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rjphilander's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
miszjeanie's review against another edition
4.0
Halsey Street is a strong debut novel that will cause you to ponder about family, motherhood and what community really means. Although it might ruffle feathers especially on the topic of gentrification, Halsey Street is compelling, necessary and thought provoking.
suvata's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t love it but it was better than OK.
You can get it for free at Kindle Unlimited.
You can get it for free at Kindle Unlimited.
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so hard for me to review, because it was NOT an easy book for me to listen to. I was simultaneously appreciating the importance of the storylines about gentrification in Brooklyn and the intricacies of parent-adult child relationships while wanting to scream at the main character about all of her life choices. Honestly, I almost DNF'd a few times because Penelope's struggles were depressing me because they all seemed so self-induced.
However, and this is a big one, I recently heard Glory Edim (founder of @wellreadblackgirl ) talk on a New York Public Library podcast about many authors not writing books for us to like, but simply to tell that particular story. And that is 100% the case here, I believe. I don't think Coster wrote this for me/us to "like" at all - we're not supposed to find Penelope adorable and the story sweet. Penelope is the prickliest character with the lowest sense of self-worth that I have read in a long long time and I decided to embrace the idea of continuing with the book as a tool for learning about and developing empathy for the very real people in my world who also have these characteristics. And I think that worked. I tried hard to figure out why she felt the way she did and what societal and familial factors led to her current state. It was a literary workout!
Ultimately, this is a book I'm glad I read/listened to, and I'm happy I finally knocked it off of my TBR shelf. It was a more in-depth look at gentrification than I just read in "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi and it was a natural follow-up to that YA novel. Both are set in Brooklyn, albeit different neighborhoods within, and both have main characters of Dominican descent. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time, and it's one I will definitely recommend to readers looking for a gritty and realistic novel about race and family. The hint at character growth at the end of the book was satisfying enough to leave me with a sense of hope for Penelope and her future.
However, and this is a big one, I recently heard Glory Edim (founder of @wellreadblackgirl ) talk on a New York Public Library podcast about many authors not writing books for us to like, but simply to tell that particular story. And that is 100% the case here, I believe. I don't think Coster wrote this for me/us to "like" at all - we're not supposed to find Penelope adorable and the story sweet. Penelope is the prickliest character with the lowest sense of self-worth that I have read in a long long time and I decided to embrace the idea of continuing with the book as a tool for learning about and developing empathy for the very real people in my world who also have these characteristics. And I think that worked. I tried hard to figure out why she felt the way she did and what societal and familial factors led to her current state. It was a literary workout!
Ultimately, this is a book I'm glad I read/listened to, and I'm happy I finally knocked it off of my TBR shelf. It was a more in-depth look at gentrification than I just read in "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi and it was a natural follow-up to that YA novel. Both are set in Brooklyn, albeit different neighborhoods within, and both have main characters of Dominican descent. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time, and it's one I will definitely recommend to readers looking for a gritty and realistic novel about race and family. The hint at character growth at the end of the book was satisfying enough to leave me with a sense of hope for Penelope and her future.
aurigae's review against another edition
4.0
At twenty-eight, Penelope isn't someone who's failed at life so much as someone who hasn't gotten around to trying. She's dropped out of school and abandoned her art, she drinks too much and has few meaningful relationships, and she hasn't been home to Bed-Stuy in years. So when her father's health takes a turn for the worse, going back to Brooklyn is a fresh start she doesn't really want. But nothing in the old neighborhood is as it was: the neighbors are richer and whiter, the businesses are fancier, and her mother doesn't live there anymore.
The good: A well-written, absorbing and affecting novel.
The less-good: Halsey Street concerns itself with at least three major issues: Penelope's relationship with her mother and, to a lesser extent, her father; Penelope's disengagement with her own life; and the gentrification of Brooklyn. The first two mesh well, but the latter feels like an awkward combination, and the passages that focus on it are largely disjoint from the rest of the novel. It's not clear to me that this is a failure of conception so much as execution, but certainly the concept is not an easy one to execute.
The bad: It took me a long time to get into reading this, largely because Penelope is an unlikable main character. I was drawn into the story after a few chapters, but I never really cared much for most of its characters.
The verdict: A memorable read. But this felt like a book with something to say, and I'm not sure what.
The good: A well-written, absorbing and affecting novel.
The less-good: Halsey Street concerns itself with at least three major issues: Penelope's relationship with her mother and, to a lesser extent, her father; Penelope's disengagement with her own life; and the gentrification of Brooklyn. The first two mesh well, but the latter feels like an awkward combination, and the passages that focus on it are largely disjoint from the rest of the novel. It's not clear to me that this is a failure of conception so much as execution, but certainly the concept is not an easy one to execute.
The bad: It took me a long time to get into reading this, largely because Penelope is an unlikable main character. I was drawn into the story after a few chapters, but I never really cared much for most of its characters.
Spoiler
The ending was disappointing; the primary narrative questions went unanswered, and although I can see that the guns of the first act were fired in the third act, so to speak, it still felt unsatisfying.The verdict: A memorable read. But this felt like a book with something to say, and I'm not sure what.
suvata's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t love it but it was better than OK.
You can get it for free at Kindle Unlimited.
You can get it for free at Kindle Unlimited.
lindseygwilson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I felt the way the author spun the tale kept me interested to learn more and find out the reason behind Penelope's and Mirella's actions, behaviors, responses. I had a hard time loving these characters, but I wanted to understand them.
Most of the flashbacks and return to present time were clear to me, but there were a couple places in the story in which I was not sure where in time I was without reading a few lines and doing a little mental work.
Most of the flashbacks and return to present time were clear to me, but there were a couple places in the story in which I was not sure where in time I was without reading a few lines and doing a little mental work.
starrymaze's review against another edition
3.0
This was an easy book for me to read. I think being able to relate in some way to the characters, or finding them believable, helps. It's a sad story. It's one that alludes to how much our lives can be influenced by others. For my simple mind, it's a story about loss, missed opportunities, stubbornness, and strange love within a family unit.
missberlyreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0