30, 2026

MY GOOD LIFE

By Dr. Gregory M. Lee
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Tightly focused on academic and professional achievement, MY GOOD LIFE is an engrossing look at Dr. Gregory M. Lee's life in the Air Force and...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.9 / 5.0

Stefanie Gamarra's JIBBERJACK, FIBBERJACK is a delightful and timely story for early to intermediate readers that entertains and instructs in the basics of critical thinking.

IR Approved
March 30, 2026

I CONTAIN MULTITUDES

By Christopher Hawkins
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

Christopher Hawkins's I CONTAIN MULTITUDES is a suspenseful and brilliantly realized variation on the concept of visiting parallel universes.

IR Approved
March 29, 2026

FIRST THERE WAS A BIRD

By Linda Oatman High
Rating:
4.3 / 5.0

Written by Linda Oatman High, FIRST THERE WAS A BIRD is a coming-of-age tale that expatiates movingly on the issue of young grief with pertinent...

IR Approved
March 29, 2026

TOO DEEP TO DROWN

By Stacy R. Ward
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Stacy R. Ward’s TOO DEEP TO DROWN depicts the fight-or-flight spirit of adolescence through the eyes of its emancipated protagonist. Bolstered by its atmospheric imagery...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Part ghost story and part war history, author H.J. Koch intersperses bloody realities with fantastical elements via beautifully-written prose in four parts in THAYER'S RETURN.

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