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bookishcookiemonster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Definitely had me reflecting a lot about my own life.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Ableism, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abortion
ukponge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Infidelity
jennipea382's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Infidelity
mercerhanau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Addiction, Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Alcohol, Cancer, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Pregnancy
hdunscombe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Gaslighting, Blood, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Child death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
astoriareader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- Jack & Elizabeth are married & have a son together. They’ve been together for about twenty year, and they met in college in the early 90s while living in Wicker Park.
- The book centers around these two characters, but it jumps around in time a lot. We get to learn their backstories & childhoods.
- After 20 years together, Jack & Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and Hill intertwines back stories to give us deeper insight as well.
- 600 page sweeping story.
- Deftly executed + amazing character development. Hill flushes out the back stories to our two main characters. We get to see them at their highs and their lows.
- As a former psych major, I loved all the psychological references & the general psychological meanderings.
- This book tackles a giant range of topics, such as love, marriage, conspiracy theories, parenting, trendy fitness programs, Facebook algorithms, placebos, polyamory, trauma, poignant social media commentary, “the Secret”, 90s culture, and provably lots more that I am forgetting.
- Hill is a master at storytelling, and I resonated with his writing style. The book feels so real, relatable, and human.
- I really loved the exploration of how humans grow & change. Jack & Elizabeth are not their twenty year old selves for eternity. What do we do with that? What is love? How do we evolve as humans, and what does it mean if our life partners have evolved in different ways?
- Hill clearly researched a lot of topics & even includes a bibliography. He’s smart, and I enjoyed his commentary throughout the book.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Infidelity and Cancer
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Cancer, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Bullying, and Fire/Fire injury
melyssa57's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wellness by Nathan Hill is being touted as the next great American novel. I am not sure if that is the case. I didn’t ready Hill’s debut, The Nix, but I will say he does a great job of writing an engaging story that compels the reader to still with the story until this end. And at more than 600 pages, it can take a while to get there. I enjoyed the journey, but I am still undecided on how I feel about the destination.
Wellness is a story of growth for main characters Jack and Elizabeth who meet in Chicago as young adults, fall in love, get married, have a child, and then realize they aren’t the people they were when they met. Through a series of flashbacks and present day scenarios the other illustrates the events that formed the characters into the people they are presently. In an attempt to discern who they are as mature adults, the two embark on a variety of tactics to save themselves and their marriage. Are they successful, I’m not quite sure, I think the ending can be left up to interpretation.
Even though this was a longer novel, it didn’t seem that way. I was invested and able to finish the story at a moderate pace. I enjoyed the flashbacks that gave the reader detailed background into the nuances of the characters. They were both clearly drawn together because they’d suffered horrible parenting. What I did not care for the overabundance of cited works references throughout a fiction book. It almost made it seem as though it was fiction purporting to be non-fiction. I think the story could have been just as strong with out and the dozens of reference works listed at the end.
Recommendation: I really wanted to enjoy this book. After hundred of pages, I was all in, but the ending kind of fell flat to me after all that build up. I think the author was struggling with bringing it all together, but I did enjoy his writing style. I may pick up The Nix or his next work, but sorry Oprah, I’m just unsure about the accolades that all the critics are giving this one.
Until next time ... Read on!
Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.
Read all of my reviews at bit.ly/PageBedtime
Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
kcbatts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity and Death