“[Shriver’s] whip-smart observations—about relationships, the role of the media, the cult of personality are funny and on the mark.” — People
“In her latest novel, Lionel Shriver pays homage to Joseph Conrad—examining terrorism, media bloodlust, and the cult of personality through an unexpected lens of satire.” — Marie Claire, Four New Page-Turners to Keep Bedside
“A very funny book, but the laughs are embedded in a deeply disturbing subject.” — NPR, "Weekend Edition"
“Shriver is cursed with knowing the human animal all too well. The New Republic is satire of a Shriver kind, that is to say biting.” — Miami Herald
“Lionel Shriver, the author of the harrowing and patient We Need to Talk About Kevin, delivers something altogether different: a callous and romping political and journalistic satire.” — The Daily Beast-- This Week's Hot Reads
“Shriver is one of the sharpest talents around.” — USA Today
“Witty, caustic and worldly, [Shriver] is a raconteur who could show even Barrington Saddler a thing or two about entertaining a crowd.” — Wall Street Journal
“Shriver has been a National Book Award finalist with good reason: Her page-turners examine serious issues.” — Reader's Digest Recommends
“A wondrously fanciful plot, vividly drawn characters, clever and cynical dialogue, and a comically brilliant and verisimilar imagined land. . . . The New Republic is simply terrific.” — Booklist (starred review)
“The dialogue zings and the writing is jazzy. . . . [Shriver] can toss off a sharp sketch of a passing character in a phrase, and she’s got a gimlet eye for what’s phony, or affected, or even touchingly vain in human behavior.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Shriver is an incisive social satirist with a clear grip on the ironies of our contemporary age . . . [Her] take on journalism and international politics is wry, insightful and just over the top enough to be fun.” — Los Angeles Times
“[Shriver] is uncannily perceptive[with a] vigorous capacity for compassion . . . [A] surprisingly tender novel disguised as a clever satire delivered in polished prose.” — Philadelphia Inquirer
“Part Scoop, part Our Man in Havana and part Len Deighton thriller, Shriver’s novel is not just about terrorism but also about journalism and the nature of charisma. . . . Shriver’s Barba is a wonderful creation.” — Financial Times
