Matrescence by Lucy Jones review – the birth of a mother
A science writer charts the monumental impact of having children from every angle
Y/N by Esther Yi review – in the maze of parasocial love
A woman falls for a K-pop star at a distance in this thoughtful romance for the online age
La Syndicaliste review – Isabelle Huppert is fascinating in blood-boiling injustice drama
French film about real-life trade union whistleblower and rape survivor Maureen Kearney, accused of inventing her assault
Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad by Daniel Finkelstein review – escape from tyranny
A son’s profoundly moving account of his parents’ survival under Nazi and Soviet rule
Hello, Bookstore review – indie bookshop owner’s story is the perfect page-turner
Adam Zax’s unhurried fly-on-the-wall documentary captures the gentle rhythms and flow of life in a Massachusetts bookstore
Penance by Eliza Clark review – art or porn?
Set in a northern seaside town, this show-stopping second novel is a bravura deconstruction of our voyeuristic love for true crime
Young adult books roundup – reviews
From a girl in with the wrong crowd to a queer medieval romp and a time-jumping study of injustice, here is this month’s pick of the best new titles
One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up by Wes Streeting review – memoir by a man on the move
The shadow health secretary’s way with a cliche doesn’t much hinder his compelling story of overcoming adversity – and bankrobbing relatives
A Small, Stubborn Town by Andrew Harding – the war in Ukraine in skilful miniature
Spanning just a few dramatic days, the foreign reporter’s riveting account of the battle for Voznesensk highlights the weaknesses of Putin’s invasion and the courage of Ukrainians
This Is Not America by Tomiwa Owolade review – black and British… and a world apart
In this passionate and timely if sometimes tetchy study, the cultural critic argues that Britain should consider race from its own perspective rather than adopt America’s battles
In brief: 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession; Four Seasons in Japan; The Draw of the Sea – review
An exhaustive study of footage from an exhausting bike race, an affecting novel within a novel, and a hymn to the beauty of the Cornish coastline
Speak to Me by Paula Cocozza review – lost connections and domestic claustrophobia
Loss and loneliness drive a woman to revisit her first love in this perceptive slow-burn novel
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi review – a language lab fluent in the dark arts
A smart satirical story raises timely questions about privilege and appropriation
This Is Europe: The Way We Live Now by Ben Judah review – the marginalised lives of others
This unflinching book illuminates the perilous stories of an extraordinary cast of characters in a Europe we prefer not to dwell on
A Thread of Violence by Mark O’Connell review – a masterpiece of murkiness
The author’s account of the 1982 Dublin murders committed by the wealthy socialite Malcolm Macarthur deals dazzlingly in moral complexities