Member Reviews
This was a well written reflection on the Y2K crisis in late 1999. As I was in tech industry at the time, I could relate to the impending doom that we were all expecting. Two former coworkers, John and Steve, meet at a party where tragedy occurs, and it's a flashback up until that event. John is the more successful of the two men, and Steve is envious of his success. Steve is a serial womanizer and not that likeable.
There's lots of long drawn out dialog that paints a picture of the history of the two men up until the year 2000. The lead up to the event in question is also lengthy and should have been tightened up a bit more. I would have been more interested in a focus on the Y2K crisis and the lead up to that.
All in all an interesting take on that part of history but not a thrilling read.
Set in the 1990s, with the Y2K problem looming and .com and tech companies booming, a group of friends, definitely not ones that I would want, demonstrate just how destructive and deadly competition and the green eyed monster of jealousy can be.
The pace of this story moved quickly and I was able to read it in one day. If the characters were meant to be unlikeable, then that goal was achieved. However, though I thought that the plot was interesting, the pieces of the puzzle did not come together smoothly or cohesively and the narrative seemed to flounder at times and could have used some structural editing. Overall, this was just an OK read for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
3 1/2 stars. Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC! This book isn’t my typical style, but it was a quick and easy read. I liked the premise and felt the nostalgia of the late 90’s y2k.
I feel like the beginning was a little slow moving compared to the end. There was a lot of character and world building which I liked and then it ended really abruptly.
I had a hard time relating to the main character. I felt like he wasn’t as likable but I think that was part of his personality.
I would’ve liked another chapter or two, but the way the book ends so abrupt it does work. Just personal preferences.
The book reads easily and that’s always a big bonus for me. I definitely enjoyed the latter half of the book once the party got started more then the first half. It was very interesting to see all the relationships and the envy between Steve and John and Lauren and Mary. I did like Gatsby references as I feel like the book had a little parallel.
Overall it was a good read and I’m glad I stepped out of my usual boxes for it!
I started out really enjoying this book. The characters were impressively flawed -it was really kind of hard to tell which character was screwed up the most. The pace was really good but the ending felt rushed and not at all satisfying. I felt like the author took the easy way out and could’ve really moved character development along towards the end but chose not to.
Very lightweight. Unresloved plot details. Littlle character decelopment, Suprtficial .riting stye.
I didn't know what to expect from this book and I'm glad I didn't get my hopes up. It's the late nineties and our narrator, Steve, is in his mid-thirties and working for a phone company right when the Y2K hysteria begins. It's brought to the company's attention by a co-worker named John who Steve immediately dislikes for no apparent reason other than that he made everyone come to a meeting. But they soon become friends and we see them at different points in their lives leading up to 1999.
John leaves the company and becomes wealthy, meeting his future wife, Mary, and living a great life. Steve stays in the same job and dates around but that's about it. The story culminates in a housewarming party where tragedy strikes. Although it doesn't feel tragic at all, you're just happy the party is finally happening because it's the last 10% of the book and you've been waiting so long for the conclusion. Because believe me when I say this isn't a thoroughly plotted tale, it's Steve talking to people now and then in overlong dialogues that add nothing to the plot. He's a completely unlikable character who ogles women all the time and is envious of everything John has. When he gets dates with coworkers or other women, he drops them after a while because he just seems bored with them or they are just not hot and interesting enough.
The worst part is that this book is just plain badly written. I don't even have the words or technical knowledge to accurately describe why it's bad. It's what I imagine the first draft of a random story by a non-author would read like. There are long passages that just abruptly end. There are characters introduced who end up never being mentioned again and who added nothing by being described in the first place. The wording is often awkward like it's someone talking to you, but then it switches to sound like someone talking to themself. The character development is nonexistent - the women are terrible, and the more attractive they are, the worse their personalities are. But that's ok because she's hot! It feels like this story was written by a teenage boy at times.
That's about the best I can do in describing why this story fails on so many levels. I don't know how it's getting published but I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say.
Many Are Invited by Dennis Cuesta tells the story of the complex relationship between Steve (the narrator), John, Mary and Lauren right before Y2K. I kept reading to find out what happened on the fateful night of December 18th at the house warming party. All through the story I couldn’t figure out if I liked Steve or disliked him. I made up my mind at the end. The ending just ended but it did make a punch. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I chose this book because it seemed like a good mystery thriller tied to Y2K and Northern CA. I lived in the Bay Area most of my life and remember Y2K all too well. Unfortunately, the storyline did not live up to my expectations.
I received this ebook as an Advances Reader Copy from NetGalley.
I would actually give it 3.5 stars, because I felt the book ended abruptly (just when the betrayal and murder were getting good).
My initial reaction was that I was going to not like this book. I found the first 75 pages or so felt heavier on tech jargon (which is not my background).
What the author is doing is setting the backdrop of the book. The book starts in the early 1990’s and ends in 2000. There is a big focus on Y2K.
Steve is the MC and we see him struggling to keep interest in his job. His best friend John meets a woman (Mary), falls in love and gets married. Steve goes along for the ride. We also are introduced to Mary’s crazy roommate Lauren.
I don’t want to give too much away, but once the we see the jealousy, pride and listing over what another has (the grass is NOT greener on the other side) the MC’s are left with their worlds shattered and broken friendships and bonds.
The irony of what happens to John is wrapped in the Y2K issue - the irony is not lost on the reader!
