✨ 4 Stars — Thought‑Provoking & Emotionally Resonant

The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins is a quietly powerful narrative that harmonizes the rhythms of grief, connection, and healing. At its core lies Aerin, a woman displaced by tragedy who finds unexpected purpose when she joins an experimental program measuring the environmental impact of sound across a grieving Texas town.

👍 What Worked For Me

Evocative Sense of Place & Sound
Googins paints the Texas landscape—and its sonic fingerprint—with rich, sensory precision. The descriptions of cicadas at dusk, wind riffles, and distant traffic hum not only anchor the story geographically but emotionally. You hear the town’s wounds, and that sonic backdrop becomes a character of its own.

Delicate Character Arcs
Aerin’s journey from loss to tentative re-engagement with life felt authentic. Her interactions with local participants—each grappling with their own quiet heartaches—resonate. The book gives space to small moments of tenderness: a shared laugh, a whispered confession in a monitoring van, a sunrise observed together.

Science + Spiritual Undercurrents
The premise—measuring how living things "vibrate" in response to human presence—blends ecological interest with emotional metaphor. As the protagonist tweaks her recording gear, layers open: about interdependence, imperfection, and recalibration, both scientific and human.

🤔 What Kept It from 5 Stars

Pacing Lulls
Some mid‑section scenes stretch a bit long. A few extended recording set‑ups and gradually unraveling emotional beats slow the momentum. A tighter edit around those segments would’ve sharpened the overall arc.

Occasional Over‑Exposition
A touch too much telling around the scientific framework—like repeated reminders of decibels and measurement protocols—diluted narrative immediacy on a couple of occasions. A lighter touch would have kept the poetic thread intact.

🌟 Final Thoughts

For readers who appreciate meditative literary fiction—stories rooted in grief that bloom through subtle connections—The Frequency of Living Things is a warm, immersive gem. It’s not loud with drama or plot twists; rather, its power lies in the hush between heartbeats, the hum beneath our feet.

This is a book that asks: What happens to a community, to a person, when we truly listen? And though the answer unfolds in measured frequencies, the emotional resonance rings loud.

3.5 stars

The Frequency of Living Things is a generational family drama featuring a mother, Bertie, and her three daughters. Ara and Emma are identical twins and musicians who had a hit album once upon a time and are forever chasing that early success. Josie, the little sister, is the fixer and the peacekeeper, the one who carries the burden of her mother’s failures and her sisters’ struggles.

I loved some parts of this book and had a hard time with other parts. I felt like the beginning was way too slow and I came close to DNFing a few times. When the timeline switched to Bertie’s voice in the past, I was drawn in. But the present storyline just didn’t hook me. I feel like there could have been a whole historical fiction novel based on Bertie’s life and I would have loved it. The ending felt abrupt and unfinished in a sense. The writing was strong and I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this book!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I dove into this book with high hopes, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I found it repetitive and much too wordy. I found it difficult to stay engaged through much of the scientific talk and Bertie’s early chapters.

That said, I think it’s a very interesting premise and the characters were very well developed. It has a lot of lessons to learn from and digs into some important topics like addiction and family dynamics.

Ultimately, this wasn’t the book for me, but I can certainly see why others would enjoy it. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

Maybe 2 1/2 stars. The Tayloe twins, Emma and Ara, are singers and made a very successful album two decades ago. Since then, they’ve just drifted through life. Thanks for their younger sister, Josie, they have a roof over their heads. Their father died suddenly when they were young, and their mother was mostly absent. When Ara is jailed on drug-related charges, the sisters come up with a plan to raise her bail – produce another album that deals with Ara’s time in prison and use the money to pay her bail. Aside from all the scientific language and the way the mother took care of perfect strangers instead of her daughters, the story was pretty good - until the ending. Thank-you to NetGalley, Mr. Googins, and Atria Books for the ARC of this title.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest.

A trio of sisters who were once famous for their connection to the music scene are struggling to find their places in the world as sisters and individuals years after their height of fame.

Ara and Emma are twins with a music industry past when Ara, who struggles with addiction, is arrested. Emma thinks this is a perfect opportunity to resurrect their career with a record made behind bars, while youngest sister Josie fights to keep their family together with little help from their mom. This contemporary fiction read about family trauma is heartbreaking, with flawed but sympathetic characters.

