Wally Lamb's "The River is Waiting" is an outstanding novel that goes beyond a typical reading experience, offering a nuanced, heartfelt, and utterly gripping journey. From the very first page, I was captivated by its intricate narrative, which unfolded with a series of unexpected plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat, making it truly impossible to put down. My empathy for the main character, his wife, daughter, and his unwavering supporters knew no bounds. Lamb masterfully creates characters that are so real, flawed, and relatable that their struggles and triumphs become part of you. I felt their pain, longing, and difficulty in processing challenges, as well as celebrated their small victories, and rooted for them despite the obstacles.
Beyond the compelling personal story, "The River is Waiting" explores profound and timely themes. The protagonist's realizations about the injustices of the world, especially those stemming from colonization and the widespread racial divisions within the systemic structure, are both insightful and highly relevant. These reflections are seamlessly woven into the narrative, prompting readers to reflect on their own views on these critical issues. Likewise, the references to political and global events are handled with remarkable skill, grounding the fictional world in a tangible reality that resonates deeply.
This book is more than just a story; it's an immersive experience that educates, enlightens, and profoundly moves. If I could, I would unreservedly award "The River is Waiting" more than five stars. It is a truly remarkable achievement in storytelling that will stay with me long after the final page.

One of the most beautiful things about this book is how deceptive it is. Lamb’s writing style here is very simplistic, and so it’s almost surprising when you get to a certain point and you realize it’s invoked emotions you didn’t see coming. At least, that was my experience with the book. Starting this book, reading about the struggles that brought us to the “tragedy” mentioned in the synopsis, I thought the writing was somewhat sterile and straightforward, so I didn’t expect to be as emotional when the tragedy actually occurs. Not only was I affected, I had to put the book down because I couldn’t continue for the rest of the day.

The main character, Corby, is a complex one, and in my opinion, how you react to his story will determine whether you like the book or not. I think Lamb covers him honestly…he does’t hide his flaws, nor does he hide his promise. This book is about his story though, his flaws, his mistakes, his attempts at redemption and whether he ever finds it. One of the things that I think is brilliant is that his story isn’t overly tragic…the reader cannot easily disregard his flaws because of excess abuse or PTSD. If anything, the things that shape the person we meet are more real, more plausible experiences, which makes how you view him all the more complicating.

For my part, I was conflicted with his character. There are moments I’d want to slap him, there are moments I could relate to his pain and even some of the things he did to mask it. There were elements that I related to and was able to give grace to more than I think others may, and while I didn’t act the same way he did, I could at least understand the why’s of it all a little more.

Back to the writing. Like I said, there were moments where I was reading and thinking “huh, I didn’t remember Wally Lamb books being so simply written”. There aren’t complex alliterations, vocabulary, etc…things that people expect, maybe even demand, from books they’d label as “well written”. I didn’t mind it so much, I just wasn’t sure how the story would stick with me without the analysis and dissection of characters, thoughts, feelings. Until I got to the end. And I sobbed for the 10-15% of the book. And then I thought…the best books are the ones that surprise you will feelings you didn’t think you’d have. That’s this book for me. I hope, if you pick it up, it does the same for you.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I am thankful and appreciative of the opportunity!**

Without being too spoilerish but quite frank, I don’t think you’d end up liking it. I could be wrong. A list of general things that are either given in synopsis or general enough to plot:
HEAVY and immediate gory child death that is heavily revisited over and over
A marriage/communication plot that just felt so underdone and written by a guy.
Distant characters in general for such a heavy emotional book
Jail time plot was very long and drawn out. Very little to invest in
Biggest cop out of an ending I’ve ever read. Like I cannot believe in any universe that that ending got him above a 4⭐️

This is such a hard book to review. The topic is so heavy that there’s no way you can “like” the book. It’s deeply uncomfortable, especially because the main character is utterly unlikable. I expected that his journey towards being a better person and atoning for unforgivable crime to bring out ambivalence. But I didn’t feel sorry for him or think he changed in any meaningful way. He was a narcissist (like his father) from start to finish. Instead of wallowing in the horror of killing his child while under the influence during his jail sentence, he only cared about his wife not bringing their toddler to prison to see him and maybe she might find another man while he’s inside. You’ve got to be kidding me.
So, I appreciate the story that Wally Lamb told but if we’re supposed to finish this book with any conflicting feelings about the complexity of how to forgive this particular unforgivable character, it was a miss for me.

