A Novel

by Cecily von Ziegesar

Cecily von Ziegesar may be known to many for her Gossip Girl books. I have not read them (or seen the TV series) but know that they are set in a moneyed Manhattan world. Cobble Hill is in Brooklyn, not Manhattan, and the characters are adults not teens, but I wonder to what extent this title reflects the same sensibility.

One of the book’s protagonists, a British author named Roy, rightly observes that living in Cobble Hill is like living in a small town, not the metropolis. This means that there is none of that city anonymity. The novel tracks Roy and his wife, a band member and his family, a school nurse and others. They interact and intersect over the course of the story.

Many others have reviewed this book quite positively. For me, for some reason, I could not get involved enough in the story lines and did not care enough about the characters. We are all different so, if you are looking for a clever story by a successful author, you may want to give this a try.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.