Brooklyn Girls - Gemma Burgess

Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Source/Format: Netgalley (Thanks Macmillan!) || e-galley

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

This brand new series is 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, spoiled, and stylish Pia, who finds herself completely unemployed, unemployable, and broke. So what is a recent grad with an art history degree and an unfortunate history of Facebook topless photos to do? Start a food truck business of course! Pia takes on the surprisingly cutthroat Brooklyn world of hybrid lettuce growers, artisanal yogurt makers and homemade butter producers to start SkinnyWheels—all while dealing with hipster bees, one-night-stands, heartbreak, parental fury, wild parties, revenge, jail, loan sharks, playboys, karaoke, true love, and one adorable pink food truck. And that's without counting her roommates' problems, too. (modified from Goodreads)

Based on a cursory glance at the book summary and an instinctive reaction to the title, I had a strong feeling that I’d really enjoy Brooklyn Girls. My instincts were spot on – the novel was fantastic! The first page reeled me in, and each page I turned kept me entertained and invested.

Pia is the main narrator amongst the quintet. It’s quite enlightening to see her gradual transformation from an incredible f**k-up to a passionate, goal-driven girl. The novel opens with a party that demonstrates her irresponsibility and devil-may-care attitude, which is really just a manifestation of her uncertainty and lack of focus. While she doesn’t completely lose all of her easygoing personality, she does find maturity and certainty with time. But her passion for her chosen career was evident, as was her strong desire to do the right thing. She was really a fun, cool character!

Her friendships with the others – Maddy, Julia, Coco and Angie – were fun and different from one another. Readers get a good idea of what the other four are like through Pia’s point of view! Even though their personalities are riddled with stereotypical clichés, they made for an interesting group.

It made me glad that romance wasn’t a strong focus, though her past and (possible) future romance did affect Pia’s actions. The romance was a very movie-like affair, particularly how it starts and how it concludes. But there is one thing I must say: an attractive BRITISH boy? YES PLEASE.

It was wonderful to see New York! I could totally relate to the way it’s described, even though I live in the Bronx and not Brooklyn. But the charm, the wonder, the frenetic energy, the unlimited craziness, the feeling of endless possibility and hope and just the sense of belonging if you've never found that before - it's something I've personally experienced. Burgess did a great job of translating this into words!

But my favorite part of the book? The FOOD TRUCKS. I love a good food truck. They make cheap, good food that you can find in most places in the city (and now that it's summer, there are a lot of fro-yo and ice cream trucks), and it's so cool how it's incorporated in the story. Food trucks are a tale unto themselves, and Burgess totally used that concept.

Sure, there are a few crazy elements in this story - like the involvement of the mob, for instance. But that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I felt like I was sitting and watching a film, which made me kind of happy. I'm a sucker for cheese sometimes, for "fate and destiny" to make things work out. And this novel was perfect for that!

The combination of a group of five (very different) girls and their crazy shenanigans set against the backdrop of my beloved New York was like a siren's call. And I’m really glad I responded to it! Brooklyn Girls is certainly a light read, in spite of all the crazy stuff that ensues. But it was funny, and snarky, and silly. It celebrated friendships, through the good times and the bad times. It also showcased the kind of New York that I've experienced myself - one where all things are possible, where the craziest out of a movie moments take place, where you can reinvent yourself and become someone new. Because I found it so relatable and real and true, Brooklyn Girls definitely struck a strong chord with me. I loved everything about it, and am certainly looking forward to the next book (rumor has it, it’s about Angie)!