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Record Lows
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Expected 5 Jan 27Win a free print copy of this book!
30 days and 06:16:53
10 copies available
U.S. only
An “intimate and epic” (Claire Lombardo, Same As It Ever Was) family drama wrapped in a missing-persons case, set during the historic Buffalo blizzard of ’77
It’s 1977 and in the town of Oneira, New York, a blizzard is gathering force…
Harmon Pond, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, is struggling to keep afloat amid mounting debt and vanishing ad revenue. So when the creditor who’s been secretly funding him vanishes without a trace, Harmon thinks it’s his lucky break. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Teresa—the paper’s ambitious intern—sees a story that could make her name.
But for Harmon’s devout Italian American wife, Pauline, the disappearance stirs up memories of a childhood she has tried hard to put behind her, and secrets she would prefer to keep buried.
With the parents tangled in their own concerns and Teresa relentlessly searching for answers, no one notices that middle-child Fran has developed a habit of sneaking out at night, and Lonnie, the youngest, is taking dangerous risks of his own.
As the manhunt intensifies, and the snowstorm builds into one of the worst in history, the Pond family must find a way to accept the truth, and each other, before they lose themselves forever.
In a dazzling debut that Rumaan Alam calls "gripping (and funny) and beautifully written,” Record Lows announces CJ Green as a thrilling new American voice.
It’s 1977 and in the town of Oneira, New York, a blizzard is gathering force…
Harmon Pond, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, is struggling to keep afloat amid mounting debt and vanishing ad revenue. So when the creditor who’s been secretly funding him vanishes without a trace, Harmon thinks it’s his lucky break. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Teresa—the paper’s ambitious intern—sees a story that could make her name.
But for Harmon’s devout Italian American wife, Pauline, the disappearance stirs up memories of a childhood she has tried hard to put behind her, and secrets she would prefer to keep buried.
With the parents tangled in their own concerns and Teresa relentlessly searching for answers, no one notices that middle-child Fran has developed a habit of sneaking out at night, and Lonnie, the youngest, is taking dangerous risks of his own.
As the manhunt intensifies, and the snowstorm builds into one of the worst in history, the Pond family must find a way to accept the truth, and each other, before they lose themselves forever.
In a dazzling debut that Rumaan Alam calls "gripping (and funny) and beautifully written,” Record Lows announces CJ Green as a thrilling new American voice.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 5, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 26, 2026
Green knocks it out of the park: the prose, the structure, the pacing, the characterization, the humor, the underlying moral vision, the emotional/psychological insight/depth! Highly recommended!
June 15, 2026
The last 1/3 of this book was a stunner of a novel. The hinges blew off and it went full throttle in a way that I really enjoyed. The Pond family was full realized and I loved how each one of them felt unique in their own right. However, I do feel as though many readers are going to give up on this book as it is PAINFULLY slow until about the halfway mark. I found myself wondering why we were spending so much time with stories about each family member that didn’t seem to propel the story forward. It definitely sags a bit in the first half. For those who want to stick with it, the payoff of the ending is worth it, and the writing and plot settings are impeccable. I enjoyed this one, just wish it hooked me sooner.
Want to Read
June 4, 2026thank you grand central for the arc!! can't wait to get to this one <3
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A nice little story about a couple who got pregnant in their teens, married shortly after, and are still married with three children, living the American middle-class(ish) dream. The end.
Oops. Nope. Wait! There is also a massive blizzard coming. And a missing police officer who may or may not have some shady ties. And maybe, just maybe . . . there are A LOT of secrets this family is keeping from outsiders and from each other.
I want to make it clear that while there is a bit of a mystery here, this isn’t really a thriller. It’s more atmospheric and character driven, which could make the pacing seem slow if you’re expecting a fast-paced thriller.
While this really ramps up towards the end, what I enjoyed the most was getting to know the characters layer-by-layer through flashbacks, memories, and self-revelations. I was hungry for even more character moments. As this focuses on each member of the family and is split into different sections, there is a little information devoted to many rather than a lot information devoted to one or two.
