Name: Cobble Hill
Rating: 3.16 (25 reviews)
ISBN: 9781643587912

Cecily von Ziegesar

Cobble Hill

“Best Novels of Fall 2020” —Vogu­e “Most Anticipated List for Fall 2020” —Parade “Best of Fall 2020” —PopSugar “Best Books of 2020” —Marie Claire From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl series, a deliciously irresistible novel chronicling a year in the life of four families in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood as they seek purpose, community, and meaningful relationships—until one unforgettable night at a raucous neighborhood party knocks them to their senses. Welcome to Cobble Hill. In this eclectic Brooklyn neighborhood, private storms brew amongst four married couples and their children. There’s ex-groupie Mandy, so underwhelmed by motherhood and her current physical state that she fakes a debilitating disease to get the attention of her skateboarding, ex-boyband member husband Stuart. There’s the unconventional new school nurse, Peaches, on whom Stuart has an unrequited crush, and her disappointing husband Greg, who wears noise-cancelling headphones—everywhere. A few blocks away, Roy, a well-known, newly transplanted British novelist, has lost the thread of his next novel and his marriage to capable, indefatigable Wendy. Around the corner, Tupper, the nervous, introverted industrial designer with a warehose full of prosthetic limbs struggles to pin down his elusive artist wife Elizabeth. She remains…elusive. Throw in two hormonal teenagers, a ten-year-old pyromaniac, a drug dealer pretending to be a doctor, and a lot of hidden cameras, and you’ve got a combustible mix of egos, desires, and secrets bubbling in brownstone Brooklyn. Smart, sophisticated, yet surprisingly tender, Cobble Hill is highly entertaining portrait of contemporary family life and the colorful characters who call Brooklyn home.

A Novel

Megan Leprich

*Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review*

This book was hard for me to get into but I think that's mainly because I'm so used to the author's Gossip Girl series and this was a big difference from her young adult series (not in a bad way)! The writing style was just as good as her other works and that's one thing I really enjoyed about this book is how her style didn't change even though she changed genres. It was a fun and quirky book to read and I loved all of the family elements in it.

Devin Mainville

I don’t think I can accurately explain just how obsessed I was with the Gossip Girl books when I was a younger. So, when I saw that Cecily von Ziegesar had written a new, adult novel how could I resist?

Cobble Hill follows the lives of various residents of the title Brooklyn neighborhood as they navigate inappropriate crushes, career dissatisfaction and really weird art exhibitions. There is a lot of Gossip Girl DNA in this book, but only Gossip Girl book DNA. Cobble Hill helped remind me how zany GG could get. The glossiness of the series has taken over public perception of the property, but this book reminded me of all the weird characters and outlandish situations that were the best parts of the series.

So, if you enjoyed Gossip Girl (again, just the books) you’ll undoubtedly enjoy Cobble Hill. And hey, if you enjoy Cobble Hill, maybe check out Gossip Girl! Seriously though, should I reread Gossip Girl or will that just destroy the memory of my adolescence?

Anika | @chaptersofmay

2.5-ish stars. Thanks to Atria and the author for this ARC.

Cobble Hills starts out by giving the reader exactly what they want. A thorough exploration into the quirky and colourful characters of a Brooklyn neighbourhood, including insight into their many secrets. And this autumnal novel about New York families delivers when it comes to developed relationships and complex dynamics. But sadly, the plot fell flat, and as a result, this Cobble Hill didn’t earn the 5 stars I predicted it would.

The story opens with a bookstore. What better setting for a book to begin? And it's so easy to place yourself in bustling New York as you dive into Cobble Hill. Just like a real small neighbourhood, there's an entangled web of acquaintances and relationships masked by the chaos of everyday life. Von Ziegesar’s style is lively and laced with humour, as she assembles the many pieces to this tale.
And there are a lot of characters in this book. First, are the Stuart, Mandy and Ted Little. Then there’s Peaches, Greg, and Liam Park. Next, Roy, Wendy, and Shy Clarke. And finally, Tupper & Elizabeth Paulsen. The narrative regularly sways between the lives of the characters within each family, and their interlinked timelines are Cobble Hill’s biggest strength. There’s an authenticity to the egos, flaws, and mishaps of the families, which makes them a delight to learn about.

