Prudence was a child prodigy. She played the piano at age three, but her talent was exploited by her grandmother. Years after escaping that life, she finds herself in a talent competition, trying to escape her past secrets and a Russian competitor who she is drawn to.

Cute and heartwarming, this is a great poolside read.

I worried that this would end up being another overly quirky novel in the vein of Where Did You Go Bernadette? But boy was I wrong. I didn’t want this book to end. The author manages so many characters so well. Nothing ever seems muddled or forced about the multiple perspectives. The writing flows like crystal clear water.

The story itself is lovely and touching. Lessons are learned, friends made, relationships changed and saved. Nothing incredibly dark or disturbing here. I loved reading about the piano playing and different perspectives of Prudence and Alexi.

Honestly I cannot recommend this book enough.

The Second Ending Review

The Second Ending is a comical tale that unravels twisted events, misunderstandings, and the eventual discovery of realities we tend to overlook.

Storytelling

When I dive into a story, my attention is immediately captured by the narrative style and the author's perspective. It has a significant impact on how I experience the story. In The Second Ending, the narrator is all-knowing, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but Michelle Hoffman's use of this point of view was nothing short of brilliant. It brought a whole new level of humor and momentum to the book, which I had never encountered before.

Characters

Prudence Childs is a fascinating and imaginative woman who possesses profound emotions. Though her outward appearance might lead one to think otherwise, she is benevolent and warm-hearted. Her emotional depth often leads to dramatic outbursts, which only serves to enhance her already colorful persona. As a mother and someone who experiences self-doubt, she is easy to identify with.

Alexei Petrov's character embodies the quintessential obedient son, but his transformation is relatable and captivates any creative mind. His early inability to rebel, coupled with a lifetime of micromanagement by his mother, serves as a poignant reminder of the pitfalls of authoritarian parenting.

In The Second Ending, there are many supporting characters, all with unique backgrounds and motivations. What's great is that they aren't just there for show, but rather they add depth and richness to the storyline. Of all the secondary characters, my absolute favorite is Pierre Millet. He's like a beacon of light, helping Prudence see the way and believe in herself. I've been fortunate enough to have some wise advisors in my life who share similar qualities to him.

Conflict & Theme

The Second Ending brims with conflicts unlike any other, but Michelle Hoffman has managed to infuse it with a playful touch despite the grave outcomes. What makes this novel stand out is the internal tug-of-war that each character experiences. Their individual battles propel the plot forward in remarkable ways, making for an enthralling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Throughout the book, the author delves into the characters' innermost insecurities, which drive them to make impulsive choices. These self-doubts are often rooted in external influences, such as the opinions of influential figures in their lives, which have shaped their self-image. As I read, I couldn't help but appreciate the author's creativity in exploring this recurring theme.

The book truly showcases the characters' self-discovery journey, culminating in their personal realizations.

Noteworthy Elements

As I delved into The Second Ending, a delightful surprise awaited me. The author's hidden talent for tickling the ivories was revealed through the enchanting depiction of Prudence's musical prowess. The subtle nods to notes and Classical pieces were a delightful touch that resonated with my love for this genre of music. This added dimension elevated my reading experience and left a lasting impression.

Overall Reading Enjoyment

The Second Ending is an intriguing and heartwarming tale that has left me with a powerful realization - my own perception of self holds more weight than anyone else's opinion. This book is a must-read that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions - from laughter to tears to moments of exasperation and hopefulness. I wholeheartedly urge you to dive into the world of The Second Ending and experience its creative magic for yourself.

Favorite Quotes

“Everyone thinks their dreams are silly. That’s why so few go after them.” Prudence

“Immortality, she realized, was in all of us, in some form or another. Because each of us lives on in the people we connect with, whether through music, or lover or a shared dream.”

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Prudence Child is trying to figure out what to do with her life and I laugh when she says she is going to start a book club. Prudence was a child piano prodigy and was performing around the world at a young age. Then she went on to write jingles for ads and that is what she is known for now. She wants to be remembered for more and decides to take a second chance and stating playing piano.

