Lots of family issues and hurt relationships are unpacked in this title. I found it well written and intriguing. The characters captured my attention from the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins due to be published August 12, 2025.
Josie may be the youngest sister, but she takes care of everyone. When Ara, one of her twin sisters, calls from jail, it isn’t exactly a surprise, and Josie knows exactly how to snap into action. Emma, the other twin, wants to be in charge, and thinks, after the success of their one gold record, that an album from jail would be just the thing. Bertie, who raised her three daughters as a single mother, has always taught them that family won’t always be around to take care of you. Will they be there for each other when it counts?
This was a new-to-me author and a good read that brought in some hard topics – addiction and abortion, but they were both handled well. The family dynamics were interesting between the twins and the younger sister being in charge and the usually absent mother who was always too busy to raise her children. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though there were some rough topics and the total irony of the ending.
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I was invited by the publisher to review this book. This book is about three sisters, their individualism and their interconnectedness. Josie is the youngest, yet functions as the oldest because she is like a mother hen. She is the responsible sister to her more free-wheeling twin sisters, Emma and Ara. When Ara lands in jail, this is no surprise. But Emma sees monetization in this - for long ago, the twins were a successful musical group, and Emma thinks Ara's creative abilities from within jail would help rejuvenate not just the group, but the sisters themselves. What Emma does not take into account is the mental state of Ara, who is desperately trying to change the trajectory of her life - even if it means removing herself from her family. Finally, we have the matriarch, Bertie, who never put her girls first as she was taking care of others. But seeing the path her children are on, she finally faces her own reckoning.

I enjoyed the exploration of the twins relationship in this book - how they could be so connected on many levels, and then how one would break away and the impact that would have on each of them. I thought the author did a great job of handling deep topics, such as addiction - this did not overpower the overall storyline, but was also real and accessible. This is really a good book if you enjoy the dynamics of family and looking through a different lens for the relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Frequency of Living Things is a primarily sister story— about twins, Ara and Emma, and their sister, Josie, who have found their way into adulthood in a dependent, intense, and fraught connection with the added stress of a mostly absentee mother. Ara and Emma formed a band that experienced very early, intense success with a severe drop in popularity shortly thereafter and Josie has been along for the ride to act as a manager, both personally and professionally, for all of it. What emerges in this story is what happens when all of this is thrown into immediate chaos, with Ada’s involvement with drugs leads to her arrest, leading the three sisters into a whirlwind of emotions and activity.

This book was an interesting take on a sisterhood story and had a number of sharp turns that felt fresh and kept me reading throughout. I really enjoyed Ara and Emma’s characters as it was interesting to explore their dynamic as twins, as sisters, as bandmates, etc. and to see how much their lives were affected by Ara’s physical and later emotional distance from Emma. The story covers a lot of heavy topics and emotions related to addiction but, I felt like the author handled them well. The character of Josie felt a little unbelievable or maybe just a little ridiculous to me because of how heavily she managed and coordinated her sister’s activities and lives; I understand that this might be the reality for some families, especially when someone is struggling financially or with addiction but, I didn’t feel the extent of exasperation that I might expect in this type of case; it almost felt like Josie reveled in it and enjoyed this sense of control a bit too much to be realistic, given the circumstances. But, perhaps this is just my interpretation as an external reader. Otherwise, the pacing of this book was good and I enjoyed the overall reading experience. I would rate this at a 3.5 stars.

In any case, this book was a quick read and I think anyone interested in sister stories or contemporary fiction would enjoy this! I would caution a reader that there are trigger warnings in this book related to suicide and addiction to be aware of. However, I think it’s still a good read and would recommend it!

I love books about family and resilience. The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Goggins was an excellent read.