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The Brightness
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25 copies available
U.S. only
At 27, Pella’s life looks settled: she’s a recent college graduate, engaged to Mike, her longtime boyfriend, and helping her friend Owen pull off his own destination wedding on Block Island. But over that wild wedding weekend, Pella’s past and present collide spectacularly, blowing up her plans and sending her spiralling toward an unplanned future in New York City.
There, in a city that’s equal parts glittering opportunity and cutthroat grit, Pella is forced to see herself in constantly changing lights as she wrestles with who she is and what she will become. As she cycles through possibilities and identities – is she an artist? A bartender? A scholar, a lover, a wife? – Pella navigates the heights and depths of passion and ambition, and the incalculable wages of love and loss.
In stunning scenes and spectacular characters, Chad Harbach captures that specific, shimmering anxiety of your twenties when life still feels wide open, even as hard and irreversible choices start closing in. Energetic, funny and deeply human, this much-anticipated follow-up to The Art of Fielding confirms Chad Harbach as one of the most accomplished and perceptive writers of our time.
There, in a city that’s equal parts glittering opportunity and cutthroat grit, Pella is forced to see herself in constantly changing lights as she wrestles with who she is and what she will become. As she cycles through possibilities and identities – is she an artist? A bartender? A scholar, a lover, a wife? – Pella navigates the heights and depths of passion and ambition, and the incalculable wages of love and loss.
In stunning scenes and spectacular characters, Chad Harbach captures that specific, shimmering anxiety of your twenties when life still feels wide open, even as hard and irreversible choices start closing in. Energetic, funny and deeply human, this much-anticipated follow-up to The Art of Fielding confirms Chad Harbach as one of the most accomplished and perceptive writers of our time.
672 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 27, 2026
About the author
Chad Harbach
10 books990 followersChad Harbach grew up in Wisconsin and was educated at Harvard and the University of Virginia. He is a cofounder and coeditor of n+1.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 21, 2026
3.75 stars.
I will never truly understand why this is a 700 page book. It could have been 375 and would have been magnificent.
I will never truly understand why this is a 700 page book. It could have been 375 and would have been magnificent.
June 6, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown & Co for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Wow, I really loved this book. It’s one of my favorite reads of 2026 so far, and I can’t wait for its wider release so I can discuss it with others!
At around 670 pages, this novel is a journey, but one that feels fulfilling and worthwhile. The Brightness is a deeply character-centric novel that fully immerses you in the cast. I was never entirely sure whether I liked or hated some of the characters (and my feelings often changed throughout), but I was consistently invested in them. At times, I felt like I knew them all personally.
Pella was the most interesting character to me but I was also captivated by Irma, Dahlia, Nick, Owen (and even Mike). Harbach is able to capture the uncertainty, confusion, and self-doubt of your early/mid-twenties with remarkable authenticity. I also loved how vividly he brings each setting and event to life. From Westish College to Block Island to New York City, I lost myself in the novel and felt like I was there.
Admittedly, I did not realize this was a follow up to the Art of Fielding (which I have never read). In fact, I only discovered this after I finished the book. That said, I had no trouble jumping into the story, and Harbach does an excellent job of bringing you into the world. It can absolutely be read as a standalone book (though now I definitely want to check out its predecessor).
There is so much to unpack and discuss within these pages, including themes of identity, friendship, regret, relationships, grief, change, guilt, gender, politics, and hope. It’s the kind of novel that asks for a commitment from its readers, but rewards that investment tenfold. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one I’ll be thinking about for a while!
Wow, I really loved this book. It’s one of my favorite reads of 2026 so far, and I can’t wait for its wider release so I can discuss it with others!
At around 670 pages, this novel is a journey, but one that feels fulfilling and worthwhile. The Brightness is a deeply character-centric novel that fully immerses you in the cast. I was never entirely sure whether I liked or hated some of the characters (and my feelings often changed throughout), but I was consistently invested in them. At times, I felt like I knew them all personally.
Pella was the most interesting character to me but I was also captivated by Irma, Dahlia, Nick, Owen (and even Mike). Harbach is able to capture the uncertainty, confusion, and self-doubt of your early/mid-twenties with remarkable authenticity. I also loved how vividly he brings each setting and event to life. From Westish College to Block Island to New York City, I lost myself in the novel and felt like I was there.
Admittedly, I did not realize this was a follow up to the Art of Fielding (which I have never read). In fact, I only discovered this after I finished the book. That said, I had no trouble jumping into the story, and Harbach does an excellent job of bringing you into the world. It can absolutely be read as a standalone book (though now I definitely want to check out its predecessor).
There is so much to unpack and discuss within these pages, including themes of identity, friendship, regret, relationships, grief, change, guilt, gender, politics, and hope. It’s the kind of novel that asks for a commitment from its readers, but rewards that investment tenfold. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one I’ll be thinking about for a while!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A little baseball, a little heartbreak, a lot of feelings I wasn’t expecting to have
I went into The Brightness expecting baseball. I did not expect baseball to sneak up behind me, tap me on the shoulder, and start asking me uncomfortable questions about ambition, friendship, failure, and what exactly we’re supposed to do with all the dreams we had before life got complicated.
Chad Harbach has written a novel that feels deceptively casual at first—almost like you’re just hanging around with a bunch of people who happen to be very serious about baseball. Then, somewhere along the way, you realize you’re emotionally invested in their lives and wondering when everyone became your problem.
There’s something wonderfully offbeat about the book. The characters aren’t polished little literary mannequins who always say the right thing. They make questionable decisions. They disappoint each other. They want things they probably shouldn’t want. They occasionally seem determined to make their own lives harder than necessary. In other words: they feel remarkably human.
And then there’s the baseball itself. Harbach understands that baseball is a particularly strange way to tell a story about being alive. There are long stretches of waiting, sudden moments of brilliance, ridiculous amounts of hope, and the occasional crushing realization that no amount of preparation guarantees the ball is going where you want it to go.
That turns out to be a pretty good metaphor for adulthood.
What I liked most was the feeling that the novel isn’t desperately trying to tell me what to think. It lets the characters be complicated and lets me sit with them—even when I wanted to shake them a little. There’s humor here, but it’s the kind that catches you off guard rather than waving a giant sign saying NOW LAUGH.
The Brightness left me thinking about how strange it is that we spend so much of our lives chasing some version of who we think we’re supposed to become—and how rarely life sticks to the plan.
Also, I now have slightly more interest in baseball than I did before reading this book, which may be the most surprising plot development of all.
A smart, funny, occasionally messy novel about people trying to figure out what comes next—and discovering that life, much like baseball, refuses to provide a reliable schedule.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
I went into The Brightness expecting baseball. I did not expect baseball to sneak up behind me, tap me on the shoulder, and start asking me uncomfortable questions about ambition, friendship, failure, and what exactly we’re supposed to do with all the dreams we had before life got complicated.
