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Rocky #2
Wreck
The acclaimed bestselling author of Sandwich is back with a wonderful novel, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned.
If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry—and relate.)
Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.
It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.
With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.
If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry—and relate.)
Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.
It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.
With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2025
2602 people are currently reading
65200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,794 reviews
August 30, 2025
Wreck feels like Newman was writing directly to me. And what’s so impressive, is I think many, many, many readers will feel like it was just for them, too.
November 18, 2025
How excited am I? I won 2 copies of this novel, from Good Morning America’s Book Club for my Little Free Library Shed. Yes, “Wreck” was selected as GMA’s Book Club pick for November, 2025!
Having enjoyed her debut novel for adults, “We all want impossible things,” I couldn’t wait to dig in. If interested, my review of her first book is below.
Also, once I knew I was going to be receiving this book, I realized immediately that this was the second book in the series. So, I scrambled to get “Sandwich” to read first. If interested, my review of that book is below.
As the second in the series, it fast forwards the family a couple years ahead. It is best to read “Sandwich” first, but there is enough here that this one can be read as a stand-alone. But I still recommend reading “Sandwich” before this one.
Did you ever have a sense of déjà vu as you read a story?
This happened to me as I read this one. In this story, Rocky, our main character doesn’t know what is wrong with her health-wise and goes through a variety of bloodwork and scans to discover the outcome. Well, that was my déjà vu. I had that very experience last year (2024). Even to the point of “we brought your imaging to our monthly special cases meeting.”
“Yikes! I like to be special, but not in this exact way.”
In my case, it was the County Tumor Board which comprised all the doctor specialists county-wide. They were fascinated with the two cancers that inhabited my body and every doctor in the county wanted to discuss me. How lucky was I?!🫤
Reading about Rocky’s experience, felt so very similar to my journey. I just happened to share my ongoing journey in my review of the book, “The Lost Art of Dying.” If interested, my review is below.
There is a sense of tension that occurs when symptoms happen and all Rocky wants to do is go to the internet to self-diagnose. Have you ever found yourself doing that, too? 🥹Which makes the title of this book work well. She becomes her own personal wreck. 😬
So, with all the various specialists and tests, what is really wrong with Rocky?
The other wreck happens on the first page of the book when a car crashes into a train. Why does Rocky find herself obsessing with this, and how will it affect Rocky and her family through the course of the book?
This was a rather chaotic, quick read that captured the emotional upheaval that occurs when a family member has their health challenged. As well as how that individual handles it. Will they face it, or mask the seriousness of it?
Readers will find themselves in the midst of messy family drama. With lots of dialog that will either annoy or provide humor, depending on how readers choose to respond to the story.
The author in an interview with Vogue shared, “WRECK is about Rocky’s kind of compulsion to take care of everybody and the way she’s torn between having this robust life of her own and her really intense caregiving.”
Which, as I mentioned, will either resonate with readers or not. There will be Rocky’s 93-year-old father and his transition of living with them temporarily while deciding what his next steps will be, her adult children and their issues, as well as the interaction with her husband, Nick.
For me, I found myself living within the story’s many moments that brought me back to my own personal memories, of trying to figure out what my own illness could be. Because, I could relate to Rocky’s anxiety about the illness and hope of overcoming it. Thus, I found myself moving quickly through the other parts of the story that detoured from getting directly to the point. And, because it was a short book, (only 210 pages) that made it a fairly easy read…for me.
3.5 stars
“We All Want Impossible Things” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“Sandwich” Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“The Lost Art of Dying” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Having enjoyed her debut novel for adults, “We all want impossible things,” I couldn’t wait to dig in. If interested, my review of her first book is below.
Also, once I knew I was going to be receiving this book, I realized immediately that this was the second book in the series. So, I scrambled to get “Sandwich” to read first. If interested, my review of that book is below.
As the second in the series, it fast forwards the family a couple years ahead. It is best to read “Sandwich” first, but there is enough here that this one can be read as a stand-alone. But I still recommend reading “Sandwich” before this one.
Did you ever have a sense of déjà vu as you read a story?
This happened to me as I read this one. In this story, Rocky, our main character doesn’t know what is wrong with her health-wise and goes through a variety of bloodwork and scans to discover the outcome. Well, that was my déjà vu. I had that very experience last year (2024). Even to the point of “we brought your imaging to our monthly special cases meeting.”
“Yikes! I like to be special, but not in this exact way.”
In my case, it was the County Tumor Board which comprised all the doctor specialists county-wide. They were fascinated with the two cancers that inhabited my body and every doctor in the county wanted to discuss me. How lucky was I?!🫤
Reading about Rocky’s experience, felt so very similar to my journey. I just happened to share my ongoing journey in my review of the book, “The Lost Art of Dying.” If interested, my review is below.
There is a sense of tension that occurs when symptoms happen and all Rocky wants to do is go to the internet to self-diagnose. Have you ever found yourself doing that, too? 🥹Which makes the title of this book work well. She becomes her own personal wreck. 😬
So, with all the various specialists and tests, what is really wrong with Rocky?
The other wreck happens on the first page of the book when a car crashes into a train. Why does Rocky find herself obsessing with this, and how will it affect Rocky and her family through the course of the book?
This was a rather chaotic, quick read that captured the emotional upheaval that occurs when a family member has their health challenged. As well as how that individual handles it. Will they face it, or mask the seriousness of it?
Readers will find themselves in the midst of messy family drama. With lots of dialog that will either annoy or provide humor, depending on how readers choose to respond to the story.
The author in an interview with Vogue shared, “WRECK is about Rocky’s kind of compulsion to take care of everybody and the way she’s torn between having this robust life of her own and her really intense caregiving.”