These character discoveries could feel a little disruptive as the pacing sped up, however, so I maybe would have preferred them to be inserted elsewhere/in a different order. They aren’t necessarily jaw-dropping revelations but are instead a way to understand the past, present, and possibly future motivations of each family member (some more than others) and how these events have affected their relationships with others. These revelations contribute to the plot some, but they mostly just add some depth to characters that seemed fairly “surface” at the beginning of the book. This worked for me as I love a character-driven story.
The blizzard is like a character hovering in the background, and I LOVED IT. This was the perfect thing to be swirling around as everything unfolded. Like the characters, a blizzard is capable of covering and hiding things beneath and then uncovering and revealing. It was effective to use it not only as a background/setting but also necessary to the plot. I was not familiar with the Buffalo Blizzard of ’77 prior to reading this, so I found it interesting that the blizzard in the book was based on an actual natural disaster event and looked up more information on it after reading. I would have liked there to have been even more about the blizzard in terms of vivid descriptions to really have a grasp of the severity of the storm. I’m from Wisconsin, so I need a little push to believe a little snow is that bad.
I really enjoyed Green’s writing. It’s accessible, quite lovely and even a bit funny at times. I really loved the dialogue and the character interactions that felt both messy and genuine. The writing often feels like it is of the past, which works well with it being set in the 1970s. I hadn’t read closely regarding the blizzard when I started the book, however, so I was a little thrown off by some of the dialogue at first because it sounded a bit “old-fashioned.” Once I looked to find the time-period, this made sense (and the authenticity was much appreciated!). I do wish that there had been additional references to the late 70s – clothes, hairstyle, pop-culture (ok . . . ABBA’s SOS was in there) to really stick me in there, but I’m just nit-picking now.
This was a great debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more CJ Green down the road.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal for providing me with a digital ARC of this book so I could pretend to be freezing in a blizzard instead of sweating it out in this hellish humidity we’ve been having.
4 Stars
Oops. Nope. Wait! There is also a massive blizzard coming. And a missing police officer who may or may not have some shady ties. And maybe, just maybe . . . there are A LOT of secrets this family is keeping from outsiders and from each other.
I want to make it clear that while there is a bit of a mystery here, this isn’t really a thriller. It’s more atmospheric and character driven, which could make the pacing seem slow if you’re expecting a fast-paced thriller.
While this really ramps up towards the end, what I enjoyed the most was getting to know the characters layer-by-layer through flashbacks, memories, and self-revelations. I was hungry for even more character moments. As this focuses on each member of the family and is split into different sections, there is a little information devoted to many rather than a lot information devoted to one or two.
These character discoveries could feel a little disruptive as the pacing sped up, however, so I maybe would have preferred them to be inserted elsewhere/in a different order. They aren’t necessarily jaw-dropping revelations but are instead a way to understand the past, present, and possibly future motivations of each family member (some more than others) and how these events have affected their relationships with others. These revelations contribute to the plot some, but they mostly just add some depth to characters that seemed fairly “surface” at the beginning of the book. This worked for me as I love a character-driven story.
The blizzard is like a character hovering in the background, and I LOVED IT. This was the perfect thing to be swirling around as everything unfolded. Like the characters, a blizzard is capable of covering and hiding things beneath and then uncovering and revealing. It was effective to use it not only as a background/setting but also necessary to the plot. I was not familiar with the Buffalo Blizzard of ’77 prior to reading this, so I found it interesting that the blizzard in the book was based on an actual natural disaster event and looked up more information on it after reading. I would have liked there to have been even more about the blizzard in terms of vivid descriptions to really have a grasp of the severity of the storm. I’m from Wisconsin, so I need a little push to believe a little snow is that bad.
