I didn’t absolutely love this one, but I didn’t not like it either. It was average. It focused on too much detail about things that didn’t matter, but overall the story and characters were well thought out.

A brilliant tale of love and mystery with magic sprinkled in! Loved seeing the relationship develop and how the magic of the place factored in and made the story that much m ore rich and full!

Francesca May’s Wild and Wicked Things has been described as a retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with a sapphic romance and a twist of real magic. That description is accurate, though May creates a whole new book here, one that has Gatsby flourishes but veers off into its own world and own story.

In it, we follow Annie and Emmeline in a post-World War I alternate history where magic exists but is largely illegal to wield. Annie (the Nick of this tale, if you’re keeping track of the Gatsby connections) is a quiet young woman who heads to Crow Island, an isle off the coast of England, after her estranged father dies there and leaves his house and other affairs in her care. Emmeline is the Gatsby-esque character of the book—a woman in dashing suits who also happens to be a witch who throws lavish parties full of illegal, mind-altering concoctions at Cross House, the elaborate mansion where she and her friends reside.


It’s at Cross House where The Great Gatsby vibes are the strongest—the opulence, the throngs of drunken people reveling in the spectacle and high-brow illicitness of the parties will make you want to make your own cocktail to sip as you read. May captures these scenes in rich, sumptuous detail, and you can’t help but feel like you’re in the midst of the madness yourself.

Annie and Emmeline eventually cross paths at one of these parties, but we spend time with both of them immediately, as the chapters are written in first person from one of their points of view (something that admittedly can be hard to parse out sometimes, as their voices sound very much the same). [rest on Tor.com]

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in this one. I think it had a lot of potential plot-wise. On paper, if I wrote out the story arc, it should have checked so many boxes for dark, witchy books for me. I liked the mystery aspects (and the flashbacks to execute some of the backstories), I am tickled by this reimagining of prohibition but for magic - absolutely amazing,

Potentially, it is that this was a Gatsby "retelling" (which, I wish it removed a couple of the more heavy-handed inspirations and removed the "retelling aspect, but I digress) and the writing style tried to capture that hazy, lazy vibe but instead it just made it feel vague and slow. I ended up switching to the audiobook which helped keep me engaged. It is possibly a personal preference that this writing style didn't work for me, at least in the beginning when we are still doing character, story, and setting development.

Potentially, I just... never cared about the characters? Emmeline was intriguing but I don't think ever reached her potential as she was just always so... removed for someone at the center of the book. Annie felt so bland, just being thrown around the story by everyone else. And I think because they felt so undefined, I was never invested in the romance or quite understood its progression. Bea was so grating and the other witches never felt truly fleshed out.

I think this book will greatly depend on personal writing style and pacing preferences. I've seen some great reviews and, I can clearly see the bones of this story and think that part is well done but the execution just wasn't my jam

Magic and sapphic witches?! Sign me up! The cover is gorgeous also. The book has a dark magic atmosphere. Wild and Wicked Things starts with the main character Annie, who after ww1 has ended, arrives on Crow Island to settle her families affairs. Annie steps into a world of dark magic and new connections. This definitely is like a gender bent great Gatsby retelling with magic. The writing is beautiful and I loved the characters. This book does have a slow start but does get more interesting the further you get.
*thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WILD AND WICKED THINGS is an immersive and gorgeous tale with a gothic feel that reminded me of so many of my favorite fantasy books. Not in terms of storyline, more in terms of the darkness, the richness of the magic system, and the beauty of the prose. Set after WW1, this is a loose interpretation of The Great Gatsby, and combine that with the sapphic romance, this book hit so many high notes for me.

Be warned though — this beaut is very much a slow starter. I put it down and picked it back up probably 15 times before I found my groove with it. The first, I’d say 25%, is all about setting up this tale and when it finally takes off, it becomes very difficult to put down.

