Parts of this I really loved, other parts I had to push myself to keep reading. Overall I enjoyed the story about family, relationships and life in general.

4.5 🌟
I adored this book. The focus on the dysfunctional family dynamic, especially between the twins, and then the youngest sibling who (in my opinion) acted as the oldest. This story made me feel all of the feelings— anger, sadness, grief, humor. Such a well written story, and if you’re into the ‘dysfunctional family’ genre, I highly recommend. (It’s much more than just that, but that’s what made me love it most)

This book absolutely gutted me.

Following three sisters who've once ridden the waves of the music industry, but now find themselves scrambling for a sophomore album to stay afloat, this story explores so many different familial dynamics in the face of one sister's incarceration. There's Josie, the responsible one, who won't hesitate to drop everything—even a supposed vacation—to try and make everything okay. There's Emma, the irresponsible one with the artistic vision. And then there's Araminta, the drummer, trying and failing and trying again to recover from drug addiction.

The entire story is very character-focused, with just enough plot to pull you in, but not enough to completely overtake it. Their complex family dynamics and visceral responses to the incarceration, as well as the aftermath, hit me hard. I particularly found Josie the most resonant, especially how blind she was to her self-sabotaging actions in the name of bearing all the responsibility.

This is an honest book. It doesn't shy away from difficult relationships or emotions. But it does, ultimately, show the value of familial and community support. It's a sad book, but a good one, and I'd recommend it.

3.75⭐️
(ARC review) — Thank you to author Nick Fuller Googins and his publisher Atria Books. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the August 2025 release of 𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝐹𝘳𝑒𝘲𝑢𝘦𝑛𝘤𝑦 𝑜𝘧 𝘓𝑖𝘷𝑖𝘯𝑔 𝑇𝘩𝑖𝘯𝑔𝘴 in exchange for my honest review.

This had some hefty topics and was a harder read. Family literary. Drama filled. It was slow and heavy. A mother and her 3 daughters, heartache and tragedy. It is very character driven.

Loss, love, forgiveness and redemption.

Trigger ⚠️ Addiction

FAVORITE QUOTES —
‘I’m a survivor. I don’t have to run from trouble. I can make trouble myself.’

The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Atria Books
Pub Date: 8-12-25

Thank you @netgalley, @atriabooks, and @nickfullergoogins for the opportunity to read this eARC.

• Codependency
• Substance Use
• Family Dynamics

Three sisters with a mother whose focus is more on righting the injustices in the world rather than her role in nurturing and supporting her daughters. Although the youngest, Josie spends much of her life focused on her twin sisters, Emma and Ara.

This story took me by surprise in the best way. I recommend to readers who enjoy complex family dynamics, sibling relationships, struggles with substance use, set against a backdrop of law, music, and science - a unique mix!

"Help. That word. A skeleton key that opened every dopamine vault. Josie’s brainstem began dumping huge quantities of the neurotransmitter into her amygdala, her prefrontal cortex, her hippocampus. She understood what was happening, at the cellular level, yet resistance was futile."

"The fractal nature of anger allowed for infinite replication—practically invited it. All you had to do was drop in and keep falling. Josie knew this too well. And she wanted to end the fall for good."

"Every new generation represents an opportunity to reroute the tree of life. The unassailable advantage of horizontal gene transfer and natural selection. Evolution. Adaptation. Josie’s spiraling stairways of DNA were similar to Bertie’s, but they were not identical. She did not have to be like her mother . No natural law states that loss must harden. Loss, just as easily, can soften."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC and for sending me a physical copy!

This was nothing short of a masterpiece. I loved every second of it, even though a lot of it hurt me or made me upset.

This reads like a Fredrik Backman book, which I loved. The storytelling aspect of his writing at least. It is a very character driven book and I thought it was done fantastically.

It was a slow moving book, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t interesting or engaging. It felt like I was apart of all their lives.

Each of these characters were all very real people and I connected in some way with every single one of them. From Josie, to the twins, to Dean. Even Bertie and Walt. It took me about 2 pages to fall in love with them and their story. It was devastating how it ended. But that event and marriage changed the shape of these women’s lives. I even happened to care for Fabio and Mimi, who were very much side characters. I also really loved Janice! I wish she was in it more. That just goes to show you how amazing each of these characters were.

Araminta’s chapters had to be my favorite, even though they were so tragic and heartbreaking I couldn’t even bear to think about it.

The science stuff went over my head, it was a little too much for me. But it was cool to read about a woman so into science and who is so smart.

Politics were brought into the novel, and even if it didn’t take up a lot of space in the word count, its effects it had on the book were one of the most important aspects of the novel. It shaped a lot of the characters actions, especially Bertie’s.

I could tell where this book was going, but it is one of those cases where you are just praying it doesn’t end up how you think it will.

The ending left tears in my eyes, both happy and sad. I thought it wrapped up beautifully. My heart is aching and will for a while. This story will sit with me for a very long time.

