If you loved Pineapple Street, this is going to be your juicy summer read. For me, this read so similarly to that (satire, writing style, skipping around from character to character) except you hate everyone. Truly. Also, it’s plottier (more stuff happens — a death, plus several other things that I won’t spoil for you). Maybe it is Pineapple Street mixed with White Lotus? I think that’s it! As I read it, I couldn’t tell which character I liked the least? The writing is great, the characters are sharply observed… it’s a fun read but sometimes I hated it as I disliked the characters so much. It can be hard to read a book when you hate everyone. (Though I read the book in a single Sunday so I don’t know what that says about me?) Set in Salcombe, a small town on Fire Island, the book explores the relationships between several couples (and their one single friend). It felt like high school except with lots of booze and money: very wealthy grownups behaving very badly. There are Lauren and Jen, the pretty, popular women who rule the island. More friends by situation (their husbands are best friends) than choice. There are the husbands (Jason and Sam, respectively) who grew up coming to the island. Except Jason sort of hates and resents Sam. There’s Robert, the hot new tennis pro with a past. And there’s Rachel, the “sad single friend.” Put them all together in a boring summer town and watch what happens.
Author: Emma Rosenblum