She gets a chance to play on dueling piano's television show against Alexei. Alexei is a Russian virtuoso and it seems they have a lot in common.

It is beautiful to see how they both change and grow. They need to learn to come to grips with their past and stand on their own to feet.

I LOVED this novel. Prudence Child, former child piano prodigy, upon becoming an empty nester, decides to start a book club. Her husband has a better idea and finds her old grand piano for her. After several surprising events and hours of practice , Prudence finds herself the next competitor in Alexei Petrov’s Dueling Piano Wars. Both Alexei and Prudence have been battered by their family’s high expectations for their talent.
This novel is about finding and holding on to a dream, despite heartbreak. I loved Prudence’s feistiness and her strong marriage. There are happy endings and personal growth for every character in the book. I am a pianist, so I loved all of the musical references and have a whole list of new pieces to try out. Such a hopeful novel full of lots of heart!

The second ending follows a piano protege as she returns to music after a decades long absence. She trains to go up against another piano protege on national tv. I thought this story was a little slow. There were many moments where the main characters made decisions that made no sense. Overall I liked the book.

The Second Act is an engrossing, entertaining, and poignant novel. The story revolves around two pianists: Prudence, a former child prodigy, and Alexei, a Russian virtuoso. They each have a shot at fulfilling a dream by competing against each other for a million dollars on a dueling pianos TV show. Prudence is trying to recapture the spirit of the artist she once was, while also trying to outrun her last which has appeared at her doorstep. Alexei is technically brilliant but a lonely man still under the thumb of his overbearing parents. The story moves quickly as both of them prepare for the competition, fraught with doubt and fear and outside forces threatening to upend their quest to no only win the money, but to discover who they are musically, and to rewrite the endings of their personal journeys. The author does a brilliant job getting the reader to feel and hear the music as Prudence and Alexei perform, and I applaud her for an outstanding debut!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Michelle Hoffman’s The Second Ending stars two pianists. Prudence was a child prodigy who buckled under the pressure and disappeared to raise her daughters. Alexei is a young adult who is talented and driven by his mom-ager. Alexei hosts a popular piano duel- TV show.

As Prudence nears 50 and suddenly needs money, she gets presented with an opportunity to challenge Alexei, with the winner taking home $1 million.

I liked the characters and their evolution over the course of the novel.

The book was funny as well.

Thank you to the author, Ballantine Books- Random House, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book posed the question - is it ever too late to write a new ending? I LOVE this sort of thing. I am all about second chances and holding onto hope. Those things played a big role in this story as Prudence started playing piano again after walking away from fame a long time ago. This opportunity was tied to another piano player, Alexei, who was looking for a different sort of second chance. Their story was one that made me laugh and touched my heart.

I had such a good feeling about this story, and it exceeded my expectations. The book was a ton of fun to read, but it was also an interesting look at the sacrifices made by talented people. I loved everything about it especially the characters and the storytelling. I was captivated from beginning to end.

There was this one storyline that I was bit leery of, and then Hoffman did the most magnificent thing with it. That resolution had the happy tears flowing. The story was packed with humor, emotion, and heart. I found myself cheering for both pianists for different reasons, and at the end of the book, my heart was filled with joy for them. In a word - stupendous!

This is definitely a fun and interesting read! Prudence, a former child prodigy of a pianist, was pushed by her grandmother to become famous, has left her piano playing days long behind her. Alexei Petrov, a young Russian pianist, becomes tv star on the reality tv show Dueling Piano Stars. How the lives of these two pianists connect and intertwine results in an original and heartfelt story, sprinkled throughout with humor, that should keep the reader turning pages. All in all, this was definitely an enjoyable read with characters that you may well remember for a long time.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Great debut novel for Michelle Hoffman! I loved it. It was fun and the characters were quirky and endearing. I felt all of the feels and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a big 4.5 stars for me! Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for sending an eARC for an honest opinion.