Chad Harbach has written a novel that feels deceptively casual at first—almost like you’re just hanging around with a bunch of people who happen to be very serious about baseball. Then, somewhere along the way, you realize you’re emotionally invested in their lives and wondering when everyone became your problem.
There’s something wonderfully offbeat about the book. The characters aren’t polished little literary mannequins who always say the right thing. They make questionable decisions. They disappoint each other. They want things they probably shouldn’t want. They occasionally seem determined to make their own lives harder than necessary. In other words: they feel remarkably human.
And then there’s the baseball itself. Harbach understands that baseball is a particularly strange way to tell a story about being alive. There are long stretches of waiting, sudden moments of brilliance, ridiculous amounts of hope, and the occasional crushing realization that no amount of preparation guarantees the ball is going where you want it to go.
That turns out to be a pretty good metaphor for adulthood.
What I liked most was the feeling that the novel isn’t desperately trying to tell me what to think. It lets the characters be complicated and lets me sit with them—even when I wanted to shake them a little. There’s humor here, but it’s the kind that catches you off guard rather than waving a giant sign saying NOW LAUGH.
The Brightness left me thinking about how strange it is that we spend so much of our lives chasing some version of who we think we’re supposed to become—and how rarely life sticks to the plan.
Also, I now have slightly more interest in baseball than I did before reading this book, which may be the most surprising plot development of all.
A smart, funny, occasionally messy novel about people trying to figure out what comes next—and discovering that life, much like baseball, refuses to provide a reliable schedule.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
My starred review for this novel was published by Library Journal in August 2026:
Fifteen years after his debut novel The Art of Fielding became a beloved modern classic, Harbach returns to Westish College in this long-awaited follow-up. Pella Affenlight, the daughter of the late school president whose romance with baseball player Owen informed much of the earlier novel, has since graduated and lives with her fiancé, the captain of the championship team. Much of her time is spent helping Owen prepare for his swanky wedding. Meanwhile, her younger friend Irma, recipient of the same prestigious scholarship that once belonged to the prodigal Owen, becomes part of a politically motivated campus prank with far-reaching consequences. Over the course of nearly 700 pages, Pella and Irma will support and hurt each other—as only best friends can—as they navigate adulthood. Harbach writes with depth of character that evokes the best of Jeffrey Eugenides, and has a gift for staging memorable set pieces (none more so than the long centerpiece of Owen’s wedding). This can be read as a stand-alone, but naturally those who read The Art of Fielding will find echoes and resonances throughout. They may also hope Harbach chooses to drop in on Pella and Irma in another 15 years, just to make sure they're all right. VERDICT Luxurious and wholly absorbing, this novel was worth the wait.
Copyright ©2026 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Fifteen years after his debut novel The Art of Fielding became a beloved modern classic, Harbach returns to Westish College in this long-awaited follow-up. Pella Affenlight, the daughter of the late school president whose romance with baseball player Owen informed much of the earlier novel, has since graduated and lives with her fiancé, the captain of the championship team. Much of her time is spent helping Owen prepare for his swanky wedding. Meanwhile, her younger friend Irma, recipient of the same prestigious scholarship that once belonged to the prodigal Owen, becomes part of a politically motivated campus prank with far-reaching consequences. Over the course of nearly 700 pages, Pella and Irma will support and hurt each other—as only best friends can—as they navigate adulthood. Harbach writes with depth of character that evokes the best of Jeffrey Eugenides, and has a gift for staging memorable set pieces (none more so than the long centerpiece of Owen’s wedding). This can be read as a stand-alone, but naturally those who read The Art of Fielding will find echoes and resonances throughout. They may also hope Harbach chooses to drop in on Pella and Irma in another 15 years, just to make sure they're all right. VERDICT Luxurious and wholly absorbing, this novel was worth the wait.
Copyright ©2026 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
September 19, 2026
The Brightness by Chad Harbach is a recommended literary character study following the friendship of two young women. This is a sequel to The Art of Fielding (2011).
At Westish College in a small Wisconsin town, Pella, 27 is a recent college grad, engaged to coach Mike, and helping her friend Owen pull off a destination wedding. Her best friend Irma, 21, has just returned for her senior year. Unknown to Pella, on the night Irma returns to campus, she has plans with her other friends Dahlia and Pammy to institute "The Project," a politically charged prank, at The Parties.
Featuring in-depth character development, the well-written narrative follows the lives and history of these individuals in great depth through five parts. You will generally wonder about what will ultimately happen to them, but in a removed way as it is very slow paced so it was a challenge at times to keep invested in the plot. I was also personally struggling to truly care about these young characters, who at times felt immature for their years. At almost 700 pages there were perhaps too many superfluous details included, certainly too much for me as the pacing became very slow. Admittedly I did not read The Art of Fielding so I had no real investment in continuing the earlier story.
I did think the opening prank was ill conceived and the logical repercussions were not thought out. This did establish a barrier to truly liking any of these young women who all seemed self-absorbed and immature, without logically thinking things through. The whole destination wedding plot was also off-putting for me. Perhaps I'm becoming an old curmudgeon, but I loss interest and it became a challenge to finish. Perhaps a good edit could have tightened up the story or I'm just an outlier or not the intended audience, but this was just an okay novel. I do like the book cover, though.
The Brightness is recommended for those who enjoy very detailed writing, descriptive character development, and have read The Art of Fielding. Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
https://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/...
At Westish College in a small Wisconsin town, Pella, 27 is a recent college grad, engaged to coach Mike, and helping her friend Owen pull off a destination wedding. Her best friend Irma, 21, has just returned for her senior year. Unknown to Pella, on the night Irma returns to campus, she has plans with her other friends Dahlia and Pammy to institute "The Project," a politically charged prank, at The Parties.
Featuring in-depth character development, the well-written narrative follows the lives and history of these individuals in great depth through five parts. You will generally wonder about what will ultimately happen to them, but in a removed way as it is very slow paced so it was a challenge at times to keep invested in the plot. I was also personally struggling to truly care about these young characters, who at times felt immature for their years. At almost 700 pages there were perhaps too many superfluous details included, certainly too much for me as the pacing became very slow. Admittedly I did not read The Art of Fielding so I had no real investment in continuing the earlier story.
I did think the opening prank was ill conceived and the logical repercussions were not thought out. This did establish a barrier to truly liking any of these young women who all seemed self-absorbed and immature, without logically thinking things through. The whole destination wedding plot was also off-putting for me. Perhaps I'm becoming an old curmudgeon, but I loss interest and it became a challenge to finish. Perhaps a good edit could have tightened up the story or I'm just an outlier or not the intended audience, but this was just an okay novel. I do like the book cover, though.
