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pmrichard1's review against another edition
2.0
This was not for me but idk why I thought it would be
loujoseph's review against another edition
4.0
plot-wise is was starting to remind me of a law and order episode, but morphed into something better as the father kept losing it.. weird that it wrapped up so nicely- like the new pelecanos book, maybe writing for the wire made him want to have more resolution in his own book?
that said, the man has an ear for dialogue, this one just flowed..
that said, the man has an ear for dialogue, this one just flowed..
maa_pix's review against another edition
3.0
A better than average read. Great characters. Absolutely swimming in sense of place. Perhaps too much. I've never even been to NY. So does the minutiae about the precise layout of the Lower East Side make any difference to me? Nah. Still, if you like police procedurals, or are a fan of NYC, then this book is for you.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This is one of the 12 best books of 2008 according to the Wall Street Journal's book reviewers. They refer to the author's gift of "taking a few blocks of NYC pavement and jackhammering through its social strata." That's an apt description. It's very well written and grabbed my attention even though I could not identify with any of the characters or situations -- lots of crime, profanity, drugs, all the seamier stuff of life. One of my goals this year is to read all 12 books on the WSJ list. I figured it would broaden my education. This book certainly has -- though not in ways I expected. On to the next one.
mwodonnell's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gentlelikefire's review against another edition
4.0
Hard to follow in audio book form. But I like the way this was written
alisonjfields's review against another edition
5.0
Lush Life is a complex, gritty crime novel that also happens to be a haunting, anxious tale of gentrification, community and fatherhood, wrapped around a poison-pen love letter to the Lower East Side. Ignoring any one of those facets would miss the nuanced big picture thing that Price has going on here, but Lush Life doesn't require all that much digging and scratching on the reader's end. It's a visceral, immediate read. Don't be surprised if you can't put it down.
bonnoggle's review against another edition
5.0
This book is excellent. The dialogue alone is worth a 5 stars. The author also wrote for The Wire, and you can feel the authenticity oozing through the pages. It's a noir book (cited as the best modern NYC noir book by several mystery writers) where the good guys and bad guys are not clearly delineated. The ending is also shades of grey... For those about the read the novel, the main characters are Matty, the slow-but-not cop in the Lower East Side, and Eric, a depressed waiter/writer. The other characters are important, but it will help to know who to pay attention to at first!
cseibs's review against another edition
4.0
A surprisingly good read. The novel's characters are palpably real. Price artfully takes the mundane and ordinary of New York street life and makes it present and significant. A wonderful read.
kathieboucher's review against another edition
4.0
What's not to love about a novel that quotes the theme song from 'Car 54, Where Are You'? This one was a nice gritty change of pace after a couple more cerebral historical novels. It reads like a movie, and no wonder--the author is one of the writers of The Wire.