Which, as I mentioned, will either resonate with readers or not. There will be Rocky’s 93-year-old father and his transition of living with them temporarily while deciding what his next steps will be, her adult children and their issues, as well as the interaction with her husband, Nick.
For me, I found myself living within the story’s many moments that brought me back to my own personal memories, of trying to figure out what my own illness could be. Because, I could relate to Rocky’s anxiety about the illness and hope of overcoming it. Thus, I found myself moving quickly through the other parts of the story that detoured from getting directly to the point. And, because it was a short book, (only 210 pages) that made it a fairly easy read…for me.
3.5 stars
“We All Want Impossible Things” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“Sandwich” Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“The Lost Art of Dying” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 22, 2025
Two years after their family vacation on Cape Cod...
Rocky and her husband Nick, daughter Willa—home from college, son Jamie—living and working in NYC, and widower-father Mort, navigate the twists and turns of everyday life. Rocky, anxious as ever, is once again at the center of the story, struggling through the uncertainty of a personal health crisis, while obsessing over a local accident she can't stop thinking about...
Wreck is about family life and all its messy complexities. I missed Rocky, her humor, and unfiltered complicatedness! Revisiting Catherine Newman's writing and storytelling for the third time felt like coming home. Rocky and Willa's mother-daughter relationship is one of the best aspects of this book and series. They partake in humorous, loving conversations full of questions that neither can answer. This family of characters adore each other. Their emotions run high, but their love never wavers, and one surprise made me wonder.
However, I am a little torn about the abrupt ending. There seems to be an intentional threading of loose details, hence my rounding down rather than up. Still, I love this continuing story and hope for a Rocky #3!
4.5⭐
Thank you to Harper and Catherine Newman for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Rocky and her husband Nick, daughter Willa—home from college, son Jamie—living and working in NYC, and widower-father Mort, navigate the twists and turns of everyday life. Rocky, anxious as ever, is once again at the center of the story, struggling through the uncertainty of a personal health crisis, while obsessing over a local accident she can't stop thinking about...
Wreck is about family life and all its messy complexities. I missed Rocky, her humor, and unfiltered complicatedness! Revisiting Catherine Newman's writing and storytelling for the third time felt like coming home. Rocky and Willa's mother-daughter relationship is one of the best aspects of this book and series. They partake in humorous, loving conversations full of questions that neither can answer. This family of characters adore each other. Their emotions run high, but their love never wavers, and one surprise made me wonder.
However, I am a little torn about the abrupt ending. There seems to be an intentional threading of loose details, hence my rounding down rather than up. Still, I love this continuing story and hope for a Rocky #3!
4.5⭐
Thank you to Harper and Catherine Newman for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
November 8, 2025
this book was laugh out loud funny and such an enjoyable read! if you didn’t like SANDWICH (it wasn’t my fave), don’t skip out on WRECK—it’s a blast!
pro tip—do the audiobook 🎧 it’s like 5 hours long and narrated by the queen Helen Laser who brings it to life so well per usual.
this is a continuation of the characters in SANDWICH but both can be read as a standalone. it follows Rocky and her fam again. this time she’s dealing w a mysterious skin issue as well as a tragic accident that happened in their town. and she may be more related to it then she realizes…
there wasn’t really much going on in this book but it was a fun time. you’re just reading about this family going through life and there were SO MANY funny parts (the smoothie store place had me LOLing so hard) and relatable parts (like how annoyingly complex it is to get a doctors appt or a referral).
TLDR: it was simple, quick and fun. read it!
my fave quote was right at the end:
“One day we will look back and think “wow that was a hard year?” Will we be damaged and scarred but okay? Or will we think that was when things first started to get bad? There’s no telling. Only this: loving each other like there’s plenty of room on the life raft and there’s no tomorrow. Or there is one and you don’t want to wake up hungover with regret. You just want to wake up while you still can. While the world is turning and the owls are calling and gratitude is the very air you are still breathing. Because whatever happens next: that’s how lucky you are. You are still breathing.”
🧡🧡🧡
pro tip—do the audiobook 🎧 it’s like 5 hours long and narrated by the queen Helen Laser who brings it to life so well per usual.
this is a continuation of the characters in SANDWICH but both can be read as a standalone. it follows Rocky and her fam again. this time she’s dealing w a mysterious skin issue as well as a tragic accident that happened in their town. and she may be more related to it then she realizes…
there wasn’t really much going on in this book but it was a fun time. you’re just reading about this family going through life and there were SO MANY funny parts (the smoothie store place had me LOLing so hard) and relatable parts (like how annoyingly complex it is to get a doctors appt or a referral).
TLDR: it was simple, quick and fun. read it!
my fave quote was right at the end:
“One day we will look back and think “wow that was a hard year?” Will we be damaged and scarred but okay? Or will we think that was when things first started to get bad? There’s no telling. Only this: loving each other like there’s plenty of room on the life raft and there’s no tomorrow. Or there is one and you don’t want to wake up hungover with regret. You just want to wake up while you still can. While the world is turning and the owls are calling and gratitude is the very air you are still breathing. Because whatever happens next: that’s how lucky you are. You are still breathing.”
🧡🧡🧡
December 5, 2025
Quiet chaos, tender humour, & a family in motion!
I picked up Wreck right after finishing Sandwich because I wanted to dive straight back into Rocky’s world. This time the story feels more domestic and slower moving. Willa is home for a while, Rocky’s elderly father has moved in since her mother passed, and Rocky is dealing with some uncertain health issues with no clear answers. A local young man has died in an accident, and Rocky becomes obsessed with figuring out what really happened. Meanwhile, the family is preparing for Thanksgiving, juggling love, frustration, and their usual gentle humour.