The Brightness is recommended for those who enjoy very detailed writing, descriptive character development, and have read The Art of Fielding. Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
https://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*The Brightness* by Chad Harbach is one of those books that feels less like you're simply reading a story and more like you're spending a very long, complicated stretch of time with a group of people whose lives you slowly become invested in.
At the heart of the story are Pella and Irma, two young women trying to figure out who they are and where they belong as they move into very different stages of adulthood. Pella is 27, engaged to Mike, and seemingly on a pretty predictable path until a chaotic wedding weekend changes everything. Meanwhile, Irma is dealing with the fallout from a politically charged campus prank that threatens to alter her future. From there, both women find themselves questioning relationships, ambitions, identities, and the lives they thought they were going to have.
What I enjoyed most was the character development. These characters are complicated, flawed, frustrating, and incredibly human. I didn't always agree with their choices—and there were definitely moments when I wanted to shake some sense into them—but that actually made them feel more real. Their friendships aren't perfect, their relationships aren't simple, and nobody seems to have adulthood completely figured out.
The friendship between Pella and Irma was especially interesting to me. There is so much affection between them, but also jealousy, misunderstanding, resentment, and the inevitable changes that happen when two people start moving in different directions. I liked that the book didn't try to make friendship easy or perfect. Sometimes loving someone doesn't mean you grow in the same direction.
I also really enjoyed the themes of identity, ambition, love, grief, and those terrifying years when your entire future seems wide open. There is something both exciting and heartbreaking about being young enough to believe you can become anything while simultaneously realizing that every choice you make starts closing off other possibilities.
The writing is beautiful and often surprisingly funny. Harbach takes his time with his characters and gives us a tremendous amount of insight into their histories and motivations. Some of the scenes, particularly the wedding weekend, were incredibly memorable and had that wonderfully chaotic feeling of watching several lives collide at once.
My biggest issue was definitely the length. At 672 pages, *The Brightness* is a commitment, and there were times when I felt the story wandered into places that didn't necessarily need quite so much attention. The pacing occasionally slowed down enough that I had to work to get myself back into the story. That said, once I was invested in the characters, I genuinely wanted to know where their lives would take them.
Overall, *The Brightness* is a thoughtful, messy, emotional exploration of friendship and growing into the person you're supposed to become. It doesn't offer easy answers, and I think that's part of what makes it work. Life is rarely a straight line, especially in your twenties, and sometimes figuring yourself out means making mistakes, losing people, starting over, and realizing that the future you planned isn't necessarily the future you need.
A long and sometimes slow read, but one filled with beautifully complicated characters and plenty to think about. ✨📚💛
At the heart of the story are Pella and Irma, two young women trying to figure out who they are and where they belong as they move into very different stages of adulthood. Pella is 27, engaged to Mike, and seemingly on a pretty predictable path until a chaotic wedding weekend changes everything. Meanwhile, Irma is dealing with the fallout from a politically charged campus prank that threatens to alter her future. From there, both women find themselves questioning relationships, ambitions, identities, and the lives they thought they were going to have.
What I enjoyed most was the character development. These characters are complicated, flawed, frustrating, and incredibly human. I didn't always agree with their choices—and there were definitely moments when I wanted to shake some sense into them—but that actually made them feel more real. Their friendships aren't perfect, their relationships aren't simple, and nobody seems to have adulthood completely figured out.
The friendship between Pella and Irma was especially interesting to me. There is so much affection between them, but also jealousy, misunderstanding, resentment, and the inevitable changes that happen when two people start moving in different directions. I liked that the book didn't try to make friendship easy or perfect. Sometimes loving someone doesn't mean you grow in the same direction.
I also really enjoyed the themes of identity, ambition, love, grief, and those terrifying years when your entire future seems wide open. There is something both exciting and heartbreaking about being young enough to believe you can become anything while simultaneously realizing that every choice you make starts closing off other possibilities.
The writing is beautiful and often surprisingly funny. Harbach takes his time with his characters and gives us a tremendous amount of insight into their histories and motivations. Some of the scenes, particularly the wedding weekend, were incredibly memorable and had that wonderfully chaotic feeling of watching several lives collide at once.
My biggest issue was definitely the length. At 672 pages, *The Brightness* is a commitment, and there were times when I felt the story wandered into places that didn't necessarily need quite so much attention. The pacing occasionally slowed down enough that I had to work to get myself back into the story. That said, once I was invested in the characters, I genuinely wanted to know where their lives would take them.
Overall, *The Brightness* is a thoughtful, messy, emotional exploration of friendship and growing into the person you're supposed to become. It doesn't offer easy answers, and I think that's part of what makes it work. Life is rarely a straight line, especially in your twenties, and sometimes figuring yourself out means making mistakes, losing people, starting over, and realizing that the future you planned isn't necessarily the future you need.
A long and sometimes slow read, but one filled with beautifully complicated characters and plenty to think about. ✨📚💛
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to Chad Harbach, Little Brown and company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have experienced this story before publication. The Brightness is scheduled for release on October 27, 2026.
Reading The Brightness felt like being handed a scrapbook from your twenties and being forced to relive every questionable decision, every friendship, every heartbreak and every time you confidently said “I have my life together” right before everything fell apart.
Pella is twenty seven, recently graduated, engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mike and seems to have a plan. Naturally, life looked at that plan, laughed and set it on fire.
I absolutely loved following Pella’s journey. She felt so real, messy, uncertain, hopeful, impulsive and occasionally the reason my eye started twitching. There were moments when I wanted to wrap her in a blanket and tell her everything would be okay and other moments when I wanted to yell “Pella, please stop making your life harder than it already is!” But honestly, that’s what made me love her. She felt like a real person trying to figure things out one mistake at a time.
Irma was another favorite. Her friendship with Pella was one of the highlights of the book for me. It felt authentic, supportive, complicated and wonderfully human. Owen, Dahlia, Nick and Mike all added their own layers to the story. Every character felt fully realized, which meant I spent a good portion of the book switching between loving them, being annoyed with them and then loving them again five pages later.
What really stood out to me was how well Chad Harbach captured that weird stage of life where you’re technically an adult but still feel like you’re making everything up as you go. The story explores identity, ambition, love, grief, friendship and regret in a way that felt incredibly honest. It’s about realizing that growing up isn’t a finish line. Sometimes it’s just a series of increasingly confusing choices with no helpful instruction manual included.
The settings were also fantastic. From Block Island to New York City, every location felt vivid and alive. I could practically hear the conversations, see the crowded streets and feel the energy of people trying to build a future while simultaneously questioning every decision they’ve ever made.
My only small complaint is that this book is definitely a commitment. There were a few sections where the pacing slowed down and some introspective moments lingered a little longer than I personally needed. But honestly, because I cared so much about the characters, I never felt tempted to stop reading.
By the end, I felt like I had spent months living alongside these characters. Their victories felt personal, their mistakes hurt and their struggles felt relatable in ways I wasn’t expecting. This book is thoughtful, emotional, funny, frustrating and beautifully human. It’s a reminder that nobody really knows what they’re doing, and somehow we’re all just trying to find our way through the chaos.
