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rosecityreader's review against another edition
4.0
One Night, New York is Lara Thompson’s terrific debut novel. The story takes place on one December night in 1932, when two young women plot to get revenge on a man who has wronged them by pushing him off the top of the Empire State Building.
Frances ran away from her life in Depression-wracked Kansas for the fast life of the big city. There, she fell in love with Agnes, a photographer’s apprentice, and they both fell in with a bad crowd. It is a story of romance, corruption, art, Greenwich Village bohemians, nightclubs, and skyscrapers. This fast-paced historical fiction glimmers with the edgy glamor of old New York, right up to the nail-biting culmination.
Frances ran away from her life in Depression-wracked Kansas for the fast life of the big city. There, she fell in love with Agnes, a photographer’s apprentice, and they both fell in with a bad crowd. It is a story of romance, corruption, art, Greenwich Village bohemians, nightclubs, and skyscrapers. This fast-paced historical fiction glimmers with the edgy glamor of old New York, right up to the nail-biting culmination.
janrich2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This beautifully written book is so many things: a LGBTQIA+ romance, an atmospheric dive into 30s NYC, a parable of difficult family relationships, a crime story but at the heart, it’s the story of a young woman taking all of the best and worst New York has to offer and making it her own. Thompson brings that era of Manhattan to life in a cinematic way, which made up for the times the story spun its tires.
willa_reads_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mcdawn73's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
astafford's review against another edition
Couldn’t get attached to the characters - felt that the book description was inaccurate.
susannes_pagesofcrime's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Rounded up
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was hoping for an absorbing read that not only transported me back to old New York but that kept me gripped and wanting more. Instead I found a book that while entertaining whilst I was reading it, once I put it down I wasn't all that inclined to pick it up again. There seems to be something missing from its pages, for all the descriptiveness of the light and darkness of the city I have come away feeling like I have no idea what the characters really looked like as they were very barely touched upon when it came to their physical appearance, their personalities were more fleshed out but it just didn't seem to be enough, for me at least. There are some good elements here and I may pick up future work from this author but for now I'm left feeling a little disappointed.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was hoping for an absorbing read that not only transported me back to old New York but that kept me gripped and wanting more. Instead I found a book that while entertaining whilst I was reading it, once I put it down I wasn't all that inclined to pick it up again. There seems to be something missing from its pages, for all the descriptiveness of the light and darkness of the city I have come away feeling like I have no idea what the characters really looked like as they were very barely touched upon when it came to their physical appearance, their personalities were more fleshed out but it just didn't seem to be enough, for me at least. There are some good elements here and I may pick up future work from this author but for now I'm left feeling a little disappointed.
janinetrimble's review against another edition
4.0
I loved that this book was like two stories in one. Flashing back between current day (the "crime"), and the build up. One thing I will say is that the synopsis is misleading a bit. I was under the impression based on the synopsis that the entire book takes place in one day, and it doesn't. It was also introduced as a thriller but I found it to be mostly contemporary fiction with a thrilling end. I listened to the audiobook and the emphasis on the thriller of it didn't start until about 60%.
I loved the characters of Frances and Agnes. Although so different, they were both so enticing in their own ways.
The audio quality was fantastic. It gave me very "1920s movie stars" vibes, and it aligned so well with taking place in New York.
Highly recommend!
I loved the characters of Frances and Agnes. Although so different, they were both so enticing in their own ways.
The audio quality was fantastic. It gave me very "1920s movie stars" vibes, and it aligned so well with taking place in New York.
Highly recommend!