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

Kate, a teacher, marries a man with a teenaged daughter and an ex-wife with whom he is disturbingly friendly. When the pandemic occurs, her stepdaughter comes to live with them. Drama occurs.

This is an interesting book, set in COVID times. This is not a page turner; it's a thoughtful story that goes at its own pace. Its a good character study and well written. I would definitely read this author again.

Covid isn’t too far behind us, yet the beginning of the pandemic comes to life in this family drama set in two different countries: Off the coast of Tahiti, where Pia’s biologist mother is desperately trying to save the coral reefs, to the bustling city of New York where her father is a surgeon in one of the busier New York hospitals.

With Pia’s arrival in New York for her allotted time with her father, she finds herself isolated with her new pregnant stepmother as Covid continues to hold the world captive.

I wanted to love this novel but was a little overwhelmed by the overly descriptive chapters. Even with every detail accounted for, I could not picture what the author was describing at times as I found myself being thrown out of the story with the excess. I think this style of writing wasn’t exactly for me.

While the premise was interesting, I just didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the summer of 2020, we are back in the time of Covid, told from the perspective of two high school students, Pia and Athyna; a biologist, Nathalie; and a doctor, Stephen, Nathalie’s ex-husband and Pia’s father. Pia’s mom is studying coral off a tiny island near Tahiti. Nathalie sends Pia to New York so she can live with Stephen and stepmother Kate and attend a French-English school in a hybrid fashion, while Athyna studies remotely.

Obviously, Covid was a frantic time for folks in the medical profession, teachers and students, and humanity in general. The challenges of climate change have been a top concern for scientists for a while now, so all of these characters are facing conflicts that sometimes get pretty tense.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 9, 2024.

Come to "The Limits" for the challenge of unraveling the difficult relationships Nell Freudenberger places on the page. Set at the start of Covid, teen Pia is sent to Manhattan to stay with her father, a doctor. Pia's mom makes the decision to send her child from Tahiti to one of the epicenters of the epidemic because she fears Pia may be becoming too close to another scientist on her team. Arriving in New York, She finds her father at the hospital nearly all the time and her new stepmother pregnant and having to teach her public high school students via Zoom.

None of them are at their best, and this is what pulls the novel together. It made me remember how bewildered we all were about what would happen and how we would manage until there was a vaccine. Freudenberger skillfully portrays those feelings of confusion, but the main characters are hard to empathize with. The only one wrangling quarantine, caring for a toddler nephew, keeping away from her sister's "fiancee" is Athyna, one of the stepmother's students. She's the most at risk, and we can see how her coping skills come up against those of the wealthy family. The book gets its first spark when Athyna appears, but she's not in it enough to give "The Limits" what it needs. I found myself curious about the outcome without feeling driven to get there.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a DRC of this novel in exchange for my opinions. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Mixed feelings about this one. I liked the premise and some of the issues she explored. It was pretty slow, detailed and sometimes too detailed and that stopped me from connecting emotionally , the way i hoped would happen. So interesting at times and boring for me at other times. I would try this author again though

Overall, I liked this book. The characters were interesting and the plot was unique (set in the pandemic but not a typical "pandemic story"). I thought it dragged a bit in the second half and I was antsy just to see what would happen. By the end, I appreciated the intersecting storylines and how it came together. I would have liked a little more of an epilogue to see their lives farther in the future.

The heart of this book is found in the characters’ relationships—their love complicated by the messiness of never being able to fully understand another person. And the recognition of the limits we all have because of that. Set against vastly different backdrops—New York City and Mo’orea, a tiny volcanic island off the coast of Tahiti—the story focuses primarily on a divorced couple and their daughter. The conflicts between these parents and teenaged girl are particularly poignant. You feel the tension and ache for them to understand each other better. There were times I wanted to shake each of them and tell them to stop making the same mistakes and try harder (which is always helpful advice. LOL).

The fact that it all takes place during the pandemic further escalates the tension. I’ll admit to not enjoying reliving those uncomfortable days shrouded in fear, isolation, misinformation, confusion, and sadness, but the author does paint that time accurately. It’s the first book I’ve read set during the days of Covid and it brought it all back vividly. Too soon? Maybe a little.

Freudenberger is an outstanding writer, though, and the depth of research she has done gives this work authority. She realistically portrays a physician, a French biologist, and a highly intelligent teenager, and believable writes about the emotional distress students, teachers, and the medical community experienced during the pandemic and Polynesia’s imperiled coral reefs. A coupling I would have never thought to pair!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy to review.

