reviews

“[A Brutal Design] builds to a superbly bizarre Götterdämmerung, as Duma’s subterranean terrors come to the surface and utopia shows its true face.” — Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal

“With clear, mus­cu­lar prose and a world that comes to life in all its strange detail, A Bru­tal Design is a strong debut from an author with some­thing to say.” — Jewish Book Council

“Solomon’s crisp, discerning prose keeps the reader engaged…Even the gloomier passages bloom with carefully rendered, tender, touching detail. The novel…is constantly evoking ghosts of the past century but also teasing the reader with echoes of current headlines and warnings about the rise of fascism.” — World-Architects

“Zachary C. Solomon’s speculative architecture thriller is both an ode to [Brutalist design] and a fascinating warning of the pitfalls of utopianism.” — CrimeReads

“Solomon keeps his dark tale moving like a bullet train through one subtly disturbing twist after another.” — Chronogram

“I marvel at the masterclass of pacing, the ways in which the mystery is both the propulsive force and the environment itself…A curious and strong debut. I recommend!” — Fran Magazine

"While red flags about Duma’s authoritarian underpinnings abound from the first pages, I couldn’t help but feel seduced, just as Samuel does, by the prospect of a better life there.” — The Jewish Daily Forward

“A Brutal Design harbors a stark warning about what happens when people become shiftless regarding political agendas and policies…[ABD] causes readers to look inward and examine their own attitudes and behaviors—and then look outward, toward their own neighborhoods and societies, and begin waking those who are sleepwalking toward an authoritarian future.” — Tupelo Quarterly

“One of the strangest novels I’ve ever read…Solomon manages to create a sinister atmosphere from the first pages…this [is a] compelling, unsettling vision of a future few of us want.” — American Jewish World

press

“In dark times, is a dystopian Jewish novel just what we need?” — Feature interview, JTA

“What we’re reading: writers and readers on the books they enjoyed in January” — The Guardian

lists

“Ten New Books Coming Out This Week” — CrimeReads

“15 Speculative Novels Coming Out This Year” — CrimeReads

“13 Jewish Books We’re Looking Forward to in 2024” — Hey Alma

“2024 Bookshelf” — Jewish Book Council

“21 Books We Want to Read in 2024” — Lilith Magazine