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A review by happiestwhenreading
A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
A Gorgeous Excitement (didn't know about the reference of the title until this book!) is a drug-filled, party-induced coming-of-age story centered in NYC in the 1980s. It is loosely based on the "Preppy Murder" case of 1986, and the author's personal connection to that murderer. 😳
It's Nina's last summer before leaving for college and she has two main goals: avoid her mother and lose her virginity. Between managing her mother's declining mental health and chasing her crush around town, by the time summer is over, it will have ended in murder.
This is for sure a slow burn character study. There isn't a ton of action, and there were times I was bored and considered DNFing. However, something about the writing and the nostalgia of a childhood ending kept me reading. I do feel like I was transported in this novel to a time where things were simpler, but also not (if that makes sense). There were so many 80s references - food, music, fashion, drugs - that that might be part of the nostalgia I felt.
In all honesty, I kept waiting for the climactic event to happen. It is very near the end, so that was disappointing to me. I feel like it became an afterthought - almost like the author forgot to include it - so she threw it in. I would have liked to see how this affected the characters and how they navigated through it.
Overall, this novel is slow - if you don't like that, I don't think this is the book for you. But if you're willing to just sink in and enjoy some great writing, I think you should give this one a try!
It's Nina's last summer before leaving for college and she has two main goals: avoid her mother and lose her virginity. Between managing her mother's declining mental health and chasing her crush around town, by the time summer is over, it will have ended in murder.
This is for sure a slow burn character study. There isn't a ton of action, and there were times I was bored and considered DNFing. However, something about the writing and the nostalgia of a childhood ending kept me reading. I do feel like I was transported in this novel to a time where things were simpler, but also not (if that makes sense). There were so many 80s references - food, music, fashion, drugs - that that might be part of the nostalgia I felt.
In all honesty, I kept waiting for the climactic event to happen. It is very near the end, so that was disappointing to me. I feel like it became an afterthought - almost like the author forgot to include it - so she threw it in. I would have liked to see how this affected the characters and how they navigated through it.
Overall, this novel is slow - if you don't like that, I don't think this is the book for you. But if you're willing to just sink in and enjoy some great writing, I think you should give this one a try!