I found Rocky’s health struggles quietly relatable. The uncertainty, the small anxieties, and the ways it made her rethink her daily life felt very familiar to me. While I won’t say more about the specifics, I recognized some of my own experiences in her worries and adjustments, which made parts of the story hit even closer to home.
As I read, I kept thinking about how some stories feel like a slow moving train wreck. Not in a bad way, but in that can’t-look-away kind of way where every choice nudges a family closer to tension or conflict. Different strokes for different folks is true in reading too. The moments that stirred me might barely register for someone else. For me, the emotional messiness and subtle cracks in this family were the most compelling parts. Watching them stumble through their flaws felt real and kept me turning the pages.
There were quieter moments that landed beautifully. Small observations, surprising tenderness, and offhand honesty that says more about a character than any big dramatic scene could. I liked those parts the most because they reminded me why I connected with Rocky in the first place. At the same time, I sometimes wished the story had a little more momentum, but it never pulled me completely out of the story.
✨ Key Thoughts
📖 A slower, domestic pace that reflects everyday family life.
🧡 Rocky remains relatable, anxious, and tenderly funny.
🌫️ The everyday family moments feel familiar and achingly true.
💭 Watching the family’s flaws and small conflicts unfold was quietly engaging.
🧩 A reflective story that stays close to the rhythm of ordinary life.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
Overall, Wreck did not sweep me away the way Sandwich did, but I really enjoyed spending time with this family. The story is tender, quietly engaging, and left me hoping there’s another book to continue their journey.
📕 Digital reading copy received from Edelweiss+.
I picked up Wreck right after finishing Sandwich because I wanted to dive straight back into Rocky’s world. This time the story feels more domestic and slower moving. Willa is home for a while, Rocky’s elderly father has moved in since her mother passed, and Rocky is dealing with some uncertain health issues with no clear answers. A local young man has died in an accident, and Rocky becomes obsessed with figuring out what really happened. Meanwhile, the family is preparing for Thanksgiving, juggling love, frustration, and their usual gentle humour.
I found Rocky’s health struggles quietly relatable. The uncertainty, the small anxieties, and the ways it made her rethink her daily life felt very familiar to me. While I won’t say more about the specifics, I recognized some of my own experiences in her worries and adjustments, which made parts of the story hit even closer to home.
As I read, I kept thinking about how some stories feel like a slow moving train wreck. Not in a bad way, but in that can’t-look-away kind of way where every choice nudges a family closer to tension or conflict. Different strokes for different folks is true in reading too. The moments that stirred me might barely register for someone else. For me, the emotional messiness and subtle cracks in this family were the most compelling parts. Watching them stumble through their flaws felt real and kept me turning the pages.
There were quieter moments that landed beautifully. Small observations, surprising tenderness, and offhand honesty that says more about a character than any big dramatic scene could. I liked those parts the most because they reminded me why I connected with Rocky in the first place. At the same time, I sometimes wished the story had a little more momentum, but it never pulled me completely out of the story.
✨ Key Thoughts
📖 A slower, domestic pace that reflects everyday family life.
🧡 Rocky remains relatable, anxious, and tenderly funny.
🌫️ The everyday family moments feel familiar and achingly true.
💭 Watching the family’s flaws and small conflicts unfold was quietly engaging.
🧩 A reflective story that stays close to the rhythm of ordinary life.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
Overall, Wreck did not sweep me away the way Sandwich did, but I really enjoyed spending time with this family. The story is tender, quietly engaging, and left me hoping there’s another book to continue their journey.
📕 Digital reading copy received from Edelweiss+.
June 19, 2025
I truly can’t get over how well Newman conveys the visceral reality of being a human. The elements of health scares, grief, living with cats, friendships and family dynamics are so deeply relatable to me. And yet the pieces of motherhood and loss of a parent and certain career trajectories are ones that I don’t personally understand, but are conveyed with so much truth and purity that I feel them all so deeply. I am so enamored by every single character in these books, from the cats to the queer anxious hilarious daughter to the ninety two year old widowed father. I laughed so hard at so many points, and was compelled to share anecdotes and sentences with my husband - and usually retelling a story is just not feasible, but these are so good that even he would laugh. I cried, I felt it all so deeply, and it felt so deeply excavatingly human and loving and hard and brutiful. I loved Sandwich so much and this was somehow even better.
Thanks to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Thanks to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the ARC.
December 28, 2025
3.5 stars
I did not Sandwich, especially Rocky, but I’m glad I gave the sequel a try.
I still find Rocky to be annoying. But this time I found her more relatable. I especially could relate to the anxiety and uncertainty that goes along with a health scare and diagnosis. The author nailed it perfectly.
The story is poignant and funny, which is both its strength and its weakness. The humor made me laugh even while being mildly annoyed at the way this family speak to one another with non-stop witty banter and constant jokes. What saves the story from being too slapstick is the love they have for each other. I especially loved the focus on her 92 year old father.
At 224 pages, this was an easy one day listen, narrated wonderfully by Helen Laser
I did not Sandwich, especially Rocky, but I’m glad I gave the sequel a try.
I still find Rocky to be annoying. But this time I found her more relatable. I especially could relate to the anxiety and uncertainty that goes along with a health scare and diagnosis. The author nailed it perfectly.
The story is poignant and funny, which is both its strength and its weakness. The humor made me laugh even while being mildly annoyed at the way this family speak to one another with non-stop witty banter and constant jokes. What saves the story from being too slapstick is the love they have for each other. I especially loved the focus on her 92 year old father.
