First of all, holy cow can we please get some trigger warnings? I'm not usually one to balk at books but "The River Is Waiting" was an incredibly heavy and difficult read. Emotional and powerful, but difficult! This is one of those books that will stick with me for a long time. "The River is Waiting" tells the story of Corby after his dependence on alcohol and prescription drugs lead to the tragic death of one of his children. We follow his journey to self-discovery and realization as he serves his prison sentence.

Corby was a very well-written character on whom I have very conflicting feelings. He was very likable and I enjoyed his development and growth, but other times I wanted to smack some sense into him! I had whiplash from feeling bad for him to immediately growing frustrated whenever he'd whine about whether or not his wife would divorce him and how angry he was that his wife refused to bring his toddler-aged daughter to visit him in prison. YOU KILLED YOUR KID! Why are you surprised things might not work out just peachy for you?! But I guess the fact I'm so frustrated and invested is due to how well Corby was.

I rounded this review up to five stars but I was unsatisfied with the ending. I felt like Corby was finally coming to his senses and seeing his action for what they were when things with him just...ended. It felt abrupt and unfinished, making it an odd choice to me - I was hoping to see more growth and hope after the direction things were heading. But maybe that's just the reality of life? We don't always get everything we hoped for.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it will be a hit upon its release. Thanks so much for the ARC!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read the arc by The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Wally Lamb is an author who I enjoy. His writing is like no one else he is great. I was happy to read a book by him worth the 9 year wait. Corby was a character I will never forget he is enduring character who is trying to correct a bad situation. Corby took a look at the prison system while some parts were sad I had to stop from the gripping details. Corby was trying to change his life, by going to prison, I was surprised at the ending and was happy Manny got to talk to his wife after. I enjoyed this book and I am recommending this book to my audience.

Wally Lamb is an extraordinary writer. Not because he has the perfect literary style (though he's got plenty of that) and not because he has a truly interesting plot (though he has that too) but what I really love the most about Lamb is his ability to create characters that stay with you long after you're done reading their stories. And his ability to show you that all people are flawed and all people are good and bad and that we are complex beings.

This is the story of Corby whose addiction causes a horrible tragedy in his life and all the consequences that come from that terrible action. Most of the story takes place in a men's penitentiary. It's hard to read. If you're easily triggered, I would not recommend you read this one, it's tough.

But it's a beautiful, sad story of how life can turn and then never really recover.

with gratitude to netgalley and Simon Element for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read, "The River is Waiting" by Wally Lamb. Unfortunately this did not work for me. This was a train wreck and lacked so much.

I knew this would be tough to read but woooooooo man some parts of this were really hard for me to get through as a mom of two small children. Have been waiting years for some new Wally Lamb and it did not disappoint.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel.

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish it. Like many of Wally Lamb’s books, this is a hard read. They’re deeply emotional, and deal with tough topics. This one is no exception, It went in a very different direction than I was expecting, and I ended up being really glad I read it.

I enjoyed the writing but had a hard time sympathizing with the main character. The book has stuck with me though.

Reading this book was an all-consuming, often physical experience for me. My heart raced. I could think and speak of little else during the days I read it. I saw none of the plot twists coming. I repeatedly wondered why I was even reading such an intense book.

Lamb unfolded this darkly emotional story in a linear and straightforward yet intimate manner which really worked for me. For the most part, it relied little on flashbacks, dual timelines, alternating narrators - all things that can sometimes distract me from the main story being told in a novel. This book felt like solid, old-fashioned storytelling. I was completely immersed in the protagonist Colby's perspective, even as I often questioned why I sympathized with him at all. As a reader, it was excruciating to survive these events with the characters. Lamb boldly and masterfully slowed the worst moments down and didn't shy away from the ugliest details, even as I wished I could press a fast-forward button. By the end, I felt like I had been put through a meat-grinder!

I can't wait for more readers to experience this book, not least of all because I need people to discuss it with! I truly felt honored to be an early reader of this novel. Thank you NetGalley, Simon Element, and Wally Lamb for the opportunity.

Corby Ledbetter, the protagonist of “The River is Waiting” by Wally Lamb, is having a hard time. He’s made some good choices and some poor ones. Unfortunately, the poor ones begin to take their toll, and a tragedy lands him in prison. This book is often painful and there were times I wanted to put it down and escape what was going to come next. However, stopping wasn’t a choice; I needed to know what happened next. “The River is Waiting” is well written, honest, and powerful. It faces hard realities straight on, while also recognizing the power inherent in even small acts of love and kindness. This isn’t a book that will be easily forgotten. I came away feeling I had gained awareness, compassion, and understanding for the characters and for all of us in our shared humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Wally Lamb book. Not my last !
This book is very touching... sweet, sad, enlightening and informative ( about prison life ).
The story of a man, Corby, who makes a series of bad decisions in one moment that ends up impacting many people including himself.

The story feels like a solid fiction book for the first 1/3rd or so but once Corby winds up in prison I kept needing to remind myself this man isn't a real person. The book at that point b began to read like a memoir and his life in prison is challenging, it requires navigating others including inmates and guards, rules and work-arounds ( of the rules). The story is heartbreaking, in a poignant, compelling way.

I read it pretty quickly at first but the second 1/2 required me to be ' in the right place ' emotionally ' to pick it up and continue. Not in a bad way, but the story just seemed so real, so heartbreaking... so forever...

Definitely recommend this book. So well written, it drew me in and made me think. It made my heat stretch to take on his pain, his own actions and poor choices affecting his life and many others... forever.
Wally Lamb is now on my TBR lest !

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. These opinions are my own.

