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christine_queenofbooks 's review for:
The Party Upstairs
by Lee Conell
Thank you to Penguin Press and NetGalley for a free e-arc of this title for review.
I was drawn to this book by its synopsis - The Party Upstairs takes place in one day, largely in one Upper West Side apartment building. It centers on Ruby, who's recently moved back in with her parents, and her father (the super).
I found it uneven, but in a way that will have me watching whatever this author writes next. While at times I felt like the book dragged or got a bit absurd, at other times I highlighted entire paragraphs for their insight on privilege, expectations, and the stories we tell. Some of Conell's sentences cut in an altogether delicious way.
Recommended for those who like Alternate Side (Anna Quindlen) and/or complex father-daughter relationships. Please be advised the plot is sort of a bummer (this is more class analysis than an uplifting pull-youself-up-by-the-bookstraps tale...)
I was drawn to this book by its synopsis - The Party Upstairs takes place in one day, largely in one Upper West Side apartment building. It centers on Ruby, who's recently moved back in with her parents, and her father (the super).
I found it uneven, but in a way that will have me watching whatever this author writes next. While at times I felt like the book dragged or got a bit absurd, at other times I highlighted entire paragraphs for their insight on privilege, expectations, and the stories we tell. Some of Conell's sentences cut in an altogether delicious way.
Recommended for those who like Alternate Side (Anna Quindlen) and/or complex father-daughter relationships. Please be advised the plot is sort of a bummer (this is more class analysis than an uplifting pull-youself-up-by-the-bookstraps tale...)