Book Title: The Limits
Author: Nell Freudenberger
Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf
Genre: Historical Fiction. Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: April 9, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages 368

When I realized this was a story about the Covid pandemic I wasn’t sure I was ready for another story about it.
I recently read Willow Rose's "Never Walk Alone" which is about a Florida fictions virus that was so similar Covid.
Since I am not a quitter I knew I needed to give this a try.

French biologist obsessed with saving Polynesia’s imperiled coral reefs sends her fifteen year old daughter Pia to live with her ex-husband a surgeon in New York.
Pia arrives in New York just as COVID sends her and Kate a school teachers and her young pregnant stepmother into isolation. Pia ends up connecting with Athyna one of Kate’s students.
Athyna is sixteen-year-olds and is caring for her toddler nephew Marcus. She struggles with the balance of caring for her nephew as well as finishing her senior year online.

This was definitely a case of poor timing on my part,
I had a hard time getting into this story.
I am rating it a 3 but am putting it on the back burner to reread before April 9!

Want to thank NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 9 2024.

This was not working for me, but I do think that people will like it. I couldn't get into the story/characters with the writing (which was fine). When the book is released, if I can get it for a reasonable price, I will try and get a physical copy of this to add to my library.

Thanks to netgalley and Knopf for access to the e-arc. Here is my honest review:

This is my first exposure to this author’s work.

Meet Pia, a 15-year-old thrust into a perplexing world that has lost its coherence. Her mother, an unwavering French biologist, dedicates every ounce of her energy to safeguarding Polynesia's endangered coral reefs from Mo'orea, a minuscule volcanic island off the Tahitian coast. Meanwhile, her father grapples with the immense task of saving lives at a New York City hospital, residing half a world away. When her parents conclude that New York is a better option for her, she suddenly finds herself isolated with her scarcely known, young pregnant stepmother, Kate.

Her reluctance is palpable. The yearning to return to Mo'orea is intense, to reunite with a man twice her age whose vision, fervor, and social stances enthrall her. While attempting to devise a plan, she unexpectedly connects with Athyna, one of Kate's students, navigating her own intricate and potentially perilous family dynamics. Athyna, facing daunting odds, struggles to fathom her own aspirations.

Nell Freudenberger, without lapsing into didacticism, articulates the stakes: the imprudence of exploiting coral reefs, vital for safeguarding coastal communities, and the urgent battle against an unprecedented disease. Amidst these perilous times, the author weaves a subplot universally resonant—an adolescent from a divorced household grappling with understanding her parents, her existence, and the turbulent emotions she can barely contain.

It's a superb portrayal of a convoluted period when certainties shifted, inner turmoil disrupted our world, especially the younger generation's. The narrative delves into myriad aspects of contemporary life—from uncertainty and anxiety to racism, colonialism, and beyond.

This is my first exposure to this author’s work, and it was not a particularly enjoyable experience. The pacing is slow for most of novel; there are too many characters that left me wanting more depth, especially the protagonists; and the technical scientific descriptions of coral research were mind numbing at times. Additionally, I do not speak French and the volume of French phrases and sentences, with little hint at translation, made the reading challenging if not annoying. I did find the historical information about nuclear testing and its effects on the Indigenous populations simultaneously illuminating in scope and shameful in the utter disregard for the welfare of fellow human beings.

Overall, the writing lacked the emotional quality that supports engaging with the characters and the storyline. The elements were all there – the complicated relationships, the impact of the pandemic, and the inequities in an urban population – but the back stories were only hinted at, never revealing a depth that invited a real connection and empathy for their struggles.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thanks to netgalley and Knopf for access to the e-arc. Here is my honest review:

I was relieved to like this book so much. Nell Freudenberger’s work have been all extremes for me, either absolutely loving or not being able to finish. The Limits falls into the former camp. This book doesn’t have any heroes, but no one is a villain either. The parents are complicated people, and also not great at parenting. But perhaps that’s not their fault. The daughters are struggling like all teenagers, but are somehow granted the opportunities to act on the reckless behavior most teens dream about.

I thought I wasn’t ready for a pandemic era book, but I found the depiction of those early days in New York simply accurate (to my experience at that place and time) and factual. There is comfort in knowing we came out of that space and there isn’t any fear mongering in the text.

While primarily a character study, a mystery keeps the plot moving.

Having enjoyed this author’s work in the past, I was pleasantly anticipatory this time. However, I was disappointed. The writing is fluid and assured, certainly, but the story grinds on very slowly and features at least one unappealing character in a major role. Having set up some tension early, it fails to follow through swiftly, instead dotting around between characters and backstory without much compulsion. Sorry, I know how hard writing is, but this simply doesn’t light my fires.

