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Brooklyn Girls
(Brooklyn Girls #1)
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Fantastically funny, fresh and utterly relatable, Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess is the first novel in her brand new series about five twenty-something friends—Pia, Angie, Julia, Coco and Madeleine—sharing a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and discovering the ups and downs and ins and outs of their “semi-adult” lives. The first story belongs to sophisticated, spoile
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Start your review of Brooklyn Girls (Brooklyn Girls, #1)
2.5 stars
Brooklyn Girls was in my eyes a fresh book in a new series which could deliver something different. However I had far too many hang ups that resulted in Brooklyn Girls not leaving the greatest impression with me.
Pia has messed up big time, a photo of her topless and drinking was uploaded to Facebook and now her agency has dropped her. Her parents then rock up with an ultimatum she has eight weeks to sort her life out, otherwise she will be forced to leave Brooklyn and come and stay with ...more
Brooklyn Girls was in my eyes a fresh book in a new series which could deliver something different. However I had far too many hang ups that resulted in Brooklyn Girls not leaving the greatest impression with me.
Pia has messed up big time, a photo of her topless and drinking was uploaded to Facebook and now her agency has dropped her. Her parents then rock up with an ultimatum she has eight weeks to sort her life out, otherwise she will be forced to leave Brooklyn and come and stay with ...more
Fantastically funny, fresh and utterly relatable, Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess is the first novel in her brand new series about five twenty-something friends—Pia, Angie, Julia, Coco and Madeleine—sharing a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and discovering the ups and downs and ins and outs of their “semi-adult” lives.
I love Gemma Burgess... she has become my new writer friend (in my mind). She reminds me of Sophie Kinsella and that is a VERY good thing. I love New York so this book alrea ...more
I love Gemma Burgess... she has become my new writer friend (in my mind). She reminds me of Sophie Kinsella and that is a VERY good thing. I love New York so this book alrea ...more
Please don't start this book and think it's about another spoiled, rich, ditzy air head with no pride. Because where you may think that, sooo not the case. Pia is such a strong character who is finally learning who she is and the fact that she is a strong woman and what her family and exboyfriends say is not true. She seems like a girl that we can all relate to, she stumbles, she makes some stupid decisions, but she get's her act together and makes something of herself while building and repairi
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This is what New Adult is supposed to be! I have to be honest, I really have had trouble with the actual definition of New Adult because it just sounds like a weird genre to fill in the hole between Young Adult and melodramatic, bodice ripper romances. And really, why on Earth would that hole even exist? And so I was confused for a long while about what New Adult was, other than Young Adult with more sex. And Brooklyn Girls gave me an answer that, thankfully, wasn't 'oh, it's just more sex AND d
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Brooklyn Girls was utterly disappointing to me. If this is what the recently established "New Adult" genre is like it is clearly not for me. It almost seems as if the novel is written by a teenager who thinks that they know what it is like to be an adult - that is to say, they got it very, very wrong.
Main character Pia was over-dramatic and highly annoying, even more so than the average teenager, and the storyline was so over the top and ridiculous at times that I just couldn't take it or Pia s ...more
Main character Pia was over-dramatic and highly annoying, even more so than the average teenager, and the storyline was so over the top and ridiculous at times that I just couldn't take it or Pia s ...more
I really enjoyed this book. I mean, obviously. Five stars and all. It has the wit and heart I expect from Gemma Burgess and that includes engaging characters who are fully realized and who do their best to fit into each others' lives despite the bumps and bruises along the way.
I really enjoyed Pia, though I think Burgess had to pull a bit of a fast one to put her in the trouble she was in through much of the book. Even someone math-challenged and naïve shouldn't have been quite so . . . blasé, I ...more
I really enjoyed Pia, though I think Burgess had to pull a bit of a fast one to put her in the trouble she was in through much of the book. Even someone math-challenged and naïve shouldn't have been quite so . . . blasé, I ...more
Witless garbage. As a girl who's lived in Manhattan for 10 years and Brooklyn for 5, I can tell you Burgess has no understanding of Brooklyn, girls, or, for that matter, America.
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I loved this book so hard. I couldn't put it down for anything.
I am so in love with all the characters and was cheering them on through every page. Pia and her friends are amazing people and I couldn't stop wanting to have the chance to be their friend in real life.
