literary

The buzz for Nell Zink's Nicotine is lighting up faster than a decade-old Marlboro, and consider it no surprise: this is a wonderfully strange book with some serious bite but also no shortage of warmth.

The story of a young woman who returns to her recently deceased father's childhood home only to find it inhabited by a colorful cast of squatters who double as pro-smoking advocates, Nicotine delves into issues of race, gender, class, politics, and so much more, and it approaches these sensitive topics…well, not so much with sensitivity, but with honesty, grace, and wicked storytelling injected with keenly observant humor.

Nicotine just received a starred Kirkus review, who calls it “A rich, rewarding tale of love, rebirth, and chewing tobacco…Zink does such an incredible job of depicting weirdos as real, smart, vulnerable, complicated people. Social satire with a sharp wit and a big heart.”

Library Journal adds, “[Zink] writes with tongue firmly in cheek. Her jaded worldview, leavened by a well-honed sense of the absurd, reveals itself as she skewers millennials and boomers alike for failing to live up to their once tightly held convictions.” 

And from The Millions, “Few writers have experienced Zink’s remarkable arc, and by all appearances, Nicotine seems unlikely to slow her winning streak.” 

Nicotine is also one of our suggestions for the October LibraryReads list. The deadline to vote is August 20th, so download an egalley from Edelweiss here, give it a read, and vote! We can't wait to hear what you think at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com.

-Chris