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

I love Jolie. It is difficult to relate to her parents because even though it's apparent that they love her, they are failing her in so many ways.

The storyline is better written than the characters.

This book was painfully written. It was one of the books that screamed, “but I’m intelligent!” instead of telling a good story. Part one was difficult to read, but Part two became a never ending monologue that just rambled on in a manner that made my teeth itch. I don’t understand the appeal of authors/stories that have to cram as many Scrabble words in as possible instead of just giving an entertaining or interesting plot. It was honestly difficult to manage the 15% of the book that I managed. Please write for people that have less than an Ivy League education.

OK, this one frustrated the hell out of me. I stopped reading it twice, the second time for two weeks, before I was going to give it one more shot. And I finished it, surprisingly. I didn't think I would. At over 600 pages, this was a commitment. The author clearly is brilliant, has a way with phrases and words and whatnot, but, in my opinion, really needs a good editor. There were times when I read three paragraphs and had no idea who the narrator was and what time frame the passage was taking place. It felt like every thought the writer felt the characters had was tossed out in the manuscript, and it felt a little unnecessary. In my lifetime of reading, I've never had to consult a dictionary while reading more than I did reading this book -- if I had to guess, I reckon I looked up unknown words 30 times.

The book was a varied collection from multiple points of view and multiple timelines, neither of which were always clear. Some people may love this, I didn't.

Like I said, the author is gifted, and has a wonderful way with words. I just hope it that his skill can be slightly tamed in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Unfortunately, this became a DNF for me. It was too long, too wordy, and too disconnected. I tried with this book but gave up after reading 19%. I rarely opt for DNF with ARC material but this is a case where I must.

I am a father. I am an academic who is also a former actor. I am a recovering alcoholic. All these parts of my identity made me identify keenly and at times painfully with Ethan, the repeatedly failing father figure at the heart of The Second Coming. Ethan’s daughter Jolie, fights her own battles with alcoholism, self-harm and mental health. And Ethan’s ex-wife Sarah negotiates her own chilly relationship with Ethan, Jolie, and one of the hapless English teachers at Jolie’s high school. All three are forced to wrestle with their individual and collective demons when Jolie almost is hit by a New York subway train and Ethan takes her on a wild trip out West.

The Second Coming (which has nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with the artist formerly known as Prince) was almost a five-star novel. Hallberg is brilliant at inhabiting the characters and voices of his very different protagonists and beyond, from the three main characters to Sarah’s privileged Jewish parents and Ethan’s stoner buddies from high school. He also experiments with mixed media to varying degrees of success (the typed letter on crumpled paper at the beginning of the novel was hard to read on an e-reader, for example). And the last third of the book, an extended narrative about a wild ride on LSD, so successfully mirrored a bad trip that I got bored and wanted to get off the ride. But on the whole, I keenly felt the pain of Ethan trying (and failing) to escape his crippling addiction, Sarah trying to maintain her profession while feeling alone and hopeless at relationships, and Jolie just trying to make it through the hell of being a sensitive kid in the painful throes of adolescence. It made me cherish my sobriety, be thankful for my wife, and hug my kid a lot closer. And that made this book a win for me.

Unfortunately I was not able to get into this book and it was a DNF. for me. I think for the right audience, it will be a good read but it is not for me.

The Second Coming
by Garth Risk Hallberg
Pub Date: May 28, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the New York Times best-selling author of City on Fire, an intimate epic that plunges us deep into the lives of a teenage girl and her father as they navigate love, grief, betrayal, and redemption.
I was so excited to get this book since I adored City on Fire, unfortunately this was not a good read.
I cannot recommend it.

I was so happy to get an advance copy of this book and wanted to love it since I adored "City on Fire" (a huge, lengthy book that flew by for me and I still remember all these years later). This book was shorter, around 600 pages, and the cast of characters was contained (not sweeping like CIF) and had alternating chapters that didn't resonate with me. I was more into the main story than those alternating chapters. I felt a distance from this book and was never really engaged - so sorry to say this as I was truly excited to read this on a long flight - and will still try more from this author in the future.

After 36 pages, I am not interested in this story. The story development is too slow. Don’t find the characters introduced so far interesting.I won’t finish reading it.

This book will definitely hit differently. I stopped after 4% but I like Hllberg’s creative use of prose. I can’t explain it, but somehow it’s simultaneously flippant, messy, and clean–ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I don’t have experience with this author, so I can’t note how it compares.

This feels like a solid three to four stars for the target audience with five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.