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What a frigging writer.

Before starting this review I looked back on my review for The Nix, his debut, granted 5 stars by yours truly, and noticed a lot of the same things I want to say about him here. In that review I marveled at his observances on the human condition, very detailed but not so weighted that the story buckled under it.

Totally the same deal here. But his vehicle this time is the journey of the relationship of a couple, from their first views of each other, through marriage and parenting and mid-life crises.
Nathan Hill covers just about every aspect of life in this story. Everything from love, death, social media, Facebook algorithms (holy shit), placebos, art, prairie life, city life, sex, parenting, fussy eaters, oh good lord, I've only scratched the surface. He takes EVERYTHING and analyzes them in great detail, and all of these aspects easily fall into the flow of the story.

I loved The Nix and I couldn't wait to see what he would do next. Wellness is what he did and I could barely put this book down. Now I'm trying to stop myself from travelling to wherever this guy lives and prevent him from leaving his house until he gives me another novel. I'm retired: I have the time. Beware, Nathan...(hey, I'll bring beer. You like Stella?)

This book was almost 700 pages long and as I got into the 600s I didn't want it to end. This is probably the highest compliment I can give.

I will say that there was a time or two when he seemed to go on a few pages too long on a couple of topics but I was still all in.

It is January and I may have already read my best book of the year.

Wow, and hot damn was this a great read.