At 224 pages, this was an easy one day listen, narrated wonderfully by Helen Laser
January 10, 2026
I would love to see these two books (Sandwich and Wreck) 100 pages longer! More development in the stories and characters. I love how unfiltered Rocky is and the way she interacts with her children. I’m so curious where Rocky is now! ❤️
November 15, 2025
The same family that I found charming and sweet in Sandwich annoyed me to no end in Wreck. I found being in their world to be incredibly exhausting (do they ever stop joking?) and entitled (Willa) and self-centered. I did not enjoy this sequel, though I can relate to the health anxiety. I will always read Catherine Newman but I hope this is the end of Rocky and her crew.
October 29, 2025
4-4.5⭐️ Review to come.
A huge thank you to Harper Books for the advanced copy. Having just devoured Sandwich, finally, I cannot wait to dive into this one.
A huge thank you to Harper Books for the advanced copy. Having just devoured Sandwich, finally, I cannot wait to dive into this one.
November 4, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up - "Wreck" is the follow-up to last years "Sandwich", about a mid-life woman caught between her elderly parents and her young adult kids, and IMO it's less successful. Here we see Rocky & her family struggling through early Fall into a New Year and trying to cope with a lot - illness and death, primarily. It's a very character driven series, so if you don't like the MC there's no point to this book - also very slow at times. I appreciate a lot of Rocky's foibles and fails (LOL'd at her failed 'gram stalking with the like button!). Fair warning - this one also ends pretty unresolved, so likely there'll be another which hopefully ties up the loose ends & leaves this family in better places.
January 8, 2026
| ARC REVIEW |
Publication Dates
💻 Ebook: 28th October 2025
📖 Hardback: 29th January 2026
Synopsis:
Rocky's comfortable family life becomes disrupted when two sudden events coincide — a fatal accident involving one of her son's old school classmates, and the simultaneous appearance of a mystery rash that is spreading across her entire body. Wreck follows Rocky as she becomes obsessed with the "what ifs" surrounding the man's death and her unidentified illness, her struggle to maintain a firm grasp on her anxiety surrounding the situations, and her inner battle with having to accept uncertainty.
My Opinions:
Rocky is a character that I couldn't help but love. Her anxiety and hypochondria, her fierce love for her family, and her comical one-liners all made for a very likeable and easy to relate to character. As someone with an anxiety disorder, I felt that Catherine Newman accurately portrayed anxious thought processes — specifically Rocky's catastrophising and rumination about the worst case scenarios.
However, unfortunately, whilst I really liked Rocky and her dad (whose appearances I found rather sweet and somewhat nostalgic), I didn't particularly feel much for any of the other main characters. Willa in particular, I found irritating and entitled. In my opinion, the way she was written was rather cringeworthy and her dialogue often resembled that of how a parent talks when trying to sound "hip" in order to relate to their teenage child.
With this in mind, I feel like I should put a disclaimer: This Book is part of a series, the first book in the series being Sandwich which I have not read. Although Wreck can be read as a standalone, I can't help but wonder whether I might have felt differently about these characters if I had read the first book.
Overall:
Although well-written, thought-provoking, and often comical, I did feel like nothing much happened in this book and that it was lacking some depth to the storyline. Nevertheless, this was a quick and easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Newman and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday for gifting this eBook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
❀ Tia ❀
Publication Dates
💻 Ebook: 28th October 2025
📖 Hardback: 29th January 2026
Synopsis:
Rocky's comfortable family life becomes disrupted when two sudden events coincide — a fatal accident involving one of her son's old school classmates, and the simultaneous appearance of a mystery rash that is spreading across her entire body. Wreck follows Rocky as she becomes obsessed with the "what ifs" surrounding the man's death and her unidentified illness, her struggle to maintain a firm grasp on her anxiety surrounding the situations, and her inner battle with having to accept uncertainty.
My Opinions:
Rocky is a character that I couldn't help but love. Her anxiety and hypochondria, her fierce love for her family, and her comical one-liners all made for a very likeable and easy to relate to character. As someone with an anxiety disorder, I felt that Catherine Newman accurately portrayed anxious thought processes — specifically Rocky's catastrophising and rumination about the worst case scenarios.
However, unfortunately, whilst I really liked Rocky and her dad (whose appearances I found rather sweet and somewhat nostalgic), I didn't particularly feel much for any of the other main characters. Willa in particular, I found irritating and entitled. In my opinion, the way she was written was rather cringeworthy and her dialogue often resembled that of how a parent talks when trying to sound "hip" in order to relate to their teenage child.
With this in mind, I feel like I should put a disclaimer: This Book is part of a series, the first book in the series being Sandwich which I have not read. Although Wreck can be read as a standalone, I can't help but wonder whether I might have felt differently about these characters if I had read the first book.
Overall:
Although well-written, thought-provoking, and often comical, I did feel like nothing much happened in this book and that it was lacking some depth to the storyline. Nevertheless, this was a quick and easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Newman and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday for gifting this eBook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
❀ Tia ❀
January 2, 2026
This is my first Catherine Newman book and it won’t be my last. It took me a few chapters to settle into our main character’s voice, but once I clicked into her thought process, I enjoyed this a lot.
This is very much slice‑of‑life — like I dropped into this family’s world for a few weeks and then quietly stepped back out again. It doesn’t feel like it has a traditional beginning or end; we’re simply witnessing a small, chaotic stretch of their lives.
Our protagonist Rocky (Rachel) has two adult children, Jamie and Willa, and a husband, Nick. She’s recently lost her mother, her elderly father has moved in, she has a rash spreading across her body, and Jamie’s old school friend has died in an accident. Rocky’s inner world is messy, anxious, and very human.
