The Latecomer is a difficult novel to review. When I received it I saw how the tome that it is at nearly 450 pages and small font, I already knew I had a challenge ahead of me. The premise sounded interesting for me with triplets first and then a later in life fourth child, but the delivery was also difficult to read. We have Sal and Johanna who meet after an accident and eventually get married and have early stages IVF children.
But these children do not share a bond that you would expect with triplets, or even a shared bond as siblings at all. These triplets (Harrison, Sally, and Lewyn) do not like each other and can’t wait to get away from them and their parents. Due to the lack of familial bonds, when the triplets are seventeen Johanna decides to have the fourth embryo implanted into a surrogate.
None of these characters are likeable, with Harrison being the least liked by me as a reader. I skimmed over Harrison’s chapters; I was not interested in him at all. I was intrigued more with Sally and Lewyn with their situation of being at the same college, but not acknowledging each other at all. Of course, this situation heads to disaster.
If you can make it through the first 300/350-ish pages, then when Phoebe (the fourth child) makes an appearance then you are in for a ride as she changes everything up when she becomes seventeen. There is a bit of a surprise in these last pages where nothing is as you think!
This is a novel that focuses on family dysfunction, high art society, privilege, race, and secrets galore. The Oppenheimer family are Jewish, so for those not familiar with the Jewish religion and traditions, you will learn some. The Latecomer is a slow burn that if you can make it through until Phoebe takes off then you are set!
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me a copy via Bookish First.
But these children do not share a bond that you would expect with triplets, or even a shared bond as siblings at all. These triplets (Harrison, Sally, and Lewyn) do not like each other and can’t wait to get away from them and their parents. Due to the lack of familial bonds, when the triplets are seventeen Johanna decides to have the fourth embryo implanted into a surrogate.
None of these characters are likeable, with Harrison being the least liked by me as a reader. I skimmed over Harrison’s chapters; I was not interested in him at all. I was intrigued more with Sally and Lewyn with their situation of being at the same college, but not acknowledging each other at all. Of course, this situation heads to disaster.
If you can make it through the first 300/350-ish pages, then when Phoebe (the fourth child) makes an appearance then you are in for a ride as she changes everything up when she becomes seventeen. There is a bit of a surprise in these last pages where nothing is as you think!
This is a novel that focuses on family dysfunction, high art society, privilege, race, and secrets galore. The Oppenheimer family are Jewish, so for those not familiar with the Jewish religion and traditions, you will learn some. The Latecomer is a slow burn that if you can make it through until Phoebe takes off then you are set!
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me a copy via Bookish First.