I really enjoyed Green’s writing. It’s accessible, quite lovely and even a bit funny at times. I really loved the dialogue and the character interactions that felt both messy and genuine. The writing often feels like it is of the past, which works well with it being set in the 1970s. I hadn’t read closely regarding the blizzard when I started the book, however, so I was a little thrown off by some of the dialogue at first because it sounded a bit “old-fashioned.” Once I looked to find the time-period, this made sense (and the authenticity was much appreciated!). I do wish that there had been additional references to the late 70s – clothes, hairstyle, pop-culture (ok . . . ABBA’s SOS was in there) to really stick me in there, but I’m just nit-picking now.
This was a great debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more CJ Green down the road.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal for providing me with a digital ARC of this book so I could pretend to be freezing in a blizzard instead of sweating it out in this hellish humidity we’ve been having.
4 Stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and the author CJ Green for gifting me with this ARC to review!
Liked:
-bad decisions and secret keeping makes for one dysfunctional family.
Harmon is the editor/owner of a failing newspaper and took a loan from a man that has mob ties (with no way to pay it back).
Pauline has secrets from her past that she’s had to carrying with her for her entire life and could rip her life apart if she told her family.
Lonnie is secret organizing bets for the local football fight club.
Fran is a social pariah now after a teacher reads her “fictional” short story out to the entire class.
Teresa is secretly sleeping with her father’s childhood neighbor/friend who also happens to be a cop.
-horrible snow storm that wrecks havoc on the town. The blizzard really set the story up for a nice conclusion in my opinion. Everything reached a boiling point (freezing point?) when the storm finally hit and provided a convenient way for some characters to achieve the things they wanted.
Disliked:
-pacing was a bit slow to start. It took me a bit to actually start getting into the book. But once it started picking up I was invested and eager to see how everything was going to work out for the Pond family.
Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and the author CJ Green for gifting me with this ARC to review!
Liked:
-bad decisions and secret keeping makes for one dysfunctional family.
Harmon is the editor/owner of a failing newspaper and took a loan from a man that has mob ties (with no way to pay it back).
Pauline has secrets from her past that she’s had to carrying with her for her entire life and could rip her life apart if she told her family.
Lonnie is secret organizing bets for the local football fight club.
Fran is a social pariah now after a teacher reads her “fictional” short story out to the entire class.
Teresa is secretly sleeping with her father’s childhood neighbor/friend who also happens to be a cop.
-horrible snow storm that wrecks havoc on the town. The blizzard really set the story up for a nice conclusion in my opinion. Everything reached a boiling point (freezing point?) when the storm finally hit and provided a convenient way for some characters to achieve the things they wanted.
Disliked:
-pacing was a bit slow to start. It took me a bit to actually start getting into the book. But once it started picking up I was invested and eager to see how everything was going to work out for the Pond family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gripping, atmospheric and darkly funny, ‘Record Lows’ by CJ Green is a slow-burn literary thriller about the perfect storm of one family’s secrets, set against the backdrop of the 1977 Buffalo blizzard. In terms of atmosphere and its portrayal of a dysfunctional family, it is reminiscent of Daniel Mason’s ‘Country People’ and Madeline Cash’s ‘Lost Lambs’, and it will appeal to readers who appreciate dark humour and deep character work.
One of the novel’s standout features is its setting. Green vividly captures the mood of a small upstate New York town as it braces for the historic blizzard, creating an atmosphere that is rich and immersive. It makes an ideal read for cold, dark, winter days—though perhaps not the best choice during the midsummer heatwave in which I happened to read it!
In line with the approaching storm, the narrative builds gradually, with steadily rising tension that culminates in a sudden, violent release. The pacing leading up to the climax is expertly handled, and the novel's greatest strength lies in its characters. They are deeply flawed, believable and compelling, with their histories and relationships unfolding naturally over the course of the story. Readers who enjoy literary fiction that prioritises character development and atmosphere over relentless action will find plenty to appreciate; however, those expecting a fast-paced, action-driven thriller may find the slower pace frustrating.