I really liked how this author handled anxiety, insomnia, and family dynamics. The dialogue feels fresh — witty, punchy, and visual — it gives sitcom vibes.
The portrayal of grief is excellent too, especially the way we can become fixated on death and the anxiety that spirals around it.
There’s also a moral dilemma at the centre of the story that’s handled with nuance, and it’s given me a lot to think about in terms of corporate and personal responsibility.
For a 200‑page novel, it packs in so much without ever feeling rushed or vague. The pacing is perfect.
I loved this, and now I absolutely have to read Sandwich.
Five stars
This is very much slice‑of‑life — like I dropped into this family’s world for a few weeks and then quietly stepped back out again. It doesn’t feel like it has a traditional beginning or end; we’re simply witnessing a small, chaotic stretch of their lives.
Our protagonist Rocky (Rachel) has two adult children, Jamie and Willa, and a husband, Nick. She’s recently lost her mother, her elderly father has moved in, she has a rash spreading across her body, and Jamie’s old school friend has died in an accident. Rocky’s inner world is messy, anxious, and very human.
I really liked how this author handled anxiety, insomnia, and family dynamics. The dialogue feels fresh — witty, punchy, and visual — it gives sitcom vibes.
The portrayal of grief is excellent too, especially the way we can become fixated on death and the anxiety that spirals around it.
There’s also a moral dilemma at the centre of the story that’s handled with nuance, and it’s given me a lot to think about in terms of corporate and personal responsibility.
For a 200‑page novel, it packs in so much without ever feeling rushed or vague. The pacing is perfect.
I loved this, and now I absolutely have to read Sandwich.
Five stars
November 11, 2025
I adored Sandwich by the same author and was so excited to see a second book in the series. Some books I love and can confidently recommend to almost anyone, knowing they’ll have broad appeal. Others earn their five-star rating for more personal reasons — they just hit me in a way I know won’t be universal. Catherine Newman’s books fall firmly into that best-loved category: the ones that speak to me so directly it feels like a special, almost private connection between reader and writer.
Rocky’s quirkiness and big emotions make me laugh and cry, sometimes in the same sentence. And even though Wreck didn’t quite reach the heights of Sandwich for me, I’ll definitely be catching up on her earlier books — and keeping all my thumbs crossed that we’ll see more in this series.
The Story: Rocky and her family seem to have life under control — then a local accident and a mysterious skin condition unsettle everything. As she navigates health worries, a shifting household and memories of loss, Rocky learns that the messiest parts of life often show us what really matters.
Rocky’s quirkiness and big emotions make me laugh and cry, sometimes in the same sentence. And even though Wreck didn’t quite reach the heights of Sandwich for me, I’ll definitely be catching up on her earlier books — and keeping all my thumbs crossed that we’ll see more in this series.
The Story: Rocky and her family seem to have life under control — then a local accident and a mysterious skin condition unsettle everything. As she navigates health worries, a shifting household and memories of loss, Rocky learns that the messiest parts of life often show us what really matters.
November 11, 2025
We are back in Rocky’s world.
Her adult daughter Willa is back living at home and her elderly dad has moved in since her mother died.
Rocky is dealing with some unknown health issues, no clear answer.
Also a local young man is dead following a train/car collision… Rocky is obsessed with finding answers to this… accident or suicide?
The family prepares for Thanksgiving.
I enjoyed the latest, and actually hope there may be another book to continue their story.
Her adult daughter Willa is back living at home and her elderly dad has moved in since her mother died.
Rocky is dealing with some unknown health issues, no clear answer.
Also a local young man is dead following a train/car collision… Rocky is obsessed with finding answers to this… accident or suicide?
The family prepares for Thanksgiving.
I enjoyed the latest, and actually hope there may be another book to continue their story.
October 24, 2025
I was drawn to ‘Wreck’ by the promise of a humorous and poignant story; however, upon reading it I found it isn’t humorous, it isn’t poignant, and it isn’t a story. Instead, it’s a caricature of a middle-class family middle-classing that is so over-the-top and inauthentic that it feels like a parody of a really bad sitcom.
As I read it, the only laughter came from the characters themselves, as they repeatedly ROFLed at something unfunny one another had said, and the canned laughter I imagined playing while the sitcom actors hammed it up on set.
When it comes to poignancy, using an actual tragedy as a background for these characters going about their problem-free lives is not poignant; nor is having the characters spout platitudes at any given opportunity (“Sometimes things just feel bad anyways.” “It’s hard to be a person.” “We’re all just cadavers in the making.”); nor is the random, unearned and overly trite moral about how you ought to be grateful for and make the most of life while you have it because you don’t know when it will end, which is thrown in at the closing moment in lieu of an actual ending or a resolution to anything that has happened up to that point.
In terms of story craft, this too is lacking. Random cuts to scenes from the past that bear no relevance to the present frequently interupt the flow. Anything that even resembles conflict is resolved in the very next instant. The pacing is incredibly uneven, with long and unnecessary scenes at the beginning devolving into a series of disjointed, time-jumping snippets of scenes by the end. I could go on.
Overall, ‘Wreck’ is a bit of a wreck. No plot. No characters or goals to root for. No purpose. Aside from the distastefulness of the rape jokes, I found it unmemorable, and reading it was not a good use of my time. Fortunately, at only 240 pages, it’s very short, so I didn’t have to suffer it too long.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Newman and Transworld for the ARC.
⚠️ Cancer, car accident, suicide, death of a child, blood, rape jokes, drug use, medical procedures, health anxiety
As I read it, the only laughter came from the characters themselves, as they repeatedly ROFLed at something unfunny one another had said, and the canned laughter I imagined playing while the sitcom actors hammed it up on set.