A good mystery that really kept me going. This is a great weekend read to escape in. Thanks for the opportunity to read as I thoroughly enjoyed.

One of the better Covid-era book I've seen. The setting of French Polynesia was fun and felt fresh and timely with the discussion of the coral reef. Nathalie was oddly not as fleshed out or interesting as the other characters, I would have liked to have seen more of them and less of her. Very good job of building unease and tension.

I loved Lost and Wanted, so I was so excited to read this. It's a pandemic era novel, but the pandemic is a minor character. This is a great story. It does get bogged down in places with a lot of science jargon. Overall it's a good story.

"The Limits" by Nell Freudenberger is a compelling novel that takes readers on a journey spanning French Polynesia and New York City, exploring the lives of three characters who undergo profound transformations in the course of a single year.

The story begins on Mo’orea, a volcanic island near Tahiti, where a French biologist, deeply passionate about saving the imperiled coral reefs of Polynesia, sends her fifteen-year-old daughter, Pia, to live with her ex-husband in New York. Pia, who has experienced the contrasting lives of her environmentally committed mother and her overworked surgeon father, arrives in Manhattan, bringing with her a sense of rebellion and cultural adaptability.

In New York, Pia is introduced to her father's new wife, Kate, a schoolteacher struggling to connect with a teenager whose privilege and destructive tendencies make parenting a challenging task. As COVID-19 forces Pia and Kate into near-total isolation, their relationship undergoes significant changes.

The narrative also introduces Athyna, one of Kate's students, a sixteen-year-old juggling the responsibilities of caring for her nephew while finishing her senior year online. Athyna's story, set against the backdrop of Staten Island, reflects the anxieties and challenges faced by a young woman navigating her complex world.

The novel skillfully weaves together the lives of these characters, exploring themes of nation, race, class, and family. From the simmering rage against the colonial government in the South Pacific to the extreme inequalities of twenty-first-century New York City, "The Limits" offers a poignant exploration of the human experience.

Nell Freudenberger delivers a heart-wrenching and humane narrative that delves into the complexities of identity, privilege, and the impact of societal and environmental forces on individuals. "The Limits" is a profound work that showcases the author's keen insight into the human condition and her ability to craft emotionally resonant stories.

Beautiful writing. The opening paragraphs drew me in and it was riveting to read about Nathalie’s work in Tahiti and I enjoyed the emails she exchanges with her ex-husband, Stephen, who is a doctor in New York. Set during COVID, there is a sense of unease and tension throughout the novel and this dynamic is also fueled by Pia, the rebellious (and very annoying) teenaged daughter of Nathalie and Stephen. I enjoyed the prose and several aspects of the story but overall felt there were too many characters and topics to weave together into a satisfying narrative.

Thank you very much to Knopf and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

During the first long, hard days of COVID, I vividly recall taking a pause from the relentlessly depressing news and wondering, “Sometime, when all of us are hopefully in a better place, how will writers view this unprecedented time and turn it into art?”

The answer is: like this. Just like this.

Pia, who is 15 years old, is thrust into a world that has ceased making sense. Her mother, a dedicated French biologist, is spending every ounce of energy trying to save Polynesia’s imperiled coral reefs from Mo’orea, a tiny volcanic island off the coast of Tahiti. Her father lives half a world away in New York City, is overwhelmed with the enormity of saving lives in the hospital he works at. When her parents decide that she would be better off in New York, she suddenly finds herself in isolation with her young pregnant stepmother, Kate, whom she barely knows.

She doesn’t want to be there. She really wants to go back to Mo’orea, to be with a man twice her age, whose vision, passion, and social stances captivate her. As she tries to put together a plan, she ends up connecting with one of Kate’s students, Athyna, who is dealing with her own very complicated and even threatening family dynamics. With the odds against her, Athyna is struggling to recognize her own dreams.

Without becoming overly pedantic, Nell Freudenberger spells out what’s at stake: the folly of mining for the coral reefs that serve important functions in protecting coastal communities. And the race against the clock fight against a disease that humanity has never experienced before. Yet through this times that are fraught with danger, the author develops a subplot that is relatable in any time – a teenager from a divorced home who is struggling to make sense of her parents, her life, and the complex emotions she can barely control.

This is a wonderful rendering of a complicated time when realities shifted and changed and inner turmoil rocked our world and particularly the world of younger people. It touches on the many facets of life as it affects us now – from uncertainty and anxiety to racism and colonialism and beyond. I believe this is Nell Freudenberger’s best book yet. I owe a big thanks to Knopf, who enabled me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review.

#Knopf #Pantheon #The Limits #Nellfreudenberger