I’m Booked: “Wellness”
Written by Ally Abruscato. Graphic by Charlotte Beck.
Welcome back to another year of book reviews! At the end of 2023, I found myself reading short, quick reads to get to my reading goal. Once 2024 began, I allowed myself to slow down with a nice, long book. “Wellness” by Nathan Hill turned out to be a great way to start my year.
For anyone looking for a plot summary of “Wellness,” you have come to the wrong place. Even though I am obsessed with this book, I have no idea what it is about. I could say it’s about love. Or the lack thereof. I could say it is about the challenges of parenthood. Or maybe worse, the challenges of childhood. I could say it is about art. Or the placebo effect. So, I suppose there’s no easy way to describe this book. That doesn’t make it any less remarkable.
“Wellness” is intricately layered, with overlapping stories that might seem to have no relation to one another. It is so detailed that every aspect, even the most absurd, seems to be 100% true. Although it might seem too detailed at some points, Hill writes with such purpose that everything always falls into place. Its satire is hysterically and frighteningly accurate. I found myself relating moments of this book to almost everything in my life. I apologize to everyone I told, “This reminds me of the book I’m reading right now.” To be honest, I’m probably going to keep bringing it up even since I’ve finished it. Considering one of the main characters is a photographer like myself, I felt deeply invested in every detail.
The writing is beautifully and universally relatable. It forces the reader to question their habits, relationships, and interactions with society as a whole. Many parts of this book were gorgeous, but one of my favorite lines was, “It is an odd feeling, to sense one’s aliveness, for perhaps the very first time, to understand that life up to this point was not being lived, exactly; it was being endured.”
I highly recommend “Wellness” to anyone interested in character studies, changes in perspective, and thought-provoking dialogue. While it might seem confusing and tiring initially, it is worth continuing to the end. I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