When it comes to poignancy, using an actual tragedy as a background for these characters going about their problem-free lives is not poignant; nor is having the characters spout platitudes at any given opportunity (“Sometimes things just feel bad anyways.” “It’s hard to be a person.” “We’re all just cadavers in the making.”); nor is the random, unearned and overly trite moral about how you ought to be grateful for and make the most of life while you have it because you don’t know when it will end, which is thrown in at the closing moment in lieu of an actual ending or a resolution to anything that has happened up to that point.
In terms of story craft, this too is lacking. Random cuts to scenes from the past that bear no relevance to the present frequently interupt the flow. Anything that even resembles conflict is resolved in the very next instant. The pacing is incredibly uneven, with long and unnecessary scenes at the beginning devolving into a series of disjointed, time-jumping snippets of scenes by the end. I could go on.
Overall, ‘Wreck’ is a bit of a wreck. No plot. No characters or goals to root for. No purpose. Aside from the distastefulness of the rape jokes, I found it unmemorable, and reading it was not a good use of my time. Fortunately, at only 240 pages, it’s very short, so I didn’t have to suffer it too long.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Newman and Transworld for the ARC.
⚠️ Cancer, car accident, suicide, death of a child, blood, rape jokes, drug use, medical procedures, health anxiety
November 19, 2025
Meet Rocky (Rachel) and Nick along with their children, Willa and Jamie. Let’s not forget Rocky‘s dad who is living in the annex. Not permanently – but maybe. When one of Jamie‘s classmates is killed in a train/car collision, Rocky processes the shock in her own unique way in two columns, no, three columns as there’s a secret third.
1. This could happen to us
2. This couldn’t happen to us.
3. Secret column. This could happen to us unless I’m very careful/superstitious/grateful.
In addition to that concern, there’s insomnia and a rash that won’t go away – obsessive rabbit hole googling doesn’t help the situation. However, that won’t stop her. Let’s see what the next few months have in store for the family, the good and the not are good.
This novella is well written, I like the author’s style if not the direction that some of this takes. However, you do get a good snapshot of their rollercoaster lives over a few months and I do enjoy the relationships and the banter between them. I especially like Nick, Jamie and Rocky’s dad and the relationship between Rocky and her children is heartwarming although I find both Rocky and Willa irritating at times. It’s witty on occasion, but I do not find it laugh out loud funny but that may be due to American humour being substantially different to British.
However, I confess to losing the will to live over Rocky’s health issues as you get chapter and verse and at times, way too much information. A lot of self diagnosing goes over the top of my head, it’s like reading a medical Encyclopedia which is not something I’m remotely interested in doing.
Overall, whilst it’s definitely well written, there’s not an awful lot of plot here and what there is isn’t for me. If I’m honest, I’m not exactly sure what the authors intention is in writing this???
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Transworld for the much appreciated early copy and return for an honest review.
1. This could happen to us
2. This couldn’t happen to us.
3. Secret column. This could happen to us unless I’m very careful/superstitious/grateful.
In addition to that concern, there’s insomnia and a rash that won’t go away – obsessive rabbit hole googling doesn’t help the situation. However, that won’t stop her. Let’s see what the next few months have in store for the family, the good and the not are good.
This novella is well written, I like the author’s style if not the direction that some of this takes. However, you do get a good snapshot of their rollercoaster lives over a few months and I do enjoy the relationships and the banter between them. I especially like Nick, Jamie and Rocky’s dad and the relationship between Rocky and her children is heartwarming although I find both Rocky and Willa irritating at times. It’s witty on occasion, but I do not find it laugh out loud funny but that may be due to American humour being substantially different to British.
However, I confess to losing the will to live over Rocky’s health issues as you get chapter and verse and at times, way too much information. A lot of self diagnosing goes over the top of my head, it’s like reading a medical Encyclopedia which is not something I’m remotely interested in doing.
Overall, whilst it’s definitely well written, there’s not an awful lot of plot here and what there is isn’t for me. If I’m honest, I’m not exactly sure what the authors intention is in writing this???
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Transworld for the much appreciated early copy and return for an honest review.
September 10, 2025
In Wreck, we return to the world of Rocky, the anxious, witty protagonist first introduced in Sandwich. Now back home, Rocky is surrounded by her family: her husband Nick, daughter Willa (applying to Ph.D. programs), son Jamie (off in New York), and her widowed father Mort, who’s moved into the in-law apartment.
The book's emotional engine is powered by two seemingly unrelated events: a local train accident involving a young man Rocky’s son once knew, and a mysterious rash that sends Rocky spiraling into obsessive Googling. These twin crises—one external, one internal—become mirrors for Rocky’s deeper fears: the randomness of death, the limits of control, and the unbearable tenderness of loving people who are, inevitably, mortal.
Rocky’s voice is a triumph: neurotic, loving, and painfully self-aware. Her compulsive Facebook stalking of the accident victim’s mother and her late-night symptom searches are rendered with such honesty that they feel less like plot points and more like confessions we’ve all made in silence.
What makes Wreck so heartwarming isn’t just the humor or the relatable anxiety—it’s the way Newman allows her characters to be flawed and still deeply lovable. Rocky’s family doesn’t always say the right thing. They bicker, they worry, they fall short. But they show up. Again and again. And in that showing up, Newman reminds us what love really looks like.
I laughed, I cried and cheered with & for Rocky and her family. This booked moved me in so many ways.
Pub date- October 28, 2025
The book's emotional engine is powered by two seemingly unrelated events: a local train accident involving a young man Rocky’s son once knew, and a mysterious rash that sends Rocky spiraling into obsessive Googling. These twin crises—one external, one internal—become mirrors for Rocky’s deeper fears: the randomness of death, the limits of control, and the unbearable tenderness of loving people who are, inevitably, mortal.