This book is ALL the things but especially a humorous and deep, moving story. The plot focuses on Prudence and Alexei who were master pianists at a young age. Prudence was a child prodigy performing at the White House at only eight years old but walked away from it all thanks to a certain family member and the pressures of performing. Then there's Alexei, who was pushed to become a star by his own pressure system (Family can be SUCH a burden, eh? How relatable). His hard work over time paid off in regards to his fame, but he is left with NO ONE but himself and his keys.

Then the plot moves to CURRENT time and we get to seriously HEAR the piano through the pages. I highly recommend listening to Youtube battling Pianos when you're reading this. Prudence is 48 and trying to get back into her former world and thankfully, an opportunity arises. Alexei is the young host of a successful dueling piano TV show (how COOL?!).

PLOT TWIST? THEY BATTLE EACH OTHER. YUP - You read correctly. You get to read a story about TWO battling pianists. I love that Ms. Hoffman provides us with a dual POV so that we can get into both of their heads as they battle their way through their new roles. I loved the concept of never giving up on your dreams and fighting for your worth.

I highly recommend this one to all my musical-loving readers out there.

I really enjoyed the story telling and characters in this book. As someone around the same age as Prudence, who just sent most of her kids off to college, this feeling of figuring out who you were after losing yourself to raising kids, is a coming of age story that needs to be told more often. I loved how Michelle Hoffman weaved the story of the multiple characters together and raised the stakes for both Alexei and Prudence. The uplifting and hopeful conclusions to the storylines was appreciated I did feel like the story was a little long at times, as it felt longer than it anticipated page length.

I will be posting this to my Instagram account closer to the publication day.

Prudence is a bit eccentric, she was raised by her grandmother to be a piano prodigy. Her life was unlike most which has left her with a lot of social and performance anxiety. She finds herself in a bind and needing money and is offered a role on a reality TV piano competition, giving her no choice but to accept.

This book was just okay for me. I think I would have connected with it better if I was a musician myself. I enjoyed the storyline but I didn't find it to be particularly memorable.

This was honestly one of my favorite reads so far this year. Prudence is an immensely funny and likeable lead, and despite being a child piano prodigy and a genius, she remains incredibly relatable in her anxieties. Hoffman does a wonderful job breathing life into every single character, and imbues humor into every page and every piece of dialogue. A fun, heartwarming, lovable book with a breezy pace!

The Second Ending has its charming moments, but the entire book has been framed around something that simply isn't true. The fact that it isn't true, and that this is obvious to the reader, even without any special knowledge, really makes this book wallow. It's a slog. And the characters feel flat. Whoever decided that this should be a high concept book really screwed up. I have no idea what it was like in its earlier incarnations, but this one was challenging to read all the way through. This would have been much stronger as either upmarket or genre fiction, with attention paid to make sure the plot made sense. Disappointing. The premise seemed great, and there were moments when it could have shone.

I do love a quirky cast of characters that converges, and this book had that. I did think it was a little overstuffed in the beginning but it hit its stride about 40 in and was an enjoyable read

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman was a very enjoyable read for me - once I made it through the first few chapters. The beginning of the book seemed a little tedious to get through. The introduction of the characters seemed slightly disjointed. In retrospect though, it actually makes sense. The novel really takes off after those first few chapters and readers are rewarded with a very satisfying ending. Prudence is an especially nuanced character. My feelings toward her changed several times throughout the book. Alexei pulled at my heart strings, but I was in Pru's corner all the way. Overall it was a fun read that I won't hesitate to recommend.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an eARC of this book.

This was a middle of the road read for me. I didn't like it but also didn't hate it. Was a bit of a struggle to finish reading.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

The first half of this books feels really, really slow. There are a couple interesting parts but it just barely held my interest. It picks up a little bit after that, but not enough for me. The competition is in the last 15-ish% of the book and really doesn’t last very long. That is where I felt the most excited and drawn into the book. The characters are fine, and you spend most of the first half learning their stories, but nobody I absolutely loved.

Overall, this wasn’t really worth the read to me. I don’t think I’d recommend this one.