However, Cobble Hill doesn't really have a plot. As strange as it sounds, this is a book with very little direction. Its character-heavy, and there are plenty of happenings taking place, but as a reader I felt unsure of where they were going. So, the pace is quite motionless, there's no rhythm or intensity. I'm also not fond of how the author shapes the "fake disease" subplot. Mandy is pretending to have a devastating illness that completely destroys the human body, and the nonchalant tone felt insensitive. If there was one character that seemed to really understand the scope of this lifelong condition that would have balanced it out. But it seem dusted over when it could have been handled with more sympathy and care.

And “Black Ryan”? No. Absolutely not. Bad idea. As the only character of colour in the book, I like how he reclaimed the title to use to his advantage, but that’s not the point. It’s not something he should have to do, and he, or any other Black people, should not have to deal with degrading nicknames in the first place. 

If you’re expecting Gossip Girl, you will be disappointed. Cobble Hill doesn’t have the same flare or addictive narrative. But it is a study of character and the drama and secrets hidden in the brownstones of Brooklyn are entertaining to read. Still, if it were not for the complex array of characters, sadly there wouldn’t be much to this slightly problematic book. 

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Allison Dempsey

Mackenzie Mossop

Caroline

Rachel Kanyid

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl series, a deliciously irresistible novel chronicling a year in the life of four families in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood as they seek purpose, community, and meaningful relationships—until one unforgettable night at a raucous neighborhood party knocks them to their senses. Welcome to Cobble Hill. In this eclectic Brooklyn neighborhood, private storms brew amongst four married couples and their children. There’s ex-groupie Mandy, so underwhelmed by motherhood and her current physical state that she fakes a debilitating disease to get the attention of her skateboarding, ex-boyband member husband Stuart. There’s the unconventional new school nurse, Peaches, on whom Stuart has an unrequited crush, and her disappointing husband Greg, who wears noise-cancelling headphones—everywhere. A few blocks away, Roy, a well-known, newly transplanted British novelist, has lost the thread of his next novel and his marriage to capable, indefatigable Wendy. Around the corner, Tupper, the nervous, introverted industrial designer with a warehose full of prosthetic limbs struggles to pin down his elusive artist wife Elizabeth. She remains…elusive. Throw in two hormonal teenagers, a ten-year-old pyromaniac, a drug dealer pretending to be a doctor, and a lot of hidden cameras, and you’ve got a combustible mix of egos, desires, and secrets bubbling in brownstone Brooklyn. Smart, sophisticated, yet surprisingly tender, Cobble Hill is highly entertaining portrait of contemporary family life and the colorful characters who call Brooklyn home.

Jacqui Siroia

Kathy Andrew

Shan

Malgorzata Olszewska

Colleen McAuliffe

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl series brings her sharp-eyed and irresistible wit to this “quirky novel of lovable misfits” (Publishers Weekly) chronicling a year in the lives of four families in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood as they seek purpose and community—until one unforgettable night at a raucous neighborhood party knocks them to their senses. Welcome to Cobble Hill. In this eclectic Brooklyn neighborhood, private storms brew amongst four married couples and their children. There’s ex-groupie Mandy, so underwhelmed by motherhood and her current physical state that she fakes a debilitating disease to get the attention of her skateboarding, ex-boyband member husband Stuart. There’s the unconventional new school nurse, Peaches, on whom Stuart has an unrequited crush, and her disappointing husband Greg, who wears noise-cancelling headphones—everywhere. A few blocks away, Roy, a well-known, newly transplanted British novelist, has lost the thread of his next novel and his marriage to indefatigable Wendy. Around the corner, Tupper, the nervous, introverted industrial designer with a warehouse full of prosthetic limbs struggles to pin down his elusive artist wife Elizabeth. Throw in two hormonal teenagers, a ten-year-old pyromaniac, a drug dealer pretending to be a doctor, and a lot of hidden cameras, and you’ve got a combustible mix of egos, desires, and secrets bubbling in brownstone Brooklyn. “Breezy, witty, and compulsively fun to read” (Kirkus Reviews), Cobble Hill is highly entertaining portrait of contemporary family life and the colorful characters who call Brooklyn home.

Cobble Hill

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