The pacing of the denouement is less successful. After such a strong climax, the story loses its momentum, and the final ten per cent feels more drawn out than necessary. Furthermore, the ending itself could have been clearer and more definitive. While I don’t mind a degree of ambiguity in literary fiction, the ending here didn’t quite land for me, feeling less like a deliberately open question and more as though the story stopped short of fully committing to a resolution. There are a couple of minor but jarring plot inconsistencies, too.
Even so, ‘Record Lows’ is an impressive debut that successfully blends literary fiction with psychological suspense. Despite some pacing issues in its final act, it's a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys atmospheric, character-driven novels, and CJ Green is undoubtedly an author to watch.
Many thanks to NetGalley, CJ Green, and Picador for the ARC.
⚠️ Miscarriage, blood, murder, injury detail, violence, references to domestic violence and rape
One of the novel’s standout features is its setting. Green vividly captures the mood of a small upstate New York town as it braces for the historic blizzard, creating an atmosphere that is rich and immersive. It makes an ideal read for cold, dark, winter days—though perhaps not the best choice during the midsummer heatwave in which I happened to read it!
In line with the approaching storm, the narrative builds gradually, with steadily rising tension that culminates in a sudden, violent release. The pacing leading up to the climax is expertly handled, and the novel's greatest strength lies in its characters. They are deeply flawed, believable and compelling, with their histories and relationships unfolding naturally over the course of the story. Readers who enjoy literary fiction that prioritises character development and atmosphere over relentless action will find plenty to appreciate; however, those expecting a fast-paced, action-driven thriller may find the slower pace frustrating.
The pacing of the denouement is less successful. After such a strong climax, the story loses its momentum, and the final ten per cent feels more drawn out than necessary. Furthermore, the ending itself could have been clearer and more definitive. While I don’t mind a degree of ambiguity in literary fiction, the ending here didn’t quite land for me, feeling less like a deliberately open question and more as though the story stopped short of fully committing to a resolution. There are a couple of minor but jarring plot inconsistencies, too.
Even so, ‘Record Lows’ is an impressive debut that successfully blends literary fiction with psychological suspense. Despite some pacing issues in its final act, it's a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys atmospheric, character-driven novels, and CJ Green is undoubtedly an author to watch.
Many thanks to NetGalley, CJ Green, and Picador for the ARC.
⚠️ Miscarriage, blood, murder, injury detail, violence, references to domestic violence and rape
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Harmon and Paulina Pond, who became parents and were married at 16 barely knowing one another, are now 36 and have three children; Teresa, Fran and Lonnie.
Set in 1977, during a severe blizzard in upstate New York, Record Lows is a deeply moving portrayal of how one family slowly unravels as the past catches up with them.
This is a simple family tale of how one incident can spiral out of control and end up with the most unimaginable outcome possible. The novel switches between the present day and the teenage years of Harmon and Paulina, slowly setting the scene of how the characters lives are intertwined. The characters make frustrating choices, say the wrong things and hurt each other deeply; however, their moments of genuine connection feel incredibly earned and heartbreakingly real.
The pacing in the middle of the book sags just a little for me making this not quite a five-star review – I would place it at 3.5 to 4 stars. The slow burn pacing of the plot works very well to establish the mood but few chapters felt like they were stagnant rather than moving the emotional arc forwards.
Overall, Record Lows is a poignant look at resilience, grief and the messy reality of every day family life. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates character driven stories and fans of gritty emotional dramas.
Harmon and Paulina Pond, who became parents and were married at 16 barely knowing one another, are now 36 and have three children; Teresa, Fran and Lonnie.
Set in 1977, during a severe blizzard in upstate New York, Record Lows is a deeply moving portrayal of how one family slowly unravels as the past catches up with them.