Reading The Brightness felt like being handed a scrapbook from your twenties and being forced to relive every questionable decision, every friendship, every heartbreak and every time you confidently said “I have my life together” right before everything fell apart.
Pella is twenty seven, recently graduated, engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mike and seems to have a plan. Naturally, life looked at that plan, laughed and set it on fire.
I absolutely loved following Pella’s journey. She felt so real, messy, uncertain, hopeful, impulsive and occasionally the reason my eye started twitching. There were moments when I wanted to wrap her in a blanket and tell her everything would be okay and other moments when I wanted to yell “Pella, please stop making your life harder than it already is!” But honestly, that’s what made me love her. She felt like a real person trying to figure things out one mistake at a time.
Irma was another favorite. Her friendship with Pella was one of the highlights of the book for me. It felt authentic, supportive, complicated and wonderfully human. Owen, Dahlia, Nick and Mike all added their own layers to the story. Every character felt fully realized, which meant I spent a good portion of the book switching between loving them, being annoyed with them and then loving them again five pages later.
What really stood out to me was how well Chad Harbach captured that weird stage of life where you’re technically an adult but still feel like you’re making everything up as you go. The story explores identity, ambition, love, grief, friendship and regret in a way that felt incredibly honest. It’s about realizing that growing up isn’t a finish line. Sometimes it’s just a series of increasingly confusing choices with no helpful instruction manual included.
The settings were also fantastic. From Block Island to New York City, every location felt vivid and alive. I could practically hear the conversations, see the crowded streets and feel the energy of people trying to build a future while simultaneously questioning every decision they’ve ever made.
My only small complaint is that this book is definitely a commitment. There were a few sections where the pacing slowed down and some introspective moments lingered a little longer than I personally needed. But honestly, because I cared so much about the characters, I never felt tempted to stop reading.
By the end, I felt like I had spent months living alongside these characters. Their victories felt personal, their mistakes hurt and their struggles felt relatable in ways I wasn’t expecting. This book is thoughtful, emotional, funny, frustrating and beautifully human. It’s a reminder that nobody really knows what they’re doing, and somehow we’re all just trying to find our way through the chaos.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
2.5 🌟 Generously rounded up because something kept me reading!
I read and enjoyed the Art of Fielding and hoped to enjoy this book (which I received for free from the publisher) by the same author just as much. Since I read The Art of Fielding a long time ago, I didn’t realize at first that this book is a sequel.
The Brightness is a long 672 pages - at times very slow moving and at times very tangential or providing a lot of detail about things not germane to the storyline. Still, once invested in it, I was curious where it all would end so I kept reading, and reading, and reading. In the last few pages many loose ends were tidily pulled together.
I appreciated the attempt at a feminist activism plot but the execution fell short and most of the women are immature (more high school behaviors than university and 20 somethings) and mostly at the mercy of the whims of the men in their circle despite identifying as feminists. The plot was a stretch for me (and I work in higher education).
The characters seem to head in one direction and then reverse with inconsistencies. For instance, Mike is at first a great guy who loves and cares for Pella until suddenly he’s a cranky little shit who does a big stupid thing. Pella seems nice enough at first (albeit very insecure) but it turns out she has done (and does) a lot of stupid shitty things to her “friends.”
Owen is an “almost Pulitzer Prize winning author”, but he’s awfully shallow seeming and even charicature-ish at times.
Irma is really hard to picture. She’s naive but cagey. She’s inexperienced but also a sexual siren. She seems gay and obsessed with Dahlia, but then is interested in Nicholas. Who is she? I don’t really know and she doesn’t either. Well, maybe in the final pages she is making some progress but 600 pages is a lot of pages to get there, “I”!
Nicholas? Charming to all, and caring to his odd, feminist artist single mother (who just seems cranky/angry) but another little shit when it comes to women who all want him anyway because he’s SO beautiful and SO good in bed. 😏
Dahlia is a bit more fleshed out as a troubled young woman with a score to settle, but it’s hard to understand why everyone is so enthralled with/tolerant of her queen bee routine.
(This next thing would probably not have struck me so strongly except for it being just another example of something inauthentic. No woman I know ever calls a man’s sexual appendage by the word used by Pella about Nicholas’. I had to check the author’s name for gender because I knew a woman would not have used that word. And the deceased former university president’s favorite author friend just seemed like a real creepo in the way he spoke with Pella at that party. Way to not mentor the next generation, dude! So crass for an “educated” man. I know the book was not set in 2026, but it seems to be post #metoo. Men haven’t spoken out loud like this creepo in a while have they??
The young people in this book smoking cigarettes makes them seem so stupid, not glamorous. It’s not 1950. How are cigarettes cool again asks this former oncology nurse 🤦🏻♀️)
Oh well. Perhaps I’m just too old for this book and it’s unlikeable, self-absorbed, immature characters. The Gen Z and Alpha’s I know are more on the ball than these stunted Westies.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I read and enjoyed the Art of Fielding and hoped to enjoy this book (which I received for free from the publisher) by the same author just as much. Since I read The Art of Fielding a long time ago, I didn’t realize at first that this book is a sequel.
The Brightness is a long 672 pages - at times very slow moving and at times very tangential or providing a lot of detail about things not germane to the storyline. Still, once invested in it, I was curious where it all would end so I kept reading, and reading, and reading. In the last few pages many loose ends were tidily pulled together.
I appreciated the attempt at a feminist activism plot but the execution fell short and most of the women are immature (more high school behaviors than university and 20 somethings) and mostly at the mercy of the whims of the men in their circle despite identifying as feminists. The plot was a stretch for me (and I work in higher education).
The characters seem to head in one direction and then reverse with inconsistencies. For instance, Mike is at first a great guy who loves and cares for Pella until suddenly he’s a cranky little shit who does a big stupid thing. Pella seems nice enough at first (albeit very insecure) but it turns out she has done (and does) a lot of stupid shitty things to her “friends.”
Owen is an “almost Pulitzer Prize winning author”, but he’s awfully shallow seeming and even charicature-ish at times.
Irma is really hard to picture. She’s naive but cagey. She’s inexperienced but also a sexual siren. She seems gay and obsessed with Dahlia, but then is interested in Nicholas. Who is she? I don’t really know and she doesn’t either. Well, maybe in the final pages she is making some progress but 600 pages is a lot of pages to get there, “I”!
Nicholas? Charming to all, and caring to his odd, feminist artist single mother (who just seems cranky/angry) but another little shit when it comes to women who all want him anyway because he’s SO beautiful and SO good in bed. 😏
Dahlia is a bit more fleshed out as a troubled young woman with a score to settle, but it’s hard to understand why everyone is so enthralled with/tolerant of her queen bee routine.
