Happy Hour
Author: Marlowe Granados
Published by: Verso Fiction
Pages: 275
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★★★★
Published by: Verso Fiction
Pages: 275
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★★★★
Isa Epley is all of twenty-one years old, and already wise enough to understand that the purpose of life is the pursuit of pleasure. She arrives in New York City for a summer of adventure with her best friend, one newly blond Gala Novak. They have little money, but that’s hardly going to stop them from having a good time.
In her diary, Isa describes a sweltering summer in the glittering city. By day, the girls sell clothes in a market stall, pinching pennies for their Bed-Stuy sublet and bodega lunches. By night, they weave from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side to the Hamptons among a rotating cast of celebrities, artists, Internet entrepreneurs, stuffy intellectuals, and bad-mannered grifters. Resources run ever tighter, and the strain tests their friendship as they try to convert their social capital into something more lasting than precarious gigs as au pairs, nightclub hostesses, paid audience members, and aspiring foot fetish models. Through it all, Isa’s bold, beguiling voice captures the precise thrill of cultivating a life of glamour and intrigue as she juggles paying her dues with skipping out on the bill.
In her diary, Isa describes a sweltering summer in the glittering city. By day, the girls sell clothes in a market stall, pinching pennies for their Bed-Stuy sublet and bodega lunches. By night, they weave from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side to the Hamptons among a rotating cast of celebrities, artists, Internet entrepreneurs, stuffy intellectuals, and bad-mannered grifters. Resources run ever tighter, and the strain tests their friendship as they try to convert their social capital into something more lasting than precarious gigs as au pairs, nightclub hostesses, paid audience members, and aspiring foot fetish models. Through it all, Isa’s bold, beguiling voice captures the precise thrill of cultivating a life of glamour and intrigue as she juggles paying her dues with skipping out on the bill.
My thoughts:
I picked up Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados after seeing it recommended by YouTuber Carley Thorne, and I’m so glad I did. From the very first page, I was completely charmed by Granados’ stylish, witty prose and the clever, observational tone of the storytelling.
Set during one unforgettable summer in New York City, Happy Hour follows Isa and her best friend Gala as they navigate the glittering yet precarious world of parties, odd jobs, and fleeting encounters. What I loved most was the writing—it’s light and effervescent on the surface but layered with sharp social commentary and a knowing wink. Granados captures the feeling of being young and broke but full of confidence and charm with such originality and flair.These are characters who have been through a lot but refuse to let past traumas bring them down. Ultimately, I’d describe the main characters as glamorous party girls who are streetwise, charming and eloquent. Happy Hour is a novel about getting by and having fun in a world that wants you to do neither. And a reminder of what it is to be young in a big city.
It's one of those rare reads that manages to be effortlessly stylish whilst also quietly profound. The narrative, which is written by lead character Isa in what feels like a series of diary entries, is what really drew me in, and her voice is sharp, witty, and full of personality. There’s also something so refreshing about the way this book doesn’t chase a traditional plot. Instead, it drifts delightfully through moments that feel vivid, stylish, and completely alive. It reminded me a little of Eve Babitz, with a 21st-century twist. There’s something so intriguing and understated about the way Granados writes about ambition, survival, and beauty. I found myself re-reading passages just to savour how she put things.
If you are someone who enjoys character-driven novels with strong aesthetic and emotional vibes, Happy Hour will hit the spot. It’s a book I know I’ll revisit again.
Overall reaction:
I picked up Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados after seeing it recommended by YouTuber Carley Thorne, and I’m so glad I did. From the very first page, I was completely charmed by Granados’ stylish, witty prose and the clever, observational tone of the storytelling.
Set during one unforgettable summer in New York City, Happy Hour follows Isa and her best friend Gala as they navigate the glittering yet precarious world of parties, odd jobs, and fleeting encounters. What I loved most was the writing—it’s light and effervescent on the surface but layered with sharp social commentary and a knowing wink. Granados captures the feeling of being young and broke but full of confidence and charm with such originality and flair.These are characters who have been through a lot but refuse to let past traumas bring them down. Ultimately, I’d describe the main characters as glamorous party girls who are streetwise, charming and eloquent. Happy Hour is a novel about getting by and having fun in a world that wants you to do neither. And a reminder of what it is to be young in a big city.
It's one of those rare reads that manages to be effortlessly stylish whilst also quietly profound. The narrative, which is written by lead character Isa in what feels like a series of diary entries, is what really drew me in, and her voice is sharp, witty, and full of personality. There’s also something so refreshing about the way this book doesn’t chase a traditional plot. Instead, it drifts delightfully through moments that feel vivid, stylish, and completely alive. It reminded me a little of Eve Babitz, with a 21st-century twist. There’s something so intriguing and understated about the way Granados writes about ambition, survival, and beauty. I found myself re-reading passages just to savour how she put things.
If you are someone who enjoys character-driven novels with strong aesthetic and emotional vibes, Happy Hour will hit the spot. It’s a book I know I’ll revisit again.
Overall reaction:
