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More on Kirkus. I revisited the website to read sample reviews, specifically of a book or two I had read to see if Kirkus' opinion of the book's merit coincided with mine. Alas, you can't search by title, but only by genre. In the fiction category I read a review of Stephen King's If it Bleeds (I'm a fan, not necessarily of the horror genre, but of him as a writer) and a title that caught my eye, The Tatooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.
In each case, I estimate the review was about 300 words long, and consisted basically of a synopsis written in a breezy, eminently readable style, more like a lengthy blurb than an in-depth critique. Thus its value as criticism that could improve your writing appears to be limited (the review of the The Tatooist did however find that "The writing is merely serviceable, and one can't help but wish the author had found a way to present her material as nonfiction"), but I do think a Kirkus review could give you a good indication as to the likelihood of your book becoming a commercial success.
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