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The Come Apart: A Novel
An authentic rock band story from Chicago to Nashville and, just maybe, back again
On the cusp of turning thirty, Chicago indie musician Maggie Corbin has hustled for a decade, set on making her rock and roll dreams come true. Her band, Spinning Birds, fronted by Maggie and her romantic partner Matt Turkish, releases a debut record to critical acclaim, hits the road, and begins working on a follow-up. From the outside, her path looks like success―but as streaming deconstructs the industry and Maggie’s relationships shift and slip, the question remains: Can you live for art alone?
When a sudden move back to the South forces Maggie to reframe her dreams and reckon with familial rifts and her past―while still fighting to reimagine what her future could be―a natural disaster in Nashville and a surprise encounter with a character from her childhood shift her perspective on healing, community, and the ties that bind. Drifting in and out of songwriting sessions, cozy kitchens, and moments of bearing witness to the curious power of the natural world, The Come Apart celebrates the times when we must come fully undone in order to put ourselves back together.
On the cusp of turning thirty, Chicago indie musician Maggie Corbin has hustled for a decade, set on making her rock and roll dreams come true. Her band, Spinning Birds, fronted by Maggie and her romantic partner Matt Turkish, releases a debut record to critical acclaim, hits the road, and begins working on a follow-up. From the outside, her path looks like success―but as streaming deconstructs the industry and Maggie’s relationships shift and slip, the question remains: Can you live for art alone?
When a sudden move back to the South forces Maggie to reframe her dreams and reckon with familial rifts and her past―while still fighting to reimagine what her future could be―a natural disaster in Nashville and a surprise encounter with a character from her childhood shift her perspective on healing, community, and the ties that bind. Drifting in and out of songwriting sessions, cozy kitchens, and moments of bearing witness to the curious power of the natural world, The Come Apart celebrates the times when we must come fully undone in order to put ourselves back together.
256 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Northwestern University Press for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I really enjoyed this novel, it was beautifully written and explored complicated characters and their relationships with ease. I appreciated the non-linear storyline, I felt it kept it interesting while also being easy to follow. I also very much enjoyed how lyrics were used throughout the story, and how every day scenes would spark the main character to spit out new lyrics here and there, it really felt like you're being included in the creative process.
Did the story slow down a bit in the middle and were there some loose ends I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a little more? Maybe, but c'est la vie. Still a great story with characters you grow to love and love to watch grow.
Overall I really enjoyed this novel, it was beautifully written and explored complicated characters and their relationships with ease. I appreciated the non-linear storyline, I felt it kept it interesting while also being easy to follow. I also very much enjoyed how lyrics were used throughout the story, and how every day scenes would spark the main character to spit out new lyrics here and there, it really felt like you're being included in the creative process.
Did the story slow down a bit in the middle and were there some loose ends I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a little more? Maybe, but c'est la vie. Still a great story with characters you grow to love and love to watch grow.
October 28, 2025
Beautiful and relatable, especially for anyone who has ever tried to make a life out of art. Extremely readable: the characters, relationships, and LOLs draw you in, but you stay for the deep heart-truths of it all.
June 18, 2026
1.5; I enjoyed the interviews sprinkled throughout this novel, but beyond those, the writing style and non-linear timeline were not for me. I found it difficult to follow the plot. Thank you Northwestern University Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
June 27, 2026
An Ode to the Indie Scene in Chicago's 80s and 90's
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews