Novel Concept: 5/5
Execution of Novel Concept: 1/5

Title: 4/5
Characterization: 2/5
Dialogue: 1/5
Plot: 1/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 1/5
Prose: 4/5

Does this pass the Bechdel Test: No

Title
The Title references how the way Townson dies is a rough way to go because drowning is a fairly miserable death. It could also thematically connect to the down-esque misery of Peter Greene and his own family.

Characterization
Peter is a wonderfully developed character as well as Frank. They are, undoubtedly, the most interesting. Everyone else is passable but due to the strange dialogue choices and the insanity that is this plot, not a lot of characters stand out as fully realized people with interesting traits and flaws.

Luke is not a character. He's the toddler in this story and is more of a prop than an asset or hindrance to the story. I wanted to see more of the baby.

Also, every character is aggressive toward Pete for no reason. The moment Pete brings up this drowning case, it's like he's Ezio Auditore with the Auditore cloak and everyone around him is immediately agitated and after him. And while some characters make sense, it does not make sense that every single character ends up like this. We're now stuck in a cycle that we can see repeat, and my laundry cycle's are more entertaining.

Dialogue
This is the worst dialogue I've ever read in a book. The conversations read like a high school improv class- the way they speak is unnatural. An incredible amount of space is wasted with all of this needless back and forth. Concision is what this book needs, and a scissors is not a big enough set of sheers to cut every needless detail out. I recommend a chainsaw.

Plot
For a three hundred or so page novel, not a lot of important details happen in this book. Something so frustrating was the way the author would add in characterization interludes in the middle of what little tension they managed to drum up, effectively obliterating that tension in the process. This book feels 10% plot, 90% filler.

This plot does make sense at a fundamental level. I can see all of the pieces moving in the right direction. But the author is too coy with information which makes the read frustrating. I appreciate that details are well planted in the novel but planting information is more than sticking a seed in the dirt and calling it a day. There's a little cultivation that is required. I believe more could have been done with Lauren--I think it would have been more interesting for there to be more genuine hints towards her infidelity, more odd behavior that links her to this case. But we don't get that.

Frank's monologue is easily the worst part of the book. Where is the suspense? The thrill? It would be more fun for Peter to discover stuff rather than have it monologued to him.

And I'm not just a hater! One of my favorite games is Contradiction, which much like this novel, tries to make you think the crime is on a bigger scale than it is, when in reality it's just about infidelity. I LOVE that shit. I just wish in terms of plot we spent more time on the plot than we do characterizing Peter and Luke.

Atmosphere
This book does a fantastic job as representing a small coastal town. The knowledge environments felt well rounded--the business aspects of the novel felt well researched. The surfing aspects came off real enough that I believed it. The devil is in the details and while I am not an expert, the details here feel right enough. The general stress of being a stay at home dad with insecurity issues also felt particularly spot on. I really felt for Pete--even if he was frustrating it was a good frustrating.

Theme
I don't know what this book wanted to say. The ending is the last page of the book--and that's kind of it. There's noting finite it just feels like it ended with another needless anecdote. There's also no catharsis in the ending--all of this struggle. The uphill trudge of trying to get through this plot--and there's absolutely no pay-off. I finished the book and asked myself what was the point of reading it. Nothing really felt like it changed--not really.

Prose
At a sentence level, the prose is astoundingly good. Peter's voice is very clear and I liked the way he talked in his interior monologue (see my dialogue section for when he actually opens his mouth). I would say the voice is the selling point of this novel and is by far the best part about it. Aside from the dialogue, the prose is easy to read and understand. I never felt stupid or lost just trying to understand the thing.

Final Thoughts
You need a character in a Role of Privileged Knowledge. The hardest part about this novel is that no one is really giving Peter an in or a window to investigate and that's what's holding the story back the most. The abject hostility most characters have towards Peter disqualify them from this role. I would think that his cop friend could be the window, but she is also against him investigating. With someone allowing him to investigate by giving him access to things he might not have had previously, it would streamline some of the rockier parts of the plot.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advance ecopy, as well as the publisher for an advance physical copy.

This one started strong for me. I really really enjoyed the narrator's voice and humor. The chapters are short and were flying by.

Unfortunately, by halfway I started losing interest in the story and getting sick of the same "voice" of the narrator.

