If there’s one thing I’ll always pick up, it’s a messy family drama. Give me siblings carrying old resentments, parents with impossible expectations, and adults who still haven’t quite figured life out, and I’m usually all in. Make Nice has all of those ingredients, but for me it never quite reached the emotional payoff I was hoping for.
Set on Michigan’s beautiful Mackinac Island, this debut novel follows three adult siblings who are summoned home by their controlling father 100 days after their mother’s death. Each of them is grieving in a different way, but their father seems determined to dictate not only how the family should mourn, but how quickly they should move on. As the siblings reconnect, old wounds resurface and each must confront the direction their own life has taken.
The setting was easily one of my favorite aspects of the novel. Ryan Effgen captures the unique atmosphere of Mackinac Island so vividly that I felt transported there. The island’s car-free streets, slower pace of life, and distinctive charm become almost another character in the story.
The characterization is another strength. Each sibling has a distinct voice and set of struggles. Pete, the overlooked middle child whose career studying snails adds a wonderfully quirky touch, was my favorite of the three. I also really enjoyed Viv’s teenage daughter, Ash, and especially Oliver, the precocious young boy who steals nearly every scene he’s appears in. The supporting cast often brought the warmth and humor that kept me turning the pages.
Where the novel fell a little short for me was the plot itself. The family dynamics are compelling, but I kept waiting for the emotional tension to build into something messier and more transformative. Instead, the story remains fairly quiet and introspective throughout. I appreciated the thoughtful writing and the authentic portrait of people floundering through midlife, but I wanted a bit more momentum and emotional payoff.
The publisher compares this novel to Sandwich and The Wedding People. While I understand the comparison in terms of genre and tone, those are exceptionally high bars to clear. For me, Make Nice didn’t quite deliver the same emotional depth or memorable storytelling, and I wonder if those comparisons unintentionally set expectations that were difficult for a debut to meet.
Even so, I think Ryan Effgen is a writer worth watching. His prose is confident, his characters feel lived in, and he has a clear gift for creating a strong sense of place. While this particular story didn’t fully come together for me, I’d happily pick up whatever he writes next.
I would especially recommend Make Nice to readers who enjoy quieter, character-driven literary fiction, multigenerational family stories, and novels that prioritize atmosphere and relationships over plot twists or high drama.
Rating: ★★★¼☆ (3.25/5)
Make Nice publishes July 14, 2026.
Thank you to Ryan Effgen, Knopf and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. And thank you to my friend Anna for buddy reading this with me and sharing your thoughtful insights along the way. I hope we have many more buddy reads in our future!
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