Part psychological thriller, part science fiction, and part historical fiction; (disclaimer:) my high school alum’s book “A Burial for Flowers” manages to combine the three into one story that will make you want to [redacted, spoiler alert] like the main character did — but in a good way.

My only recommendation for a prospective reader would be to brush up on the Chinese history mentioned on the back cover. Though it’s explained well enough that a priori knowledge is optional, a significant part of the novel might be enhanced if you knew the “backstory.”