I had high hopes for this one and while I did enjoy it, it wasn’t anything spectacular.

Don’t expect a major plot twist to happen in this - it’s more of a family drama. It was interesting to see how the different members of the family reacted to their money and status. I agree with some other reviews that Georgina’s storyline wrapped up a little too neatly and she did a complete 180 of her views very quickly.

All in all it was an ok read, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who doesn’t like a slower paced book.

Thank you to NetGallery and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC.

I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book. It did take me a few pages to get into it, but I ended up totally absorbed in it and I wanted to continue reading about the lives of the Stockton family after it ended.

It’s an eye-opening glimpse of how the one percent live compared to the rest of us. We see how Sasha, from a middle class family, marries into the wealthy Stockton family and struggles to feel like she belongs. The three Stockton children, Darley, Cord and Georgiana, all go through their own struggles trying to reconcile with their privilege and the author brings each storyline to a satisfactory conclusion by the end of the book.

Although there isn’t a lot of action the author moves the story along with her descriptive language. I felt that I could visualize every scene as if I was a fly on the wall of the house on Pineapple Street.

A wonderful debut novel. This book was beautifully written, funny, witty, and full of incredible storylines. It is a very incisive character driven study which shines a spotlight on a life of indulgence especially via the female line of the Stockton family. They want for very little but that doesn’t mean they don’t have problems.

It opens our eyes to the challenges that go with extreme wealth. To be honest, my heart doesn't bleed for their troubles, but I can see that with great wealth comes some responsibility. All the characters are somewhat unlikeable on paper but lovable in how relatable their flaws, pettiness, and eventual redemption are.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟 1/2

A book with a ton of great reviews, but one unfortunately that did not hit the mark for me. A densely observational study of a very wealthy family living in Brooklyn Heights, and their married intersections with more ordinary folk. Unfortunately I just could not get into the characters or the story, finding little I could relate to or care about.

Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It is well-written, with interesting story lines. The family lives in the stratified world of the very rich, but the characters, for the most part, are well-rounded and believable. There is conflict between the siblings and their parents but they still love and support each other. The different approaches to the siblings' circumstances are set out in the chapters, which each focus on one particular point of view in a rotating format. They have quite different personalities, and are at varying stages in their lives - mid-20's to early 30's, children and no children. Issues surrounding entitlement and charity are a large part of the story. There are some surprises with unexpected reactions. The ending is a bit contrived but ties things up quite well.

When first chose to read this book, I thought the title was
a cutesy title for a book set in fiction land. I quickly learned that Pineapple Street is one of the three Fruit Streets in Brooklyn Heights. It is a historically protected area consisting of Pineapple Street, Orange Street and Cranberry Street. Interesting fact!

This is a book about rich people. Richer than I can ever dream of being! It's about the old money family, the Stockton's. It's told from the viewpoints of their 2 daughters and 1 daughter-in-law. The voices of these women are totally different. And, they burst the bubble on the myth that if you have money, you have everything.

This is a bit of a slow burn and totally character driven. I had a bit of a problem with the lack of continuity as it jumped from one character to the other. But that quickly sorted itself out.

It felt like parts of the book were actually lampooning the wealthy, in a good natured way. The mother of the clan is totally out of touch with the reality of the “normal” world. But, it is more humorous than offensive.

But, I discovered that in some ways the rich don't really live much differently from us “regular folk”. They have insecurities, suffer losses, love their families, are thrilled about a new grandchild. Pretty normal stuff. But I don't throw an Oscars gala in an empty movie theatre building. And, I don't have friends whose names are emblazoned on different wings of the New York Public Library. I also do not have a plethora of themed dinners. So, there were things that I could not relate to. But, it was interesting to be part of their world, even if it was only for a short time.

The book ended on an interesting note. Some people never change but others do, for the better.

And interesting read. The reason I chose this book was because of the unusual title. It was worth the time spent on it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Thank you so much for letting me this book. It is a story about a very wealthy family in Brooklyn and evolves mainly
around their three adult children.. I laughed out loud many times. The author has the gift of making me feel that
I am living in the house on Pineapple Street. Will be recommending to many.

This was such a FUN book. For lovers of literary fiction, NYC settings, and rich people behaving badly (in this case, more cringeworthy), this is an entertaining, compelling read that will get you out of a reading slump. It comes out March 7, but you’ll want to bookmark this because I think it’ll make an excellent summer read; don’t let this one fly under your radar!

Pineapple Street follows the Stockton family—Chip and Tilda, their adult children Darley, Cord, and Georgiana, and their grandchildren. The book’s title refers to the famous fruit streets in Brooklyn Heights (Orange, Cranberry, and Pineapple) where the Stockton family lives and also owns numerous properties, commercial and residential real estate being the source of their generational wealth. At the heart of this novel, then, is the idea of wealth: who is born into it, who gets access to it, and what moral and ethical obligations come with having it?

