🌹🌹Book Review🌹🌹

Thank you to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the eARC of The Latecomer. Pub date: May 31.

This was my first book by Jean Hanff Korelitz, but her previous book, The Plot, was all over #bookstagram .

This book is about a family with a wide variety of issues. The first three children are a successful IVF story, the technology then in its infancy.

But, this family isn’t just your average family. Everyone has their own set of issues and the triplets attempt to separate from each other, almost in infancy. Much like the three bottom roses on my rose bush, growing outwards in opposite directions.

When the triplets are about to send off for college, in distress of being an empty nester (amongst other things), the mother convinces their father to hire a surrogate to carry their final embryo. Hence, the latecomer bursts into this family bursting at the seams to get away from each other.

This book is a slow, slow, slow burn. I’m saying that until I got to about 70% in I wasn’t rushing to pick this up every day. There was a ton of character development and plot thickening. Everything gets real at that 70% mark and I finished it within 24 hours.

Was it an excellent end to all that build up? Absolutely! Though, I’m not sure this book will be for everyone simply because of that slow burn. Not everyone will have the patience to wait for that ending. You need all that development to get there though, I don’t think much could’ve been cut out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Latecomer is about a Jewish couple who meet after a traumatic accident and the family they build. It is written in three different parts... the parents, the triplets, and the latecomer's. The story is a tad wordy and I don't believe it needed to be as long as it was but I enjoyed following the Oppenheimer family. The characters were hardly likeable but I believe it added to the book. There are definitely layers that I would have loved to explore if I didn't feel so overwhelmed. Pick this one up if you are into family drama and dysfunctionality.

I was first introduced to the talented author when I read her novel “The Plot,” a witty thriller that was turned into a TV series. This novel reads like a dramedy revolving around a wealthy, unhappy NYC family. We follow the Oppenheim triplets, a girl and two boys, which their mother desperately wanted, and had to endure numerous attempts with In vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive. From birth, the triplets never had the kind of close bond that their mother expected them to have. Actually, the siblings seem to loath one another, which makes for entertaining dialogue between them. Most of the time, the mother is the only character that you will like. Just as the triplets are leaving for college, they learn that a fourth sibling, the long-gestating egg from their in-vitro procedure, is on the way—the “latecomber.” Korelitz keeps us in suspense wondering what role the “latecomer,” a second sister, will play in this odd group. Will she help heal or move the family even further apart? Through her quirky characters, loss, guilt, trauma, and privilege are explored because of the family's experiences. Korelitz is known for her rich character studies, which are evident in "Latecomer.” It is hard not to cringe and smile simultaneously while reading this funny yet poignant family narrative.

Very complex novel and very long. The storyline follows the wealthy Oppenheimer family. The parents have a set of triplets along with another child born later. Jewish, New Yorker Salo Oppenheimer meets Johanna after a tragic accident and she makes it her mission to give him a family and help him.
The chapters span the decades and alternate between the family members. I had a hard time getting invested in this family. Family dynamics are complicated. The triplets, Sally, Lewyn and Harrison are very different and have their issues. I felt the triplets were entitled and selfish. Phoebe, the last sibling she tries to bring the family together.
I felt this novel could have been cut in half and still covered the basics.
Triggers: Racism, Accident, Language

Families are complicated. Family dynamics are further complicated by secret affairs. Tale as old as time.

Now I'm not gonna lie, this book is long. Do I think that perhaps we could have condensed some of the backstory? Absolutely. However, who am I to tell a writer about their process.

The most interesting aspect of the story for me was at about the last 125 pages because I live for conflict and drama.

For my Cornell alumni (Go, Big Red!), this book is a pleasant walk down memory lane. It was nice to go back to the familiar buildings and locations on Ithaca's GORGEOUS campus.

