AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile
A comic illustrator struggling to develop her character’s origin story learns her own family's origins when she’s suddenly summoned to the small Southern town of her childhood to care for her grandmother. That summary hardly does justice to this multifaceted story, rich in heart and significance and showcasing Joshilyn Jackson’s double talents as author and narrator. Jackson works to full advantage her “insider knowledge” of what the author intends to convey and conceal at every stage. She makes all her characters engaging—black, white, young, old, and nerdy. What Jackson has whipped up, seemingly effortlessly, is a complex Southern layer cake, exquisite when you bite through it all at once AND when you return to nibble individual layers—as many listeners most certainly will. K.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
05/01/2017
Graphic novelist Leia Birch Briggs is single, pregnant with a biracial baby, and unsure of her baby’s father’s name. All she knows is he was dressed like Batman and her last FanCon included a night she will never forget. Meanwhile, her stepsister’s marriage is unraveling, the deadline for her next comic book is quickly approaching despite her massive case of writer’s block, and her grandmother has a form of dementia she’s been keeping hidden for years. When Leia arrives at her grandmother’s home in Alabama to help get her affairs in order, she realizes the illness isn’t the only secret being kept. There’s a trunk of bones in the attic, and Grandma Birchie doesn’t want anyone to know whose they are. Jackson has packed in all the drama needed for a fast-paced summer read, but this isn’t your average beach book. Dark secrets and racism plague Grandma Birchie’s seemingly charming southern town, and Leia will soon find that real-life villains aren’t as easy to identify as the ones in her comic books. Agent: Caryn Karmatz Rudy, Defiore & Company (July)
From the Publisher
Leia, a self-proclaimed superhero-comics dork, narrates this light-dark Southern story of family, race, and belonging with affection, humor, and well-timed profanity, bound to please fans of the best-selling author’s six previous novels.… Both literary and women’s fiction readers will appreciate Leia’s smart/sassy narrative.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“The Almost Sisters is a book only Joshilyn Jackson could have written… I was swept up by her inimitable voice from the very first page: she deftly combines such unexpected subjects as superheroes, single motherhood, race, and the impact of long-buried secrets.” — Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar, Temptress, Solider, Spy
“In a story of incredible love and bravery, [Jackson] lasers through the weathered grace and mossy tradition of the contemporary south to explode its comic book dualism with blistering genius…Imagine Flannery O’Connor in a Wonder Woman suit, and you’ll get close to the big heart of this brilliant book.” — Lydia Netzer, author of Shine Shine Shine and How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky
“Beautifully written, fascinating and deep, The Opposite of Everyone is another must-read novel by Jackson... Jackson has done a phenomenal job of weaving the past with the present and unfolding the story layer after layer. This is a masterfully written tale that readers cannot put down.” — RT Book Reviews (top pick), THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE
“Jackson delivers another quirky, Southern-based, character-driven novel that combines exquisite writing, vivid personalities, and imaginative storylines while subtly contemplating race, romance, family, and self. A searing yet ultimately uplifting look at broken people who heal themselves and each other through forgiveness, love, and the power of stories.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review), THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE
“The unconventional characters in Jackson’s books often provide thought-provoking studies of love and loyalty; this must-read also contemplates the transformative power of storytelling.” — New York Times Book Review, THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE
“Witty, cleverly constructed and including a truly surprising twist, Someone Else’s Love Story turns out to be a nuanced exploration of faith, family and the things we do for love.” — People (3 ½ stars), SOMEONE ELSE'S LOVE STORY
“Jackson has written another spirited page-turner… A satisfying, entertaining read from an admired writer who deserves to be a household name. ” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Almost Sisters
“Only Joshilyn Jackson can present such serious issues with so much humor and humanity, making us consider just how far we might go to protect the ones we love.” — Brunonia Barry, NY Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader & The Fifth Petal
“A vibrant, sharp and humorous read, brimming with relatable subplots, high-energy scenes and overt superhero references... The author deftly succeeds in writing a book within a book, each one beautifully complementing the other.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Jackson offers more here than a great plot with relatable, memorable characters and crazy storylines. This cleverly crafted, original tale centers on racism and the dichotomy of the South, as well as complicated familial relationships and elderly care. In other words, she writes fictional tales about real life.” — Fredericksburg.com
People (3 ½ stars)
Witty, cleverly constructed and including a truly surprising twist, Someone Else’s Love Story turns out to be a nuanced exploration of faith, family and the things we do for love.
Karen Abbott
The Almost Sisters is a book only Joshilyn Jackson could have written… I was swept up by her inimitable voice from the very first page: she deftly combines such unexpected subjects as superheroes, single motherhood, race, and the impact of long-buried secrets.
New York Times Book Review
The unconventional characters in Jackson’s books often provide thought-provoking studies of love and loyalty; this must-read also contemplates the transformative power of storytelling.
Brunonia Barry
Only Joshilyn Jackson can present such serious issues with so much humor and humanity, making us consider just how far we might go to protect the ones we love.
Lydia Netzer
In a story of incredible love and bravery, [Jackson] lasers through the weathered grace and mossy tradition of the contemporary south to explode its comic book dualism with blistering genius…Imagine Flannery O’Connor in a Wonder Woman suit, and you’ll get close to the big heart of this brilliant book.
RT Book Reviews (top pick)
Beautifully written, fascinating and deep, The Opposite of Everyone is another must-read novel by Jackson... Jackson has done a phenomenal job of weaving the past with the present and unfolding the story layer after layer. This is a masterfully written tale that readers cannot put down.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A vibrant, sharp and humorous read, brimming with relatable subplots, high-energy scenes and overt superhero references... The author deftly succeeds in writing a book within a book, each one beautifully complementing the other.
Fredericksburg.com
Jackson offers more here than a great plot with relatable, memorable characters and crazy storylines. This cleverly crafted, original tale centers on racism and the dichotomy of the South, as well as complicated familial relationships and elderly care. In other words, she writes fictional tales about real life.
People (3 ½ stars)
Witty, cleverly constructed and including a truly surprising twist, Someone Else’s Love Story turns out to be a nuanced exploration of faith, family and the things we do for love.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A vibrant, sharp and humorous read, brimming with relatable subplots, high-energy scenes and overt superhero references... The author deftly succeeds in writing a book within a book, each one beautifully complementing the other.
New York Times Book Review on THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE
The unconventional characters in Jackson’s books often provide thought-provoking studies of love and loyalty; this must-read also contemplates the transformative power of storytelling.
RT Book Reviews (top pick) on THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE
Beautifully written, fascinating and deep, The Opposite of Everyone is another must-read novel by Jackson... Jackson has done a phenomenal job of weaving the past with the present and unfolding the story layer after layer. This is a masterfully written tale that readers cannot put down.
Library Journal
★ 04/15/2017
Leia, a self-proclaimed superhero-comics dork, narrates this light-dark Southern story of family, race, and belonging with affection, humor, and well-timed profanity, bound to please fans of the best-selling author's six previous novels (e.g., The Opposite of Everyone). The story opens with Leia's realization that she—a 38-year-old white woman in the male-dominated world of comic books—is pregnant after a one-night stand at a convention with a black fan of her work. Disruption continues when her stepsister's perfect life and her feisty 90-year-old grandmother's independent one break down in quick succession. To help, Leia takes her teen niece to Birchville, AL, where she spent childhood summers and where all (small-town) hell is about to break loose. VERDICT Both literary and women's fiction readers will appreciate Leia's smart/sassy narrative. Book clubs will find much to talk about in this multigenerational, Southern tale of sisters, friendship, and small-town life, including the author's signature quirky characters and deft touch with serious topics such as aging, race, and cultural identity. [See Prepub Alert, 1/18/17.]—Laurie Cavanaugh, Thayer P.L., Braintree, MA
AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile
A comic illustrator struggling to develop her character’s origin story learns her own family's origins when she’s suddenly summoned to the small Southern town of her childhood to care for her grandmother. That summary hardly does justice to this multifaceted story, rich in heart and significance and showcasing Joshilyn Jackson’s double talents as author and narrator. Jackson works to full advantage her “insider knowledge” of what the author intends to convey and conceal at every stage. She makes all her characters engaging—black, white, young, old, and nerdy. What Jackson has whipped up, seemingly effortlessly, is a complex Southern layer cake, exquisite when you bite through it all at once AND when you return to nibble individual layers—as many listeners most certainly will. K.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-04-18
Jackson (The Opposite of Everyone, 2016, etc.) has written another spirited page-turner set in a new South still haunted by the ghosts of the old.Leia, single at 38, writes popular graphic novels but is gun-shy with men. Following a boozy one-night stand at a comic-book convention, she has "fetched up pregnant" with a biracial child. Then she hears that her beloved 90-year-old grandma Birchie has slipped into dementia and is acting out: at church, Birchie has loudly, and lewdly, revealed what she knows about the new pastor's relationship with a (married) parishioner. Leia decides to take charge, driving from her home in Norfolk, Virginia, to the small town in Alabama where Birchie lives with her lifelong friend Wattie, a black woman whose mother was her family's housekeeper. Complications ensue—not least of which is the discovery of a trunk filled with the bones of someone who has met a violent end. There's a whiff of Southern Gothic here and plenty of sex, lies, and family secrets. (The author's fans will also recognize some elements from earlier novels). But Jackson is bighearted and, in the end, optimistic. She writes vivid, funny characters, and her voice is distinctive and authentic. She can also toss off amusing pop-culture references that make this narrative sound very au courant: Leia's stepsister's divorce "would be so perfectly done it would make Gwyenth Paltrow's conscious uncoupling look like a bar brawl." Jackson doesn't do trite. Even when Leia ruminates on race, the author frames things in a fresh way: "There was no such thing as mixed-race in…America....The whole country had called a mixed-race man our ‘first black president.' " Perhaps the novel overreaches—the ending is a bit sober for what comes before—but it's not a major flaw. A satisfying, entertaining read from an admired writer who deserves to be a household name.