Wally Lamb has done it again. I absolutely loved “The River is Waiting.” This novel is about Corby, his wife Wmily and their two year old twins. Something terrible happens and the story takes us through the emotional turmoil of pain, suffering, regret, hope and forgiveness. I loved the character’s Lamb created and I will read anything he writes.

A complementary copy was provided the by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I liked this book when I first started reading it, but then things went sour. Corbin "Corby" and Emily Ledbetter are the parent of twins. Corby was laid off from his graphic artist job and he is a stay at home dad who has his naive wife convinced that he spends a good part of the day job hunting on line while babysitting. He spends most of his days drinking and abusing benzos. A tragic accident occurs and Corby gets sentenced to a 3 year prison term. From 28% on, the story is about his time in prison. He files a report against two of the wardens so you can pretty much guess what is going to happen to him. The characters are all pretty much unlikeable except for Manny who was Corby's cellmate. I did not like the ending and it felt very rushed. This books has a lot of TWs including suicide, physical and animal abuse just to name a few.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

I have loved Wally lamb since I Know This Much Is True. As I was reading this, I did NOT like the character if Corby even a little bit. I thought his self pitying victimizations were so off putting. Ok, maybe shades of an ex’s personality but really really an unlikable creature. I rounded up to. A4 bc the very last 2 chapters that were not from his point of view were somewhat redeeming.

Summary: Main character, Corby, is struggling with life: substance abuse, fatherhood, career slump, and mental health issues. Then life is turned upside down when an unforeseen tragedy results in a jail sentence. Follow Corby as he navigates his new life as a convicted felon.

Format: The book is first person POV, mostly focusing on Corby’s time in jail. This is a 5 star book, hands down, but if I could change anything about it, I think the story could have been even better if the chapters were split up so that the events leading up to the jail time were peppered throughout rather than chronological.

Opinion: I really enjoyed following Corby’s journey. It was extremely emotional (ugly sobbed so many times), and should come with some trigger warnings (abuse, death, suicide, sexual harassment) but if you can handle that, the story is worth reading! The author did a great job capturing big picture moments as well as smaller mundane details. The events depicting life in jail - fellow convicts, corrupt guards, conversations, isolation, prison work, etc. - were well written and eye opening. I was hooked from the very beginning. Every turn of the page was shocking. The ending destroyed me.

Takeaway: I would recommend this book to anyone who likes slower paced contemporary fiction books with immense emotion and dark topics. This novel is heartbreaking and tragic but the lessons learned on the journey are powerful. This is not a book for the faint of heart!

Review and rating is posted on Goodreads. Social media posting will occur on May 6.

When I found out a new Wally Lamb book was coming out in May, I couldn’t get my hands on a copy fast enough. Not only is Wally Lamb a must-read author for me, he is THE must-read author. His books get to me in a way no one else can, and he is one I re-read, which I don’t do often.

The River is Waiting is his first book in years. It is clear he put so much research and thought into this. After finishing, I had a book hangover and needed some time to gather myself. I am not entirely sure how to rate this one, and although the writing and the fact that I couldn’t put it down and the way it affected my emotions and even made me cry would usually make a book a 5, I decided to go to with 4 stars. One is that I got so frustrated with the MC, though his actions are very much there for a reason. Mostly though, the less-than-perfect rating is because that at times this was hard to read, and I had to skip over entire paragraphs at times. Trigger warnings at the bottom.

But that did not distract from the incredible writing and the phenomenally tragic story. This book will make you feel. I am so glad I got to read The River is Waiting. Nothing would keep me away from Wally Lamb. This book will stick with me for a long time, and I can’t stop thinking about it. The last few chapters were just, wow.

And I am getting excited about rereading my old favorites from him.

TW: child death, animal harm

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element Marysue Rucci Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

The River is Waiting
Wally Lamb
It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a book by Wally Lamb. As promised, The River is Waiting is a powerful story that begs the question, “what can be forgiven?” This book is an emotional rollercoaster. Between Corby’s crime, incarceration, and personal struggles I feel I experienced every emotion possible. This is a heavy read whose ending will hit you like a brick wall.

I've been a fan of author Wally Lamb since his first novel was published, and this new release does not disappoint. It's the story of Corby Ledbetter, who is struggling after losing his job and becoming a stay-at-home day to his young children. When he tries to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, a terrible incident changes his life forever.

Lamb follows Corey as he deals with both the horrors and friendships that arise from time spent in prison. He changes and grows as a character in this relatively slow-moving, powerful novel. Recommended for Lamb's many existing fans and new readers. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Wally Lamb has a way of writing characters that make you feel like they are real people. The way he made me feel so much compassion for a character that did something so horrible is truly a talent. While this wasn't my favorite of his books, I still very much enjoyed it. I recommend this book and his others.

To preface everything, I love Wally Lamb.

But seriously? I really want to just say, F this book. That is my honest opinion, not watered down to be polite and nice. I cannot believe it. I was DEVASTATED to the extent that I took a two month break from reading at the mere 5% mark and then to have to absolutely suffer through everything and then that ending? No. I refuse to give this my stamp of approval. Wtf. Corby does not deserve my pity or attention or whatever ANYMORE. Goodbye.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Breathtaking.

Please don't read long reviews of this one - go in as cold as you can.

She's Come Undone was released when I was a few years out of college and it made me an adult reader - it wasn't required for school. It was a choice. I loved it and have been an avid reader ever since. Much in the same way that novel stayed with me, this one will too. It's about addiction and choices and forgiveness is all forms. It's about purpose. It's also about our system of helping those who need help and how we provide "justice" as a society.

Go read it - reserve it - buy it - borrow it. Out May 6, 2025. Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy.