Reviews with content warning for War - City of Girls

City of Girls is told from the perspective of Vivian recounting her rather colourful life to an enigmatic figure named Angela, as she attempts to, in great detail, explain the extent of her relationship with her father who remains a bit of a mystery until the later portion of the book. This is an interesting structural device that both works and doesn't. On one hand it keeps you quite engaged as you wonder who exactly Angela's father is, as more male characters are introduced, and become increasingly intrigued by what the end game is. However, it's also a bit farfetched that Vivian would take nearly 500 pages to explain herself.
Although the writing is very conversational and sucks you in as if you are listening to a good friend tell you a very juicy story, the dialogue is too intricate and convincing for the conceit of the book to really work. For Vivian to be writing out her life story for Angela this would make her an 'unreliable nartator' but the characters and dialogue are far too believable and rich to be the memories of a woman in her 80s. So kind of a compliment as well as a criticism! It doesn't take away from the books brilliance.
The 1940s is wonderfully vivid and the atmosphere of the theatre is beautifully captured and just dripping in nostalgia. Vivian's older and wiser descriptions of her young and vain 19 year old self are also hilariously catty. I felt such an affection for this character and was totally caught up in her journey. For the bulk of the book she is sewing her wild Oates in New York enjoying the glamorous company of showgirl Celia Ray (the blurb is quite misleading and makes their relationship seem more important than it is, this is very much Vivian's story alone). It also follows her career as a costumer and involvement in the creation of an exciting new musical called City of Girls, which aims to revitalise the shabby theatre her Aunt Peg runs. These event perhaps span a few years but take up most of the book and are filled with fantastic character and important events and scandal that help shape who Vivian becomes later in life. It's often sexy, fun and deliriously exhilarating.
However, there are moments of great sadness as she explores loss and the aftermath of the war. You really feel Vivans grief and emotions as she learns from her mistakes and digs herself out of a heartbreaking pit of self loathing emerging as a fully formed, confident woman who is completely happy and unashamed of who she is.
I loved this book! I was so invested and touched by it. It was also surprising and just took me somewhere I was not expecting, particularly with her relationship with Angela's father, which was poignant and in great contrast to her more playful and physically passionate relationships with other men in the story. I enjoyed City of Girls discussion on double standards and gender roles and also its focus on female friendship and different kinds of love. It was also so sex positive, which was great. I loved Vivian for all her flaws and think this is a must read if you love a good character study

Content Warnings

aidrielle's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

lesson learned. i really should read synopses more closely next time. if i knew this book was about a rich spoiled (STRAIGHT!) white girl and her rich spoiled straight white girl problems during ww2 in america, i probably wouldn't have read it. went on way too long and for what!!! i'd feel sorry for angela for having to read all that if i wasn't so disgusted by her choice of wedding dress (even though it was all the main character's fault). that was truly vile. no idea how i managed to finish this book when i found about 90% of it so unlikable.

Content Warnings

bookmarkedbyfi's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

lotten4's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really liked the ambiance. (Also, good writing)

Content Warnings

genevievefv's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

m4rtt4's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-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? Yes

4.0

Didn't expect to like it as much as I did! Time travelling through books has always been nice, and this time it was genuinely FUN and addicting as well. But why the f was the book written in the form of a letter? That was completely unnecessary, and I don't think the story would have been any less interesting had it just been about Vivian (as it already was), without the constant remarks to "Angela". I mean, NOBODY writes letters 500 pages long to explain anything, let alone something like this. I didn't really like Vivian either, sometimes she was painfully insufferable. However, I did like her story, and that's what matters. I might have fallen in love with the dusty, cigarette-reeking yet compelling Lily Playhouse as well.

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