Plus, the profanity usage in this book is so ridiculously fluent and poetic, I walked away feeling slightly more awesome than I actually am. ...more
I am so in love with all the characters and was cheering them on through every page. Pia and her friends are amazing people and I couldn't stop wanting to have the chance to be their friend in real life.
Plus, the profanity usage in this book is so ridiculously fluent and poetic, I walked away feeling slightly more awesome than I actually am. ...more
At about 22% of reading this novel, I was all ready to shelve this on my DNF list but I thought of taking a short break and decided to go on with it and I’m sure glad I did because after clearing my head a bit, the whole thing finally picked up after that annoyingly stupid decision from the main character.
You see, Pia’s a 22-year old newly graduate from Brown who lives with four other friends in Brooklyn and is used to partying, casual sex, drugs and just doing whatever she wanted to do until he ...more
You see, Pia’s a 22-year old newly graduate from Brown who lives with four other friends in Brooklyn and is used to partying, casual sex, drugs and just doing whatever she wanted to do until he ...more
ARC was provided by Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am kinda conflicted as to what I should rate this. Because it not 4 stars for sure, but it was extremely entertaining. Too entertaining for 3 stars… then again I don't think it's quite 3.5 after long ups and downs….I settled for 3. It's a VERY good 3. And I think for lover of this genre, they will actually rate it much higher than I did. I had a few issues with the story line and some of the character building.
At ...more
I am kinda conflicted as to what I should rate this. Because it not 4 stars for sure, but it was extremely entertaining. Too entertaining for 3 stars… then again I don't think it's quite 3.5 after long ups and downs….I settled for 3. It's a VERY good 3. And I think for lover of this genre, they will actually rate it much higher than I did. I had a few issues with the story line and some of the character building.
At ...more
On the plus side, I was interested enough in this that I read this all in one sitting (minus a couple of breaks for things like fixing my mom's floss container for her). On the negative side, I called the main character an idiot a lot.
On the plus side, this is much more than kind of new adult book I'd like to see. That time after college graduation, when you just have no idea what you're doing and everything feels like a mess and not at all like you thought it would be. On the negative side, it ...more
On the plus side, this is much more than kind of new adult book I'd like to see. That time after college graduation, when you just have no idea what you're doing and everything feels like a mess and not at all like you thought it would be. On the negative side, it ...more
For a while there, I thought this was heading towards a DNF. But eventually the story picked up - once the bratty main character started showing some promise - and I quite enjoyed her storyline, though things got resolved a bit too easily. My favourite parts were Pia's group of girlfriends, and her endeavours with starting a food truck business.
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Truth be told, when I first saw Gemma Burgess is writing a new adult novel, I'll admit I was kind of not happy about it. A Girl Like You is one of my absolute favorites but I read a lot of NA genre and the books are hit&miss.
Anywhoo, I shouldn't have worried, because the author didn't write your typical NA. The first book in the Brooklyn Girls series is a true coming of age story with a chick-litty feel so if you're a fan of those, you should definitely read it.
On the other hand, if you want har ...more
Anywhoo, I shouldn't have worried, because the author didn't write your typical NA. The first book in the Brooklyn Girls series is a true coming of age story with a chick-litty feel so if you're a fan of those, you should definitely read it.
On the other hand, if you want har ...more
I’d been hearing a lot of buzz and excitement around Brooklyn Girls before it was released, so I know it was eagerly anticipated, and although I had never read a book by Gemma Burgess before, I was very excited about starting it!
This is one of those books where you can’t just read a few pages and put it down – you just NEED to know what is going to happen next! I was completely hooked from the first page and it was a story that I did not want to be parted from! I finished the entire book in a da ...more
This is one of those books where you can’t just read a few pages and put it down – you just NEED to know what is going to happen next! I was completely hooked from the first page and it was a story that I did not want to be parted from! I finished the entire book in a da ...more
Finally, a book about twenty somethings who aren't solely motivated by the pursuit of men, though there are a few tossed in just to be real. Showing exactly how confusing it is to suddenly be considered as an adult when you may not feel or even be ready for that responsibility, "Brooklyn Girls" follows roommates as they struggle with money woes, the conundrum of not getting hired because you don't have the experience in the field yet or worse, taking jobs that are just entirely wrong and then tr
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I grew so tired of the getting high, getting drunk, flipping off bosses, no regard for their jobs, lifestyle. The story was so far from the circumstances of reality, it should have its own genre of "narcissistic fantasy". I read the whole thing because I was waiting for the actual shoe of reality to drop. It seems the author was trying to create a SITC world, but in Brooklyn. The characters, however are pathetic and they don't have individual traits at all. The setting in Brooklyn is so limited,
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I gave this book a fair chance (and to be honest with you I had no idea what it was about nor did it look like my kind of read) but after about 100 pages or so I gave up. There is just . . . I don't know . . . something lacking in this book.
