Indie book reviews

Now
Reviewing
Audiobooks!

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:
4.5 / 5.0

Vincent J. Tomeo’s contemplative poetry collection MY CEMETERY FRIENDS: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York meditates on life, death,...

September 17, 2025

PROPHETS OF WAR

By Jack Brown
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

While a bit on the nose in its barely-fictionalized antagonists and ending in an unsatisfying manifesto, Jack Brown's PROPHETS OF WAR is a promising first...

IR Approved
September 17, 2025

SODA LAKE

By John Hampsey
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

John C. Hampsey's SODA LAKE begins like a mystery—a man vanishes into a desert salt flat—but quickly becomes a challenging and dreamlike voyage into the...

IR Approved
September 17, 2025

THE ART COLLECTOR’S WIFE

By Susan Knecht
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Susan Knecht’s THE ART COLLECTOR’S WIFE is both a gripping crime thriller and a moving family drama.

IR Approved
September 17, 2025

THE END OF PRIM

By Michelle Tocher
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Michelle Tocher's touching account of an older woman's existential crisis is alternately heartbreaking, funny, tender, and life-affirming. Its straightforward, simple style makes it all the...

IR Approved
September 15, 2025

THE DEMON’S DECEIT

By Andria Carver
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

Snappy, feisty, and fun, Andria Carver’s THE DEMON’S DECEIT delivers action and laughs from start to finish.

IR Approved
Rating:
4.1 / 5.0

Michael M. Karch’s cerebral THE PARADOX of PROGRESS: Book 2: The Roses and Thorns of Artificial Intelligence takes a balanced and analytical look at the...

September 15, 2025

THE WORST YEAR OF THEIR LIVES

By Monica Elizabeth Bauer
Rating:
3.9 / 5.0

Written by Monica Elizabeth Bauer, THE WORST YEAR OF THEIR LIVES' heartfelt themes and comedic gems hit home.

IR Approved
September 12, 2025

CATCHING QAT

By K.T. Pike
Rating:
4.4 / 5.0

K.T. Pike’s CATCHING QAT creates an exhilarating world of fantasy, adventure, and magic that's enriched with a wild cast of diverse characters and creatures.

September 12, 2025

DEEP TRAUMA

By Kat Edwards
Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

Kat Edwards’s DEEP TRAUMA is a solid thriller with a plucky protagonist, interesting setup, and big-hearted values.

IR Approved
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Readers game for Jenny Noa’s style will find that spending time with BAD DREAMS: Notes on Life and Los Angeles by a Would-Be Has-Been is...

Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Adam Korga’s IT DICTIONARY: A Survival Manual for Devs, Dreamers, and Those Still Pretending Their Job Has Structure will raise a laugh with IT professionals...

Get A PROFESSIONAL REVIEW FOR YOUR BOOK!