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A review by carlysimone
Astrid Sees All by Natalie Standiford
4.0
3.5. Review to come!
⚠️CW: drug use, drug addiction, overdose, death of a parent, infidelity, abortion, brief mention of anorexia, murder
Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted ARC.
Astrid Sees All is a vivid snapshot of the New York City club scene in the 1980s. This story follows Phoebe, a recent college graduate, who stumbles into a job posing as a fortune teller in one of the city’s hottest night clubs. But rather than a crystal ball and tarot cards, Phoebe (aka Astrid) pulls from a box of movie ticket stubs to predict her clients’ future.
Okay. I’m bit conflicted. The setting was exciting, but I found these characters deeply depressing. Fueled by envy, addiction, and longing to be glamours and interesting, none of them were particularly likable. But there was something horrifyingly relatable in our main character’s youthful need to drown her grief and make her life an adventure. (Frankly, a naïveté I wish I couldn’t relate to.)
While certainly more character-driven than plot-driven, the sad, hollowness of their lives made every character feel a bit gauzy and insubstantial. Watching similar scenarios play out over and over with minimal character growth wasn’t particularly satisfying. That said, the city became the strongest character and its vibrance kept me turning pages. Vivid and electric and unrelenting, I was enchanted by the author’s portrayal of a New York City that chews you up and spits you out if you can’t keep up. I’m a sucker for atmosphere, and Astrid Sees All delivered there.
The highlight for me was definitely the subtle thrum of mystery pulsing throughout, culminating with a big, stomach-churning, “EXCUSE ME, WTF?” moment towards the end. My hand flew to my mouth to cover the grimace that distorted my face, and I immediately needed to talk about it. Was I expecting this book to have a twist that belongs in the thriller genre? Absolutely not, but I was definitely here for it.
This has been compared to Sweetbitter, but I enjoyed Astrid way more. If you were a fan of that book, I think you’ll like this one too.
⚠️CW: drug use, drug addiction, overdose, death of a parent, infidelity, abortion, brief mention of anorexia, murder
Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted ARC.
Astrid Sees All is a vivid snapshot of the New York City club scene in the 1980s. This story follows Phoebe, a recent college graduate, who stumbles into a job posing as a fortune teller in one of the city’s hottest night clubs. But rather than a crystal ball and tarot cards, Phoebe (aka Astrid) pulls from a box of movie ticket stubs to predict her clients’ future.
Okay. I’m bit conflicted. The setting was exciting, but I found these characters deeply depressing. Fueled by envy, addiction, and longing to be glamours and interesting, none of them were particularly likable. But there was something horrifyingly relatable in our main character’s youthful need to drown her grief and make her life an adventure. (Frankly, a naïveté I wish I couldn’t relate to.)
While certainly more character-driven than plot-driven, the sad, hollowness of their lives made every character feel a bit gauzy and insubstantial. Watching similar scenarios play out over and over with minimal character growth wasn’t particularly satisfying. That said, the city became the strongest character and its vibrance kept me turning pages. Vivid and electric and unrelenting, I was enchanted by the author’s portrayal of a New York City that chews you up and spits you out if you can’t keep up. I’m a sucker for atmosphere, and Astrid Sees All delivered there.
The highlight for me was definitely the subtle thrum of mystery pulsing throughout, culminating with a big, stomach-churning, “EXCUSE ME, WTF?” moment towards the end. My hand flew to my mouth to cover the grimace that distorted my face, and I immediately needed to talk about it. Was I expecting this book to have a twist that belongs in the thriller genre? Absolutely not, but I was definitely here for it.
This has been compared to Sweetbitter, but I enjoyed Astrid way more. If you were a fan of that book, I think you’ll like this one too.