While I usually enjoy stories with the whole "friends in the big city" kind of thing, where a lot of crazy things happen, but unfortunately I just can't get into this book whatsoever so I'm not going to finish it sadly. Still, I think many people may like thi ...more
While I usually enjoy stories with the whole "friends in the big city" kind of thing, where a lot of crazy things happen, but unfortunately I just can't get into this book whatsoever so I'm not going to finish it sadly. Still, I think many people may like thi ...more
Actual rating 4.5
Well, colour me surprised!
This was actually surprisingly cool and entertaining!
After the first few pages I was like - ugghhh what kind of annoying main character is this?!
But she remedies herself and I loved the whole plotline involving food trucks. Loved it!
Also, Brooklyn.
I'd love to continue this series! ...more
Well, colour me surprised!
This was actually surprisingly cool and entertaining!
After the first few pages I was like - ugghhh what kind of annoying main character is this?!
But she remedies herself and I loved the whole plotline involving food trucks. Loved it!
Also, Brooklyn.
I'd love to continue this series! ...more
My mom said if I acted like this, she'd slap me.
And yes, I wanted to slap them. And they were all such rich brats. ...more
And yes, I wanted to slap them. And they were all such rich brats. ...more
I picked up Brooklyn Girls on a whim. I saw it mentioned in a few peoples' Waiting on Wednesdays one week, noticed that it was available through Netgalley, and just decided to request a copy. As much as I adore reading YA books, sometimes it's nice to read about characters slightly older than teens, characters that I can actually relate to in my life right now. I knew Brooklyn Girls was about a group of recent college grads living in Brooklyn and trying to figure out what they want from their li
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Jul 15, 2013
Lyndsey O'Halloran
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
new-adult
This is the first book in a series and concentrated on the character Pia, one of the five girls who live together in Brooklyn, New York. Along with Pia there is Julia, Angie, Maddy and Coco – all twenty something graduates working in the real world for the first time. To start with, I really liked the set-up of this book. As a recent graduate myself, I know all too well what it’s like to leave university and have expectations put upon you. Pia especially gets a lot of pressure from her parents w
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I wanted to read Brooklyn Girls because I'd previously read Gemma's adult novel, A Girl Like You, which I absolutely loved. Her first foray into New Adult had me excited straight away and I started reading Brooklyn Girls within an hour of getting it. It's one of those books I just had to read in one go and I think it'll appeal to a lot of readers, both of YA and NA, though some of the content is best read if you're on the older side of young adult.
The best way I can describe Brooklyn Girls is to ...more
The best way I can describe Brooklyn Girls is to ...more
When I started reading this, I found Pia Keller, the protagonist, to be completely annoying and immature. She's a complete party girl with no responsibility or sense of self. I like strong, heroic women so it's not often I pick up a book with a protagonist like this. Luckily, I didn't give up and Pia did grow on me as well as grow up.
The reader gets to see Pia stumble her way through the real world of needing a job and cash. The focus of this book was on her making a living for herself and as a ...more
The reader gets to see Pia stumble her way through the real world of needing a job and cash. The focus of this book was on her making a living for herself and as a ...more
I have read both previous Gemma's books and I really liked them, so when I heard she is on to "something" I was desperate to read it, although I guess I am not the best age target, as this book belongs to a series about five 20 - something girlfriends from Brooklyn. It is directed to "New Adult" and I think I can't call myself a new adult, adult okay, but not necessarily new, but nevertheless, I feel young in my soul and so I received an ARC copy of "Brooklyn Girls. Beginners Luck".