The Frequency of Living Things is a layered story about three sisters—twins Ara and Emma, and their younger sister Josie—navigating fame, family, and addiction. As Ara’s struggle with drugs leads to her arrest, the sisters are thrown into emotional turmoil, forcing them to confront their codependent dynamics and long-standing family issues.

I found the sisterly bond compelling, especially between Ara and Emma, whose identities as twins and bandmates added emotional depth. Josie’s intense involvement in their lives felt a bit over the top at times, but the book overall was a thoughtful exploration of love, responsibility, and resilience. Though parts were slower and occasionally bogged down by complex language, the story had strong character development and kept me engaged. I’d give it 3.5 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction centered on complicated family dynamics. Trigger warnings for addiction and suicide apply.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In Googins's latest, three sisters spiral as they try to navigate the challenges posed by their codependent relationship. Googins is excellent at ratcheting up the tension; as a reader, I was constantly torn between "I can't look!" and "I can't look away!" The book's prose is sharp and urgent, matching the incredibly intense situations into which the women are flung by their own actions.

Three sisters; Emma, Ara, and Josie: must navigate the bonds of sisterhood, the trappings of fleeting fame, and the difficulties of addiction in this heartbreaking story of one family's journey through a dark season filled with challenges and hardships. A decade ago Emma and Ara were on top of the world with a hit record, adoring fans, and all the glamour of a rock lifestyle, but that was then. Now, they haven't made any decent music in years, they aren't even making enough money to support themselves, and one of them is battling a deadly heroine addiction. Josie, the youngest, is the glue holding everyone together while she falls apart herself. When Ara, the addict, ends up in jail, all three will have to figure out how to react, how to help each other, and ultimately how to heal.

This book is a poignant look at a family's struggles when addiction is part of the picture, but it goes much deeper than that. It's a story about choices and the ripples that they cause and the long-lasting effects they have. I can't call it a fun read because it's definitely not a lighthearted, feel-good, beach read kind of book, but I'm glad I read it all the same. The relationship between these sisters is worth the reading and I found it interesting to watch them try to balance their own wants and needs with those of the family as a whole. To be a sister is to be part of something bigger than yourself, and that is clearly show in this book. The challenge is to not lose yourself in the process.

The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins is a poignant exploration of sisterhood, responsibility, and the enduring impact of family bonds. The novel centers on three sisters: twins Ara and Emma, former one-hit-wonder musicians still clinging to their past fame, and their younger sister Josie, a dedicated biologist who has long been the family's anchor. When Ara is arrested, Josie and Emma are compelled to reunite and confront the complexities of their shared history.

Raised by their mother Bertie, a brilliant defense attorney more devoted to her causes than to her daughters, the sisters have navigated their lives with varying degrees of success and turmoil. Josie, having sacrificed her own aspirations to support her sisters, finds herself at a crossroads as she grapples with the weight of her family's expectations and her own desires. The narrative delves deep into the intricacies of their relationships, revealing how past traumas and unspoken tensions continue to shape their present.

Googins' storytelling is both intimate and expansive, weaving together the personal struggles of each sister with broader themes of forgiveness, resilience, and the quest for identity. The characters are richly drawn, their flaws and virtues rendered with empathy and nuance. For readers who appreciate emotionally resonant family sagas that examine the ties that bind and the paths to healing, The Frequency of Living Things offers a compelling and heartfelt journey.

One set of identical twins, Emma and Ara, and a younger sister, Josie, whose father died when they were young and whose mother didn’t provide the nurturing relationship they needed, become entangled in codependent and often harmful behaviors. The twins at one time success rock performers are now middle-aged and still living as rebellious teens depending on Josie, the intellectual sister, to provide for them financially. Through a series of tragic incidences, the sisters need to come to terms with their lives as they are.
For me, there is too much “suspension of disbelief” required to follow the plot of the novel. And the end is simply not realistic.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins.

As I've mentioned before, I love a book about female relationships, and dysfunctional families, so this was slated to be a hit with me...and I did like it...but it's complicated.

The relationship immediately took me with the three sisters, but they felt almost one dimensional in their familial role, especially one of the twins, she was practically infantilized. I understand why, with the particular issues they face, but then the turn that they took, especially with her story, just didn't land. Add mom to the mix, and the whole thing got a bit too messy. It was like being served rice and beans as a side to your pasta, it just didn't fit.