Rocky’s voice is a triumph: neurotic, loving, and painfully self-aware. Her compulsive Facebook stalking of the accident victim’s mother and her late-night symptom searches are rendered with such honesty that they feel less like plot points and more like confessions we’ve all made in silence.
What makes Wreck so heartwarming isn’t just the humor or the relatable anxiety—it’s the way Newman allows her characters to be flawed and still deeply lovable. Rocky’s family doesn’t always say the right thing. They bicker, they worry, they fall short. But they show up. Again and again. And in that showing up, Newman reminds us what love really looks like.
I laughed, I cried and cheered with & for Rocky and her family. This booked moved me in so many ways.
Pub date- October 28, 2025
November 9, 2025
"The acclaimed bestselling author of Sandwich is back with a wonderful novel, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned."
The sequel to Sandwich with the same family but more serious literary fiction. Rocky is facing health issues, having a grown daughter and againg father living with them, and questioning her son's accountability when the corporation he works for cuts corners on safety. It's a worthwhile read but not my favorite by the author.
The sequel to Sandwich with the same family but more serious literary fiction. Rocky is facing health issues, having a grown daughter and againg father living with them, and questioning her son's accountability when the corporation he works for cuts corners on safety. It's a worthwhile read but not my favorite by the author.
November 25, 2025
4.5/5 I looooved this one - and the plot actually made it incredibly fast paced (much more-so than the first). As always, the main character was incredibly relatable, funny, witty, I honestly love her.
Also the setting was so fun - set during the fall (starts in September through December with a focus on Oct/Nov). I do think hypochondriacs might feel sliiiightly sensitive towards a major plot-point BUT I do think it was well done and again, relatable!
Anyways can we get a third?!?
Also the setting was so fun - set during the fall (starts in September through December with a focus on Oct/Nov). I do think hypochondriacs might feel sliiiightly sensitive towards a major plot-point BUT I do think it was well done and again, relatable!
Anyways can we get a third?!?
January 5, 2026
When reading a book feels like meeting up with old friends.
"Wreck" feels like slipping back into familiar company - Rocky, Nick, their grown children Jamie and Willa, and Rocky's father Mort, all back again two years after Catherine Newman's first book featuring the same protagonists, "Sandwich". If "Sandwich" was about midlife turbulence and messy beachside introspection - which I enjoyed - "Wreck" brings the same humor and heart home to Western Massachusetts, where the family's daily rhythms take center stage.
Rocky is still her anxious, funny, wonderfully overthinking self - menopausal chaos slightly tempered, but not entirely tamed - and Newman's eye for the absurdities of ordinary life remains razor-sharp. There's less plot here than reflection: a near-obsession with a local accident, worries about health and aging, and the bittersweet awareness of how family life evolves as children grow and parents decline. Yet for all its quietness, the novel brims with life, and this is a family with a lot of love between them, despite their flaws.
The mix of melancholy and humor that made "Sandwich" memorable is alive and well here: true to form, there are some snarky, laugh-out-loud moments that balance out the introspective narrative beautifully. Newman captures the tiny devastations and tender mercies of family life with grace and wit while her writing remains both sharp and deeply compassionate.
If anything, the ending feels a bit abrupt and leaves some things unresolved, which makes me think - and hope - that we haven't seen the last of Rocky and her family just yet.
I listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Helen Laser, whose warm, nuanced delivery perfectly matches Newman's blend of humor and heart.
A touching, funny, and quietly profound continuation. "Wreck" proves that even in the most ordinary moments, Catherine Newman finds something extraordinary.
"Wreck" feels like slipping back into familiar company - Rocky, Nick, their grown children Jamie and Willa, and Rocky's father Mort, all back again two years after Catherine Newman's first book featuring the same protagonists, "Sandwich". If "Sandwich" was about midlife turbulence and messy beachside introspection - which I enjoyed - "Wreck" brings the same humor and heart home to Western Massachusetts, where the family's daily rhythms take center stage.
Rocky is still her anxious, funny, wonderfully overthinking self - menopausal chaos slightly tempered, but not entirely tamed - and Newman's eye for the absurdities of ordinary life remains razor-sharp. There's less plot here than reflection: a near-obsession with a local accident, worries about health and aging, and the bittersweet awareness of how family life evolves as children grow and parents decline. Yet for all its quietness, the novel brims with life, and this is a family with a lot of love between them, despite their flaws.
The mix of melancholy and humor that made "Sandwich" memorable is alive and well here: true to form, there are some snarky, laugh-out-loud moments that balance out the introspective narrative beautifully. Newman captures the tiny devastations and tender mercies of family life with grace and wit while her writing remains both sharp and deeply compassionate.
If anything, the ending feels a bit abrupt and leaves some things unresolved, which makes me think - and hope - that we haven't seen the last of Rocky and her family just yet.
I listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Helen Laser, whose warm, nuanced delivery perfectly matches Newman's blend of humor and heart.
A touching, funny, and quietly profound continuation. "Wreck" proves that even in the most ordinary moments, Catherine Newman finds something extraordinary.
December 12, 2025
I first met Rocky in Newman's previous novel, Sandwich. Two years later here she is again. She's fifty-five, she's suffering from some weird ailments that include all sort of unsightly rashes.
Her son is married and lives in New York, working for a consultancy firm.
Her quirky daughter still lives at home.
Her ninety-two-year-old father lives in their guest house.
Work, health issues, a death - affect Rocky in all sort of ways, which unsettle and make her even more anxious than usual.