These questions are teased out primarily through the perspectives of the Stockton women—Tilda, the matriarch, was born into a WASPy aristocratic family and the idea of talking about money at all makes her cringe. For her, it’s just something she has—has always had—and she doesn’t question much beyond that. Her oldest daughter, Darley, has given up her trust fund for love, refusing to sign a prenup upon her marriage to Malcolm, while her youngest, Georgiana, begins to question her life of privilege after a tragedy that hits close to home inspires her to unlearn most of what she’s been taught about her social class and lifestyle. Their sister-in-law, Sasha, has married into the family through their brother Cord. Born to middle-class parents from Providence, Rhode Island, Sasha struggles with the unspoken expectations of marrying outside her class, a kind of imposter syndrome she can’t seem to shake.

But it is also a story about family, love, and the lengths we go to “have it all.” Alternating perspectives between Darley, Sasha, and Georgiana, we get to know the characters intimately—their deepest fears, insecurities, and truths they can barely admit to themselves. They are flawed but not altogether unlikeable people with different generational viewpoints on what their inherent—and inherited—privilege means for the legacies they will leave behind.

A character study of a family modeled after New Yorks elite, and the world they live in.

The Stocktons are tight knit and the typical WASP family. This narrative follows the 4 women of the family. Tilda the matriarch of the family who only cares about appearances, tennis, and a good soiree. Darley the eldest, who gave up her career for motherhood, and gave up her inheritance for love. Georgina, the youngest who works for a non-profit, is living the life of irresponsibility that is afforded to her by her privilege. The final is Sasha, the 'outsider' who married into the family through the only son, and struggles to fit in, and feel accepted by the family. As the story goes on cycles begin breaking, privilege gets checked, and the characters grow, evolve and begin genuinely supporting the others.

I really enjoyed the characters in this one. They were flawed and although my life and the lives of many look nothing like theirs, the author finds a way to make the characters very relatable. You saw as the character's values and beliefs are challenged and how they start to change and grow as people and citizen's of this tumultuous world.

A story about a Brooklyn Heights generational wealthy family and all the complications that come with is. Each character indulges in and yet grapples with the privilege that has been given to them (or for some married into).

Written as escapist fiction, Pineapple Street definitely hits the mark. While everything can be shiny from the outside, the story provides an inside look into how the other half lives and how it may not all be as glamorous as it seems. I really enjoyed the writing of this novel. The storyline was fun and at times a little dark. An easy read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a little escape from reality that can be picked up any time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

This was in interesting read by a new author, not one I would normally gravitate to but I totally selected this based on the cover. It was a slow burn and it fizzled out for me before I reached the end. I liked this one but didn't love as much as I had hoped.

So much to enjoy about this novel. I'm really enjoying POV novels and Pineapple Street did this well. I appreciated the family dynamics and the book moved along at a great pace but it took a long time for the characters to develop. Nearer to the end of the book I found myself thinking it might have been helpful to learn more about this earlier ie) Sasha's work. I wish there had been more discussion about inherited wealth and for this to have been unpacked more. This is an important topic and one not given a great deal of analysis - at least not in my circles and I would've enjoy more. Overall, a great vacation read. Do your self a favour and read this one!

Do you know that old saying that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? When it came to picking Jenny Jackson’s Pineapple Street out of the line-up of books about to be published on NetGalley — a platform where publishers give away upcoming books to scribes like me — I was drawn in by the blue-toned cover. I read the description and saw that it was a family drama, so that was doubly appealing to me. Well, the novel is less literary fiction than it is Chick Lit (and I’m not entirely sure how, seemingly by fate, I wind up getting books that are probably more suited to women), but it is a pleasant and pleasurable read. If I can say only one positive thing about this book is that I didn’t want it to end — and I’m hardly in the target demographic for this! It’s a novel about a family that represents old money living in the Brooklyn Heights neighbourhood of New York City and looks at the generation gap between members of said family. It’s also a book about marrying into a higher class in some ways, as well as a novel about white privilege and confronting ideas surrounding social justice. True, nobody is going to associate Pineapple Street with high art, but this feels like an important and ground-breaking novel for what it is. I don’t mean to use this term condescendingly, but Pineapple Street is fluff. But it’s good fluff, and meant for those who like “easy reads.”

The novel is told from the viewpoint of three different women. First, there’s Sasha — who has married into the Stockton clan and is the target of some unnecessary needling and perhaps even bullying from her husband’s two sisters: Georgiana and Darley. Georgiana is a 26-year-old snob who looks down on people and is very immature: she winds up falling in love with a man that she shouldn’t and tragedy results. Darley, on the other hand, seemingly has her head on straighter, but she’s dealing with the facts that her two Kindergarten-aged children are unhealthily obsessed with death and that her Korean husband has lost his high-powered job through no fault of his own. As the story progresses, lessons are learned and the characters begin to appreciate each other more — as well as the lives of those who are less fortunate, particularly those who are living in developing countries. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. And you’ll come to like the characters who populate this populist novel.