(This next thing would probably not have struck me so strongly except for it being just another example of something inauthentic. No woman I know ever calls a man’s sexual appendage by the word used by Pella about Nicholas’. I had to check the author’s name for gender because I knew a woman would not have used that word. And the deceased former university president’s favorite author friend just seemed like a real creepo in the way he spoke with Pella at that party. Way to not mentor the next generation, dude! So crass for an “educated” man. I know the book was not set in 2026, but it seems to be post #metoo. Men haven’t spoken out loud like this creepo in a while have they??
The young people in this book smoking cigarettes makes them seem so stupid, not glamorous. It’s not 1950. How are cigarettes cool again asks this former oncology nurse 🤦🏻♀️)
Oh well. Perhaps I’m just too old for this book and it’s unlikeable, self-absorbed, immature characters. The Gen Z and Alpha’s I know are more on the ball than these stunted Westies.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
September 4, 2026
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read The Art of Fielding by Harbach 13 years ago. This summer The Great Midwest Book Club (join on Instagram?!) decided to re-read with this sequel on the horizon. I didn’t know it was coming but I enjoyed TAOF so much I was delighted for a second chance to peek in on the young people at Westish College in small town Wisconsin. Namely, I was thrilled for a reboot to include: Henry, the baseball prodigy with the yips, Mike Schwartz, the relentless catcher come coach, Owen, every bit delightful and bookish but also a baseball player and Pella, the college president’s daughter with a complicated youth. That said we got a taste of everyone but a full serving of Pella in this novel.
To get you up to speed, in my opinion, Pella always felt a bit “big” for Westish; she is worldly. After all, she went to boarding school, took up with a visiting, and married, professor while she was a minor. Then - she married him and stayed on the West Coast. But then she left him, showing up at Westish, on her father’s doorstep, several years later. Enter the baseball team. At the end of TAOF things are somewhat tied up - Pella is settling in to school as a non-traditional-ish student and living with Mike Schwartz, who has taken a coaching gig on campus.
The Brightness focuses on a new cast of characters. There is a stunt on campus pulled by female students, specifically Irma, who Pella is very close to. It feels a little “me too” on its head, more woman power and political. That story line folds the rest of the stories inside of it. While this has happened on campus, Coach Schwartz has to deal with some blow back on his own because Pella has gone ahead to Block Island on the East Coast to be Owen’s best woman at his wedding. She wants to be there fully and not think about Westish. It is complicated for her, she is older than her peers and isn’t sure what she wants. When she was in Westish, it didn’t feel too provincial, but now that she is out and things are moving quickly, it seems she realizes that she has forgotten who she is outside of the small town. At the wedding shit hits the fan, to put it mildly.
Pella decides to stay in Owen’s and his parter’s apartment after the wedding to figure out who she is and what she wants. She quickly develops a life there, which leads her to question where her true home is.
The author does a tremendous job writing about this weird stage of adulthood, you’re young but not too young. That time in life is often be complicated by where we live, where will we go after college, who we choose spend our time with and trying to figure out where our heart is. In retrospect, it is an exciting struggle but also so pivotal. He creates this complex, confused landscape so well, we were all young once. I believe the reader can relate to some part of this story no matter what chapter of life they are in. It is easy to remember how hard it was to figure out how to grow up.
The Brightness was not what I expected, the glimpses at Henry were so fleeting. I want to know more about him. But that said, the author allows me to fill in the blanks a bit on that one while making room to love more new voices in Westish. At times it felt a little long and convoluted but overall was a well told story that could stand alone on it’s own, next to TAOF.
I read The Art of Fielding by Harbach 13 years ago. This summer The Great Midwest Book Club (join on Instagram?!) decided to re-read with this sequel on the horizon. I didn’t know it was coming but I enjoyed TAOF so much I was delighted for a second chance to peek in on the young people at Westish College in small town Wisconsin. Namely, I was thrilled for a reboot to include: Henry, the baseball prodigy with the yips, Mike Schwartz, the relentless catcher come coach, Owen, every bit delightful and bookish but also a baseball player and Pella, the college president’s daughter with a complicated youth. That said we got a taste of everyone but a full serving of Pella in this novel.
To get you up to speed, in my opinion, Pella always felt a bit “big” for Westish; she is worldly. After all, she went to boarding school, took up with a visiting, and married, professor while she was a minor. Then - she married him and stayed on the West Coast. But then she left him, showing up at Westish, on her father’s doorstep, several years later. Enter the baseball team. At the end of TAOF things are somewhat tied up - Pella is settling in to school as a non-traditional-ish student and living with Mike Schwartz, who has taken a coaching gig on campus.
The Brightness focuses on a new cast of characters. There is a stunt on campus pulled by female students, specifically Irma, who Pella is very close to. It feels a little “me too” on its head, more woman power and political. That story line folds the rest of the stories inside of it. While this has happened on campus, Coach Schwartz has to deal with some blow back on his own because Pella has gone ahead to Block Island on the East Coast to be Owen’s best woman at his wedding. She wants to be there fully and not think about Westish. It is complicated for her, she is older than her peers and isn’t sure what she wants. When she was in Westish, it didn’t feel too provincial, but now that she is out and things are moving quickly, it seems she realizes that she has forgotten who she is outside of the small town. At the wedding shit hits the fan, to put it mildly.
Pella decides to stay in Owen’s and his parter’s apartment after the wedding to figure out who she is and what she wants. She quickly develops a life there, which leads her to question where her true home is.
The author does a tremendous job writing about this weird stage of adulthood, you’re young but not too young. That time in life is often be complicated by where we live, where will we go after college, who we choose spend our time with and trying to figure out where our heart is. In retrospect, it is an exciting struggle but also so pivotal. He creates this complex, confused landscape so well, we were all young once. I believe the reader can relate to some part of this story no matter what chapter of life they are in. It is easy to remember how hard it was to figure out how to grow up.
The Brightness was not what I expected, the glimpses at Henry were so fleeting. I want to know more about him. But that said, the author allows me to fill in the blanks a bit on that one while making room to love more new voices in Westish. At times it felt a little long and convoluted but overall was a well told story that could stand alone on it’s own, next to TAOF.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’d read Art of Fielding when it came out and it’s weirdly serendipitous because I’d just been thinking about Chad Harbach and what he’d been up to writing wise when I saw this arc. I had vague snippets in my mind of what Art of Fielding was about—like I said, hadn’t read it since it was first published—but kind of wished I’d done a re-read before reading this sequel of sorts; I feel like maybe I missed some insights because of my lack of memory.
That being said this book is far too long and meanders a ton but I enjoyed following Pella and Irma as they tried to navigate their desires and a new wave of feminism circa 2016.