This is definitely going on my favorites of 2022 list, and it’s certainly one I’ll revisit again in the future. I’ve already purchased the ebook and the audiobook versions, and I’ll certainly be picking up the hardcover to add to my *actual* favorites shelf.


*Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital arc.

I've been trying to slog through this book for over a month and I'm still only about 60% through and I'm having trouble sticking it out. I don't think I can finish. I'm in what should be the thick of the action - the plot has (finally) taken off, tensions are high and so are the stakes - and I'm just unbearably bored. Every review of this book seems to mention the vibes (gay Gatsby witches) and that's fitting because that's about all the book has going for it. The vibes and the basic plotline are a really decent skeleton for a book and this could have been really cool, but it fatally suffers from just awful pacing, too much unnecessary content, and cardboard characters. Disappointed.

Wild and Wicked Things is a dark and mesmerizing tale of witches and queer love that dazzles from start to finish. Set in post-WWI England, where magic is acknowledged but frowned upon, the novel follows Annie Mason, a simple girl who wants nothing to do with magic.

When her estranged father dies, Annie travels to Crow Island to settle his affairs. Next to her cottage stands the infamous Cross House, a lavish mansion inhabited by three witches who throw Gatsby-esque soirees. Despite warnings from multiple people to stay away from Cross House and its inhabitants, Annie is drawn to Emmeline Delacroix, the owner of Cross House. Annie’s childhood friend Bea, who ran away a year ago, also lives on the island, but Bea’s secrets chill their relationship. Everything becomes even more complicated when Annie witnesses an argument between Bea and Emmeline and becomes entangled in the terrifyingly tempting world of forbidden magic.

Like a potion slowly brewed, the story takes a while to come to a boil, letting you savour every lush detail. This is not a world where every rule of magic is explained; even as Annie starts to learn about magic, it remains nebulous, retaining every ounce of its mysterious allure. What makes this novel truly magical, however, is the relationship between Annie and Emmeline, who are drawn to each other by an inexplicable connection of which neither dares speak.

The only downside to this novel is the excessive amount of blood that flows from its pages, staining an otherwise beautifully balanced story. Granted, the abundance of blood illustrates the high price attached to the dark magic performed by the characters, but the point would have still stood with a few drops less. Nevertheless, Francesca May’s haunting historical fantasy has become one of my favourite releases of the year so far, and I recommend it to anyone who longs for witches and dark magic.

It takes place just after WW1 and it’s a slow-burn sapphic romance.
Overall I enjoyed the story but I did find it to be very slow the first 2/3 of the book. It picks up toward the end which isn’t that usually, really.

The book switches between character POVs and while I don’t usually mind this, I did find it a little confusing at times to remember who I was supposed to be following.

I enjoyed this book overall and I’m glad to have read it! It’s a magical story and the writing is beautiful.

A lot of times when I really love a book I read it faster, but Wild and Wicked Things made me slow down so I could savor it. I felt like it was seeping into my very being and speaking to a part of me that's been long dormant. It's a gorgeous book that I know I'll be sitting with for a really long time.

Annie-- always meek and timid, has recently discovered that her absent father has died and left her an inheritance, so she goes to Crow Island to settle the estate. Once there, she reconnects with her old best friend, noticing some changes in her that she can't fully explain, and gets to know her next-door-neighbors, who are rumored to practice real magic. Crow Island forces Annie to examine things she's always ignored and to reach for a part of herself she's always been scared of.
It's a gorgeous book about magic, friendship, and the desperate things we do for love.

Wild and Wicked Things is the story of Annie, called back to Crow Island after the death of her father. She reunites with her childhood friend Bea and meets the intriguing Emmeline. Bea is now married to a man from the island, but all is not as it seems in their marriage. Emmeline is in way over her head and must rely on her siblings and the two newcomers to the island to help her survive a dangerous magical bargain. Meanwhile, Annie discovers there is far more to her distant father than she could ever have imagined.

