I’ve seen this compared to The Great Gatsby (which I’m about to read with my 11th graders) & I can definitely see similarities in the themes. I think that comparison puts a lot of pressure on a book though. This definitely has themes of privilege and ambition-
& how privilege can corrupt. I struggled with not connecting to any of the characters & feeling like I was viewing the whole thing though a 1000 foot lens. It did read fast & didn’t take a lot of mental toil on my part; plus it made me feel grateful to be “regular.”

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. Charlie is a boy from the other side of the tracks who receives a scholarship to an elite private boy's school in Nashville. When there he meets Archer Creigh and becomes involved with the Creigh family. The story is not a new one. The more he becomes involved with the upper crust of Nashville the more disillusioned he becomes. The writing is good and the author did a very good job with the Nashville setting. I enjoyed it

"The sun lit up the façade of the house. A breeze whispered through the trees, sending golden leaves cascading around to rest, suspended, on the tips of the long leaves of grass. I bowed my head and cast up a silent prayer. A deep calm came over me. I opened my eyes and picked up the brush and began."

Huge thank you to @algonquinbooks @netgalley for the paper back copy of The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington.

The novel is poetic, heartbreaking, reveals truths about the parallels within the class system, the unspoken moments, new beginnings, and portrayal of trying to find where you belong.

I love the book for all the significant pathways it displays through Charlie's eyes as he titters between the crossroads of privileged and working class. Tarkington wrote Charlie as an insightful, smart character, who like many of us in life have been swayed by the glamour and "greener grass" life of someone else. Though Charlie is faced with several discussions, he ultimately stands loyally by his friends, supporting them while trying to figure out his own place among them.

If you haven't read the novel yet, definitely do so. It reminders me of The Great Gatsby in some ways.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. It didn't seem fair for me to review a book that I didn't finish.

DNF @ Chapter 4

If I’m being honest, I feel duped into reading this. People I trusted said this was dark academia but no one mentioned that it centered around one guy that eventually joined the army and one that became a Republican senator.

Nothing about the characters was drawing me into keep going with the story. Maybe it got better, but reading about a kid joining a boarding school as a freshman in high school holds zero interest to me.

The writing was great, but the synopsis didn’t match what the first few chapters gave.

"You are coming of age in a world that wants you to believe it's ok to be mediocre," Arch said, "There are no really great men left, the world tells you, so why bother trying to become one?"

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I really enjoyed this book, I can't exactly pinpoint a reason though. I really enjoyed the writing and story progression. It was one of those books where from page one, I just felt at home in it. Charlie felt and thought like I felt and thought. He begins is life in an underprivileged neighborhood with a single mother. A mother who is trying her best to give him better circumstances. When he is chosen as a scholarship student for a private school, he makes friends with a charismatic rich boy. In no time, he is immersed in a world that he could have never imagined.

He sees these kids his age and their parents completely indifferent to the struggles of the real world around them. They use and abuse others to get their way and Charlie is put off by it and yet, being within their circle changes his and his mother's lives. So he swallows his criticism. In the second part of the book, we see he's escaped "those" people and is living on his own terms until circumstances drag him back in. In no time, he is back in the same place, trying to be the conscience of those around him and balancing his own feelings and theirs. Lots of interesting turns of karma throughout (also lots of trigger warnings - message me if you need them.)

Thanks to Algonquin Books for a copy. All opinions above are my own.

Charlie has been raised by this mom who ekes out a living as a waitress. When one of her customers offers him the chance to attend a tony private academy and for he & his mom to live in a guest house in one of the fanciest neighborhoods in Nashville, how could he resist. He's paired with one of the other boys to show him the ropes. He thrives in this elite atmosphere, but after a while things don't seem to be all on the level.

This is NOT a horror book, nor are there any shocking/ terrifying secrets that turn the narrative on its heels, but this is a wonderful look into the world of money (old & new) and the machinations among wealthy and influential men and women. The setting is the South, and there are some racial overtones, but this story could really take place in any community where money and position inspire the confidence that anything is possible and the ends justify the means. This is a novel of the subtleties of real life; where no one is all good or all bad, but there's plenty to criticize and debate.

Some reviews compared Tarkington to Pat Conroy, and I concur. There's an atmosphere in this book that overshadows the events and characters. Charlie is an outsider looking in and analyzing events, yet he's caught up in them and can't seem to extricate himself. At times I thought of Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby. He's part of the action, but often looks on in shock & awe at the behaviors of himself and others. I'd love to see the reactions of book club readers. There's so much to unpack here, and there's so much that's relevant to today's social dynamics without being heavy-handed or obvious. The more I think about this book, the better I like it.

Although this could be a story of rich vs. poor or black vs. white it is really a story of two boys who grow to men and their relationship and what they make of their lives. What i really did "like" about this story was what happened to Charlie when he ran away to Mexico, but then he heeded the call back to Nashville, but he ultimately prevailed and Archer didn't. Growing up in the south, I could recognize some of the characters and the circumstances and found it fairly true to life.

One of the best parts of reading (in my opinion) is strong character development. Ed Tarkington does an excellent job walking us through the life of Charlie Boykin, a kid who gets a scholarship to a private institution, where he makes life long friends with some of the town’s richest kids. Even though he is a part of the group, throughout the years, he never truly feels like he fits in, though he so desperately wants to. Years later, a tragedy hits home, and Charlie realizes that his friends also held secrets and struggles of their own.

