Sweetbitter

"For me a definite "wanted to love" kind of story. It had all the elements but just didn't deliver well. The writing style I loved and hated. Everything played out like a movie with scene cuts and picturesque descriptions of trival things but I enjoyed it. Flowing like the hustle and bustle of New York itself. Although many times it felt as if the words were caught in the middle of a conversation. Not knowing who or what we were talking about until a paragraph in.<br/><br/>I'm not sure how I felt about Tess. She didn't move to New York for the obvious reasons. It seems as though she was just young and wanted to feel alive. Those were some of my favorite moments of the story her trying to be inspired. But then the drugs came and I felt bogged down with all of her bad decisions.<br/><br/>Jake and Simone's relationship in a way was perverse but alluring none the less. Jake had a maddening wildness about him. Simone felt like the type of person you always seeked approval from not that she deserved it. There was a magic to Simone until you saw thru the veil.<br/><br/>The words seemed to affect me and demand my attention, demand feeling. I reveled in the descriptions of New York in the different seasons. Even though I couldn't relate to the wine knowledge I could still appreciate them and their complexity. The worst part though was I felt betrayed by the ending like a made it this far and for what. But even though I didn't love this book I felt compelled by it.<br/><br/>"The pain is what we know. It's our barometer of reality. We never trust pleasure.""

"This book had no plot at all, it seemed. I’m glad I finally finished this one as I had been bored through it entirely. There was hardly anything to capture my attention in the book, and I genuinely think it could’ve used a few more bits here and there. Don’t quite recommend this book to people who enjoy fast-paced stuff in particular. "

"Book and show both so good"

"This is a wonderfully written book that illustrates the life of a server in a well known NYC restaurant. One of the best books I've read this year."

"This book is great for people who like coming of age stories and the coming to terms with the hard task of romanticizing life when things get hard. "

"This book was super pretentious and every character was horrible. Tess may be one of the dumbest characters I have encountered this year. She is pathetic with her adoration of Jake and Simone. That said, I really did like this book. Having been a server in college, the descriptions of restaurant life were dead on, drugs and alcohol included. The really clipped conversations that were thrown in made me laugh because that is truly how you carried on a conversation when you were slammed. I can totally understand why this book is not for everyone though."

"Enjoyed Alex McKenna’a reading of this book."

"I knew I had to read this book once I read Danler's unexpected success story, and it did not disappoint. She has a singular and remarkable voice, and it's easy to get swept away along with Tess herself. Simply excellent"

"I loved the book too! I saw season 1 and I am watching season 2 but I think it got cancelled after that. "

"This book got me out of a reading slump! It flows so nicely. For lovers of coming of age stories, new york, wine and unforgettably problematic characters ❤"