While this book was a little slow to get in to, once I did, I didn't want to put it down. "The Latecomer" tells the story of the Oppenheimer family- a dad, mom, and three triplets born through IVF. Years later, the parents decide to have another baby, using their last stored embryo. As someone with a massive age difference to her own siblings, I was immediately drawn to this book because of it, but then I started to get to know the characters. They were awful; all of them-- except for the younger sister. Despite that though, I wanted to know what else was going to happen! To me, that's a sign of a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Jean Hanff Korelitz for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have to be completely honest, I had a really hard time getting into this book. The writing is great and it was a good break from the thrillers I typically read, but it was too slow of a start for me and it had so many extra details added, I just couldn't get into it. I know some will LOVE this style and I can definitely see why they would, it just wasn't for me. 3 out of 5 stars.

I enjoyed The Plot by the same author last year, so I was excited to get an early copy of her latest. This is so completely different! Overall, I liked it, but I did struggle to get into it. Thanks to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for an early copy!
*
This tells the story of the Oppenheimers--Johanna and Salo, their triplets born in the early days of IVF, and "the latecomer" Phoebe. Johanna decides she wants another baby when her triplets are 17, and the decision (and the reason she made the decision) ultimately changes the way the family relates to each other.
*
This was tough to get into. I do generally enjoy character-driven stories, and I also enjoy unlikeable characters, but maybe not both at the same time? This started really slow and I absolutely did not care what happened to anyone (except for Harrison. Who I actively wanted to be hurt or put in his place somehow). It did pick up, so I'm glad I stuck it out, but it took a real commitment to get there.
*
The latter third or so of the book was more engaging, and the characters start to come into their own more (they've also aged 17 years, so maybe there were just obnoxious teenagers...again, except for Harrison, who remained obnoxious.) And I did like how it all came together at the end, it was touching but in a realistic way.
*
I wouldn't universally recommend. But the writing is really good, and the story does get there, so just be ready for a slower family drama.

The Latecomer is the newest book by Jean Hanff Korelitz (author of The Plot). I will say it took me a little while to get into the story and the style, but once I did I was intrigued by the characters and wanted to see where the story was going. It reminded me of The Dutch House and Ask Again, Yes because of the broad family saga. There were times where the writing felt like too much, but the story and the characters were well developed. Just a warning, this book is nothing like The Plot. But if you are a fan of literary fiction and family drama, then this should be on your must-read list. Thank you @Celadonbooks for this advance copy. The Latecomer is available on May 31st!

The cover couldn’t be more perfect for this suspenseful, slow burn family drama. Pleasantly surprised with the dynamic of this family, as we follow their journey throughout the decades. Read as a documentary of sorts, hitting your with twists and turns as you turn the pages. All the while addressing some important topics.
This slow burn, is well worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.
Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I really wanted to like it, family drama and different POVs are my types of books. I've read about 15% and while it had lots of potential, the writing did not work for me. I am sure this is an essential read, my issue was the too much detailed and monotonous writing. This is mostly reader preference, some would love it and some would not.

A complex, slow-burn but richly developed family drama, compulsively readable, mesmerizing and moving and bitingly funny. There are few “likable” (but many deeply recognizable) characters, and the build-up to the ultimate conclusion takes a while. But those unlikable people are compellingly, realistically drawn, and the build-up, momentous and dramatic in its own right, makes for a worthwhile, unforgettable journey.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE LATECOMER
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Publisher: Celadon Books
Pub Date: 31 May 2022

Rating: 3/5

Review:
The Oppenheimer family is extremely dysfunctional. The triplets have lived a difficult life with parents that are significantly flawed. This book follows this family drama through various years and lets the reader into the life of flawed family members who face their own journeys but are connected through family.

Overall, the book was very well written with incredible depth and quotes that are worthy of underlining. The ideas and portrayals of the characters were well done and I enjoyed learning about the family dynamics.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me and I found it very mediocre to read. The plot of this book follows a family that suffers deep trauma and has been broken many times. While some may appreciate the slow burn in this book, I personally found it too slow and only understood the story around 70% through the book.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Latecomer” by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a bit different than her last two suspenseful novels. The story centers around the Oppenheimer triplets and their family dynamic. The book really takes off when their Mother decides to have a late and life child, Phoebe, and it shakes up all of their lives. I enjoyed the character development and it was an incredibly interesting novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The Latecomer is a family drama about a family that doesn't particularly care for each other. We have triplets by in vitro that don't even tell others they are a triplet or that their sibling attends the same university. We have a father who puts his energy and time into collecting art and another woman. The mother does her best under the circumstances and tries to act like they are one happy family.

