This novel follows several mothers as they fight to get their children into THE most prestigious NYC private school. As a resident of Manhattan, I know this is a true blood sport. The mothers range from poor outsider to ultra-wealthy powerful women.

The novel is triggered by the suicide of one in their group. The author takes us through the stories of the mothers, but very superficially and full of cliches. Of course, she chooses a rainbow of colors and martial statuses for her characters. Topp has thrown in a closeted lesbian, a cancer patient and various drug abusers.

I found myself seesawing back and forth between liking this book and thinking parts are so absurd and predictable that I can’t suspend disbelief far enough. Though I enjoyed the concept and have a great many thoughts about this exercise in absurd and offensive elitism, I found myself infuriated at the destruction of lives during this chase.

Thank you Netgalley for this thought provoking novel that all my NYC neighbors will love discussing.

The storyline, specifically people in a suburban community handling the suicide of a someone close was intrigued me. I just happened to come across CITY PEOPLE, I didn't seek it out. And throughout the book, that is what you will be thinking about. So, it does hit the heart in a heavy way, especially if you've dealt with any of the content warnings for triggering events that occur throughout the story.

City People by Elizabeth Topp follows the lives of six women in the aftermath of the death of a friend in their inner circle. All mothers, these women are forced to reexamine who they are and explore difficult truths about themselves.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I typically love character driven stories with social commentary and this book definitely checks those boxes for me. I thought it was extremely well written but ultimately it suffered from a lack of a clear plot or direction. Even though I enjoy character driven books, I still like to have an idea of where the story is going and some sort of thread connecting the entire story together. As I was reading I kept wondering what message or purpose the author was trying to convey. I also hoped there would be more thoughtful commentary regarding suicide and its impact but the way the characters constantly mentioned how selfish Susan was and that she wasted her life didn’t sit well with me. I thought six POVs was too many and even though we spend a lot of time with the characters, none of them felt fleshed out enough for me. I didn’t find any of them likable and I wasn’t particularly interested in the drama going on in their lives.

I settled on 3 stars because I really enjoyed the author’s writing and I felt compelled to keep reading to see how everything came together. Definitely check out this book if you enjoy character driven and slice of life stories, social commentary, and rich people drama!

Content warnings: suicide, suicidal thoughts, cancer, and infidelity.

** Thank you to the publisher, Little A, and NetGalley for this eARC!**

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

A fast-paced and absorbing read about the dysfunctional lives of a group of mothers with children at the same pre-school in Manhattan. On the surface they present flawless façades, but when one of their number ends her life, the women are forced to examine both their own blindness to her suffering, along with their own priorities and fixations. This book asks the question: in their determination to gain admittance to Kent school, have they lost sight of what really matters? This story brings up many current issues around racism, wokeness and what it's like to be privileged or someone who strives to be, and reveals that whichever end of the spectrum you belong to (and everything in between) there is vulnerability and suffering, and that having children makes the intensity of modern life even more precarious and confronting. With thanks to NetGalley and Little a for my review copy.

Loved this book! Great story and I loved all the characters in here. It was a walk into a different world and life than I am use to which is always a cool experience.

City People begins with the suicide of Susan Harris, one of a group of close knit mothers at all New York City preschool. All are desperate to have their children accepted by the prestigious (Steven Spielberg directed the promotional video!) Kent school and all are hiding serious secrets. On the outside Vic, Bhavna, Kara, Chance, Amy and Penelope all look like typical, well groomed, exprensively dressed Manhattanites. As they negotiate their way through grief for Susan, we see what is below the manicured surfaces. Self-doubt, anxiety, financial problems, addiction, adultery and more dominate their thoughts and actions. As competition for placement at Kent increases, problems bubble to the surface and make these women see what is most important in their lives. It’s not what they thought.

City people opens and ends with events leading up to Susan Harris’ death. The disconnect between her troubled thinking and her behavior has been made tragically clear in a conversation her babysitter has with Vic. Life’s pressures have also seriously affected some of the other characters and we see how it will affect Susan’s own family. While suicide does not dominate this domestic drama, the author ends with a crisis hotline. 5 stars.

Thank you To NetGalley, Little A and Elizabeth Topp for this ARC.

I loved this novel. Full of strong woman characters that came from all walks of life and had nothing in common, except for their children attending the same preschool and their desire for their child to get into the prestigious Kent school. The novel starts off with one of the moms, Susan, dying and the others are left wondering how and why. Each chapter is focused on one of the women and told from their point of view. I really enjoyed the length of each chapter and getting to know each of the characters. I liked the ending for each of the characters and I thought the epilogue did a great job of answering any lingering questions.

Synopsis (It's a fiction book, so it helps….)
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From Perfectly Impossible author Elizabeth Topp comes an unforgettably searing novel about a band of mothers who are forced to reckon with themselves after the unexpected loss of one of their own.

When beautiful and successful Susan Harris jumps from the roof of her apartment building, she sets a tremor through her New York City mothers’ group that forces them all to look at one another with new cynicism: How could this have happened right under their noses? To one of them? Between her death and the harrowing private school admission season on the horizon, these women are forced to explore the hard truths about themselves.

Vic, a single mom with literary aspirations, is shocked and confused by the unexpected death of her best friend. Bhavna, a makeup executive, tries to process Susan’s death while sacrificing everything to get her son into the school of his dreams. Kara’s sister died by suicide years earlier, so she’s been down this road before—or so it seems. Penelope and Amy are navigating a business deal when Susan dies but is it worth the toll on their families? And how will Chandice, battling cancer, come to terms with Susan’s death?

For these women, the loss of a fellow mother forces them to reexamine who they really are while the futures of their children hang in the balance.

This is very "First Wives Club" in which women reflect on their lives after the suicide of a friend but these women are not hell-bent on revenge, but in their own reflection. The characters are interesting to meet and figure out and are enjoyable to read about as well. I just don't like the title of the book ... it just doesn't gel for me, but that is me and won't stop me from recommending this book to lovers of fiction and good reads.

This wasn’t what I expected but in some ways was a good surprise. Definitely has Big Little Lies vibes as we have a group of women connected via their children who react to death in their circle. The writing is good and the dialogue snappy but I was not invested in these characters and their privilege.