My favorite thing about this story was the rich atmosphere that Francesca May creates, brimming with magic and dark secrets. The magic in this book is hungry and out for blood-literally! It felt very reminiscent of Once Upon A Time’s Rumpelstiltskin: “Magic always comes with a price.” The romance felt a bit rushed, which I didn’t necessarily mind, it just felt like a lot happened rapidly in a short time period.

I would recommend Wild and Wicked Things for readers who enjoyed The Great Gatsby, atmospheric reads, sapphic romance, and mysterious magic. Wild and Wicked Things is available now. Thank you to Francesca May, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Wild and Wicked Things was beautifully written. I thought the pace was a bit slow, but things picked up at the end. I didn’t really like any of the characters, but would still recommend to those interested in historical fantasy.

4.5/5 ⭐️

“𝘔𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥.”

I’m so grateful to have received this arc and to be given the opportunity to read it before release. I’ve been following the author on Instagram for months now anticipating this book and it did not disappoint!

Wild and Wicked Things intrigued me when I first saw it as the advertising described it as The Great Gatsby, but sapphic and with witches. Amazing. The story is told mainly through the dual POV of the main characters Annie and Emmeline, and includes glimpses into their past and follows how their paths come to cross.

When starting this book I immediately fell in love with May’s writing style, it just flowed so so nicely and really added to the 1920s atmosphere. I loved that the prohibition of the time was instead on Magic, yet she still included the element of forbidden intoxication with ‘Kazam’. The whole story is steeped in mystery and intrigue, with dark elements littered through out and it kept me engaged practically the whole way through. I also really loved the magic system created and that it centred on blood magic.

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴...𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭, 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴.”

For the most part I loved the characters - except for Bea, whom I disliked from the start (cough Daisy Buchanan vibes cough). Annie starts off very meek and anxious, but her character arc was great and what she learns about herself makes her really come into her own. “𝘕𝘰, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴.” Emmeline hooked me in straight away, her character was dark and mysterious which I loved, but at times she did annoy me with her stubbornness when it came to Annie. (Also notable mention has to go to her outfit descriptions. She’s quite the dapper woman.) “𝘖𝘩, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘧𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘕𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮.”

Overall, this book was really captivating and I very much enjoyed reading it. Wild and Wicked Things was a fantastic fantasy debut and if you enjoy stories about witches and sapphic romance I’d definitely recommend this!

“𝘐𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.”

Have you ever imagined The Great Gatsby with sapphic witches and blood magic? The glittering lights, opulent parties, and incredible fashion all sparkle in this book filled with longing and leisurely exploration of the thin line between good and bad.

Anne travels to Crow Island, a place laden with real and fake magic both, to sort out her father’s estate. She had no interest in magic, but she will delve into its impact and possibilities as she discovers her connection with her mysterious neighbor, Emmeline. As tensions escalate and pasts are revealed, Annie must decide - does she want safety or does she want all that her life can offer?

This book has many, many strengths. The plot moves at a leisurely pace, allowing characters to fully react to each development. We read from dual perspectives and witness the tension develop on both sides of our budding romance. The desperation of women in the 1920s is palpable, and being a witch doesn’t change that. I loved the tension and anyone who enjoys a slower walk in a fantasy novel will eat this one up.

Now for a few weaknesses- the magic system here is wholly illogical. There seem to be few if any rules at all, and they change quickly without warning. There are ghosts, magical connections, blood magic, dark magic, and magical booze (amusingly named kazam). Somehow all of these things exist on Crow Island and nobody seems all that perturbed which is nuts to me. I do think that the novel dragged in the middle, but picked up charmingly as we accelerated to the end.

I enjoyed this and would definitely read more by this author. My thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel in exchange for a honest review.

Wild and Wicked Things is a lush romantic fantasy perfect for Sarah J. Maas fans. Gorgeous writing, evocative world building, and characters you'll want to root for, this is definitely a new release to look out for!

