Set over a 24-hour period, a large cast of characters working at a museum in New York City prepare for their annual gala.

I struggled through the first 10% of this book just trying to keep track of who the heck anyone was (a LOT of characters are thrown at you). I started a list just to keep track of how everyone knew each other, which actually became so fun after a bit—the gossip that was revealed about everyone's personal lives bleeding into their professional lives was *chef's kiss*. The writing was witty and fast-paced (but lost me a bit by the end unfortunately, I wanted everything to truly blow up in a bigger way).

I used to work big gala events at one of my previous jobs, and it was fun to feel that last minute frenzy of it all—everyone scrambling around to get their shit together while simultaneously running into hurdle after hurdle, etc. etc. Also, reading this in the dead of winter in the suburbs of Boston made me soooo homesick for New York. A character had a whole monologue on loving being young and feeling alive in the city and I NEED to be young and alive in New York.

Thank you to Heather McGowan, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

As an arts administration student and someone who used to work for a museum (albeit much smaller than the one in the book), I had been eager to read "Friends of the Museum" ever since I came across it on a list of anticipated 2025 releases. I am happy to say it lived up to my expectations.

The book follows a large cast of characters over one 24-hour period at a museum in New York City. Though much of the book is centered on the characters' work at the Museum leading up to their annual gala, it also delves into their personal lives and explores their shared history. I found myself most drawn to the stories of Diane, the Museum's Director, and her assistant Chris; and Shay, the Museum's Chief Security Officer. While the comparison to White Lotus is apt, I would compare it more to Veep if it had been set in an art museum—especially the relationship between Diane and Chris. The writing was witty and fast-paced, and despite all the hurdles the staff had to overcome, it made me want to work in a Museum of this stature. If you've ever worked a major fundraising event, you'll find the depiction of the Museum's donors and gala guests to be especially realistic.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it may not be for everyone. The writing style and sheer volume of characters takes some getting used to. The author does not use quotation marks, instead opting for dashes to indicate dialogue, which makes it read almost more like a play. The list of characters provided at the beginning is helpful, although it is not inclusive of everyone who appears throughout the book's 500 pages. I found myself referencing it frequently for about the first 30% of the book before I felt as if I had a good enough grasp on who was who to go without it. If you have the patience to get acquainted with the characters, this book is worth sticking with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book!

Friends of the Museum sounded fun, intriguing, and dynamic and the synopsis was compelling. It was the opposite for me - boring. I may not be the target audience and encourage readers to look at other reviews.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Employees at a NYC museum had so much more on their minds – besides art. This book was packed with all sorts of reflections from a list of 46 high-level employees, Board members and donors. They had a lot to say regarding their relationships, food and fashion. My favorite part was when opinions were shared about current political views.

Just like the cover with someone scratching his head, I felt the same way when I started reading. It took some time to adjust to the author’s free-style writing with dashes rather than quotes.

There was something different also with chapter headings. It started at 5:30 a.m. and ended 24 hours later. The parts jumped from one person to another with advanced time slots. I felt like I was the new employee trying to keep everyone’s names straight in my head. Fortunately, a list was provided.

The staff was gearing up for a gala later in the day. They talked about art and donors but not enough. I wanted to know more about the exhibits. I noticed that on the list of key positions, there wasn't a Development Officer which I found to be odd with major fundraising objectives.

Remarks were made about diversity, women’s sizes, and women’s ages. It showed the typical flattering sales approach with a donor to get support. Were the wealthy patrons even thinking about art? It was a long book much like some days at work when the clock is ticking.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 15, 2025.

The blurb makes this book sound fast paced and full of antics, but it's just...not. The pacing is off, and for something that's supposed to happen across 24 hours, it just drags. You'd think it was weeks and weeks.

The description of this book intrigued me, but, unfortunately I just couldn’t get past the structure of how it is written. I may come back to it later, but for now, it just feels like a chore to get through the book. I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

This one was so wild, I couldn’t put it down! Thank for the ARC, NetGalley and Washington Square. I will definitely be reading more of McGowan’s work in the future.

As someone who works in a cultural heritage institution, I was excited to read Friends of the Museum, by Heather McGowan. I'm a pretty tenacious reader with a high tolerance for experimental prose, but this book unfortunately was a DNF for me. I love the idea of a 24 hour look at the life of a museum, but the plot didn't pull me in and the multitude of characters without any context just left me feeling unmoored. If I could see that the story would be worth it, I would have stuck with it, but there didn't seem to be much plot to this book. Maybe I gave up too soon?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an eARC; all opinions are my own.

Ehhhh, I had a lot of issues with Friends of the Museum. As a lover of Russian literature, I generally don't have an issue trying to learn an entire cast of characters, but the dialogue and very uninteresting plot made it nearly impossible to care. This book put me in a massive reading slump which is unfortunate because the premise had so much potential.

I've never encountered prose like this, it was mystifying and addictive, I was enthralled by these characters and their plights.