This is a simple family tale of how one incident can spiral out of control and end up with the most unimaginable outcome possible. The novel switches between the present day and the teenage years of Harmon and Paulina, slowly setting the scene of how the characters lives are intertwined. The characters make frustrating choices, say the wrong things and hurt each other deeply; however, their moments of genuine connection feel incredibly earned and heartbreakingly real.
The pacing in the middle of the book sags just a little for me making this not quite a five-star review – I would place it at 3.5 to 4 stars. The slow burn pacing of the plot works very well to establish the mood but few chapters felt like they were stagnant rather than moving the emotional arc forwards.
Overall, Record Lows is a poignant look at resilience, grief and the messy reality of every day family life. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates character driven stories and fans of gritty emotional dramas.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I went into this thinking the missing person case would be the main focus, but it ended up being much more about the Pond family and all the secrets they've been keeping from each other.
Every member of this family seems to have something going on, and I actually enjoyed watching all of those storylines slowly come together. The historic Buffalo blizzard was also a great backdrop. It added so much atmosphere and made everything feel even more tense as the story built toward the ending.
The biggest downside for me was the pacing. This is definitely a slow burn, and it took me a while to get invested. I found myself waiting for something to really pull me in, and that didn't happen until about halfway through. Once it did, though, I wanted to keep reading to see how everything would play out.
I wouldn't pick this up expecting a fast-paced mystery or thriller. It's much more of a family drama with a mystery woven into it. If you enjoy character-driven stories and don't mind a slower build, I think you'll appreciate this one more than readers looking for constant action.
Overall, I'm glad I stuck with it. The ending delivered, the family dynamics kept me interested, and I'm looking forward to seeing what CJ Green writes next.
Every member of this family seems to have something going on, and I actually enjoyed watching all of those storylines slowly come together. The historic Buffalo blizzard was also a great backdrop. It added so much atmosphere and made everything feel even more tense as the story built toward the ending.
The biggest downside for me was the pacing. This is definitely a slow burn, and it took me a while to get invested. I found myself waiting for something to really pull me in, and that didn't happen until about halfway through. Once it did, though, I wanted to keep reading to see how everything would play out.
I wouldn't pick this up expecting a fast-paced mystery or thriller. It's much more of a family drama with a mystery woven into it. If you enjoy character-driven stories and don't mind a slower build, I think you'll appreciate this one more than readers looking for constant action.
Overall, I'm glad I stuck with it. The ending delivered, the family dynamics kept me interested, and I'm looking forward to seeing what CJ Green writes next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free advance review copy of Record Lows by C.J. Green, and this is my honest review.
Set in 1977 in Oneira, New York, during the infamous blizzard, this is a character-driven family drama centred around the Pond family. In my opinion, the blizzard itself becomes a character in its own right, creating a constant sense of tension and uncertainty throughout the novel.
This is very much a slow-burn story, which I really enjoyed. The gradual pace allows each of the characters to develop naturally, giving us time to understand their motivations, relationships, and personal struggles. The slow burn pays off as the story gradually intensifies, building layer upon layer of tension. As long held secrets emerge, the characters slowly begin to unravel, making it increasingly difficult to put the book down.
The novel is told across two timelines and explores themes including violence, resilience, financial hardship, secrecy, corruption, ambition, marriage, and family relationships.
C.J. Green's writing is beautifully atmospheric, bringing both the harsh winter landscape and the emotional lives of the characters vividly to life. If you enjoy immersive, character-driven novels with a creeping sense of suspense, I'd definitely recommend Record Lows.
Set in 1977 in Oneira, New York, during the infamous blizzard, this is a character-driven family drama centred around the Pond family. In my opinion, the blizzard itself becomes a character in its own right, creating a constant sense of tension and uncertainty throughout the novel.
This is very much a slow-burn story, which I really enjoyed. The gradual pace allows each of the characters to develop naturally, giving us time to understand their motivations, relationships, and personal struggles. The slow burn pays off as the story gradually intensifies, building layer upon layer of tension. As long held secrets emerge, the characters slowly begin to unravel, making it increasingly difficult to put the book down.
