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A review by oliveslittlelibrary_
Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Isa is a twenty-one year old girl who has just moved from the UK to New York City alongside her best friend Gala, with virtually no plan. "Happy Hour" is the resulting novel. The epitome of a "summer read," it is a pleasant yet emotionally in tune stream-of-consciousness journey through one girl's three summer months in New York City.
My first praise for this novel is for its narrator. Isa is young and very much acts like it, but the author gives her an incredible emotional depth that is perfectly balanced with her decision-making that is, well, what you would expect from a girl in her twenties on her own in New York City. Sometimes I would be in the middle of a seemingly lighthearted passage-- Isa out on a date, taking an odd job, galavanting around the city late at night-- and suddenly be struck with a quote or observation that hit me where it hurt (as someone who is currently lost in my twenties myself). Isa's experiences are ones we can relate to, especially if you are a younger reader like me. The structure of the novel is made to feel like how it feels to grow up: like you're on FaceTime with your best friend, learning to navigate the ups and downs together yet simultaneously charting your own course.
Another praise I have for the novel is how well fleshed-out the world it takes place in is. Despite no specific mention of a time period--one could assume from context clues, though, that it is within 5-10 years of the present day--New York City is portrayed very well. It's glamorized, sure, but that's kind of the point. We're seeing it exactly how a newcomer is: through rose-colored glasses. I was fully immersed in this world when reading and despite being quite familiar with New York City, it made it all seem brand new.
I think something I might have liked to see even more of were Isa's moments in solitude. Though her best friend Gala does "complete" the world, per se, part of me might have been even more attracted to this novel had it just been about Isa completely charting her own course. That's very much a personal preference, though, and the novel still has moments of Isa's self-discovery scattered throughout. I am also partial to darker and occasionally more sad literature, and as I mentioned previously, this book felt very light and refreshing overall.
I wouldn't recommend this to people who need constant plot motion to keep them going, as it is virtually nonexistent in this novel, but you'll love this book if you want to read coming-of-age stories but don't want depressing ones. This is also a GREAT read if you are experiencing life alone in a city for the first time, or if you are about to.
ps: If you are still in the throes of "Brat summer" you should definitely read this: I think BRAT is the perfect companion album for this novel in my opinion (:
My first praise for this novel is for its narrator. Isa is young and very much acts like it, but the author gives her an incredible emotional depth that is perfectly balanced with her decision-making that is, well, what you would expect from a girl in her twenties on her own in New York City. Sometimes I would be in the middle of a seemingly lighthearted passage-- Isa out on a date, taking an odd job, galavanting around the city late at night-- and suddenly be struck with a quote or observation that hit me where it hurt (as someone who is currently lost in my twenties myself). Isa's experiences are ones we can relate to, especially if you are a younger reader like me. The structure of the novel is made to feel like how it feels to grow up: like you're on FaceTime with your best friend, learning to navigate the ups and downs together yet simultaneously charting your own course.
Another praise I have for the novel is how well fleshed-out the world it takes place in is. Despite no specific mention of a time period--one could assume from context clues, though, that it is within 5-10 years of the present day--New York City is portrayed very well. It's glamorized, sure, but that's kind of the point. We're seeing it exactly how a newcomer is: through rose-colored glasses. I was fully immersed in this world when reading and despite being quite familiar with New York City, it made it all seem brand new.
I think something I might have liked to see even more of were Isa's moments in solitude. Though her best friend Gala does "complete" the world, per se, part of me might have been even more attracted to this novel had it just been about Isa completely charting her own course. That's very much a personal preference, though, and the novel still has moments of Isa's self-discovery scattered throughout. I am also partial to darker and occasionally more sad literature, and as I mentioned previously, this book felt very light and refreshing overall.
I wouldn't recommend this to people who need constant plot motion to keep them going, as it is virtually nonexistent in this novel, but you'll love this book if you want to read coming-of-age stories but don't want depressing ones. This is also a GREAT read if you are experiencing life alone in a city for the first time, or if you are about to.
ps: If you are still in the throes of "Brat summer" you should definitely read this: I think BRAT is the perfect companion album for this novel in my opinion (: