Reviews

Morningside Heights is a portrait of that part of New York City in the late 1990s. The focus is very much on the Braithwaite family, who are being forced out due to gentrification and rising costs, as well as a small group of their friends. I enjoyed much of the read, especially the interpersonal dynamics, but was irked by the way Annie in particular contributed to their woes due to a sense of entitlement and refusing to face financial reality. The ending felt like a bit of a let down - very easy to predict and unrealistic. How likely is anyone to receive a large, unexpected inheritance?

madfoot's review

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4.0

This got four stars from me, the extra one being because I just miss that neighborhood so much and was glad to see it as a skillfully drawn additional character in the book.

Someone else made the comparison to Jane Austen, and I think that's apt. The main characters are a particular brand of genteel, impoverished intelligensia that certainly rang true for me, being of that world. Which made it both enjoyable and stifling. I found myself wondering, at times, why I was spending time with these entitled, spoiled brats - yet I was compelled to keep reading and root for them, which is a tribute to Mendelson's writing. She just wouldn't let go of my subconscious. I've now ordered both sequels, because as irritating as these characters are, I must know what happens next.

Again: Austen-like.

lisadsam's review

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relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

legsbian's review against another edition

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I had to put this down after the author detailed how the family was constantly going deeper and deeper in debt and then described how the mother, Anne, "liked to set a good table, and chose delicacies with no thought of their price, of which she was generally ignorant. She would have been horrified at the idea of planning menus around the cost of foods; the choice of whether to serve bean paste or Beluga caviar had nothing to do with money, only with questions of taste, variety, and nutrition."

I'm sure it's part of some greater plot but that amount of financial mismanagement literally gave me anxiety.

kcrovensky's review

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4.0

I enjoyed the story and the writing... except for numerous statements about how the characters felt, rather than letting me see or experience what they were feeling.

lectora21's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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