This is a hefty book at 448 pages where not a lot happens, but it's more of a deep dive into this family. For me, it was very long winded and dragged at times. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters except for Phoebe, the latecomer child.

I did quite enjoy how the book wrapped up but all in all, I question whether the length was necessary to tell this story. Of course I completely enjoyed listening to There were some topics in this book that bothered me, which I think also affects my rating.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book.

Well.... there is a lot to say about this book. But not as much as the author had to say to get to the point.

I really struggled with this one. Like, by the 35% mark I was bored and considering DNFing the book. So I started skimming. Then at about the 65% mark I started skimming bigger chunks, and by 80% I was basically just reading the parts where the characters engaged in dialogue.

This is an extremely slow moving book, definitely character driven as opposed to plot driven, and all of the characters were detestable. I'm not sure I've ever hated any character as much as I loathed the ones in this book. I couldn't connect to any of the characters and frankly, they all were so self-absorbed and rude and just all around horrible, I couldn't imagine them being real people. I also had a hard time since NONE of the family members had a connection to each other at all, and they actively avoided each other throughout most of the book. What kind of family drama.... ugh. It was cringe-worthy to me to read about it.

I think the idea behind this book was really interesting and I'm really disappointed that I didn't like it. It just felt like there was no real direction this book was going. Sure there were some twists at the end, but not really anything jaw dropping. I wasn't surprised by anything in this book, and maybe that is part of my dislike of this book. I kept waiting for a big reveal or big moment or something to happen to make this book worth while and it just didn't happen for me. I honestly don't know what the point of the book was because the "latecomer" was such a small part of this story to me that it seems absurd that the book is entitled "the Latecomer." We didn't even know much about the "latecomer" until part three, in which the POV switches to her, and that was at nearly the 75% mark. Before that, she was mentioned in passing maybe a handful of times.

Anyway, I just don't think this was the right book for me, so take my review with a grain of salt. I know there are a lot of people who loved this one, I just felt it was about 150 pages too long, with not much happening, and really heavy descriptions of a lot of irrelevant things. So, unfortunately, I have to give this one 2 stars. There was just too much that I didn't like outweighing what I did like, and honestly, if it wasn't a review copy, I would have DNFed at 35%.

I really wanted to love this book but I just liked it.

It was a bit slow for me but it picked up towards the end.

I’m hoping that if I read this again, I’ll like it even more.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately I don’t think this book was quite for me. I wasn’t really a fan of the writing style, and found that it was too wordy for my liking.

I do think the actual story the author is telling is great, but because of the slow and drawn out parts, I found this book hard to get through.

I may give this book another try in a while, but for now it’s a dnf for me.

Thank you Celadon books and NetGalley for an e-arc in return for an honest review.

After I finished this book I couldn't tell if it was genius or just.. not. I had to sit on it for a few days.

The majority of the book was the slow unpeeling of each character, of their sometimes dull and self-important thoughts. Their privileged state. The fine cracks of a broken family. In such a lengthy book, it felt at times burdensome to read, like a chore. And then the last section of the book focused on the youngest sibling, Phoebe, and it was irresistible. I could perceive the intentionality of the character and context building. It was done so well, by the end of the book, I felt like an additional sibling in their strained family.

After some ruminating, i found it a consuming and thought-provoking book.

Read if you like character-driven books with delayed gratification.

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgally for an opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I think this one just isn’t for me. I found it slow, and overly wordy.
We get a deep dive into the characters, who are not very likeable from the twenty percent I got through.

If you like a character driven family drama, this will probably be for you, I’ve seen a lot of good reviews for it, it just wasn’t for me!

Thank you so much to Celadon books for sending me an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review.