That’s not the best headline I ever wrote, but I’m in the middle of something else and wanted to get this up.

Kirkus Reviews is a highly reputable book review magazine and website whose reviews are featured on the backs of just about every novel you’ve ever read.

From an author’s perspective, especially an aspiring one with no clout whatsoever, it’s also a bit of an oddball entity because you pay to submit your book for consideration. Not pennies, either. Then the Kirkus editors pick up your book and review it. But they can take a monumental dump all over it — call it the worst thing ever printed, in fact — and you’re still out a good chunk of dough.

Thankfully, Kirkus liked Dead Weight all right. Achievement unlocked — first pro review of my stuff, and the end result isn’t a morale-destroying shit show. Gonna call that a huge win.

Here’s a direct link to the full review, which is kinda spoiler-iffic. Maybe don’t read that if you actually intend to read the book. 

And here’s a chunk of text from the review that’s less spoilery.

“In this debut YA thriller, the leftovers of an unexplained apocalypse struggle to survive and find meaning in the wreckage. The great vanishing, while an ever present mystery, isn’t really Zephyr’s main concern as the story goes on, which can make it difficult for readers to see where it’s all leading. However, this also means that Casamassina’s novel avoids getting bogged down by a standard, predictable plot arc. It’s also nice to see such a cynical protagonist in a YA novel rather than one that’s overwhelmed with shock after a calamity; Zephyr often gives sharp warnings that are regularly ignored by adult travelers, often with disastrous consequences. The resulting tone allows the book to delve into darker territory than many other YA tales. Solid apocalyptic fiction that focuses more on its character relationships than its sci-fi elements.” — Kirkus Reviews