Rocky is as real as they come, her issues, worries and life struggles are easy to empathise and sympathise with.
Wreck was another hyper-realistic novel from the talented Catherine Newman. I look forward to reading her next novel.
Her son is married and lives in New York, working for a consultancy firm.
Her quirky daughter still lives at home.
Her ninety-two-year-old father lives in their guest house.
Work, health issues, a death - affect Rocky in all sort of ways, which unsettle and make her even more anxious than usual.
Rocky is as real as they come, her issues, worries and life struggles are easy to empathise and sympathise with.
Wreck was another hyper-realistic novel from the talented Catherine Newman. I look forward to reading her next novel.
November 9, 2025
⋆˚࿔ ★★★★☆ [four stars]
okay if i'm being totally honest i have no idea what this was even about my i enjoyed!! i loved the hypocondria aspect of this and adored willa. maybe i should have read the first book in the series before this.. :')
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
ᯓ pre-read :
i know literally nothing about this but hopefully this will be delightful <3 also the cover is screaming fall-vibes to me !!
okay if i'm being totally honest i have no idea what this was even about my i enjoyed!! i loved the hypocondria aspect of this and adored willa. maybe i should have read the first book in the series before this.. :')
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
ᯓ pre-read :
i know literally nothing about this but hopefully this will be delightful <3 also the cover is screaming fall-vibes to me !!
November 7, 2025
I’m a super fan of Catherine Newman and that continues with 𝗪𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗞, her sequel to last year’s 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘩. Like in the later, readers live inside Rocky’s head for the entirety and that can be a very interesting place. She knows herself well, foibles and all, but she often just can’t turn herself off.
Like in 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘩, much of the focus is on how deeply Rocky loves and appreciates…her kids, her husband, her father, her cats, her life. She’s not perfect, sometimes reacting in ways she regrets. I think Newman voices that all so well and in ways so many of us can relate to. But, this story is also very different, a little more serious. It balances the family’s day-to-day life on both a community tragedy and a bizarre health scare. I found myself missing the funnier side of Rocky’s anxieties and inner dialogues that were so present in 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘩. They weren’t missing, just fewer and slightly more worrisome. I’ve seen many reviews from readers who liked this second Rocky story even more than the first. I’m just not one of those. It’s very close, but for me 𝘞𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬 came in second, though I continue to count Catherine Newman as one of my favorite autobuy authors. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
★Thanks to @harperbooks for an electronic copy of #Wreck.
Like in 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘩, much of the focus is on how deeply Rocky loves and appreciates…her kids, her husband, her father, her cats, her life. She’s not perfect, sometimes reacting in ways she regrets. I think Newman voices that all so well and in ways so many of us can relate to. But, this story is also very different, a little more serious. It balances the family’s day-to-day life on both a community tragedy and a bizarre health scare. I found myself missing the funnier side of Rocky’s anxieties and inner dialogues that were so present in 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘩. They weren’t missing, just fewer and slightly more worrisome. I’ve seen many reviews from readers who liked this second Rocky story even more than the first. I’m just not one of those. It’s very close, but for me 𝘞𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬 came in second, though I continue to count Catherine Newman as one of my favorite autobuy authors. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
★Thanks to @harperbooks for an electronic copy of #Wreck.
January 1, 2026
Ending 2025 with a smile. I love Catherine Newman. I know she doesn’t appeal to all but she consistently makes me laugh. I don’t necessarily relate to her protagonist Rocky (this is a sequel to Sandwich - same family) but her angsty brain and free association style of writing resonates with my own squirrelly brain. The convos she has with her adult kids are over the top TMI but as a work of fiction, it still works for me, in some kind of alternative universe sort of way. Loved all the cooking in this one, too. She made the household feel cozy and warm and full of love. You can read other reviews for the plot; I’m just here for the feels.
November 3, 2025
I think I liked this one more than Sandwich and it’s RARE I feel that way about the second novel. Rocky and her family are back with all new anxieties and detailed daily hilarity. I adored the middle-aged worries and wisdom of this book (and Sandwich). The author writes with such wholesome, honest wit. I’m hoping for a third book!
September 26, 2025
Catherine Newman’s SANDWICH was one of my top reads last year, so you can only imagine my excitement when I found out that her forthcoming novel, WRECK was a sequel! I squealed at the top of my lungs! More time with Rocky and her family? Yes, please! It’s now two years later, and Rocky is dealing with a health crisis that brings on a lot of anxiety. In true Catherine Newman form, the reader is immersed in Rocky’s inner dialogue, her worries, her uncertainties, and her fixations. In my opinion, Rocky’s health crisis overpowered the story a little bit and didn’t leave much room for the rest of her family. It’s such a short novel—around 225 pages—which didn’t include a ton of significant updates on Nick, Willa, Jamie, and Mort. We were in Rocky’s head a little too much. With that said, I still enjoyed the novel but it just didn’t hit like SANDWICH did. I’ll forever be a huge Catherine Newman fan and read absolutely anything she writes. WRECK releases on October 28th! 3.5/5 stars!
August 30, 2025
I love this family so much
November 15, 2025
This was the sequel nobody needed
October 28, 2025
I was 42% in and was still unable to determine what the central plot was about. I guess I didn't realize right away that this is largely prose. For a minute, I thought:
A. I was listening to a memoir.
B. Someone was reading their own journal.
C. Someone was talking to their girlfriend while having lunch.
D. I was watching a stand-up comedy.
E. All of the above.
The book was funny, though.
A. I was listening to a memoir.
B. Someone was reading their own journal.
C. Someone was talking to their girlfriend while having lunch.
D. I was watching a stand-up comedy.
E. All of the above.
The book was funny, though.
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