Library Journal
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In this joyous ode to finding one's calling, even if the larger world doesn't necessarily appreciate it as it should, Batter Gray works in the copy room of a prestigious poetry journal. Batter, named after his mother's beloved dog, loves poetry—not the writing of it, but discovering brilliant poets. He had yearned to work at Peck & Peck, but not in such a lowly position. Once he gets there, he discovers the dysfunction that may take his beloved journal down: the current managing editor hates poetry, the other editors are saddened and demoralized, and the former managing editor, who was convicted of embezzling from the organization, keeps showing up in Batter's copy-room. As the son of a history professor and a typeface designer, Batter is good at seeing details—and as it turns out, uncovering the truth of who cooked the books at Peck & Peck is all in the details. VERDICT Garmus's second novel (after Lessons in Chemistry) is a funny, tender tale about a character finding himself and defining his worth. Readers who enjoy quirky stories with fully realized characters, reminiscent of the show Only Murders in the Building, will love this book.—Jennifer Mills

Publishers Weekly
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A young man seeks fulfillment while working for a prestigious and cutthroat poetry journal in this tender-hearted sophomore novel from bestseller Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry). It’s the early 1980s, and precocious California-raised Batter Gray hopes to do his bookish parents proud by landing a job in publishing. Batter fell in love with poetry as a boy, and in college he became a devoted reader of poetry magazine Peck & Peck. After graduation, he lands an entry-level job in the journal’s office in New York City, relegated to the moldy basement mail room. Determined to shine, Batter tries not to let anyone get to him. Not boisterous, narcissistic editor-in-chief Salton Peck, nor his salty assistant, Dexter, nor the staff of 39 ornery and ambitious editors. Still, feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated, Batter makes critical errors in judgment and gets in all sorts of mischief, from struggling to plan a company celebration to winding up in jail on arson charges. The story runs a bit too long, but in its unorthodox workplace, Garmus has crafted a canny analogy of the era’s ruthless corporate culture, which Batter can’t escape even by devoting his life to poetry. The author also packs the novel with the antic humor and colorful characterizations that drew readers to her debut. There’s much to cherish in this charming tale. Agent: Jennifer Joel, CAA. (Oct.)

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

And now for some lessons in poetry and typesetting. AfterLessons in Chemistry (2022), a debut that became one of the most popular books of recent years, Garmus applies her unique comic sensibility to the story of Batter Gray, a man named after a family dog of mythic talents. A poetry maven who was reading Auden as a fourth grader, he was raised by a type-designer mother and historian father who dearly hoped he would choose some more viable profession than poetry. But via an amazing stroke of luck, he lands a job after college at Peck & Peck, an illustrious literary journal located in a beautiful building in New York City. He’s at the very bottom of the complex and dysfunctional totem pole, making copies in the basement, struggling not to run afoul of the cantankerous editor-in-chief, Salton Peck, or his smarmy assistant, Dexter York, both of whom have taken an instant dislike to our hero (and can never get his name right. Few people can). And to be honest, Batter is not without his flaws. The novel bogs down a bit in the middle, with Salton constantly excoriating his staff in ALL CAPS and much ado over the possibility that submissions have been taken outside the building, which is forbidden. Along the way, many, many famous poets are name-checked, as are many typefaces, since Batter has been raised to instantly identify a font in the wild. The best example of this occurs during his brief sojourn in jail: “The thing I kind of admired about Motherfucker II, besides his manners, was this huge tattoo he had on his neck that readI will fuck you up in ITC Bolt. Call me my mother’s son, but whoever inked it nailed the kerning.” The narrative picks up steam toward the end, as bad guys become good guys, mysteries are solved, and Batter throws one hell of a party. Mostly charming, sometimes twee, with some really lovely things to say about poetry. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Some fans may fear that Garmus can’t create another story as tender, captivating, or triumphant as her 2022 hit, Lessons in Chemistry. But good news—she can, in a book both poignant and heartwarming. Peck & Peck is the story of an aimless young man who stumbles into a job at a quarterly poetry publication in early 1980s New York City—a landscape that doesn’t seem that long ago but feels at times like a time and place conjured up by a poet in a fever dream. Protagonist Batter Gray is named for a heroic dog but is certain he isn’t a hero himself. At the small, strange, and secretive Peck & Peck poetry journal, he struggles to figure out precisely who he is and who he wants to become while digging into the world of poetry that he’s always wished to be a part of. In this vividly drawn tale, readers will feel all the emotions Gray does and suffer through his confusion, desperation, and finally, his exhilaration, as he discovers and understands who he is. A stunning novel.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Readers loved Lessons in Chemistry, and will be excited for another novel by Garmus after a three-year wait.