I waffled between 3 and 4 stars because honestly there are a lot of holes in the book. Its unclear what Pella really wants out of her life and there’s supposed to be this deep friendship between her and Irma but we start the story with their friendship strained so we as readers don’t get to see what they’ve lost so their falling apart and coming back together doesn’t hold a lot of meaning for the reader. Also Irma is unknowable in a lot of ways. Her desires feel unclear and mostly all wrapped up in her admiration of her friend Dahlia but maybe that’s also the point?
All that being said, Harbach captures something true about life being a series of choices that we move through to craft a life. There’s also a brilliant line that Pella says “You can never really take any thing out on anyone else. You can only take it out on yourself.” That line rings deep in this novel and feels so true that I forgive it a lot of its aimlessness and length. While I don’t buy the choice Pella makes at the end at all I also see how it connects other threads in the book. I think as it was for Art of Fielding it is for the Brightness—Harbach captures something true about the aimlessness of life and navigating life through grief and change.
That being said this book is far too long and meanders a ton but I enjoyed following Pella and Irma as they tried to navigate their desires and a new wave of feminism circa 2016.
I waffled between 3 and 4 stars because honestly there are a lot of holes in the book. Its unclear what Pella really wants out of her life and there’s supposed to be this deep friendship between her and Irma but we start the story with their friendship strained so we as readers don’t get to see what they’ve lost so their falling apart and coming back together doesn’t hold a lot of meaning for the reader. Also Irma is unknowable in a lot of ways. Her desires feel unclear and mostly all wrapped up in her admiration of her friend Dahlia but maybe that’s also the point?
All that being said, Harbach captures something true about life being a series of choices that we move through to craft a life. There’s also a brilliant line that Pella says “You can never really take any thing out on anyone else. You can only take it out on yourself.” That line rings deep in this novel and feels so true that I forgive it a lot of its aimlessness and length. While I don’t buy the choice Pella makes at the end at all I also see how it connects other threads in the book. I think as it was for Art of Fielding it is for the Brightness—Harbach captures something true about the aimlessness of life and navigating life through grief and change.
July 28, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown & Co for the advanced copy.
Let me start by saying I generally prefer a plot driven book. To be honest, I don’t know what made me download The Brightness when it came through as read now. But I am SO glad I did! While long at 672 pages, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and it didn’t seem like it was that long. Perhaps a side effect of a digital copy, but I digress.
I did not know this was a follow up to The Art of Fielding. While the characters carry over, you can absolutely read The Brightness on its own. I never once felt like I was lost or confused because I didn’t have all the character background.
Both Pella and Irma had a strong redemptive character arc, and they truly came to life on the pages. By the end of the book they felt like two real life friends, with their fair share of poor decision making, and lovable actions to boot.
I thought the multiple POV’s was executed flawlessly. There was a nice balance between the two and it was a change of pace from seeing the narrator change every other chapter.
While I do have some qualms with the book, it has more to do with my own quirks and less with the writing. I struggled with the Nicholas obsession when Pella is clearly a brilliant worthy woman. And for Irma I struggled understanding her obsession and obliviousness to how Dahlia treated her. Ultimately though, these parts make both characters who they are. So while I don’t understand it, I respect the literary choices.
Overall I rated this a 4.75, rounding up to five stars. One of my favorite reads so far in 2026 and I can’t wait for more people to fall in love with this story!
Let me start by saying I generally prefer a plot driven book. To be honest, I don’t know what made me download The Brightness when it came through as read now. But I am SO glad I did! While long at 672 pages, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and it didn’t seem like it was that long. Perhaps a side effect of a digital copy, but I digress.
I did not know this was a follow up to The Art of Fielding. While the characters carry over, you can absolutely read The Brightness on its own. I never once felt like I was lost or confused because I didn’t have all the character background.
Both Pella and Irma had a strong redemptive character arc, and they truly came to life on the pages. By the end of the book they felt like two real life friends, with their fair share of poor decision making, and lovable actions to boot.
I thought the multiple POV’s was executed flawlessly. There was a nice balance between the two and it was a change of pace from seeing the narrator change every other chapter.
While I do have some qualms with the book, it has more to do with my own quirks and less with the writing. I struggled with the Nicholas obsession when Pella is clearly a brilliant worthy woman. And for Irma I struggled understanding her obsession and obliviousness to how Dahlia treated her. Ultimately though, these parts make both characters who they are. So while I don’t understand it, I respect the literary choices.
Overall I rated this a 4.75, rounding up to five stars. One of my favorite reads so far in 2026 and I can’t wait for more people to fall in love with this story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is one of those rare books where the plot isn't the main attraction; it's the characters. Pella and Irma felt incredibly real, and I became so invested in their lives that by the end, they felt more like people I'd known than fictional characters. Their friendship is messy, supportive, frustrating, and deeply authentic.
What impressed me most was how perfectly Chad Harbach captures that in-between stage of adulthood where you're expected to have everything figured out, but you're really just making the best decisions you can with the information you have. Through themes of friendship, identity, grief, ambition, love, and change, the story feels honest and emotionally rich without ever offering easy answers.
Yes, the pacing slows in a few places, but because I cared so much about these characters, I never wanted to leave their world. I also didn't realize this was connected to The Art of Fielding until after I finished, and I had no trouble reading it as a standalone.
Overall, The Brightness is thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully written. It's the kind of novel that stays with you long after the final page.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC!
Pub. date: Oct. 27th 2026
#TheBrightness #NetGalley
What impressed me most was how perfectly Chad Harbach captures that in-between stage of adulthood where you're expected to have everything figured out, but you're really just making the best decisions you can with the information you have. Through themes of friendship, identity, grief, ambition, love, and change, the story feels honest and emotionally rich without ever offering easy answers.
Yes, the pacing slows in a few places, but because I cared so much about these characters, I never wanted to leave their world. I also didn't realize this was connected to The Art of Fielding until after I finished, and I had no trouble reading it as a standalone.
Overall, The Brightness is thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully written. It's the kind of novel that stays with you long after the final page.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC!
Pub. date: Oct. 27th 2026
#TheBrightness #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
At 672 pages, The Brightness was a major commitment, but the reward was a powerfully resonant stand-alone novel about women and youth. Focusing on Pella and Irma—two twenty-something women at Westish College—Harbach crafts a story that sharply examines the lives and challenges of young women in a shifting, post-feminist landscape on the eve of the Trump era. Pella's experiences in particular reminded me of my own youth, including vivid memories of places like New York and even echoes of nights like Irma's on Block Island.
Sometimes Chad Harbach irritated me with his ideas of how a young woman might think, act, or feel. I wondered how a man can truly plumb the depths of despair and doubt of women so young, so confused. But I kept reading, and I'm so happy I did. The book took me on a personal journey through all those decisions I made in my early twenties. Difficult decisions in those young years will affect one's life for some time, perhaps a lifetime. I am so happy that CH wrote this book and that I had the good fortune to read it.