Like I said, once I got through the technical jargon at the beginning I flew through the interpersonal relationships with the characters and tangled web of deceit.
Steve, John, Mary and Lauren all play equal rolls in how everything ends in disaster. We see everyone pointing fingers.
At the end, we really don’t know how or why, but I guess that’s for the reader to decide!
(This review is copy and pasted from Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4940245874
In Many Are Invited, Dennis Cuesta immediately transports the reader to 1999 South Bay. The clever plot revolves around best friends as they work, play and survive among the newly rich and powerful.
Cuesta has an easy, intelligent style. He weaves loyalty, ambition, envy and secrets together to craft a compelling mystery, leading up to a shocking and satisfying ending. I never saw it coming! I enjoyed Many Are Invited so much that I read through it twice in one week! Highly recommend!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone
..The main character. Steve Galanos, recalls his time in Northern California during the 1990s when the two-digit year was to be a Y2K problem The Internet was exploding and the dot-com world brought wealth to many in different areas Despite these things its a party that affects him the most..
This book is fine if you like this type of story. I personally am not interested in this storyline. . It was difficult for me to read simply because it isn't my type of book. If the topic interests you this may be your cup of tea..
This was a satisfying enough book. It took a few chapters to understand the style - an interesting narrator, and some jumps in the timeline. But it kept my attention and was a quick and easy read. I did find myself wondering what the point was somewhere in the middle - but I feel like I caught up with it by the end.
“Many Are Invited” is an interesting tome. It felt like a mystery at the beginning, but then the story became a diary-like read that bounced all over the place. I enjoyed the writing style very much. Too bad it wasn’t featured in a strong story line.
Worth a read.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.
This book centers on Steve Galanos, going back and forth between his job working on Y2K at a phone company, his tumultuous relationship with John, and the housewarming party that changed everything.
It took me awhile to figure out how I felt about this book. I didn't enjoy the book, but it took awhile to figure out why. The writing itself wasn't bad, and something about it kept me connected until the very end. I think the things I struggled with most were the characters and the plot. I didn't like any of the characters- most of them were pretty unlikable people, especially John, Steve, and Lauren. Mary was probably the only decent character, and I wasn't that big of a fan of hers by the end. I also didn't really like the plot. The tease about the housewarming party was intriguing, but the characters were so unlikeable that I just didn't care. I'm not sure why Y2K was made a part of this story, as it could've easily been taken out and some other reason for these characters meeting and working together inserted instead.
This is a deceptive book which begins by telling a seemingly mundane story of four casual friends. Steve (the narrator) and John meet in the mid 1990s while working at an unnamed phone company in California. Both are on a team that is working to avoid the upcoming Y2K disaster. John soon seeks a better job at a dot.com start up while Steve labors on at the phone company. John's life seems charmed and soon Steve develops a case of schadenfreude but continues to get together with him occasionally. On one such night they meet two attractive young women, Mary and Lauren, who happen to be co-workers and roommates. John, of course, wins Mary's affection and ends up marrying her. Steve is disappointed but keeps in contact nonetheless with disastrous results.
The lead up to the supposedly shocking event which turns lives upside down is presented slowly and innocuously. From the beginning the reader knows something horrible happens at John and Mary's housewarming party. However, the ending leaves a few things murky and the reader wondering what the point of the whole story was. The author metes out some surprising details regarding each character's life but they seem to go no where. At the end, I was left scratching my head and wondering if I missed the whole point of the tale.
Thanks to NetGalley and author Dennis Cuesta for my chance to read this novel early.
There were so many great reviews, and the premise sounded really good. But.. I struggled a little with this one.
I didn't get the understand the significance of Y2K,
I didn't really like any of the characters and didn't get the friendship.
The lead-up to the ultimate scene was loooong, the ultimate scene was loooong, and the resolution was boom, done.
I read a review that said this was a retelling of the Great Gatsby. I wish I had read that before I requested this book because I hated the Great Gatsby...lol
I did finish this, so i will give it at least 3 stars - for average. But would I read it again? Nope.. not for me.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Many Are Invited takes place in the years leading up to Y2K and it was interesting to think back to that time of uncertainty. John and Steve are two friends that have a friendship that contains a lot of competition and envy. They're both in IT and are working on resolving the Y2K issues. John becomes more successful in work and his personal life and Steve's resentment and envy grow. This is a quick read, but it's not suspenseful at all. It drags a bit until the last few chapters, then the plot moves rather quickly. I don't think I'm the book's target population, but I'm sure others would enjoy it more. Many thanks to NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the ARC.
I found this book to be quite dull and boring in the beginning but the pace and content picked up halfway through and I found it quite enjoyable after that.
Steve works at a phone company and gets tasked with working on the Y2K problem of the late 1990’s. In this capacity, he becomes friends with John, who he feels outclassed by in every way. The two become quite close and meet some women, Mary and Lauren, who round out this friend group. John and Mary not only get engaged but make millions from John’s stock options from his new job. Steve becomes increasingly disenchanted with John, finding him to be lucky in every aspect of his life, while Steve remains stagnant in the same job and with no real love life to speak of.
It isn’t until John and Mary’s housewarming party that things take a real turn. At this point in the book, you can’t really put it down. Things happen fast and it’s an exciting ride. I give this book 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.
This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Celestial Eyes Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Suspensful, thrilling, you won't want to put this fast paced novel down.