I felt honored to be a part of Charlie’s journey, as he struggles with his identity in between being part of the rich, cool club, but never actually being rich himself. This is a story of belonging, finding your identity and finally capturing and accepting your purpose. This was one of my favorite stories of 2020, certainly one that I’ve read in a long while. It goes to show that everyone is struggling with something, no matter where you stand in life and we should all be a little kinder and more understanding of that.

Bare with me as I collect my thoughts on this one...

The Fortunate Ones is about a boy named Charlie Boykin. We start off with the death of a childhood friend, Archer, which prompts Charlie to narrate the story of his past (in fact most of the book takes place in his past, 1950s maybe?), of rags to "riches." Of how his single mom got him a scholarship to a fancy school, where he went from living in a poor neighborhood to being taken in and ushered into an affluent world by rich friends, a "fortunate" world. And then really it's about Charlie's love for these friends, how he followed them around like a puppy dog, came to abandon them and found his way back to them again. But even the fortunate ones can't escape the unfortunate events that befall...

While this novel was well written, it was hard for me to attach to any of the characters. I questioned why the adults would share so much with these young teenagers. I wondered how these kids could just do as they pleased, especially in a world of social graces, and stomp over such prominent adults. I really wanted to root for Charlie but found that I was more disappointed than anything else. He paints this picture of himself as a loyal friend and yet his actions and choices say otherwise. Maybe it wasn't about friendship at all... I don't know I'm still kind of pondering what I'm supposed to take away from it all.

Ultimately, in a world where I'm looking for a bit of hope anywhere I can get it, this one was a bit too bleak for me at this time. I can't help but hear Phoebe Buffay's words echoing in the back of my mind, pretty much summing up the sentiment of this book; "it's a sucky life and just when u think it can't suck any more it does." Not quite the vote of hope I was looking to leave with

Thank you to @netgalley and @algonquinbooks for this free ebook. This was spun as a Gatsby retelling, and I definitely got some Gatsby feels as I was reading. Tarkington has written some messed up characters with flaws they're not necessarily seeking to rid themselves of. I loved the struggle that Charlie went through, deciding if he was going to become a part of the world that Archer provided to him. This book really spoke to those that benefit from white privilege; you really saw it played out that they didn't have any obstacles in front of them at all. I appreciate the perspective of Charlie, that he didn't want to accept that and take the easy life. I would love to see some of Charlie's paintings come to life, especially of his mother.

The story follows Charlie from his entrance to an elite Nashville school through adulthood. The writing is wonderful. The themes of friendship, love, privilege, politics, and identity are thought provoking and expertly woven into a page turning story. Reminded me a bit of The Great Gatsby.

White privilege written in a different way. The characters drew me in and I enjoyed most of the book. Overall a solid 4. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

This was a great character driven novel set in the south. It had themes from The Great Gatsby, which is popular in books this year and I enjoyed that it wasn't too similar. It shows an outsider's perspective of the ultra privileged society in Nashville. I love peeks into this world. It also spanned a long period of time which is enjoyable to me in novels. I think many would enjoy this book.

A novel of lessons learned at the expense of others. Here is the lesson Charlie learns as he navigates a world of ease and comfort only wealth affords. Charlie thinks he’s been given a tremendous opportunity and in the end he sees that every thing comes at a cost. It’s a wonder he’s not quick to take it and when he does succumb, was the price worth the sorrow? Happy reading

The intertwined stories of Charlie, Vanessa, Arch and Jaime illuminate the heartbreak of longing for love, acceptance, and the weight of expectation imposed by family, society, and one own's inner voices. At times I found myself angry at each of the characters, but in the end, it just all seemed rather sad.
The fortunate ones, in truth, so unfortunate as not to be able to find happiness in the midst of such plenty.

This is the first book that I started and finished in 2021 (I'm a mood reader so all other books were started in 2020). And, it was a five-star read for me. ⁠⠀
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When I saw people compare this book to the Great Gatsby, I didn't believe the hype but the writing style and characterization is so similar. ⁠This book progressed in a direction that I didn't expect but I loved it. The characters were each so unique and they will stick with me long after this book. I have already recommended this one to many friends.

This was an interesting and enjoyable read. The characters were well developed, particularly the relationships among the three main characters. The story was well plotted and engaging. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley, Algonquin Books and Ed Tarkington for a free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

Charlie Boykin found himself in an expensive private school mingling with some the wealthiest kids in Nashville. He doesn’t give much thought how his single mother can afford tuition on her waitressing job, he is too much into his new lifestyle. He enjoys all perks that wealth can offer but also see the injustice towards others and the duplicity of good intentions, and also has no idea if he could change it and how. Upon his graduation, Charlie learns that his acceptance to private school wasn’t based on his own merit, he cannot handle the truth and run away. To what happen later - you’ve got to read the book ;)

Overall, I enjoyed The Fortunate Ones. I particularly liked Charlie, his character was fantastically developed. He just felt genuine in his feelings, he saw and understood a lot but never knew how to deal all that.

The Fortunate Ones is captivating and mesmerizing at times. It explores white privilege at its finest.

The Fortunate Ones is a coming of age novel that follows Charlie Boykin from his entry into a private high school through adulthood.
Honestly, I wasn't sure how much I would be interested in reading about privileged white boys in Nashville, but I was immediately intrigued by the prologue.
When Charlie is unexpectedly accepted on scholarship to an elite private school, it triggers a confluence of events that change the trajectory of his life.
The Fortunate Ones is a solid 4⭐ read. I did find the ending a bit rushed and left wanting a tiny bit more. Tarkington's writing flows smoothly and easily brings the characters to life.