I don't know if I recommend this. It's readable, and has enjoyable parts, but also, it's frustrating and didn't satisfy me. So there's your answer, good luck I guess.

I have mixed feelings about this book, a story about three sisters, mostly abandoned by their mother who was involved in political causes. the older two sisters, twins are in a band and the younger one acts as their caregiver. this is a book about relationships about addiction of various kinds, needing love and pushing away love. there were interesting moments, wise moments and also more of a detached writing style , maybe because it was written by a man, so it didn't have the emotional punch it might have.

I don’t think that I’m the target audience for this book and I think somebody who is would enjoy it much more. I still had a good time reading it and would recommend it to certain people in my life.

A beautiful, emotive read. The three sisters are damaged and entrenched in the roles their upbringing has given them. Josie cares too much and wishes to control everything. Emma is hugely self-centered and determined to bring back the glory days of the band she and her twin created, regardless of the wishes of her sister. Ara, shy and quiet, guilted into all the expectations her sisters have because of her addiction and the cost of it to her family.
I loved the writing and the dialogue and the interactions between the characters. I so wanted all of them to understand the damage they were doing to each other and to just stop and listen rather than keep on rolling down the assumption road. Their inability to have full, honest conversations left anger and self hate to linger.
This wasn’t a depressing read but it was tough emotionally in places.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

The Frequency of Living Things takes a microscopic look at familial dysfunction and the biological human need to feel connected to your pack. This book was devastating.

This book is the story of a family of three sisters and their mother - each of whom have a story that needs deep healing. Each woman’s unmet needs contribute to the dysfunctional family dynamics that leave them trapped in a tangled web of dependency on the system and a desperate need to break free - caught between a deep, abiding love and making every other woman’s life in the family miserable. This book does an excellent job of showing each woman in a raw and real way that puts on full display their unmet needs and how that contributes to ruining not only their own lives, but the lives of the others as well.

This book was a masterpiece, and it was also hard at times to read. Each of these women desperately needed a therapist- it’s incredible how the author captures each story in such a way that simultaneously touches your heart and leaves you feeling slightly repulsed by the blatant dysfunction.

It did take several chapters to get into the story, but I found that it was well worth the effort to get settled in. This was a thought provoking read and not one I’ll soon forget. Bring your tissues!!

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The deep, emotional struggles of three sisters was overwhelming. One sister is a drug addict in prison for a crime she was present at. Her twin is driven by the need and desire to create songs for a long overdue album. The third sister took upon the caregiver role when their usually absent mother was gone. Her drive is to control as much as she can of her and her sisters’ environments. The story is a rough journey for all of them, overly pushing and pulling each other.
It is not an easy read; often it is very difficult to digest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins is a family drama about three thirty something sisters, twins Ara and Emma, and their younger sister Josie. The twins were one hit wonders two decades ago and are still living that rock and roll dream. Ara has been in and out of rehab, while Emma tries to hold them together in a state of perfection. Josie is a biologist who loves leaf cutter ants (me too!), who gave up Stanford dreams to keep her sisters afloat. They were raised by their single Mom Bertie who was well known as the smartest lawyer in Massachusetts. But she was always so busy fighting for a cause, that her relationship with her daughters is now severely strained. Early on, Ara finds herself arrested and Emma and Josie work together to raise bail money and get her out. A great serious story unfolds.
I found these women to be such well written real characters, that came alive on the pages. There are also a host of other fantastic supporting characters such as Dean, Josie’s long time boyfriend (how can such a good man exist?),Janice, Dean’s mom who is actually incarcerated where Ara is and takes her under her wing, and Fabio, Josie’s boss who has a heart of gold. I got so enveloped by all of these people and I truly treasured this bittersweet read. Readers who enjoy character driven stories, family dramas or sister relationships will enjoy this. If you liked Hello, Beautiful or Blue Sisters, I would recommend giving this one a try. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC.

Parts of this I really loved, other parts I had to push myself to keep reading. Overall I enjoyed the story about family, relationships and life in general.

4.5 🌟
I adored this book. The focus on the dysfunctional family dynamic, especially between the twins, and then the youngest sibling who (in my opinion) acted as the oldest. This story made me feel all of the feelings— anger, sadness, grief, humor. Such a well written story, and if you’re into the ‘dysfunctional family’ genre, I highly recommend. (It’s much more than just that, but that’s what made me love it most)