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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though it was a bit slower paced and probably should have been split into two books, but I appreciated the joke the author made close to the end about the length of the book. So I forgave him!
Samuel’s mother, Faye, abandoned him when he was eleven. Now in his thirties, he’s contacted by a lawyer that his mother’s been arrested for attacking a potential presidential candidate. Samuel goes to Chicago to see his mother again and to discover what really happened in her past. He meets his grandfather who immigrated from Norway who is suffering from dementia. The grandfather used to tell Faye about the Nix, the house ghost who needed to be kept happy or it would ruin your life and the lives of your ancestors.
Samuel also confronts several of his own ghosts from his past along the way. A good portion of the book focuses on his relationship with twins Bishop and Bethany. Sam falls in love with Bethany and is good friends with Bishop who leads a very charming but troubled life.
Samuel’s mother, Faye, abandoned him when he was eleven. Now in his thirties, he’s contacted by a lawyer that his mother’s been arrested for attacking a potential presidential candidate. Samuel goes to Chicago to see his mother again and to discover what really happened in her past. He meets his grandfather who immigrated from Norway who is suffering from dementia. The grandfather used to tell Faye about the Nix, the house ghost who needed to be kept happy or it would ruin your life and the lives of your ancestors.
Samuel also confronts several of his own ghosts from his past along the way. A good portion of the book focuses on his relationship with twins Bishop and Bethany. Sam falls in love with Bethany and is good friends with Bishop who leads a very charming but troubled life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence
this book was incredible. not sure what’s holding me back from 5 stars, might bump it up later. but WOW this was one of those modern-day american novels that makes you believe that we can still create great literature. phenomenal writing style
Filled with Dickensian characters (with names like Bishop and Periwinkle), this tale of a young man trying to discover the truth of his family's past in order to understand the present is a fantastic read. Hill is an outstanding writer and I was captivated from the start. From the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago to the 21st century challenges presented by ubiquitous technology, he writes with authority on every point of view, whether it's student protestors or gamers.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing book. Well written and such a captivating tapestry of story.
It is rare to find this type of books, intriguing but not shallow, it covers a lot of difficult topics (motherhood, relationship with family, game addiction, depression, capitalism, police brutality, immigration- to name a few) without ever being preachy. The reader is taken along for the ride and the author clearly trust the reader to understand what is going on without having to oversimplify.
This story has layers and weight, and through the narration of the relationship between son and mother manages to render the atmosphere of the contemporary USA and of the NYC of the '68/hippie era.
It is rare to find this type of books, intriguing but not shallow, it covers a lot of difficult topics (motherhood, relationship with family, game addiction, depression, capitalism, police brutality, immigration- to name a few) without ever being preachy. The reader is taken along for the ride and the author clearly trust the reader to understand what is going on without having to oversimplify.
This story has layers and weight, and through the narration of the relationship between son and mother manages to render the atmosphere of the contemporary USA and of the NYC of the '68/hippie era.
emotional
funny
hopeful
I am a firm believer that things find you when they are supposed to.
That can be frustrating because life so often drags its feet, but the older I get, the more I see how true it is.
That was my experience with The Nix.
This book found me at exactly the right time, and it was incredible on so many levels.
So many highlighted lines, so many laugh-out-loud moments.
Literature is medicine.
I 100% believe that.
And that is what this book was for me.
I immersion read all 732 pages in just two days, listening alongside Ari Fliakos’ phenomenal audiobook performance.
His narration brought the shifting voices and biting humor to life so vividly that I felt completely swept away.
It was one of those rare reading experiences where you don’t want to come up for air.
This novel is intricate and alive on every page.
Hill takes on politics, academia, media outrage, and the absurdities of modern life with razor-sharp satire, but underneath all the humor is so much heart.
It’s about family and estrangement, the echoes of protest across generations, the ache of love, and the impossible desire we all have to be truly understood.
What amazed me most is how a book this big and smart can also be so addictive.
The chapters move like episodes of a great series, funny, biting, tender, and full of momentum.
I kept telling myself “just one more,” and suddenly hours had passed.
I had the same reaction I did when I was reading Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet.
I just could not stop.
It was medicine: smart, heartfelt, funny, unforgettable.
That can be frustrating because life so often drags its feet, but the older I get, the more I see how true it is.
That was my experience with The Nix.
This book found me at exactly the right time, and it was incredible on so many levels.
So many highlighted lines, so many laugh-out-loud moments.
Literature is medicine.
I 100% believe that.
And that is what this book was for me.
I immersion read all 732 pages in just two days, listening alongside Ari Fliakos’ phenomenal audiobook performance.
His narration brought the shifting voices and biting humor to life so vividly that I felt completely swept away.
It was one of those rare reading experiences where you don’t want to come up for air.
This novel is intricate and alive on every page.
Hill takes on politics, academia, media outrage, and the absurdities of modern life with razor-sharp satire, but underneath all the humor is so much heart.
It’s about family and estrangement, the echoes of protest across generations, the ache of love, and the impossible desire we all have to be truly understood.
What amazed me most is how a book this big and smart can also be so addictive.
The chapters move like episodes of a great series, funny, biting, tender, and full of momentum.
I kept telling myself “just one more,” and suddenly hours had passed.
I had the same reaction I did when I was reading Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet.
I just could not stop.
It was medicine: smart, heartfelt, funny, unforgettable.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fantastic! Covers lots of topics with effect of media and ignorance of self being the ones that stuck out to me.
After reading this so close to Paul Murray I can see some similarities in their writing approach with lots of different characters (this was actually a complaint for me with the Seeker but here I found every viewpoint specifically valuable).
Docked a point for the part about the 60s, it’s just a part of history that I find personally less engaging and I was far more invested in the 2011 storyline.
After reading this so close to Paul Murray I can see some similarities in their writing approach with lots of different characters (this was actually a complaint for me with the Seeker but here I found every viewpoint specifically valuable).
Docked a point for the part about the 60s, it’s just a part of history that I find personally less engaging and I was far more invested in the 2011 storyline.
The flip side of being a person who never fails at anything is that you never do anything you could fail at. You never do anything risky. There’s a certain essential lack of courage among people who seem to be good at everything
But you cannot endure this world alone, and the more Samuel’s written his book, the more he’s realized how wrong he was. Because if you see people as enemies or obstacles or traps, you will be at constant war with them and with yourself. Whereas if you choose to see people as puzzles, and if you see yourself as a puzzle, then you will be constantly delighted, because eventually, if you dig deep enough into anybody, if you really look under the hood of someone’s life, you will find something familiar.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes