River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure review – all change in China
Shortlisted for the Women’s prize, this immersive debut tells an intergenerational story about coming of age in a country that’s rapidly growing
The Playbook by James S Shapiro review – a very 1930s culture war
This history of the bitter fight over the Federal Theatre Project has disturbing lessons for today’s politics
Ghost Cities by Siang Lu review – a funny, fascinating critique of modern China
This novel is both biting satire and love story, unfolding in a surprising melange of wonder and intelligence
The Crow review – Brandon Lee’s heavy metal horror is a potent goth fantasy
After Lee’s accidental on-set killing, speculation of a curse elevated this grungy revenge fantasy to cult status. Its violent, cartoonish energy still holds power
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two by Emil Ferris review – fantastic beasts
An eagerly awaited sequel to the author’s debut is a wildly inventive fantasy noir of lush and surprising child-like wonder
Naked Portrait by Rose Boyt review – under Lucian Freud’s gaze
The artist’s daughter tells the compelling story of sitting for him, but too often gets lost in the detail
The Small Back Room review – boundary-breaking wartime drama from Powell and Pressburger
Reuniting the stars of Black Narcissus, this movie about a back-room boffin attached to a bomb disposal unit finds the film-makers pushing gloriously against genre conventions
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud review – an epic family odyssey
A Franco-Algerian family’s struggles since the second world war are intimately captured across continents and generations
The Invisible Doctrine by George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison review – neoliberalism’s ascent
An incisive analysis of how the controversial ideology has permeated modern life
Godwin by Joseph O’Neill review – mining for goals
A comedic hunt for raw footballing talent in Africa explores a new kind of colonialism
We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson review – voice of the Amazon
There’s great joy as well as pain in this luminous story of Indigenous life and the battle against exploitation
Haikyuu!!: The Dumpster Battle review – huge anime hit goes deep into high school volleyball
Obsessively detailed clash between two rival high school teams has done massive box office in Japan, but it won’t make much sense to the uninitiated
Young adult books roundup – reviews
A teen romance centred on Eid, an exploration of toxic masculinity and a thriller from the queen of YA crime are among this month’s highlights
This Time Next Year review – satisfyingly slick by-the-numbers romcom
From the love/hate setup and the must-dump boyfriend to the kooky mate and frantic finale this well-crafted love story hits all the classic romcom beats, just don’t expect fireworks
Godwin by Joseph O’Neill review – unmissable edge-of-your-seat drama
Tension at a writers’ co-op is spliced with the hunt for a gifted footballer in the Netherland author’s first book in 10 years, an exceptional tale of desire and betrayal