DNF'd this one because it wasn't really for me. I do have a few people in mind that I do think it will work for, though. I will suggest it to them and also suggest that my local library retrieve a copy so that others can read it.

coming of age story set in classic New York with a very realistic protagonist who feels very human in all her flaws and foibles and a sorta thrillery sidepart. 4.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

What an enormous pleasure it was to read this truly well-crafted novel. This is the best example of contemporary realism in fiction I've read in a long time. The story is based on a true crime that took place in the 1980's in the Upper East Side of New York City. I lived in New York City then, and Cynthia Weiner took me back there with such specificity and authenticity of detail that I had to reorient myself to the present at the end of each chapter. The author is a master of chapter structure. It felt like the best kind of old-fashioned reading experience in that each chapter was its own journey, with a satisfying conclusion. Even though we think we know what's going to happen, the author maintained our interest with her compassionate concern for the fate of her characters. I especially appreciated the presence of Brian, the kind observer and friend. This could have been a thoroughly gruesome tale, with its graphic descriptions of cocaine use, the images of sex shops in Times Square, and the sad descent into mental illness of Nina's mother. But the author saved it from sensationalism with moments of real humor and glimmers of hope. I deeply appreciate this author's care for the characters of Nina and her friends. I "knew" these girls. Their humanity is in good hands with Cynthia Weiner. I will read anything and everything she writes.

Set in the summer of 1986, the novel follows Nina Jacobs, a Jewish outsider navigating the polished yet toxic social circles of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. With its vivid depiction of youthful recklessness, strained family dynamics, and the consequences of escapism, the novel hits familiar beats, though it doesn’t always bring enough depth to stand out.

Nina’s struggles are central to the story—her mother’s depression and volatility loom over her life, while her desperation to lose her virginity and fit in among her WASPy peers drives many of her questionable decisions. The bar Flanagan’s becomes the center of her world, a symbol of both opportunity and self-destruction. Gardner Reed, the unattainable golden boy, represents everything Nina believes she wants, and her pursuit of him—fueled by alcohol, drugs, and misguided hope—forms the novel’s emotional arc.

While Nina’s voice is compelling, her story treads familiar ground, particularly within the coming-of-age genre. Themes of substance abuse, parental neglect, and societal pressures are explored but, at times, feel surface-level, lacking the nuance that could make them more impactful. The novel shines brightest when delving into the mother-daughter relationship, offering glimpses of a household teetering on the edge of collapse and the toll it takes on Nina’s sense of self.

The 1980s setting is richly evoked, with details that capture the excess and contradictions of the era—cocaine-fueled parties, preppy fashion, and a culture obsessed with appearances. However, relying on these nostalgic markers sometimes overshadows character development, leaving secondary figures like Gardner feeling more like archetypes than fully realized people.

Ultimately, this novel succeeds as a portrait of a girl on the brink of adulthood, grappling with her identity and desires amid chaos. While the narrative occasionally stumbles, the novel’s longing, belonging, and self-destruction themes will resonate with readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories that don’t shy away from life’s darker edges.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Gorgeous Excitement is a compelling coming-of-age novel set in the 80s that seems to perfectly capture the essence of growing up during that time. This book is right up my alley: compulsively readable, sprinkled with humor, and really relatable.

Nina’s crush on Gardner is written with such authenticity, bringing all those messy, teenage pedestal moments to life—excusing bad behavior and seeing what you want to see in someone. The depiction of Nina's bipolar mother is another standout aspect, portrayed with sensitivity and realism. I also loved the portrayal of teenage friendships, especially Nina’s dynamic with Stephanie. We've all known a friend like her, and those moments felt so true to life.

While the story was memorable and truly great, there was something intangible missing that kept me from giving it a full five stars. Still, A Gorgeous Excitement is an excellent read, balancing humor and heart with relatable themes that will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

"A Gorgeous Excitement" is being marketed as a roman à clef of the 1986 Robert Chambers "preppy murder" case. And it is that, to some degree, but also much more. The true heart of the story, imo, is the relationship between protagonist Nina, whiling away her last summer on the Upper East Side before heading to college, and her mentally ill mother, Frances. Frances's severe depression morphs into a mania that's echoed by the euphoria Nina periodically experiences after discovering a new best friend, who in turn introduces her to cocaine and encourages her infatuation with the enigmatic Gardner. There's a scene with the manic Frances and the coke-charged Nina that all but left me gasping as if I too had snorted a few lines too many.

There are times when Nina gets tiresome, in the way that 18-year-olds do, and the middle sags a bit. But as the story races to its conclusion as the sense of foreboding deepens, I couldn't read fast enough. And the final chapters are close to perfect.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crown Publishing, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Given the subject matter…and the author’s proclaimed proximity to the crime upon which the book is based…this is not a book that can be “liked” or “enjoyed”. It contains interesting, although generally unlikable characters and is filled with the angst of privileged teens. I would describe the book as fraught…jamming in way too many social commentaries: drugs, mental illness, family drama, violence, predatory sexual behavior, anti-semitism, bullying/mean girls… It was all just too much.