My favorite part of this book was the setting. It is rich, dark, and incredibly vivid, feeling both historical and modern simultaneously, with the descriptive language painting a picture of this glamorous, haunted island. While at many points I was confused about how the magic system works, in part because it seems to be nuanced and complex, it does allow for several interesting thematic explorations. Not only is Bea metaphorically haunted by her murdered husband, but she is also quite literally being possessed by his evil spirit. It was definitely more violent than I expected, but this also seemed rooted in the danger associated with blood magic in this universe and was not unwelcome. In many ways, this serves as a parallel to The Great Gatsby, with similar themes of greed, wealth, corruption, and betrayal told through a love triangle. In this case, though, the love triangle is entirely sapphic, which is nice!

My main struggle with reading this book was how detached I felt from the characters. While I originally sympathized with many of them (though not Bea, who I personally blame for most of the initial conflict) as they continued to make the same mistakes over and over it became harder to root for them. The characters are often infighting and blaming each other even though they have all committed similar atrocities over the course of the book. While to some degree this adds interesting tension, it could become repetitive as the story progressed. The pacing of the first and second half also felt wildly different - while in the beginning information was being revealed incredibly slowly, towards the end it felt like each chapter had an absolutely frantic ritual taking place. I enjoyed the overall arc of the story but would have been more invested if the pacing was more consistent throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for giving me a copy in exchange for my review!

Described Gatsby meets Practical magic this deliciously dark story is spectacular. Francesca Mays debut novel was an ambitious undertaking that for me rose to the occasion.
I found the magic system and the story’s historical timeline fascinating. I do wish that there had been a tad bit more info given on the war and prohibition but won’t dive too deep in that as to not give any spoilers. Overall though it was a very unique take on magic and magic practices.
The character development had a few bumps here and there but I found myself really liking both the main characters and the secondary cast. The mystery surrounding their pasts and how they all made it to cross house was really interesting and I found myself wanting to know all about their journeys. Annie I found to be enduring even in her moments of questionable decisions. Emmeline was mysterious and cool while also calloused in her appraisal of others and situations. The only character I had a problem with was Bea, she was the epitome of selfishness. Wreckless and oblivious of the consequences her actions had on anyone else. She was that one person we all know, never growing up, never thinking of anyone but themselves, and I wanted to slap the crap out of her several times throughout the story. That being said she was critical to the story and the catalyst to the chaos.
Loved the world building, the description of the island, cross house, and Crows Trap were perfect. I adored the parties and the descriptions of the time relevant clothing.
All in all I really enjoyed this story and it’s rich dark decadent nature and can’t wait to see what May brings us in the future.

The magic system in Wild and Wicked Things is intriguing, but never fully explained, so I'm reading about the characters doing magic or brewing potions with no clue of what the parameters of the magic are, the differences between spellwork and blood magic, or what the rules are. The structure is so vague, in fact, that the resolution of the story's primary struggle feels like a cheat. It's also never explained why, exactly, magic was outlawed or what faux magic really is and/or does (nothing, I suspect, in which case why is it so popular?). It's magic without a system and prohibition without cause, and the lack of underlying structure sets the story up to fall flat.

I could have overlooked the lack of structure if we had a compelling plot or characters, but I unfortunately found those lacking as well. All aspects of the story seem to barely skim the surface; the characters' backstories revealing themselves so slowly that when I finally had a decent understanding of them it was already halfway through the book and I was about ready to give up on it entirely. The plot moves at a glacial pace, and the climax doesn't hit until 95% of the way in. That's a long time to stick with something that's just not meaty enough to really sick your teeth into as a reader.

It's a lot of story with ultimately not a lot happening. There are a lot of conversations, a lot of resentment, a great deal of sapphic pining, literal tons of blood, some flashbacks, and a few murders. I liked how the characters were mostly in shades of grey, neither wholly bad nor good but somewhere in the middle, but nobody had much chemistry together. Ultimately I'm glad I forced myself to finish the book, but largely because I got closure, not because I particularly enjoyed it.