Thank you, Chad Harbach, Little Brown & Co via NetGalley, for this eARC. The book will be published on October 27, 2026.
Sometimes Chad Harbach irritated me with his ideas of how a young woman might think, act, or feel. I wondered how a man can truly plumb the depths of despair and doubt of women so young, so confused. But I kept reading, and I'm so happy I did. The book took me on a personal journey through all those decisions I made in my early twenties. Difficult decisions in those young years will affect one's life for some time, perhaps a lifetime. I am so happy that CH wrote this book and that I had the good fortune to read it.
Thank you, Chad Harbach, Little Brown & Co via NetGalley, for this eARC. The book will be published on October 27, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Calling it now - this novel is going to be the hit of the fall. The long awaited follow-up to THE ART OF FIELDING (a novel I adored and still think about), I didn’t even realize this was a continuation of that book’s story and characters until I was getting into this novel! Harbach once again writes with such clarity, world-building, and emotion. It’s a gorgeous book about coming of age, relationships (oh MAN there are some twists and turns with this one!) and sudden literary fame. It’s unexpectedly meta and made me want to read up about Harbach, which is something that doesn’t usually happen for me unless I’m reading a memoir.
It’s a campus novel, so perfect for fall vibes. It’s set in 2015 so perfect for nostalgia, and it’s a book about feminism written by a man which, admittedly, gave me some pause. But I think he pulled it off. The two main characters are women, and while he may not have 100% nailed the feminine experience (like no male authors can), it was an impressive effort, It’s a whopper of a novel at 672 pages but I breezed through it and could not put it down. Pre-order now to stay ahead of the curve, I promise this book is going to be talked about!!
It’s a campus novel, so perfect for fall vibes. It’s set in 2015 so perfect for nostalgia, and it’s a book about feminism written by a man which, admittedly, gave me some pause. But I think he pulled it off. The two main characters are women, and while he may not have 100% nailed the feminine experience (like no male authors can), it was an impressive effort, It’s a whopper of a novel at 672 pages but I breezed through it and could not put it down. Pre-order now to stay ahead of the curve, I promise this book is going to be talked about!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an ARC of this novel, the follow-up to Art of Fielding, through NetGalley.
This is a lengthy (672 pages), well-written book set largely at a northern Wisconsin university. While the plot involves several young women pulling off a prank to promote feminism and/or to protest against male dominance, this is an extensive study of characters, focused especially on two women. Pella is 27, already married and divorced, engaged again to the assistant football coach. Irma is 21, a brilliant bookworm type who is ready to break out of her shell socially.
The setting moves to a destination wedding, a wild one, then to New York City when Pella finds the need to get away from her fiancé. The book concludes back in Wisconsin, with Pella and Irma coming to grips with their uncertain futures.
The length of this book was somewhat off putting, but the character development was brilliant. I found myself rooting hard for the characters to find a good way forward. But at the same time I thought the book would be even better if some things that did not contribute meaningfully to the story would have been left out.
This is a lengthy (672 pages), well-written book set largely at a northern Wisconsin university. While the plot involves several young women pulling off a prank to promote feminism and/or to protest against male dominance, this is an extensive study of characters, focused especially on two women. Pella is 27, already married and divorced, engaged again to the assistant football coach. Irma is 21, a brilliant bookworm type who is ready to break out of her shell socially.
The setting moves to a destination wedding, a wild one, then to New York City when Pella finds the need to get away from her fiancé. The book concludes back in Wisconsin, with Pella and Irma coming to grips with their uncertain futures.
The length of this book was somewhat off putting, but the character development was brilliant. I found myself rooting hard for the characters to find a good way forward. But at the same time I thought the book would be even better if some things that did not contribute meaningfully to the story would have been left out.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Brightness by Chad Harbach is an absolute masterpiece if you love deep, character-driven fiction. Fifteen years after his massive hit debut, Harbach takes us back to the world of Westish College and beyond, focusing heavily on the chaotic lives of two young women, Pella and Irma.
The story kicks off during a wild wedding weekend on Block Island that completely upends Pella’s supposedly settled life, sending her on a messy, soul-searching journey to New York City. Meanwhile, Irma is dealing with the fallout of a major campus prank back in the Midwest.
What makes this book so incredible is how perfectly it captures that heavy, shimmering anxiety of your twenties. It is a massive 672-page book, but the writing is so energetic, witty, and deeply human that you just want to live in it. The characters feel like real people making confusing choices while trying to figure out who they want to be. It is funny, frustrating, and incredibly honest about friendship, ambition, and growing up. If you want a brilliant contemporary novel that completely consumes you, this is it.
#TheBrightness #NetGalley
The story kicks off during a wild wedding weekend on Block Island that completely upends Pella’s supposedly settled life, sending her on a messy, soul-searching journey to New York City. Meanwhile, Irma is dealing with the fallout of a major campus prank back in the Midwest.
What makes this book so incredible is how perfectly it captures that heavy, shimmering anxiety of your twenties. It is a massive 672-page book, but the writing is so energetic, witty, and deeply human that you just want to live in it. The characters feel like real people making confusing choices while trying to figure out who they want to be. It is funny, frustrating, and incredibly honest about friendship, ambition, and growing up. If you want a brilliant contemporary novel that completely consumes you, this is it.
#TheBrightness #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow, wow, wow! "The Art of Fielding" is one of my favorite books and it's been 15 years since the author has written something new so this was a moment to celebrate. I went in blind and realized quickly that the Westish College setting and some of the character names were familiar so this was a sequel to his first book. I felt a bit disappointed since I couldn't remember the details of the first book clearly after so much time but that disappointment fell away as the story progressed and at the 20% mark (of the 672 page book), I was fully engaged and that interest only increased throughout.
We mostly follow Pella, now 28, recently graduated from Westish and engaged to Mike Schwartz, assistant coach. She is helping Owen plan his wedding on Block Island. That wedding turned into high drama and from then on, I couldn't put the book down.
Chad Harbach's signature writing is back, with deeply human characters to root for. I hope we don't have to wait 15 more years for another book but if we do, I'll read it happily.
We mostly follow Pella, now 28, recently graduated from Westish and engaged to Mike Schwartz, assistant coach. She is helping Owen plan his wedding on Block Island. That wedding turned into high drama and from then on, I couldn't put the book down.
Chad Harbach's signature writing is back, with deeply human characters to root for. I hope we don't have to wait 15 more years for another book but if we do, I'll read it happily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 ⭐
I appreciated the themes explored throughout The Brightness. While it took a while for the central premise to fully develop, I thought the ideas the author was exploring were thoughtful and meaningful.
This one wasn't the best fit for me. It took quite a while for the story to get where it was going and I struggled with the pacing during the first half. There was a lot of backstory and side details that made it hard for me to stay engaged. I never felt as connected to the characters as I wanted to. I found myself watching their journeys rather than feeling like I was experiencing them alongside the characters.
