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A review by bookofcinz
Halsey Street by Naima Coster
3.0
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to let everyone know how amazing this book was. I wanted to sing praises about this book but it just fell flat. I felt the book was slow, the character development was limited and I generally just lost interest 30% in.
Hasley Street is told from the perspective of Penelope, a failed artist who is currently living in Bed-stuy and seeing all the gentrification taking place. She is trying to find her footing in a world that seems to be changing all around her, added to that is taking care of her father, not to mentioned her ruined relationship with her Mom Mirella. We meet Mirella, Penelope's mother who resides in Dominica, she muses about her time in Brooklyn, her marriage and her relationship with her daughter.
Overall, this book fell flat. I did not like or felt anything for the main character Penelope. I felt she was sulky, angry, and a little immature especially for someone that is thirty. I understand that she is going through a lot, she is misunderstood but I felt I just do not know her. Her character development was limited and I think that was a major flaw of the book.
This was an ok debut novel, I might read something else by Naima Coster in the future but this book did not do it for me.
Hasley Street is told from the perspective of Penelope, a failed artist who is currently living in Bed-stuy and seeing all the gentrification taking place. She is trying to find her footing in a world that seems to be changing all around her, added to that is taking care of her father, not to mentioned her ruined relationship with her Mom Mirella. We meet Mirella, Penelope's mother who resides in Dominica, she muses about her time in Brooklyn, her marriage and her relationship with her daughter.
Overall, this book fell flat. I did not like or felt anything for the main character Penelope. I felt she was sulky, angry, and a little immature especially for someone that is thirty. I understand that she is going through a lot, she is misunderstood but I felt I just do not know her. Her character development was limited and I think that was a major flaw of the book.
This was an ok debut novel, I might read something else by Naima Coster in the future but this book did not do it for me.