What a journey of a book this is to read. At its core it’s a love story between two deeply human (re: complicated and flawed) individuals who meet in Chicago in the early 1990s and focuses mainly on their mid-life marital crisis amidst the backdrop of building a new home, gentrifying Chicago neighborhoods, wellness fads, and so much more. This book took me months to read because it took so long for me to get into and even toward the end, the author’s lengthy deep dives into topics that clearly interest him but don’t really add to the plot made it tough. I had to speed read the algorithm section because I just wanted to know why they had gone viral! Frustrating in many portions but ultimately glad I read it. So much to think about, great research and ultimately a great story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book!

Deeply layered, enthralling story with characters you will not forget. Find time to invest and enjoy the ride, including all of the seemingly unrelated 'tangents' that somehow flesh out this exceptional work. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before going any farther, I want you to know that I made three charges at "Wellness" before it caught with me. I didn't DNF it or delete it because I knew it would be good. And it is. Once I get in Elizabeth and Jack's heads I wanted to stay there and see where we went.

Elizabeth is a Ph.D in Psychology, I think, and she works for Wellness, a research company that studies the effects of placebos which they discover are pretty much the same as the impact of actual medicine. Patients are cured simply because they believe in the cure, they have found. If you can imagine where this will lead, it does.

Jack is an artist, whose work is based on his access to leftover art supplies because he can't afford to buy anything new. It's the '90s, and both have taken refuge from godawful families to live their own lives in Chicago. They fall in love, marry, and have a child. Nothing is easy for them, but each character is compelling enough to keep you settled in their noggins and following their life stories.

But being in their heads means that you get EVERYTHING going on with them. There's a huge
digression into the Facebook algorithm and how it entraps Jack's dad in the Flint Hills of Kansas into
becoming a conspiracy extremist. Some of it is entertaining but I suspect you'll be skimming.

There's so, so, so much to "Wellness" that it's almost suffocating. There's a lovely scene where Jack's older sister takes him out to the prairie to sketch. Evelyn is a college art student and Jack is a wretched 9-year-old trying too hard to please. Evelyn's sketch expresses the heart of the land, while Jack tries to get everything exact. "You have to let it breathe," Evelyn tells him about his work.

I'd say that about this novel. A great deal of it is so marvelous, but there are parts that are equally numbing or bewildering. This would be an incredible book club pick--the conversation would go on till the wee hours--but it would be difficult to get enough people who made it through the 600 pages to have that sparky chat. "Wellness" is not for everyone, but there is enough to appeal to everyone. If that seems like an impossible comment, you get this book.

Many thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for a digital reply copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinions.

Although I liked Nathan Hill's first book more, Wellness was well written and interesting on several different levels. Nathan Hill is a talented writer and I look forward to more by him.

I loved The Nix and I was so glad to have another novel by Nathan Hill. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARX! And… it exceeded my wildest expectations.

Wellness is smart, absorbing and has unique character development. It is an interesting take on modern marriage, love, and art - love recommending this to friends.

I know other people enjoyed this but I had to put it down half was through. It was long and convoluted and I couldn’t follow the blur between reality and….. futuristic descriptions?

"Holy shit."
That is the review I posted on Goodreads right when I finished and it continues to be the only words I have to explain just what Nathan Hill has accomplished here. It's also, I suspect, why the two-word review has garnered more "thumbs-up" reactions from Goodreaders who agree. When book-recommending algorithms, and generators ask for what I'm looking for, this is the book I serve them.

Because The Nix is my all time favorite book I had the highest of hopes for this sophomore novel. Boy was I not disappointed. Nathan Hill writes the most complicated characters in the absolute most hilarious way possible and says things in such a way that you KNOW what he means but you could never possibly come up with the wording yourself to express it. This is a multilayered story about a man and woman who on the surface have the same problems as every other married couple but diving into their histories we find out so much more. The humor is elite and the chapters on a Boomer learning Facebook should earn every award on its own. Bravo Nathan Hill, you’re still my fav.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was unfortunately not the follow-up to The Nix I was so looking forward to and I’m afraid I had an unfair expectation going in to reading this that simply made it hard for me to get invested in the storyline. It was very drawn out to me and just not the book for me but I have not doubt other readers will love this!

Nathan Hill's sophomore book, Wellness, wowed me with its varying depictions of marriage, art, and forming one's identity. These generic topics are interwoven with complex details that take the book from mundane to extraordinary. Gentrified Chicago, the burning of the Great Plains, a swingers club, mommies groups, psych labs, bat guano, angry elderly parents, and the titular wellness morph into a portrait of two spouses over two decades.

Recommending to friends and fam!

This book will not be for everyone. It is long and could have used some judicious editing. I loved Nathan Hill’s previous novel The Nix. Some of the character descriptions and scenes in Wellness were beautiful. I especially loved the opening scenes describing the way the two main characters meet and fall in love. I also enjoyed scenes giving both of their backstories which are woven throughout the novel. What I could have used less of were overly long descriptions of hypertext and algorithms. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced reader’s copy. I’d recommend it for fans of literary fiction and fiction set in Chicago.

I loved Nathan Hill's book The Nix so much and I was so excited to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Wellness, but I found myself in the wrong headspace to read such a long book at the time I received it. I read the first 50 pages or so, and I've heard wonderful things about it. Nathan Hill's writing and storytelling are wonderful and I'm looking forward to having the time and attention to dedicate to this book.

The Nix was a 5-star read for me and I have no doubt Wellness will be too

Really great book! Complex story and wonderful writing. I had heard lots about it and I'm so glad I got to read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Nathan Hill!

A big juicy novel about contemporary marriage, parenthood and coming of age. I really appreciate Hill's pointed commentary on everything from gentrification to social media algorithms.

Wellness is a captivating exploration of the complexities of modern life. The characters are rich and multifaceted, each grappling with their own inner demons and desires. I found this compelling and insightful that offers a sharp commentary on contemporary society and the quest for fulfillment.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this novel.

Wellness was a great read, but it did seem a bit muddled. I wanted to stay in the present with the main characters and their relationship, and the author kept taking me out of it. I'm writing this review months later, and honestly the book has not stayed with me that much, but I do remember enjoying the read at the time.

Wow! This book was a lot! A very verbose stream of consciousness at times that I just could not get into. This is the story of a marriage that is in trouble it. So what? There are so many books about this particular theme. This one is different, however. It really delves into the back story of the couple. Sometimes the story went too in depth and I frankly had to skim- the information about Facebook and its algorithms was just not interesting or readable. I did love the backstory about Evelyn. Overall I enjoyed the book but at times it really had me quite perplexed!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC on exchange for an honest review

While there were definitely times where the book felt too long and repetitive, overall I loved it. Jack and Elizabeth’s love story felt plucked from real life and I saw myself in Elizabeth more than I would like to admit. I very much loved the organization of the present and the past, the storytelling, and what felt like some historical education.

The chapter of Elizabeth worrying over Toby as a toddler, mixed with all the cited research she had read, made me feel more resolved than ever in our personal choice to not have children.

Nathan Hill is one of my favorite authors - his writing reminds me of John Irving. I love how long his novels are and savor every last word. I especially enjoy the stream of consciousness portions. His ability to dive deep into an issue without spoon-feeding the point is so rare. I am amazed at how many topics he included in this novel and look forward to discussing this book with my book club.