I was completely bowled over by this incredible debut novel. Cynthia Weiner has transported us back to 1980s Manhattan through the eyes of Nina, a recent high school grad who is trying to survive living in the city in the 3 months before she leaves for college. She discovers a love for cocaine, grappling with her mom's mental illness, and harboring a massive crush on Gardner, a guy who runs in the same circles as her and frequents the same bar.

Seems like a straightforward coming of age story right? Well, as the author's note at the start of the novel tells us, this is anything but. Inspired by the true murder of a girl who was killed by the "Preppy Killer" in Central Park the same year this book is set, I was shocked to learn that Weiner actually knew the killer (the thinly veiled Gardner in the novel) and composited girls she knew to create other characters in the book. I lived in the same neighborhood 30 years later, and also frequented the bar the killer hung out in, so it was fascinating reading about this world at a very different time.

I had a hard time putting this novel down. I loved the Nina and seeing the world through her eyes, and felt for her so much. I just wanted her to survive the book and had no idea if she would or not. Weiner does an excellent job keeping us engaged, toeing the line of fiction vs. true crime, and paying respect to the victim of this terrible crime. It's a fascinating book and will definitely be talked about next year.

I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I gave this book 3 stars because it was well written. I did not like it however, and that just may be my taste. It was set in the mid 1980"s in New York and is a coming of age type of book. Nina is 18, just out of high school and planning for college.She hangs out at a bar with friends/frenimies most nights.She has a summer job as a temp, no boyfriend, a crush on someone, and a mother with mental health issues.It follows her through the summer, as she makes friends, deals with family problems, tries to lose her virginity and takes drugs. A Gorgeous Excitement refers to cocaine, which she uses, a lot. Anyway , it was an interesting topic, just not my style.

As a kid from the 80's this story held a special appeal. Nina Jacobs is just graduating high school in 1986 in Manhattan, NY and determined to lose her virginity the summer between graduation and heading off to Vanderbilt for college. Nina is relatable with her introverted nature and desire to fit in, along with a different home life from her peers. You see, her mom suffers from severe depression and is verbally abusive whenever she manages to stay awake. As many youths of the time, she turns to alcohol and drugs to self medicate, and help her become more extroverted.

Gardner Reed is supremely handsome, and newly single. All the girls wants to be his girlfriend (or at least sleep with him)... especially Nina. She is hellbent to be noticed by him, but at what cost? Her newfound bestie encourages her, and keeps her in a steady supply of cocaine. And once Nina is noticed by her crush, she realizes this may not really be what she wants and he may not be who he seems.

This was a captivating story, though I felt the way it ended was rushed. I would have liked to have read a bit more about how other aspects of her life wound up.

Thanks to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Cynthia Weiner for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Cynthia Weiner for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of A Gorgeous Excitement.
This is a beautifully written debut novel set in the 1980’s New York about a young woman’s summer of ups and downs, tragedy and adventure and I am so glad I am not walking down that road again! This brought back lots of memories of a time period which all girls seem to go through of finding our strengths and weaknesses and making our first life decisions. Lots of drama with friendships, drugs, alcohol, boyfriends and going to college. You name it and our main character struggled with it.
This was a rather bleak and depressing story, many mental health issues and multiple trigger warnings. Add to this list are family difficulties and a few crimes.. I do like gritty, dark stories but this might even be over the edge for me.
The story was a bit repetitive and I needed a break from the nonstop drama. Our main character had little guidance and was struggling through without much success. The ending was on a better path but I needed some time to recuperate from the roller coaster ride.

This was so good! I felt like I could have known Nina. She was written so well, and I felt such a connection to her: New York definitely seemed like the other main character in this book. I have never been, but I felt like I was there!

Thank you NetGalley,Crown Publishers and author Cynthia Weiner for her first novel,A Gorgeous Excitement for the opportunity to read on an ebook. This was a coming of age story with many different characters coming from NYC private schools who are very upper class along with those of middle class and public schools educations. As they spend their last summer, before heading off to college, at a local bar a lot of unexpected drama happens among the group of friends and acquaintances which includes lots of alcohol,sex and cocaine.The main character is a sweet,smart girl with a totally mental ill mom where a lot of humor is brought into the novel unexpectedly. Didn’t see the story come to the end as it did. I would be interested in reading future books by C.W.
Book on sale Jan.21,2025

A GORGEOUS EXCITEMENT had me from its 80s New York city setting and echoes of the notorious 1986 preppy murder. Weiner's protagonist Nina is a young Jewish woman hanging out at an Upper East Side bar modeled on Dorrian's, the notorious WASPY Prep school hangout where Jennifer . Levin encountered her killer, the devastatingly handsome but lethal Robert Chambers. Like Levin, Nina is a fish out of water among the preppy set. Like Levin, she gets entangled with the preppy God of that set, a troubled and popular Chambers-like character named Gardner.

