Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Happy Hour

Sometimes I read books like this and wonder if I did my early 20s right. The characters were sometimes hard to sympathize with, but I could also see that they were just kind of doing their best to muddle through and have fun while doing it. They really reminded me of Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's (the movie, not the book), but without certain parts of her character. Kind of moving from place to place untethered, no real plan, just kind of depending on the kindness of strangers, or something else to help them along.

The book was beautifully written and though I don't think I would have enjoyed Isa and Gala's lives myself, it was still a nice read, and Granados has a clear gift for writing. Definitely looking forward to reading more from her.

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sydneynorman's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It’s the Seinfeld of books… nothing really happens

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meganbyrd77's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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meghanelizabeth's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I had strange feelings about this one. It did feel like Otessa Moshfegh, which wasn't my jam, so it makes sense that this one hit me a little weird too. I haven't quite pinpointed what I wasn't in love with about the writing, but I do admire that this kind of self-centered pleasure-seeking is being done by women (and women of color) characters and not white men. So maybe it's not my thing, but I'm glad that it's happening.

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lidia7's review

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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chaos_animates's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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sydapel's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I don't really know how I feel about the writing here, or the overall impact of this book, but I did do a hell of a lot of dog earing in my library copy. Isa is a compelling as hell narrator, a keen observer of the frivolity of those around her and yet grappling with the fact that her worth is derived from how entertaining she can be. There's a staggering amount of side characters that flit in and out of the picture, but at the center is this girl yearning to be taken seriously in the New York party scene. The author makes some interesting commentary on Youth, but I struggled with the latter third of it immensely and so am unsure how to feel.

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