Wild and Wicked Things, by Francesca May, is a sapphic Great Gatsby retelling with witches. It's set in post-World War I England, where magic has recently been banned. Annie has just moved to Crow Island, known for its wealth and magic, after her estranged father's death left her as the only person to clean out his house there. She reconnects with an old childhood friend, Bea, and soon becomes entranced with Emmeline, her new neighbor who throws parties weekly and uses real magic.

This book is above all an atmospheric piece; I couldn't necessarily tell you much about the world or the characters, but the aesthetic is dark and glimmering and Gothic. If you're looking for a plot-driven or character-driven book, you're likely to be disappointed, but if you can be satisfied with the feeling that the book gives then you'll likely enjoy it.

Annie, Bea, and Emmeline, the three central characters (though only the first and last of those have POV chapters). all serve to sharply contrast each other. They're all extremely different in motive and personality, almost serving as three-way foils of each other. Annie is new to this world of magic and danger, and often wishes that she was able to retreat back to her old, safer way of life, but finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the events of the story and her connection with Emmeline until she wouldn't dream of leaving. Bea grew up with Annie in the same safe town, but escaped to find a more exciting life after experiencing various losses during the war. She has a lot of undealt-with trauma, and is mostly driven by trying to protect herself throughout the book. Emmeline is a blood witch who is slowly dying from a magical debt, She's definitely my least favorite character, though that's probably because she's the least fleshed-out of the three. The sections that focus primarily on her tend to serve more for world-building and plot development than for developing her character, and I just didn't feel connected to her.

The romance left a lot to be desired. I just didn't ship Annie and Emmeline (I was honestly hoping that Annie and Bea would end up together, even though the endgame pair was obvious from the start of the book). The entire romance plot just felt very heavy-handed, propelled forward by a magic bond that forms between the characters when they first meet, even though there's no actual chemistry between them. I was mostly in this book for the lesbian historical romance, so the fact that that was the most disappointing aspect of the book is definitely unfortunate.

The plot development is done very carefully and methodically, with no piece of information introduced any sooner than it needs to be. It's very skillful, even if it does mean that there are events or plot points that are confusing for a chapter or two before being explained, and it serves to add to the mysterious and unknown aspects of the world itself.

I wish there had been more world-building; while the history of the world and such was well established, the magic system felt very ambiguous, and even a little more explanation would have made the plot and stakes clearer and everything make a bit more sense. While I recognize that this was likely part of the atmosphere that the author was attempting to create, I think that this particular category of withheld information was a poor choice on May's part.

Overall, I did enjoy the book; although I think that the character-building and world-building could definitely have been improved upon, the end result is an expertly-done atmospheric piece that fully conveys the aesthetic that May attempts to recreate. If anything about my description of the book sounds appealing to you, I would definitely recommend giving it a shot. I'm giving Wild and Wicked Things 3.5 stars.

DNF @ 70%

High on potential, low on execution.

I’ve read some version of this book hundreds of times before, and most of them were better than this one.

While this is the type of fantasy and magical system I often gravitate to in a story, it’s also not a particularly unique approach, and therefore needs to be either extraordinarily well crafted or laced with unique touches to work. This book was, unfortunately, neither of those things.

The bones of the plot are fine, but what should have been eerie and beautiful is mostly grating, largely due to the oft-hysterical and always angst-ridden dialogue. Both the spoken exchanges and the narrators’ thoughts are maudlin, overwrought, and shrill, which makes the tone veer into obnoxiousness and gives the whole thing a feel of being, well, just not very smart. Which is a shame, because there are flashes of potential in some of the descriptive portions of the book.

Finally, please, please ignore comparisons of this book to The Great Gatsby, which is only accurate if you believe these to be the only two books in existence which feature a lavish party.