Annonation # 4- Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess

Pull up a chair, the owl is in.



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To the male readers, now's the time to pretend to be girls or leave the room because things are going to get giggly and girly ( and we might be  throwing pillows and singing ABBA songs into our hairbrush microphones.) This genre annotation is women's lives and relationships, which is a storyline built around the ups and down of a woman ( or what I like call " As long as I have my ( BFFs/ sisters/Mom/ boyfriend/other) I can survive (big bad city/ cheating boyfriend or husband/ big bad boss/other).")

About The Owl and Women's Lives and Relationships-
Oh my gawd, I love this genre!!! I think I've read a ton of them. Though a bit predictable (and sometime dumb and annoying), they are addictive as the chocolates and shoes the heroines devour in their journey of self- actualization(and they're so pretty). They are a fun, sassy read on a weekend, curled up in your face mask and bunny slippers. They are the best friend that never lets you down, always there to pick you up when you have a bad day (and with a cute, bubbly  CD, even better!!)Some of my faves are:

•  Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Branshares (even the sad, very adult fifth book)
• Little Women by Lousia May Alcott*
• Mother-Daugther Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick*
• The Daughters series by Joanna Philbin 

* I think based on the criteria in our text, they count in this genre.*

I had a hard time choosing just one, but I did. I chose....

Title: Brooklyn Girls (also known at Brooklyn Girls: Pia)
Author: Gemma Burgess
Genre: Women's Lives and Relationships/  New Adult/Contemporary Chick Lit-Romance 
Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
Series: Brooklyn Girls, # 1
Geographical Setting: Brooklyn, New York
Time Setting: 21st Century
Topics: Young Women, Female Friendships, Self-actualization, Food Trucks
Characteristics of Women's Lives and Relationships( as Featured in This Book)

• Mood is offbeat and sassy, offering glimpse into the struggles of post-college adults.
• Story is presented in first person by Pia Keller, a Swiss-Indian twenty-something girl with a degree in art history. Fresh out of college, she's sharing a brownstone in Brooklyn with four other twenty-something girls. Also some minor characters, including charming Brit Aidan, grumpy neighbor Vic, creepy loan shark Cosmo, and a cute but rusty food truck named Toto.
• After some racy Facebook pictures cost Pia her job, her parents tell her she has eight weeks to find new employment or move in with them in Zurich. Pia finds success in the world of food trucks. Other issues include substance abuse, money, relationships and death ( sister of grumpy neighbor Vic dies but the girls pull together to help him and in return, he saves them from the loan shark and his hit men).
• Definitely a contemporary setting, filled with witty language, pop culture references and slang.Also explores a bit of world of the food truck industry.
• About as fast-paced as a New York cab, but easy to stop and start without losing any flow.

New Adult 101-
When I looking up read-a-likes for this book, I saw it was listed as "New Adult fiction". I figured it was because it was a new book, but I Googled the word and turns this is a new but controversial genre featuring college/post college characters leaving home to experience their new life as adults. Most people are for this genre, others feel it's just oversexed YA. I'm writing my topic paper on this, wish me luck.

Plot Summary: Meet Pia Keller. A 22-yr old Brown art history graduate, she's sharing a Brooklyn brownstone with four other girls- wild child Angie,uptight math whiz Maddy, practical Julia and her little sister Coco. But oopsh, some racy Facebook photos cost her job. Faced with an ultimatum to either find a new job in eight weeks or live forever with her parents in Zurich, Pia goes on an adventure featuring hangovers, cute British boys, creepy loan sharks, and a cute pink truck named Toto. Perhaps growing up won't be so bad after all.

My Take: I looooooooooooooooooove it ( especially with a  Sara Bareilles CD!!) It's  a little like HBO's Girls but with more likable characters. I love Pia's transformation from spoiled Ivy-League princess to strong, confident food truck seller ( a few meltdowns, but it's due to a creepy subplot involving a loan shark and a run-in with an ex-boyfriend). I love her friends and how they always stick together, no matter what (plus we'll learn more about them in future books.) I love the minor characters, like charming Aidan and Pia's cute pink food truck Toto ( yes, I feel it counts as a character) and the witty, youthful language of twenty-somethings ( "oopsh" is my new favorite word, plus "ladyb----").
I did not favor creepy loan shark Cosmo or his hit men. I felt it was very out of place and dark, had me worrying about Pia and her pals ( but no worries, things work out in the end.)
Overall, a fun read. I just put in a purchase request for Love and Chaos, the second book in the series, and look forward to more in the future.

Read-a-Likes ( From Novelist)

• Call me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Philips- After being ostracized for halting her friend's wedding, Meg  Koranda finds herself in a hostile Texas town while falling for Ted Beaudine. ( Like Brooklyn features witty language and the subjects " young women" and "men/ women relationships".)

• The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine- Modern-day take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility set in Westport, Connecticut. (Like Brooklyn features witty language and the subjects "Self-fulfillment in women" and 'Men/women relations".)

• Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas-   Steamy historical romance where an heiress agrees to a marriage of  convenience with a viscount. (  Like Brooklyn features witty language and the subjects " young women" and "men/ women relationships".) 

Again, this is my favorite genre and keep reading this genre. ( I'm currently reading something now called Sleepaway Girls which is teen chick-lit.) I'm also going to be seeking out this "New Adult" genre ( most of them  look interesting, just wish they were listed in the catalog as "New Adult" instead of "college stories", " contemporary romance" or "erotica".)



Well, got a paper to work on, wish me luck. The final annotation won't be till April, Young Adult ( teen fun, yah, play some sugary pop music now).