I did skip to the end to see the big reveal and I liked it.... I just wish it came faster

"A Rough Way to Go" by Sam Garonzik promises to be a riveting exploration of the complexities of modern life, masculinity, and the quest for purpose. Through the eyes of protagonist Peter Greene, readers are invited into a world where the idyllic surface of a beach town belies deeper tensions simmering beneath.

Garonzik's narrative hooks from the outset with Peter's struggle to find his place in a world vastly different from his former life in finance. As he grapples with unemployment, fatherhood, and the expectations of society, Peter's journey becomes a poignant reflection of the modern man's search for meaning and identity.

The mysterious death of Robert Townsend serves as a catalyst for Peter's quest for truth, leading him down a path fraught with danger and uncertainty. With each twist and turn, Garonzik expertly navigates the complexities of Peter's investigation, blurring the lines between personal redemption and reckless obsession.

At its core, "A Rough Way to Go" is a story about resilience and the indomitable human spirit. Through Peter's unwavering devotion to his son and his relentless pursuit of justice, Garonzik explores themes of love, loyalty, and the ties that bind us together.

With its raw, irreverent prose and unflinching exploration of modern capitalism, marriage, and fatherhood, "A Rough Way to Go" promises to be a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read. Garonzik's narrative is sure to captivate readers, leaving them questioning the true cost of living a purpose-driven life.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

2.5 stars rounded up

The first person narrative is all over the place and I found myself thinking, get to the point. One big plot line went nowhere and seems, in retrospect, a waste of reading. The "mystery" is revealed very close to the end of the book and that was his best writing. The ending itself was disappointing - not where I thought it was going. Pete is a very unsympathetic character, entirely self-absorbed, so I found it hard to keep my interest in the story because of him, especially when he put his 3 year old in danger. His relationship with his wife was toxic right from the start. In fact, now that I think about it, I didn't particularly like any of the characters.

I applaud anyone who can get a novel published, especially a debut author. He had a great idea for the mystery and I think with some editing it could have been really good.

Thank you for the opportunity to previewA Rough Way to Go. This book is written in first person. The narrator is an out of work dad His wife has a high stress job and makes a lot of money. He spends his days with his son and it’s not a bad life.
Soon they move to a small beach town outside of New York and the dad, Pete is trying to get used to the new environment.
But Pete is bored and soon he takes to the water. Surfing. He makes a friend. frank and things are good. Until one day a body washes up and Pete knows the guy. Police say it’s an accident. But… Pete just doesn’t think so. So he starts his own investigation.
Soon things change and it seems like no one wants to see if there is foul play.
And Pete thinks people are following him and watching where he goes and what he does.
His wife doesn’t seem to care. And Pete’s quest to get to the truth is getting him in trouble. A lot of trouble. And the truth may be something that may kill him.
This is different and I did find it hard to put down. 3.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I enjoyed A Rough Way to Go, a book about a stay at home father that stumbles across a murder.

I found A Rough Way To Go a well-crafted novel, however it wasn't quite my cuppa.

A promising beginning, but all too quickly Pete, the emasculated male character who's point of view the story was told from is... Just sadly selfish. He was laid off, after working for a company for years (which has happened to me multiple times throughout my career in this age of uncertainty) and rather than shake it off, he took to his bed.

Note, this is a married man with responsibilities - and then, even worse, he lies to his wife immediately after she went through all the emotional and physical changes of having their first baby. He contrives a way to leave the house (and his wife and brand new baby) for a MONTH as he wanders around town, deserting them when his wife is recovering, leaving only her, still healing from just giving birth - to care for their first brand new baby.

Worst thing is, this story reads more like an autobiography rather than a novel, due to the extreme rationalization for the main character's problematic behavior that even risks his baby's life. The main character seems to feel that "merely" being a caretaker of his new baby is somehow below his importance, a role he personally feels emasculating.

It is just all so self-involved. Decent author, and an okay mystery, and I certainly hope the author keeps writing.

However, I kept feeling it was written by someone who still has a lot of growing up to do, someone who is young enough to be too egocentric to recognize the fate of others impacted by his actions.

Your mileage may vary, I will look forward to the author's future offerings, as the story has good "bones", "chops" whatever word fits best for you, you get the idea.

Dear readers, thank you so much for taking the time to read my humble opinions❤️.

I have to say I’m not a big fan of Pete. What is his deal?! I enjoyed the story for the most part but I wanted to punch the main character so there’s that. 😂 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, revenge, a great who done it, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!