Wally Lamb is one of my favorite authors. I also recently learned that is son is a really cool principal that I follow too! What a great family.

She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True are two of my absolute favorite books. I didn't love much of what came after. I have mixed feelings about this one. I do find myself still thinking about it days after I've finished. Lamb is a master. This may have been a bit too long for me and it is a bit frustrating but I will eat up anything Mr. Lamb puts out. I hope there isn't as much of a delay in his next one.

I Know This Much is True is one of my top three books of all time so it pains me to write that The River is Waiting was a huge disappointment. The premise of the story was interesting, but I just couldn't connect with Corby and felt the story was too long. If it hadn't been for Wally Lamb being the author I wouldn't have finished it. I know I'm in the minority here, but this one is a pass for me. I'm giving it three stars because of Wally Lamb.

Truly one of the best written and emotionally hard-hitting novels I’ve read recently. In a nutshell: a young family of twins suffers a horrific accident and the husband is sentenced to prison. The majority of the story is his as he struggles with his new situation, memories haunting him, missing his family, and so much more. Emotion is raw on nearly every page. As readers, we glimpse so many of those emotions: regret, anger, blame as we reach for understanding and forgiveness. This is a title that deserves all of the accolades that are sure to come.

Thanks to NetGalley and Marysue Rucci Books/Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

Right out of the gate, this book was a tough read because of the tragedy it is centered around. However, I am glad I stuck with it. This story is very impactful and emotional and also hard to review without spoiling the story for future readers. Just be prepared to be moved and to continue thinking about this book weeks after you finish it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is complex and emotionally intense, exploring the intricate details and far-reaching consequences of a horrific tragedy.
There were a range of diverse and compelling characters who have profound impacts on Corby, main POV, both positively and negatively.
This story is undoubtedly one of the most challenging I have encountered.
The narrative was deeply affecting, thought provoking and stills leaves me uncertain about the possibility of forgiveness. It is a book I will not forget.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First, let me confess that I love Wally Lamb's storytelling. He is a master!

His newest book is fabulous . . . . if you don't mind some darkness in your prose.

Lamb tells us a happy story that quickly turns dark. Then it takes us on a long walk through valleys of hope and darkness. As is usually the case in a Wally Lamb novel, the characters will be fully developed. You'll love some. You'll hate others. Regardless, you'll have an opinion.

If you want a first rate story, told in fascinating detail, read this book!!

I absolutely loved Lamb's previous books so was very disappointed The River is Waiting did not work for me. The story is told from Corby's perspective, a father of twin toddlers who recently lost his job and is an addict. I think it is best to go in as blind as possible, however do know that there is a beyond horrific event that happens fairly close to the beginning of the story that frankly made me nauseous. The first 25% deals with the ramifications of this incident, with the remaining 75% taking place in prison. Things that did not work for me:
1. the writing. I cannot believe it was the same author as his previous books. It was melodramatic, overwritten, and just bad.
2. Corby: hated his name and felt nothing for his character. I do not need a likable character but he was just boring and not interesting at all. I could not listen to a white guy "poor me" for 400 pages. I did not care about him or his outcome and I think the point of the book is to really be invested in his life and care about his "redemption". I did not come close to crying once. I did like a few of the side characters.
3. the length. I felt every one of the nearly 500 pages.
4. The prison environment. A personal preference, I do not enjoy books set in prison. It felt very stereotypical, repetitive, slow and boring.
What I did like--- I do respect the work Lamb does with the incarcerated and I appreciate him wanting to educate on the problems with our judicial and penal systems but it was too much telling and not a lot of showing. He clearly had an agenda, and I agree with his message, just did not appreciate the delivery.
5. The end. I would have DNF'ed this book pretty early if it was not from NetGalley and I so wish I would have.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. 2.5 stars

The beginning and end are both very emotional and eventful. The middle drags on a bit at times. I was not happy with the ending unfortunately.

I am so mad about this book. I have never been so mad about a book in my life. Wally Lamb has been one of my favorite authors since I started reading adult fiction, but this book is an absolute disgrace.

I read the description, so I'm not mad at the subject matter because I chose to read it. It's incredibly difficult to get through those first 50 pages, and I did skip over some of the more descriptive paragraphs because as a mother, I can't let my brain go too far into it.