Here we get t ...more
Here we get t ...more
Well that settles it: there's a new guard of authors writing the good chicklit stuff that I a. highly enjoy reading, b. can kind of relate to lifestyle-wise, and c. doesn't confuse 'having a female protagonist who gets herself into plot-worthy scraps' with 'writing the female love interest as though she's got a dangerous undiagnosed mental disorder - and then love fixes everything, the end'.
For what it's worth, these authors are: Lindsey Kelk, Sarra Manning and now Gemma Burgess - and, lo, they ...more
For what it's worth, these authors are: Lindsey Kelk, Sarra Manning and now Gemma Burgess - and, lo, they ...more
Full review here: http://iheart-chicklit.blogspot.com/2...
Right from the beginning, I knew it would be an excellent new series as I've missed Gemma's writing so much. I enjoyed reading about how Pia deals with her problems, most of which are triggered by unhappy memories, resulting in panic attacks. Then she finds herself in a the food truck industry, selling delicious, low-fat salads and of course, make some enemies along the way. Not to mention, the loan shark, but I'll let you get to that poi ...more
Right from the beginning, I knew it would be an excellent new series as I've missed Gemma's writing so much. I enjoyed reading about how Pia deals with her problems, most of which are triggered by unhappy memories, resulting in panic attacks. Then she finds herself in a the food truck industry, selling delicious, low-fat salads and of course, make some enemies along the way. Not to mention, the loan shark, but I'll let you get to that poi ...more
This book got some things so right--the post-college struggle to start acting like an adult when it seems like you have no employable skills, female friendship, the challenge of meeting datable people in your twenties...this is one of the strongest "New Adult" titles I've read. I was glad to read a New Adult book that wasn't just about finding your soul mate, but instead dealt with more real and universal issues. Pia's friends were great, too. They all seemed more real because none of them was p
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Well that turned into a damp squib of a book. Very disappointing. Having read two of Gemma Burgess' novels before I was expecting this to be witty and sharp... It was certainly witty but the storyline just lacked believability. The ending was much too conveniently rushed to its conclusion and just tied up with too neat a bow for my taste. The MC Pia became increasingly frustrating to read about due to some highly illogical decision making and then how she landed on her feet at the end was just a
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This was charming! Definitely clearly more new adult than anything, but I enjoyed this. and I don't think it was just because I liked that the main POV character was half-Indian (!). she was also quite easily someone I'd have found myself irritated with in the hands of many other writers, so kudos.
like I mentioned before, though, this book's more chick lit in the way of her Figuring Things Out as opposed to chick lit with a heavy emphasis on romance, and that's by no means a bad thing - but my f ...more
like I mentioned before, though, this book's more chick lit in the way of her Figuring Things Out as opposed to chick lit with a heavy emphasis on romance, and that's by no means a bad thing - but my f ...more
This book was a real nice and easy read. Based on a group of girls in their twenties, I feel like I really related to this book.
The main character is Pia; a twenty something year old who has lived off her mum and dad most of her life. When they find out she got fired from her most recent job her parents cut her off; this kick starts her search to make a major change in her life. She starts a food truck selling low calorie salads and brownies to try and earn some money for herself.
There are a fe ...more
The main character is Pia; a twenty something year old who has lived off her mum and dad most of her life. When they find out she got fired from her most recent job her parents cut her off; this kick starts her search to make a major change in her life. She starts a food truck selling low calorie salads and brownies to try and earn some money for herself.
There are a fe ...more
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Gemma started writing anti-romantic comedies for girls who like chicklit that comforts and charms without the silly fluffy bits. She lives in Notting Hill in London, but grew up all over the place – mostly Hong Kong. She loves talking and writing, not necessarily in that order.
She also loves burgers, vodka, white-tipped Marlboro Lights, OK GO, Sixteen Candles, Lucky Jim, anything from Nora Ephron ...more
She also loves burgers, vodka, white-tipped Marlboro Lights, OK GO, Sixteen Candles, Lucky Jim, anything from Nora Ephron ...more
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Brooklyn Girls
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“Here's what I think...There is no unfucked up. People think there is, but there's not. We're all fucked up in different ways. It's simply a question of making your fuck-ups work for you."-Aidan”
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“That’s what the post-college struggle is truly about: finding a life worth living, and making it yours.”
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