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surfmonkey01's review against another edition
2.0
Well written, quickly paced. But wow, did I feel old and out of touch reading this. It was nigh-impossible to relate to anyone in this story. It’s weird. I’m not sorry I read it, but I really wasn’t that fond of it either. It’s very hard to explain
lindsayhumes's review against another edition
1.0
This book is by far the worst thing I've read in a while. The quality of writing is awful, if not painful. It lacks direction and purpose. The writer paints a mundane picture of the NYC tech scene with full cliche details. Did it have an editor?
The book has such gems as:
"Men were supposed to be (magically!) more willing to shoulder their share of household responsibilities, and yet, if Dan disappeared, Sabrina would be able to take care of the kids without him, while the reverse was definitely not true."
Snore.
If you do manage to get past the awful writing, then you'd find the characters, story, and plot completely cliche and two-dimensional. I can't believe an adult wrote this book. A completely shallow work.
It's so bad that I don't want to even keep it in my house. Would not give it to a friend, and wondering what the benefits are of donating something so awfully written.
The book has such gems as:
"Men were supposed to be (magically!) more willing to shoulder their share of household responsibilities, and yet, if Dan disappeared, Sabrina would be able to take care of the kids without him, while the reverse was definitely not true."
Snore.
If you do manage to get past the awful writing, then you'd find the characters, story, and plot completely cliche and two-dimensional. I can't believe an adult wrote this book. A completely shallow work.
It's so bad that I don't want to even keep it in my house. Would not give it to a friend, and wondering what the benefits are of donating something so awfully written.
meg37's review against another edition
3.0
Quick read. Not terrible, just not super complex or surprising.
dragonessreads's review against another edition
5.0
Funny , fast paced story with strong characters and a powerful message.
amr316's review against another edition
4.0
This was well-written and suspenseful! I finished it in two days. The characters are vivid without seeming stereotypical, and Shafrir has done a solid job of capturing tech startup life. I especially appreciated that the female characters weren’t forever in pursuit of men to complete their story arcs. Four stars.
amn028's review against another edition
3.0
A little slow to start but worth hanging in for. The ending leads me to believe there is a sequel in the making (otherwise there are a lot of loose ends and not a real sense of closure satisfaction). Enjoyed the story enough to add the possible sequel to my TBR list.
All the characters are layers of complex and not always likeable. I did like the sense of strong, complicated female leads.
All the characters are layers of complex and not always likeable. I did like the sense of strong, complicated female leads.
camilleisreading24's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really fun book! Perfect thing to bring on my day trip to Rehoboth Beach :) funny, lots of pop culture references, and a quick read. This book follows a few characters working in the tech scene in NYC. Kind of had a Silicon Valley feel to it.
Mack McAllister is the "start up bro" trying to secure funding for his work mindfulness company. But his recent affair with one of his employees threatens to spook his investors. Katya Pasternak is a young writer for TechScene magazine trying to make a name for herself as a journalist. Her boss, Dan, encourages her writing until his friendliness crosses a boundary. Dan's wife works for Mack and resents her husband's long workdays and their inequitable distribution of childcare.
All of the characters' lives and motives are intertwined, but never felt unwieldy. The ending was a little abrupt but I think the writer may be setting herself up for a sequel if this one does well. And I'm fine with that; I'd love to see what these characters do next!
Mack McAllister is the "start up bro" trying to secure funding for his work mindfulness company. But his recent affair with one of his employees threatens to spook his investors. Katya Pasternak is a young writer for TechScene magazine trying to make a name for herself as a journalist. Her boss, Dan, encourages her writing until his friendliness crosses a boundary. Dan's wife works for Mack and resents her husband's long workdays and their inequitable distribution of childcare.
All of the characters' lives and motives are intertwined, but never felt unwieldy. The ending was a little abrupt but I think the writer may be setting herself up for a sequel if this one does well. And I'm fine with that; I'd love to see what these characters do next!
bidoofaloof's review against another edition
4.0
This definitely filled my need for a quick, engrossing read. The book shifts between the viewpoints of five characters who are varying degrees of complex and sympathetic, with every significant male character being a garbage fire (this is not a complaint). Shafrir sometimes veers on the didactic, but the sheer variety of viewpoints and cutting accuracy of her observations ultimately allows the reader to come to their own conclusions.
booklover180's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐
As someone who lives in NYC and has worked for a tech company, I was curious to see how the industry would be portrayed. I must say, the author nailed it. TakeOff, the fictional tech company in this story, was depicted quite similarly to what I’ve come to know as a modern-day tech company, from the regular happy hours, themed dress-up days, social media use, and secret office “romances”.
The story had great pacing—I finished it in one sitting—but I was still left wanting more. What exactly did I want more of? I don’t know. Maybe the ending? It felt underdeveloped.
I applaud the author for writing about sexual harassment in the workplace. All too often, these issues go unreported or silenced.
Overall, I’m glad I read this and would recommend this if you are into stories based on office drama, NYC startups, or just want a quick and easy read.
As someone who lives in NYC and has worked for a tech company, I was curious to see how the industry would be portrayed. I must say, the author nailed it. TakeOff, the fictional tech company in this story, was depicted quite similarly to what I’ve come to know as a modern-day tech company, from the regular happy hours, themed dress-up days, social media use, and secret office “romances”.
The story had great pacing—I finished it in one sitting—but I was still left wanting more. What exactly did I want more of? I don’t know. Maybe the ending? It felt underdeveloped.
I applaud the author for writing about sexual harassment in the workplace. All too often, these issues go unreported or silenced.
Overall, I’m glad I read this and would recommend this if you are into stories based on office drama, NYC startups, or just want a quick and easy read.
lemeilleurs's review against another edition
4.0
Man oh man this book was good. The whole startup scene has fascinated me ever since I had to write an article about it for Insite, but it's seemed so far removed from my own experiences. Add in my journalism background and my traditionalist views of journalism/social media, and this book had me hooked. It's such an interesting commentary, not only on the culture of journalism and startups, but also on gender roles in an office culture. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a feminist by any means, but even I think sexual assault in any form is a huge no-no. The most interesting part of course is societies response to this, which I think was captured so well towards the end of the book. My only complaint? The ending! I feel like the characters were just to the heart of their stories and the book just closes, the end, leaving me want to know what happens next.