This book is written so, so poorly. The amount of exclamation marks Lamb uses are reminiscent of a tween girl writing in her diary. The story goes by in a blunt and unemotional manner.

And even worse, the main character is an absolutey narcissistic, egotistical, selfish asshole.

This guy ran over and killed his own child because he was drunk at 8 AM (not a spoiler, it's in the description of the book). And yet he has the absolute balls of steel to get mad at his wife for not knowing whether she would divorce him or not? And because she won't bring their TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER to visit him in prison? And that she dares to mention Scotch tape, because HE can't even HAVE Scotch tape in PRISON. He is an absolute monster.

And the ending was a total cop out and just a shitty decision.

Not cool, Lamb. Not cool at all.

I have to give five heartbreaking stars to this newest novel by Wally Lamb. As a grandmother of twins, this story hit close to home and I could certainly identify with the trauma Corby and his family experienced at the beginning of the book.

Because of what happened, Corby stepped up and accepted the blame and was sent to prison for three years. The majority of the story is what happens during his time in prison and his struggle to come to grips with the detour his life has taken.

When things finally begin looking better for Corby, life knocks him right back down and his friend and roommate Manny helps him deal with his grief. For me, this may have been the most difficult part of the book.

While Wally Lamb may have written in a way to soften the blow at the beginning of the book, he showed no mercy at the ending. I must warn readers, this is one of the saddest books I have ever read, but also one the the best.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element | S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for allowing me to read a complimentary galley. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend to other readers.

I've seen lots of five-star reviews for this one, praising the way it examines grief and trauma and consequences but I didn't get that at all. The protagonist, Corby (don't get me started on his name) Ledbetter, causes a horrible tragedy but never seems to evolve - he's overly judgmental of everyone around him and sees himself as a constant victim. I I found most of the characters frustrating and one-dimensional and the writing almost simplistic. I pushed through, hopeful the ending would redeem things but nope. The last chapters actually made me deduct half a star from my rating.

This is Oprah's book club pick for June, and it's got a 4.45 rating on Goodreads, so I'm definitely an outlier. If you read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks to Marysue Rucci books for the copy to review.

This is a book that’s very difficult for me to review. First of all, this was a wonderfully written story, and I feel the depiction of Corby’s time in prison is an accurate account of what prison life is probably like. Secondly, Corby’s journey is a story of the struggle of addiction and the effects of addiction on family members. However, there are several triggers in this story that may make reading this story difficult for some. Am I glad I read this book? Yes! Am I sad about the ending? Absolutely! So yes, I’m conflicted!

One single, unintentional mistake can tear apart and family and ruin many lives. Corby Ledbetter makes just such a careless mistake in this haunting tale of heartbreak and reflection on the meaning of everything after a tragic event. Wally Lamb always writes in a way to draw the reader into the story and to feel the situations experienced by the characters. As I read, I looked for a glimmer of hope in a broken man, and the book eventually provided that. It is a hard read but a thought provoking and satisfying one.

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb is the best book I’ve read in a long time. The story is heartbreaking and unforgettable. I’ll be recommending this novel to all my friends searching for a compelling read.

This was not a light read, but I’m glad I decided to pick it up. Every once in a while there will be a story that is hard to swallow and will open your eyes to so many new things. This story will stick with me for years to come. I love that the main character is a tragic character, but that he is trying his best to change as the story progresses. I was heartbroken, excited, hopeful, happy, and then all of that again… multiple times! Very good read

This book was tragic from start to finish. It wasn’t just about bad events happening — it was the kind of tragedy that seeps into every part of the characters’ lives. The abuse and mistakes weren’t distant or easy to ignore; they felt close and painfully real. It’s like watching a slow unraveling where every choice makes things worse.

The regret was crushing. I could feel how heavy it weighed on them, how it shaped their futures and haunted their every move. The story showed how some wounds don’t heal, and how people carry their past like a shadow they can’t escape.

It was emotionally exhausting at times, but I couldn’t look away. The way the story laid bare so much pain made it impossible to read lightly. The tragedy wasn’t just in the events, but in the way it changed the characters, trapping them in cycles of suffering.

It’s the kind of read that stays with me — tragic and raw, but honest in a way that made it powerful despite how hard it was.