While I can appreciate the thoughts this book is trying to spark the execution ultimately didn't work for me. I think readers who enjoy slower stories with a heavy focus on character history will enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I appreciated the themes explored throughout The Brightness. While it took a while for the central premise to fully develop, I thought the ideas the author was exploring were thoughtful and meaningful.
This one wasn't the best fit for me. It took quite a while for the story to get where it was going and I struggled with the pacing during the first half. There was a lot of backstory and side details that made it hard for me to stay engaged. I never felt as connected to the characters as I wanted to. I found myself watching their journeys rather than feeling like I was experiencing them alongside the characters.
While I can appreciate the thoughts this book is trying to spark the execution ultimately didn't work for me. I think readers who enjoy slower stories with a heavy focus on character history will enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars - I received this ARC from NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company.
I really debated over how many stars to give. I settled on 4.5 due to the fact that I had to take a little break from this book when I felt I wasn't quite "in it". However, when I came back to it I was very in it so I'm not sure if it was me or a little bit of a lag in the book.
The last half of this book held me and I thought about coming back to the story when I wasn't able to read. Wonderfully written, picking up the characters from The Art of Fielding and placing them into new circumstances and continuing their lives at Westish and beyond.
Powerful reflections on feminism, the power and intimacy of friendships, and how our lives twist and turn.
I really debated over how many stars to give. I settled on 4.5 due to the fact that I had to take a little break from this book when I felt I wasn't quite "in it". However, when I came back to it I was very in it so I'm not sure if it was me or a little bit of a lag in the book.
The last half of this book held me and I thought about coming back to the story when I wasn't able to read. Wonderfully written, picking up the characters from The Art of Fielding and placing them into new circumstances and continuing their lives at Westish and beyond.
Powerful reflections on feminism, the power and intimacy of friendships, and how our lives twist and turn.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed the characters but overall, the book felt like too many stories lumped into one (600+ page) book. Each of the sections were interesting but I kept asking myself if I really needed to know about prior portions of the book.
I have not read the Art of Fielding. While the book is not billed as a sequel, part of me did think that I was dropped in the middle of a story and it would have meant more had I read the Art of Fielding. For instance, I didn't entirely understand why Mike and Pella were together or have an affection for Owen.
The book is well written and there are some good storylines within it, but it was a tad too much for my liking. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for GR.
I enjoyed the characters but overall, the book felt like too many stories lumped into one (600+ page) book. Each of the sections were interesting but I kept asking myself if I really needed to know about prior portions of the book.
I have not read the Art of Fielding. While the book is not billed as a sequel, part of me did think that I was dropped in the middle of a story and it would have meant more had I read the Art of Fielding. For instance, I didn't entirely understand why Mike and Pella were together or have an affection for Owen.
The book is well written and there are some good storylines within it, but it was a tad too much for my liking. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for GR.
Read
September 21, 2026"The Brightness" is a lively, thoughtful story about friendship, love, ambition, and the messy process of figuring out what comes next. Pella and Irma make an interesting pair as they face very different challenges while trying to understand who they are and what they really want from life. The mix of college drama, complicated relationships, political tension, and personal upheaval gives the story plenty of energy, while the focus on the uncertainty of being in your twenties makes it especially relatable. Chad Harbach does a great job capturing the excitement and anxiety of a time when almost anything seems possible, even as some choices can change everything. It’s a smart, funny, and deeply human story about growing up and learning to live with the consequences of change.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book!
It is hard to write a review for this book because of how deeply it connects to The Art of Fielding. I don't want to spoil anything but I think this book sort of devalues AoF. Or, possibly, I think this book is more like the gritty reality of the lives of the characters a few years after AoF ends, making AoF sort of an idealized version of what happen during their time at Westish.
That said, I did enjoy this novel and it was great to see where they all end up, even though I might dislike some of them immensely and have changed how I felt about them in AoF, which sucks!
It is hard to write a review for this book because of how deeply it connects to The Art of Fielding. I don't want to spoil anything but I think this book sort of devalues AoF. Or, possibly, I think this book is more like the gritty reality of the lives of the characters a few years after AoF ends, making AoF sort of an idealized version of what happen during their time at Westish.
That said, I did enjoy this novel and it was great to see where they all end up, even though I might dislike some of them immensely and have changed how I felt about them in AoF, which sucks!
Review of advance copy
I loved 'The Art of Fielding' and have read it several times. With this book, I was glad to see the stories of Mike, Pella and Owen continue. I was amused at some of the twists in Owen's story.
But this story meandered along, its emotional power sapped, its main stories kind of hidden in its depths. I lost momentum. It offers a great deal to the right reader. Maybe I just liked baseball more as a central part of a story.
My thanks to All My Friends Books of Cortland, NY for the advance copy.
But this story meandered along, its emotional power sapped, its main stories kind of hidden in its depths. I lost momentum. It offers a great deal to the right reader. Maybe I just liked baseball more as a central part of a story.
My thanks to All My Friends Books of Cortland, NY for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This book is long but so utterly absorbing in a way that I haven’t experienced since I read Claire Lombardo’s Same As It Ever Was - I don’t know that they have much in common apart from that they are both long, well written, and totally immersive, but I loved both of these books and that was the comp that most immediately came to mind. I wouldn’t describe this as a campus novel so much as one that is uniquely interested in the lives of women at various stages of maturity, and I really appreciated it for that. Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for the advanced reader’s copy giveaway!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
15 whole years ago, I loved The Art of Fielding a lot. This, a feminist novel written by a (presumably) gay man* containing a matryoshka conceit, is a bit of genius, fun for us fans, and strangely...worth the wait.
*he might not actually be gay, I have no idea.
(Do I want him to be gay in order to mitigate the ick I feel about enjoying a feminist novel written by a man? Maybe.)
*he might not actually be gay, I have no idea.
(Do I want him to be gay in order to mitigate the ick I feel about enjoying a feminist novel written by a man? Maybe.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am making peace with my inability to handle long books. The length portrays an arrogance that I don’t feel like writing or the story justified. This is a sequel. I hadn’t read the first book, but maybe people who had will feel differently about the characters and the book’s length.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of, The Brightness, by Chad Harbach, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Pella her man Mike, and friends Owen, and other characters fill this way to long book. I did not connect with the characters at all.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This is a well written book with a cast of characters you can not but help to love.
Review of advance copy
What was the point?? I read over 600 pages and I didn't care about any characters. They were all awful except for a couple side characters.
I basically finished the book and thought 'who cares?'
There were some points that I thought something would happen to make me feel something for these characters and it never came.
I basically finished the book and thought 'who cares?'
There were some points that I thought something would happen to make me feel something for these characters and it never came.
Want to Read
August 29, 2026sarah gelman best of fall Aug. 2026
* Read The Art of Feelings first
* Read The Art of Feelings first
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