There is a ticking clock in A GORGEOUS EXCITEMENT that compelled me to keep reading: The ticking clock of the summer before college, the ticking clock of Nina's crush on Gardner. Will Nina finally get Gardner to notice her--and take her virginity--before the start of college? The ticking clock of Gardner's increasingly erratic behavior. Is Nina in danger? The ticking clock of Nina's family imploding: What will happen with Nina's mother, whose behavior is getting more erratic? What will happen with Nina's grandfather, whose dementia seems to be getting worse after the death of his beloved wife? And most compellingly, how will Nina, without the support of her mentally ill mother and distracted father, navigate this fast-moving drug=fueled 80s bar scene?

As soon as she meets the charismatic Stephanie, also an outsider to the preppy, rich Upper East Side world, also from a troubled family, we can see the train wreck start to happen: the cocaine, the night clubs, the association with Stephanie's toxic boyfriend, coupled with an intense camaraderie. Along the way, the reader is treated to all the 80's nostalgia: the songs, the well-worn Lacostes worn by Nina's crush Gardener, a stand-in for Robert Chambers, the drinks (I hadn't thought of Slippery Nipples since the 80's), the Kissing Potion! This book was equally parts thrilling, poignant and nostalgic. I cared about Nina and her friends, and worried for her.

A fun intimate look into teenage life in the 1980s in Manhattan. Weiner paints a thorough picture into the life of several main characters and their brief relationships before a tragedy. Most of the novel is daily descriptions of the main character's life, and is told from her perspective. I found myself wanting more of a plot and disappointed in the rushed ending.

It was really difficult to get pulled into this one. It feels like a perpetual loop of settings and events -- going to the bar, pining over this terrible guy, doing coke -- without the character development to really justify the repetition. The only real shift in circumstances is the fictionalized insertion of a real-life murder in the final chapters of the book. Considering how little of the book remains at that point, the intention doesn't really seem to be to show how that murder affects our characters, and if that is the intention then it doesn't sufficiently achieve that. The main character's actions and attitude do finally shift, but it feels a little too fast-paced at that point. I commend the novel for successfully cultivating such a specific vibe (though it's one that makes me very glad to not live in 80s NYC): much of it feels like an exercise in tone and setting and I have to imagine it's quite an accurate portrayal. But, while there is something affecting to Nina's evolving relationship with her mother, I largely didn't find anything to grasp emotionally. I don't know if the book fully escapes the shallowness of the world it portrays.

I was so grateful for the chance to read this ARC. I live in NYC and am always interested in some of the "old New York" tales - this one was especially interesting with the link to what many women in modern day feel in terms of fear and uncertainty around safety when alone at night.

This book gave us a really great glimpse into an interesting main character who is far from perfect, very stuck in her own head, but has desires that so many of us have had. It was a great coming of age story bridging the gap between high school and college, giving us a glimpse into the less mature impulses for very mature things (drugs, sex, etc.) I only deducted a star because of the somewhat incessant amount of the pining and yearning for Gardner and cocaine. Change seemed somewhat sudden instead of growth that occurred over time.

This book also gave a great look into the impacts of mental illness and complicated family relationships and responsibilities. Honestly, there were just so many great themes packed into a normal-length book. I would definitely recommend it!

'A Gorgeous Excitement' is a novel with nostalgia. Picture it: NYC in the 1980s. So much culture. What a time to be a teen growing up amid it all!

Cynthia Walker, a fresh voice in the literary world, delivers a captivating narrative. Her engaging prose brings the characters to life from the very first page, making them feel like familiar friends with her detailed descriptions.

Through Walker's writing, I felt like I was with the FMC, Nina, walking without fear and full of excitement. Nina's life is very complex; she's not an ordinary rich teenager. Rather, she's lived a life full of emotionally and developmentally stunting challenges, such as the death of her grandmother and the tumultuous relationship they shared.

My only criticism is that while the novel is a very interesting read, I found myself sometimes finding something else to do while consuming it. However, with some adjustments to pacing and foreshadowing, 'A Gorgeous Excitement' has the potential to keep the reader fully engaged and provide a more immersive experience.

3.75 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC.

A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner was an interesting coming of age book sent in 80s in New York City. It follows Nina as she does temp work, hangs out at the neighborhood bar (that doesn't card), and navigates the summer before she starts her freshman year at Vanderbilt. As someone who graduated high school in the late 80s it was a fun read, even if I didn't completely connect with the story, all of the late 80s references were appreciated. I never really was sure where it was going, but I enjoyed finding out. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

This was a wonderful debut that really captured the spirit of New York City in the 1980s, including openly underage drinking, lack of parental responsibility, easy access to hard drugs. Nina was a great character to follow, as she's both an insider (has enough wealth to live on the right side of Manhattan and attend a private school) but is also an outsider (is Jewish and still looking to lose her virginity at a time when her peers are easily hooking up). The addition of her personal losses--her grandmother's death, her grandfather's mental decline, and her mother's mental health issues--adds up to a poignant, at times devastating, read.