The message of this whole entire book is so important, I think everyone should do themselves a favor and pick it up! Be prepared for reading about a lot of harsh and cruel things, such is life, but it is so worth it to know these characters.

The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins is an expansive book about three sisters facing life’s trials while dealing with their past. The twins, Emma and Ara, are the oldest and have been in a rock band together since high school. While they enjoyed tremendous success early in their careers, they have lost their spark and now play only local bars. Josie is the youngest sister and she is the caretaker. She makes sure the twins have a place to live. She runs the merch table at their shows and manages their band. Josie is a scientist but works full-time at Butterfly & Reptile World as a manager. When a crisis arises involving one of the sisters, Josie is always the one who steps up. Their mother, Bertie, is a former defense attorney. She wasn’t around for much of their childhood due to work or various charitable causes. Bertie appears for several chapters but believes in allowing her daughters to depend on themselves. She struggles with whether to intervene in the current crisis or not.

The pacing of this novel is slow to medium. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is very character-driven. I cared about the girls and what was happening in the story. I was never bored. I found Ara’s story arc interesting, especially the latter parts when she came to certain realizations about her life and the direction she wanted it to go. I also liked the way Josie & Emma’s characters developed toward the end, choosing to focus on the future rather than the past. The themes of family/generational trauma, grief, rape, co-dependency, and substance abuse were treated with care. I found the book both realistic and heartbreaking. However, there is a ribbon of hope tucked inside.

I will recommend this book to everyone who enjoys family/relationship fiction. Thank you to Simon & Schuster/Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

So different from The Great Transition, which I absolutely loved.

Because of the deep research and knowledge that went into Googins’ previous book, I expected (hoped) this one would also be nature or climate-focused.

But it’s completely a completely different genre, subject matter, era, everything! it’s about sisters and music and trauma and addiction (with some entomology and neuroscience mixed in, thanks to the caretaker sister, Josie, “the left-brained scientist to her twin sisters right-brained artistic chaos.” (e.g., “The vision calmed her with a warm cocktail of serotonin and allopregnenolone, the brain’s reward for knowing it was right.”)

Nick Fuller Googins writes such powerful, emotionally complex, colorful and dynamic women characters. In this, we have fierce feminist rock musicians, a prison matriarch, a brilliant scientist, an activist mom who’s more focused on saving the world and others less fortunate than her own children (which seemed to be the central theme in The Dutch House, that people found so compelling but doesn’t hold a candle to this book!), none of them in traditional relationships.

And the writing is fantastic. Pithy, irreverent, precise:

“What am I supposed to do?” Emma said, her voice climbing into an octave normally reserved for encores and orgasms.”

“As for Bertie, if her marriage announcement is an olive branch, the disappointment from her parents is a woodchipper.”

Highly recommend. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Atria Marketing at Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Josie is the youngest of three and couldn’t be more different than her older twin sisters, Emma and Ara. Assigned caretaker at birth, Josie has tried and failed to balance her career in science with the demands of taking care of her musically-inclined siblings. Emma is the front woman of their two-woman band, with Ara as the star drummer. The two are attached at the hip, inseparable in the unhealthiest ways, with Ara struggling with addiction and Emma struggling beneath the guilt of being an enabler. When Ara winds up in jail, all of the women’s problems boil to the surface, and the mommy issues surely don’t help matters.

This was my first time reading Fuller Googins’s work, and I have to say I’m a fan now. His writing style is different from what I usually read, but I appreciated the heavy differentiation he put into the various point of view chapters we got of the sisters and of their mom. The heavy stylistic differences put you into a different mindset that really clouded things in a way that you leaned towards whoever’s point of view you were reading from. I also really loved that the story was messy and the characters were all messy, and while there were a lot of moments of two steps forward, there was would always be three steps back because nothing was an easy fix. If you’re looking for a happy read, it may be best to avoid this one, but if you’re looking for something that isn’t afraid to be messy, this novel is for you.

This was an interesting book about sisters, their relationships, and their intertwined lives. I had points I enjoyed. Thank you netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Did not finish...could NOT even remotely get into this with the language and way it was written. There are very few books I can't finish, but I could tell immediately that I wouldn't be able to get far in this (only two chapters!).

Tough one to review. Two thirds of it had me making myself slog thru it. One third redeemed it. Josie had me flummoxed between liking and loathing her. Ara is such a tragic hero. Emma's kind of annoying.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a love/hate with this book. I liked how it explored the concept of family and how we fill our perceived roles, plus how we can love each other in ways that maybe others don’t see or feel as love. On the other hand, I did not like any of the characters. They were all very selfish.

I loved the characters of Emma, Ara, Josie, and Bertie. The story of these sisters and their mother was one I could relate quite a bit to and I saw pieces of myself in each of the characters. This was a story about love, loss, and forgiveness and what all of those mean for each of the characters.