The novel is told across two timelines and explores themes including violence, resilience, financial hardship, secrecy, corruption, ambition, marriage, and family relationships.
C.J. Green's writing is beautifully atmospheric, bringing both the harsh winter landscape and the emotional lives of the characters vividly to life. If you enjoy immersive, character-driven novels with a creeping sense of suspense, I'd definitely recommend Record Lows.
June 15, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.
You never really know what you’re going to get when you request an ARC from a debut author. Without a long list of comps or reader buzz, it can feel like a bit of a gamble. This one paid off completely. From the first page to the last, I was hooked.
Record Lows follows the Pond family. Harmon and Pauline, married at just sixteen, building a modest life in upstate New York. They’re an ordinary, lower middle-class family until a local man’s disappearance pulls them into something much bigger than themselves.
Set against the backdrop of the historic Buffalo blizzard of 1977, this is a story that seamlessly blends family drama with a slow-burning thriller. Each member of the Pond family is dealing with their own secrets, ambitions, and unravelings, and I loved how the tension builds both within the family and in the outside world.
It’s immersive, atmospheric, and incredibly readable. I absolutely devoured it. CJ Green delivers a wonderful debut, and I’ll definitely be watching for what he does next.
You never really know what you’re going to get when you request an ARC from a debut author. Without a long list of comps or reader buzz, it can feel like a bit of a gamble. This one paid off completely. From the first page to the last, I was hooked.
Record Lows follows the Pond family. Harmon and Pauline, married at just sixteen, building a modest life in upstate New York. They’re an ordinary, lower middle-class family until a local man’s disappearance pulls them into something much bigger than themselves.
Set against the backdrop of the historic Buffalo blizzard of 1977, this is a story that seamlessly blends family drama with a slow-burning thriller. Each member of the Pond family is dealing with their own secrets, ambitions, and unravelings, and I loved how the tension builds both within the family and in the outside world.
It’s immersive, atmospheric, and incredibly readable. I absolutely devoured it. CJ Green delivers a wonderful debut, and I’ll definitely be watching for what he does next.
June 9, 2026
[3.5-4] This will be a surefire hit next year—lit fic meets mystery meets family drama. Gorgeously well-sketched characters, even if I found Lonnie somewhat more inscrutable than I think the author intends him to be. More of a literary, setting-as-character approach would have been welcome; it’s a rich historical moment and region that is sometimes hurried through in initial scene and chapter description for the sake of character and plot development. Can hardly fault Green, since that’s the curse of knowing you have somewhere exciting to be—in this case, a propulsive back-half thriller. When Green does animate his setting throughout the novel, be it with the house as a stand-in for Pauline’s tightly-guarded emotions, or more foregrounded, with the raging blizzard as the backdrop for the book’s galloping final act, it lends itself to the novel’s best character work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Harmon Pond is struggling to survive. His small-town newspaper is failing and he has a big debt that he can’t repay. When a local cop with links to an Italian mob goes missing, his aspiring journalist daughter Teresa tries to investigate, unaware that her own family has history with him and that they have secrets that are now beginning to unravel. Meanwhile the town is threatened with the worst blizzard it has ever seen. This is a dark comedy that reminds me of the film/TV series Fargo, with seemingly ordinary characters being drawn in to gruesome violence that spirals out of control. I found the tone a bit jarring, and also the story was a bit slight to fill the narrative, although it comes together towards the end. The characters were well drawn and sympathetic, even the less pleasant ones. Somehow, though, it didn’t quite work for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 CJ Green’s debut novel is a combination of literary fiction, thriller, with some humor. His description of the brutal winter blizzard is one of the best I’ve read. Record Lows is filled with secrets, lots of family drama, messy lives, and some mob ties thrown in for good measure! While it started with a slower pace, which may turn off some readers, I loved the detailed character narratives, steady increase of tension, and explosive back half!
Record Lows hits shelves in January 2027 and will be the perfect read for a cold and dark winter weekend! Preorder or get on your library waitlist now! You’ll especially appreciate the atmosphere if you’re a fellow Gen Xer and remember the winter of 1977 quite well!
Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and the author for the advanced digital copy of this book.
Record Lows hits shelves in January 2027 and will be the perfect read for a cold and dark winter weekend! Preorder or get on your library waitlist now! You’ll especially appreciate the atmosphere if you’re a fellow Gen Xer and remember the winter of 1977 quite well!
Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and the author for the advanced digital copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and CJ Green for the opportunity to receive this ARC!
This author is highly skilled in creating a detailed world that you can envision. The level of detail and character development is far beyond many of the books I have read recently. I could see something like this being adapted into an intense drama series.
However, this was a slow burn (which many other readers have stated) and I am not sure this fully paid off for me. I did find many of the characters interesting and the overall plot seemed enticing, but I could not immerse myself in this story. The ending was a doozy and I did fly through the final 20% of the book, but still I could not fully connect with the characters.
I would still recommend this book to others as I feel this story has a lot of potential to connect with others.
This author is highly skilled in creating a detailed world that you can envision. The level of detail and character development is far beyond many of the books I have read recently. I could see something like this being adapted into an intense drama series.
However, this was a slow burn (which many other readers have stated) and I am not sure this fully paid off for me. I did find many of the characters interesting and the overall plot seemed enticing, but I could not immerse myself in this story. The ending was a doozy and I did fly through the final 20% of the book, but still I could not fully connect with the characters.
I would still recommend this book to others as I feel this story has a lot of potential to connect with others.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Despite the fact I read this book in the dead opposite of the atmosphere Green is trying to establish (on the beach, in the sunshine), I still found it really enjoyable. The beginning is a bit slow to start as it establishes our various characters and plot threads, but it does a good job establishing them individually before drawing back to reveal just how entangled they all are.
The characters were solid, not standing out in one direction or the other. That being said they felt remarkably human and were obviously well constructed, as was the rest of this book. There isn't much on the table to be critiqued, it did what it wanted to do and did it well.
While it might have been a slow burn, by the very end I was on the edge of my seat, desperate to see how the tension might resolve.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
The characters were solid, not standing out in one direction or the other. That being said they felt remarkably human and were obviously well constructed, as was the rest of this book. There isn't much on the table to be critiqued, it did what it wanted to do and did it well.
While it might have been a slow burn, by the very end I was on the edge of my seat, desperate to see how the tension might resolve.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This literary fiction book reads like a complex crime drama and I couldn’t put it down. The characters resonated with me in their own ways and I was very invested in them. The overall plot was genius. The book was fast paced but not overwhelmingly so and as more information comes out as the story goes on, I was so intrigued. With themes of secrets, corruption, moral dilemmas, and marital strife this book was beautifully done. I will definitely be reading this book again and again! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 17, 2026
Record Lows is a wonderful family drama/crime/thriller debut from CJ Green that, for me, reads like a series of Fargo.
Set in 1977 on the cusp of a historic blizzard, the story is an unravelling of family history and immediate danger.
The story builds pace as the storm gathers, but like the snow already lying and waiting to be whipped up by the winds to cover the town, the characters’ pasts are about to be dredged up as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the early access.
Set in 1977 on the cusp of a historic blizzard, the story is an unravelling of family history and immediate danger.
The story builds pace as the storm gathers, but like the snow already lying and waiting to be whipped up by the winds to cover the town, the characters’ pasts are about to be dredged up as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the early access.
June 27, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Record Lows. This one juggles a lot, a missing person, a family falling apart, and a historic blizzard, and for the most part it pulls it off. The writing is sharp and the setting is vivid, but with so many characters and threads going at once, it lost a bit of momentum for me in the middle. Still, a solid and promising debut.
