Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar is not at all what I was expecting. It falls into the literary fiction genre, as it weaves together the complicated lives of a group of individuals who all happen to live in Cobble Hill, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The first part of the book, I enjoyed how she moved seamlessly from person to person, allowing them to connect in interesting ways. By the last part of the book, I admit that I was tired of the characters, finding none of them particularly likable or worth following. As the story got weirder and weirder, I found myself fully identifying with Wendy and the experience she had reading her husband's new book. This commentary sums up my reading experience as well: "Wendy's nerves were fried. She'd stayed up very late last night trying and failing to read Roy's book. It was either brilliant, or awful, she couldn't tell."

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

WE ALL KNEW ONCE SERENA POPPED OUT A KID DAN’D BE OVER IT

The good: the cover of this book is FANTASTIC. Hats off to the designer - this will grab attention wherever it pops up. And the premise of this story drew me in right away: "a year in the life of four families in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood as they seek purpose, community, and meaningful relationships—until one unforgettable night at a raucous neighborhood party knocks them to their senses."

Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me on this one. It felt like teen/made for TV writing that subbed in grownups who still act and think like teens, only with vague moments where they remember that they're not and lament all they've lost. This was a shallow read and it caught me at a time when I was looking for depth, so perhaps this just wasn't the book for me.

BUT....for fans of this author's previous work? I think they'll love it. Three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cobble Hill is one of those books that introduces quirky, off-the-wall characters in a character study rather than a plot-driven tale. The story examines four different families in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, and though there is some serious suspension of belief, the purpose hits the mark: these people are messed up, BUT, aren't we all?!

I really enjoyed these characters, and I think it continues to make us question, "What, really, is normal?" Even after some extremely surprising events, the characters seem non-plussed. This then makes us question, what is a normal response? If the story is meant to be introspective, it sure worked! I turned the last page and already missed (ok, some of) the characters.

A charming read about the denizens of the ultra-cool section of Brooklyn, Cobble Hill. It is part of Brownstone Brooklyn and newly full of artists and intellectuals.

This book revolves around a group in the neighborhood. Very interesting characters who interact and inspire. A fun book.

I loved the sense of closure I got at the end.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Cecily von Ziegesar for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

When I saw this name back on the radar, I squealed. I grew up reading the Gossip Girl series and then watching the TV series. What a freaking delight!! I loved this. It is a wonderful opportunity for longtime lovers of Cecily to find love again, and I also think this will draw in a totally different crowd of readers as well. Cobble Hill was perfectly paced and I was hooked until the last page. This is just one of those authors, for me at least, that I know I’ll never be disappointed in. This was wonderful. New or old fans of this talented author will fall in love!

Thank you again to those named above for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I was so excited about this book just being the latest book from the mind of the woman who created "Gossip Girl," which I devoured back in the day. That, and the premise had me intrigued. The story follows a year-in-the-life of parents and kids in the well-off neighborhood of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and how they all connect and relate with each other. There's so much descriptive language that it really does play out like a movie in your head, but there's a lot of point-of-views; almost too many at times, which is hard to keep up. While some of the adult characters are providing all the chaos, little nerdy teen Liam is the shiny and adorable bright spot with his schoolboy crush on the shy new girl. There are so many secrets, which obviously causes all of the drama. There were a few continuity problems: like how on Earth did Editorial Assistant Manfred somehow, magically get promoted straight away to Senior Editor??? It doesn't make sense. However, the book is very well-written, I can't deny that. (Also, side note, are babysitters in Cobble Hill really making $20 per hour? If so, wowww!)

The book starts to pick up by the second part after an extremely long exposition, but there's still no singular or central story, it's sort of all over the place. It is interesting to see all these different perspectives because it's all so incredibly weird, like what is happening?? The plot is so odd, so odd, but yet, I couldn't stop reading. The plot is so odd, it feels stranger for it to be written by the same author who created "Gossip Girl." But, I'm addicted and just have to keep reading because of the captivating and descriptive writing and storytelling devices; it really draws you in. Everything in this book is so off-the-walls-bonkers with the characters, I had no clue what was going on, but perhaps that's what the author was going for. Then, there's sort of a mystery going on, but just sort of as a device to show time passing? Then, there's some resolution at the end, but it's mostly a jumble, mish-mosh of a year in the life of wealthy Brooklyn families. While the plot was strange and different, I was so intrigued and just couldn't put it down.

A fun character study that is pure NYC. Watching how these Cobble Hill residents with wildly different personalities blend and meld was interesting and enjoyable

Cecily von Ziegesar has been entertaining us for years with her fabulous young adult novels so I was so flipping excited to dive into her first adult fiction novel!

I’ve been in the mood to read a character driven book that was quirky, humorous, but also had depth and Cobble Hill was exactly what I’ve been looking for! The storyline was perfectly paced and completely entertained me until the last page. I enjoyed the fact that although I have not personally been in any of the character’s situations or scenarios, I found a lot of parts of this book very relatable! Cobble Hill is solid and complete 5 star read that I think everyone will enjoy!

This book epitomizes Cobble Hill as its own artistic community where each individual had their own means of self expression and was encouraged to do so. I enjoyed the quirkiness of each person, whether it be Roy's fixation on Mars or Elizabeth birthing herself. As a woman living in NYC, I truly appreciated the fact that the author described multiple woman as beautiful even in different shapes and sizes. Well written and a great read as I always enjoy books with multiple character development.

When I saw Cecily von Ziegesar’s book pop up on my feed, I knew this was a must-read. Fans of Gossip Girl will reminisce her style of character build and daydreamy description sequences. Being a Brooklynite, I was laughing out loud with some of the true sentiments shared, and there is authenticity to the descriptions of every neighborhood.

This book is chock full of eccentrics, characters you love to hate, plot twists, and the drama you come to find well-hidden in a NYC minute. While it’s a bit of a slow go to get acclimated to the storyline, I recommend this book as a great escape from the everyday norm and look forward to more adult-geared novels from Cecily von Ziegesar.

This book reminded me so much of those late 90/early 2000 indie movies about married couples and their children and all the threads that connect them.

(Think "The Safety of Objects," "The Squid and the Whale," or any indie movie featuring Jena Malone.)

I didn't fully start to enjoy the book until halfway through when more of the drama started to happen.

That was why I gave this book 3 stars. It reminded me of the vibe those movies had and fed that nostalgia in me...and it was set in my beloved Brooklyn. This book reads like a script and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up becoming a movie/show featuring Jason Bateman, Toni Collette, Lili Taylor and Adam Driver actor types.

(Also because I adored the mention of "The Blue Lagoon" - that was a formative movie from my childhood.)

But on the flip side, I also only gave this book 3 stars because as a life long Brooklyn resident and WOC, I do have gentrifier resentment...and there were a lot of gentrifiers in this.