At this point, I’m not so sure what else there is to say about Pineapple Street. This is a novel ostensibly about women for women, even though Jackson lists the odd male as early readers of the manuscript in the acknowledgments section. Still, the fact that this is a book for women isn’t meant to be dismissive. What is impressive about the work is that it treats rich people as fallible human beings. Sure, the clichés abound here of spoiled rich twentysomethings with trust funds in their name who hop from bar to bar getting blitzed as they sample the most expensive champagnes. And, yes, the women of the novel play tennis while the men are known to enjoy a good golf game with $3,000 clubs. However, underneath the surface of this all are people struggling to be loved and who want to make a genuine difference in the world. It’s just that their money blinds them to the notion of being in love with little else than perhaps the pursuit of more money — at least, initially. Jackson has a deft hand in showing characters who grow — even though some of the growth is of the tell, don’t show variety. Yet, although these characters are imperfect, you’ll fall in love with them anyway and you’ll want to know how they turn out once the end of the book is reached. I sense there may be a potential sequel in the making here, though I felt that the novel did conclude on a close-ended note.

If you’re interested in a paring from the other side of the coin — that is, the working-class side — you may want to try the similarly toned Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close. Still, Pineapple Street does do a tremendous job of standing on its own, and showing the rich aren’t composed of heartless bitches and assholes who solely care about money. (Sure, they do care, but some of it has to do with the fact that they are trustees who are trying to make sure that their beneficiaries have ample funds to avoid having to toil in day labour for a living.) There’s a whole lot of love and care that went into Pineapple Street, and it was an eye-opening read for me about people who are willing to change. Once again, this is an enjoyable book that is not going to rack up any major literary awards, but if you’re simply looking for something that’s relatively feel-good and warm, and a book that isn’t going to require you to have a Ph.D. just to parse its life lessons, then Pineapple Street hits the spot. This is a tremendous work of pop fiction that purports to be nothing more or less than a good time — albeit a good time with an important social message — so if you have two X chromosomes and just want a nice, quick read to settle into, Pineapple Street will be your go-to. This is the type of book that is meant to be devoured, and you’ll walk away from it feeling pretty good about yourself. Sometimes, that’s all that you need from a book, so if that cover is enticing, you should know that this is a novel that is well worth your time.

A glimpse into the lives of elite millennials. Extremely wealthy yet not happy, seeking to find what will make them happy and feel worthy. It shows that it is still very much "white" as acceptable in their circle. Not a world I would care to associate with.

Money makes the world go round……….this book was a well written read with humour injected throughout to make you smile while reading…especially the opulent parties thrown . It takes a look at one family born into wealth and their 3 adult children and their families. The hi’s and lows that come with marrying someone outside their circle, prejudices, privilege and the journey they all come to realize how naive and snobbish they may have all been. The story comes full circle with each family member finally navigating their lives within the family unit to find a peace that comes with being one’s true self.
I really enjoyed this book , it flowed well and is an easy read.

I voluntarily received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I would recommend this book to friends family and my book clubs

The perfect escapist read for these dull February and March days. Jackson draws you in and keeps you hooked with complex and fully formed characters. Who doesn't love reading about the 1% and as a bonus it's set in Brooklyn!

The book is told through three POVs: Darley is the oldest daughter of the Stockton family, who traded in her inheritance for motherhood and love. Sasha, middle-class and from New England, has married into the family and wonders if she will ever not feel like an outsider. Georgiana, the youngest, falls in love with someone she shouldn’t have and struggles with facing the truth of who she wants to be.

The story of all three women is told through their experience in living among New York’s richest and how that has affected them all in different ways. This book was fun, real, heartbreaking and entertaining. I was rooting for all three women even if I didn’t like some of them sometimes. They all had a great redemption arc that stemmed from self-awareness which they all lacked in the beginning. I really didn’t think I was going to like this one, but the writing had me turning the pages, wanting to know more. I gave it a 4/5.

*Thank you to @netgalley & @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC! The book is out March 7th!*

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a pretty quick character study of mostly VERY wealthy people so it was not at all relatable to me and yet I was still made interested because of the conflicts (family, class, race). While I did not find it at all humourous, it did remind me of Fleishman is in Trouble.

When I saw the description of this book I immediately wanted to read it. I was dealing with an incredible loss and this book seemed like the perfect literary life to get lost in.
I found myself being sucked into the drama of the characters while simultaneously disliking and relating to all of them at the same time.
This was the perfect, easy read to give me a little pick me up. Would recommend this to anyone looking for their next unputdownable book!

I really liked this book. It was entertaining and thought provoking at the same time. The characters were all well developed and I really enjoyed the story !