Did Not Finish
July 10, 2026I don’t think this book was for me. normally I love a good mystery, but this one had a very slow start with a lot of information that seemed to be building to something, but honestly just bored me. I dnf’d at 17%, probably could’ve forced myself to continue reading but I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it.
thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc!
thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Debut author CJ Green has delivered the story of a complicated family situation set against one of Buffalo's famous snowstorms. For me, book was a slow start, dragged a bit, but was worth sticking with as, like the storm, it packed a wallop.
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
This is a book of two very different halves. Set in the midst of a deadly storm, a mysterious disappearance, the threat of the mob, and a small town carrying its secrets leads one family to a very dark place.
This is a book of two very different halves. Set in the midst of a deadly storm, a mysterious disappearance, the threat of the mob, and a small town carrying its secrets leads one family to a very dark place.
Read
June 24, 2026I picked this up expecting a mystery and ended up getting completely invested in the Pond family instead.
Set against the backdrop of the historic Buffalo Blizzard of 1977, Record Lows combines a missing-person case with a family drama full of secrets, regrets, and people trying their best while occasionally making spectacularly bad decisions.
What stood out most to me was how real the family felt. Everyone is carrying something, everyone is hiding something, and nobody is communicating nearly as well as they should. In other words, a family.
The approaching storm created such a strong sense of tension throughout the story, and I found myself just as interested in the relationships between the characters as I was in discovering what happened to the missing man.
Thoughtful, atmospheric, and surprisingly funny in places, this was an impressive debut from C.J. Green.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Set against the backdrop of the historic Buffalo Blizzard of 1977, Record Lows combines a missing-person case with a family drama full of secrets, regrets, and people trying their best while occasionally making spectacularly bad decisions.
What stood out most to me was how real the family felt. Everyone is carrying something, everyone is hiding something, and nobody is communicating nearly as well as they should. In other words, a family.
The approaching storm created such a strong sense of tension throughout the story, and I found myself just as interested in the relationships between the characters as I was in discovering what happened to the missing man.
Thoughtful, atmospheric, and surprisingly funny in places, this was an impressive debut from C.J. Green.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The prose in Record Lows keeps its hands clean around material that seems to want mess. Early on, that bothered me. The book circles frustration, shame, violence, want, and family damage, but the sentences often stay cool to the touch. I kept waiting for the language to get crowded by feeling but it didn't.
By the back half, I was reading that differently and it started to feel more like a way of showing how each character has learned to speak around themselves. I became more interested in the small differences between Teresa, Lonnie, Fran, Pauline, and Harmon: who explains too much? who withholds? who mistakes silence for control?
The book is arranged in sections rather than chapters and it doesn’t escalate so much as it accumulates. By circling the family through different perspectives, Green turns those differences in voice into the story's real movement. The novel contains plenty of dramatic events, but its revelations are less about shock than seeing a character or family history from a different angle. New information rarely turns the story. It adjusts how you read the Ponds.
It took me a minute to find my footing with the prose and pace, but once I settled into what Green was doing, I found a lot to admire.
#RecordLows #NetGalley
CJ Green
Record Lows
By the back half, I was reading that differently and it started to feel more like a way of showing how each character has learned to speak around themselves. I became more interested in the small differences between Teresa, Lonnie, Fran, Pauline, and Harmon: who explains too much? who withholds? who mistakes silence for control?
The book is arranged in sections rather than chapters and it doesn’t escalate so much as it accumulates. By circling the family through different perspectives, Green turns those differences in voice into the story's real movement. The novel contains plenty of dramatic events, but its revelations are less about shock than seeing a character or family history from a different angle. New information rarely turns the story. It adjusts how you read the Ponds.
It took me a minute to find my footing with the prose and pace, but once I settled into what Green was doing, I found a lot to admire.
#RecordLows #NetGalley
CJ Green
Record Lows
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I DEVOURED THIS!!!!!! can’t wait for everyone to read it
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