After having enjoyed The Great Transition, Nicholas Fuller Goggins’ debut, I was excited to receive an advanced copy of his sophomore novel, The Frequency of Living Things. It didn’t disappoint! It’s a gripping family drama about Bertie and her three adult daughters who have faced personal tragedies while also trying to do their part to right societal wrongs. Goggins has created memorable characters who I rooted for although they are flawed. The novel also contained some surprising twists I didn’t see coming. I recommend this book to others who enjoy family dramas with strong female leads. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

Josie is the youngest sister but she’s always taken care of her older twin sisters. Emma is determined to make a new record and bring their fame from their one album back. Ara may be detoxing in jail, but she is using it as a break from her sisters.

Fans of the Blue Sisters will enjoy this one. It definitely has many similarities. I love a good sisters story. This one has a lot to it as we go back to the mother’s story and how that comes into play for the future. This story took me to some unexpected places. You’ll shed a few tears as you go on this journey with the family. I loved how there were different perspectives as well.

“I’m a survivor. I don’t have to run from trouble. I can make trouble myself.”

The Frequency of Living Things comes out 8/12.

A story of sisters. They have conflict but still love each other. Ultimately a story of what family means

Emma and Ara are rockstars whose band is on the way to just being known as a one hit wonder. Their mother, Bertie, cares so much about helping others that she's barely around for her own family. And their younger sister Josie is the opposite - she's always there to help no matter what. Ara struggles with addiction and this ends up landing her in prison while her sisters stop at nothing to get her out.

As a protective and super engaged sister, I felt for Josie but even I have my limits! Josie dropped everything for her sisters, even if it meant straining relationships and causing herself insane stress. I found this a bit much. I also struggled with liking the characters at times because of the choices they made throughout the story. I did really love Ara's character though - I think addiction is such a tricky topic to write about but it translated well and realistically in this story and Ara was relatable, strong and inspiring.

When it comes down to it, this story is about family and how complicated life can be with them. If you like family dramas and stories with strong sister bonds, I'd recommend this. Don't blame me if you cry a few times like I did!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nick Fuller Goggins has touched upon a gambit of traumas and social injustices experienced by many human beings, focusing particularly on one family and their friends, plus others who impact their lives. The story revolves around three sisters, their mother and those who influence their life’s experiences. Woven throughout the book are storylines about drug addiction, science, music, human rights activists, uncertainty, prison life, loss, loyalty, love and the consequences of choices we make. If you like books about these tough issues, this book is for you. If you’re looking for something light and uplifting, try a different book.

Two factors almost prevented me from reading this book. First, after reading the description posted on NetGalley of what the book entails, I immediately thought the book would be way too depressing to even remotely enjoy. I opted to download the book because the publisher sent me an opportunity to read and review the book. I figured I give it a chance and not allow any issues being faced by my family (nothing like the ones in the book) sway me away from the book. Some potential readers might elect to pass on the book if they feel the topics hit too close to home. Others will revel in reading stories about these meaty topics. Reading the description, again, after finishing the book didn’t cause the same sense of potentially being depressed by reading the book. I knew the content and outcomes, so I knew I wasn’t depressed by them! It did occur to me that the description cuts to the chase, relaying major attributes of the characters as they approach the wrap up of the book. Upon finishing the book, I actually felt neutral about the content, not emotional charged by the topics.
The second potential showstopper for me was the style of writing during the first chapter. For me, the sentences that were short phrases or one word thoughts created a choppy lack of flow to the prose or dialogue. I wasn’t keen about reading over three hundred pages of choppy thoughts. Once the prose flowed more freely, I became more engaged in the story. I did tend to scan the more scientific passages within the book. Scientific terminology is Josie’s thing, not mine. At times, I wondered if some things were included in the book as a vehicle to show off the author’s knowledge, more than to enhance the story.

Each chapter is titled with the name of one of the characters. Individual story lines about the Tayloe family members are woven together throughout the book, illustrating how past choices and events of one person impacted the current thinking and actions of other Tayloe family members. The time frame of each storyline often changes from present to past events, then back to present. Some transitions were initially a bit confusing, such as when Bertie’s chapters about meeting her husband started. I don’t recall that there was a transition, just a sudden launching into Bertie’s past history. As the book progressed, I became accustomed to this approach to switching time frames.

All in all, reading The Frequency of Living Things created a few moments of “I wonder what happens next”, but I had more moments of “where is this going, why do we need to know this?” I was never really totally engaged in the book. The action towards the end of the book was heart pounding, but was it believable? After reading all the details throughout the body of the book, the ending felt a bit rushed. But, I was glad to have finished the book.

Such a great book about sister relationships and family relationships. This book talked about hard topics but handled them so well and really gave you a look at how it can affect the person and others. This book was such a good read about resilience and family. I recommend this book 100%