A Joyce-ian novel exploring the intricacies of connection and where we are at any moment as humans, against the backdrop of a museum, is such an intriguing premise. I found the sheer amount of characters a bit dizzying, but I also recognize the necessity of having quite a menagerie.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Going minute by minute over the course of 24 hours, taking you into office politics and the deep personal struggles of an entire cast of characters, this book was truly an emotional rollercoaster!

Anyone who has ever has a job can probably relate to the petty squabbles and seemingly unnecessary chaos from all those meetings that could have been emails that the novel starts out with. I definitely had a few laughs myself! But it isn't just a look at how crazy American work culture can be, as we learn about the backstories, personal woes, and motivations of all the characters pretty quickly. To me, Friends of the Museum really excelled here, showing us that everyone has their own sh*t going on - not a groundbreaking revelation but one we all too often seem to forget.

Diane's day begins at 4:28 am when she gets a phone call-she had to come to the museum ASAP. When she arrived at 5:30 she meets with counsel who told her that several artifacts in the India collection were looted, and the authorities were already sniffing around. The director of a NYC art museum (no, NOT the Met, even though they share the same collections and specialties,) Diane certainly doesn't need that kind of trouble, especially today. Tonight is the Gala and the museum will be under the microscope. This is the night everything has to be perfect-the food, the entertainment, the glamorous atmosphere, as it is the best chance to woo the press and the high rolling donors. Times are getting tough at the museum and Diane needs new costly exhibits and flashy collections to get the public's attention. It certainly doesn't help that several of the employees have called in sick, perhaps from that shrimp served at the staff party last night. They can't afford to close to the public so the Gala is being set up in the midst of viewing traffic. What makes it worse is, the new wing is under construction, and to impress the Japanese ambassador in charge of the amazing money-making spectacle, Diane gives him a behind the scenes tour. Who knew a toolbox would fall on his arm?

As the day progresses, everything that can possibly go wrong, does. The director and her assistant run interference with the logistic and personality problems that are just another day to them. A dying donor who has been dangling his private collection for years to competing museums still needs pampering. The remaining employees must cover their responsibilities as well as those of their sick co-workers for the gala, expertise be damned. Even hair, make-up, and gowns become mini-crises. And of course the Gala just might not go as planned.

I love books that give me the unexpected, and McGowan really delivers. There are no chapters in the novel, but passage of time is noted by recording the time each event happens. Beginning with "four twenty-something," the day progresses into the night from hell and ends at a Rockaway beach after five am. Bad things happen, really bad things happen, and a few good things happen too. The characters are complicated, but the reader will feel for them as we get a window on their motivations. Certainly I now have a new perspective on how a museum must fight for its existence every day and what looks like a smoothly run organization can also be a study in controlled chaos.

This is a hard book to review. It's a fascinating look at life in a museum in a day, but the cast is SPRAWLING. I think this would make an interesting tv show and perhaps that is what it's written for in the end? It was just too difficult to keep up with the characters and the plot simultaneously and I SAT with this book to give it it's best chance. I did enjoy the writing, and if it were optioned for television I think I'd watch it!

The concept is great - 24 hours chronicling the behind-the-scenes drama at an art museum in NYC. I liked the structure too, with short scenes moving the action along. However, there were dozens of characters and I found myself flipping to the cast of characters to figure out who was who and this detracted from the overall story for me as not all of the people were compelling enough to follow. Still, I appreciate what the author was aiming to do. If you're in the mood for a zany, complex drama that requires a lot of attention, you may enjoy!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Heather McGowan’s newest novel takes place over a 24-hour period at a New York City art museum, exploring the dynamics between the staff and administration. The story is structured into sections that focus on different characters, with time frames that shift from hour to hour, sometimes longer, and occasionally shorter. Central to the plot is the tension surrounding an upcoming Gala event that has everyone on high alert. There were way too many characters and not enough was happening in the 24 hour period this book covered to keep me entertained. I had trouble following the plot and also had an issue with how the author wrote about fat people. I came very close to DNF this one but ultimately pushed through. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2/5

This was incredibly difficult to decipher. There is no quotes around the dialog, as well as no indication of who is saying it. It is a big mumbo-jumbo of confusion. I had to dnf since I had no idea what was going on.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is impossible to read given the way the author does not use quotation marks. There’s no way of telling who is speaking at any certain point and I had to DNF after not even finishing the first chapter. Hopefully the editor reads these comments because this book will flop if it goes unedited.

I had high hopes for Friends of the Museum, but this one just didn’t quite land for me. At nearly 500 pages, it introduces a sprawling cast of characters orbiting Diane Schwebe, the embattled director of a troubled New York City museum. While the premise had all the right ingredients for a tense and darkly funny read, the sheer number of characters made it hard to stay invested in any one storyline.

There are moments of sharp wit and clever commentary on the chaos of institutional survival, but the pacing dragged at times, and the narrative felt scattered. If you enjoy ensemble stories with a ticking-clock structure, this might be worth checking out. It just didn’t fully click for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Had a really hard time with the way this book was written. There are so many characters and no quotation marks. It makes it really hard to follow