Every once in a while, a book comes along that everyone raves about. The reviews are pretty positive, ratings are high, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. That was exactly the case here. When I first heard about this book, it sounded like something I would really enjoy, and then when Oprah picked it for her book club, I was even more excited. It was described as a novel that delves into the complex and often messy journey of marriage and self-discovery. I love books like this. I love when characters are forced to face their shit to figure out how to move forward. I added it to my BOTM box and was eager to jump in. It started off pretty strong, but then it never seemed to really go anywhere.

As the synopsis tells us, the story follows the lives of Jack and Elizabeth, an artistic couple who met in college and quickly fell in love and years later find themselves navigating the challenges of parenthood and a failing marriage in Chicago. Jack and Elizabeth both grew up in pretty unhappy homes – Jack grew up poor and sickly. His parents were very religious and considered Jack to be slow because he didn’t seem to thrive much as a kid. He escaped as soon as he could, enrolling in art school in Chicago (following in his older sister’s footsteps).

Elizabeth was raised by wealthy parents. Her father is a temperamental asshole (to say the least), and her mother wasn’t very present. The two find themselves living across from one another and secretly watch and pine for each other. One night, they meet face-to-face in a bar and spend the night together, thus beginning their relationship.

Years later, they have a son and are trying to buy their “forever home” while also navigating the pitfalls of their approaching middle ages. The two have grown apart, and they’d love to figure out how – or if – they can save their marriage.

Again, that sounds great, right? I did enjoy Jack and Elizabeth’s story. They are both from my generation. They are flawed and relatable, and I found myself invested in their journey. As the story progresses, their flaws and insecurities are laid bare, and it becomes clear that they must confront their own personal demons in order to save their marriage.

However, while the characters were engaging, I found that the narrative often lost focus. There were long sections of the book that seemed to veer off on tangents and didn’t contribute much to the overall story. I was eager to see Jack and Elizabeth’s journey unfold, but instead, I found myself being sidetracked by seemingly unrelated events. I didn’t need the complete backstory on Elizabeth’s family tree. A couple of paragraphs would have given me all of the information that I needed on them. I certainly didn’t need chapter upon chapter of how the social media algorithm works. These meandering detours became frustrating after a while. I understood what the author was going for, but in no way did it advance the overall narrative of Jack and Elizabeth’s personal struggles or their relationships with their families. It was meant to give insight into the decline of Jack’s relationship with his father and how his father got sucked into the misinformation often shared on social media, but again – a couple of paragraphs would have been fine.

Despite these flaws, Wellness still manages to offer moments of insight and introspection. The glimpses into Jack and Elizabeth’s painful childhoods and their struggles with unfulfilled career ambitions are poignant and relatable. I loved the relationship that Jack had with his older sister. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, and honestly, I wish the author would have given us more on Evelyn. Her character was a highlight in the book.

While it may not be a perfect read, Wellness still offers a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges of love, marriage, and personal growth. I did enjoy the psychology and science behind placebos and, in general, the way we are so obsessed with well – wellness, but it wasn’t enough to save this one for me. Had the book been about 200 pages shorter, and had we not been sidetracked, diving into things that did nothing to propel the narrative, my rating probably would have been higher. I was so frustrated by the time I finished reading that I was just ready for it to be over.