• Fashion
    • Designer Fashion
    • OOTDs
  • Beauty
    • Makeup
    • Skincare
    • Beauty Directory
  • Life
    • Books + Film
    • Home + Kitchen
    • Tips + Inspo
    • Travel
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Join the Mailing List
    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

DreaminLace

STYLE + BEAUTY + AMBITION OF THE MODERN WOMAN

Books + Film, Life

BOOKS: Sweetbitter Perfects Summer Reading

August 3, 2016

Stephanie Danler’s debut novel Sweetbitter sits atop the summer reading lists of many. Today, I share my thoughts on one of summer 2016’s biggest reads…without any spoilers. *I promise*

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler - Dream in Lace

After two weeks of non-stop politics with the Republican and Democratic conventions, my brain was fried and in desperate need of a little escape. Answering my call? Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, a book that has been perched upon my reading list since I first read about it in Elle a few months back. It didn’t take long before I was hooked. In fact, it took only about two paragraphs.

Oh yes, you may have seen Sweetbitter lounging on the shelves of your local bookstore and decorating Instagram profiles everywhere, taunting you with that intriguing cover. With a cryptic broken wine glass and a short bio that describes a young girl on the move to New York City – interest starts to build. After all, we share a fascination with the thriving metropolis New York City and the adventurous souls who venture there.

Summer Reading at Its Finest?

Sweetbitter might not be your typical juicy summer read – although it is certainly juicy. Where others come to New York chasing dreams of a life on Broadway, a modeling career or overtaking Wall Street – Tess arrives merely on the hunt for something. She doesn’t quite know what she is looking for, but with a ‘useless’ English degree and $130 to her name, she stumbles upon a job at a popular NYC restaurant. Young and impressionable without much ambition, Tess easily succumbs to a life outside the lines. Upon learning the ins and outs of oysters and the grapes of the French wine regions, she follows the lead of her peers down a path of late-nights, cocktails and cocaine.

Stephanie Danler writes in a manner that reads like a memoir, while taking on the restaurant industry, its underlying culture and the colorful characters that live it. It’s a story that brought me a real sense of nostalgia, having worked as a server through college — but also made me extremely glad that world is firmly placed in my rear-view mirror. While working in a restaurant does bring an element of excitement and a mix of new people, there is a darkness to the job that Sweetbitter wasn’t afraid to explore.

Just Another Coming-of-Age Tale?

The phrase ‘coming-of-age’ is tossed out so frequently in the literary world, that it’s just about lost all meaning. And yet – here we find Tess, a young girl on the path of self-discovery. Stephanie clearly draws from personal experience as she paints an honest picture of what life in a restaurant is like. Workers whose lives are hanging in the balance – getting off work at midnight, charging the night scene, waltzing home at dawn and waking up hungover at 4 pm – ready to start it all over again. It’s a gritty glimpse no doubt, but it comes off with a vulnerability that endears you to Tess’s story.

As promised, I won’t spoil you on where exactly this new life in the city takes Tess. What you can expect, though, is a young girl breaking out of small-town Ohio to find a mix of characters that will no doubt remind you of friends (or foes) of your past. You will no doubt connect with Tess and her longing for love, life and adventure – even when it steers her down a dark and bumpy road.

Is It Worth a Read (and Instagram Post)? 

All-in-all, I did thoroughly enjoy Sweetbitter and am very eager to see where Stephanie Danler’s writing career goes next. While the story does touch on sensitive issues, I think it cuts through any glamour that regularly surrounds a story of young person moving to New York to make a life for him/herself. That’s a story so familiar to us, that we’ve seen romanticized time and time again. What Sweetbitter delivers is a more honest glimpse at what life is really like, when you’re young, without a lot of options – in a city that can build you up just as quickly as it can beat you down.

If you’re in the mood for a quick and gripping read, that’s raw and filled with emotion…I definitely suggest picking this up and seeing for yourself what juicy bits await inside.

 

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to hang out and read my thoughts. As mentioned in last week’s ‘Summer Favorites’ post (here), crossing a few more books off my ‘To Read’ list is one of my remaining goals for the summer. Now, I’m moving onto another summer smash-hit: The Girls. Here’s hoping that lives up to the hype!


Shop the Post

SweetBitter by Stephanie Danler (Amazon)


As always, stay stylish and keep chasing your dreams!

XOXO
Kelly

TWITTER * INSTAGRAM * FACEBOOK

Follow

Related Posts

  • The Summer 2020 Reading List

    From motivational career reads to discussions on race and a highly anticipated follow-up to The…

  • Books: My Fall Reading List

    Looking for a great book to read on a cozy autumn afternoon? Look no further.…

  • Weekend Update + Summer Reading Update and Review

      Weekend Update and review of The Dinner by Herman Koch and The Fiery Heart by Richelle…

Previous:
MAKEUP: The New Tarte Tartiest Lash Paint Mascara
Next:
Pouting in Urban Decay’s Bad Blood Vice Lipstick

You might also enjoy

How to be Badass Tips - Nike Team USAHow to be Badass, Once and for All
DVF’s Memoir Speaks to Women We All Want to BeDVF’s Memoir Speaks to Women We All Want to Be
6 Books I’m Excited to Read in Summer 20166 Books I’m Excited to Read in Summer 2016
Books: Fans of John Green will Love ‘All the Bright Places’
2020 Summer Reading List I The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne CollinsThe Summer 2020 Reading List
Rustic Home Decor Picks from Amazon I DreaminLace.com #HomeDecor #Rustic #AffordableHomeDecor #BudgetDecorCozy and Affordable Rustic Home Decor
January 2019 Netflix and Book Favorites I DreaminLace.com #Netflix #Books #WinterReadsEverything I Read and Watched in January 2019
the-girl-on-the-train-book-reviewBook Review: Is ‘Girl on the Train’ the Next ‘Gone Girl’?
Netflix Halloween Picks I Scary Movies to get you in the Halloween spirit in 2018. #Netflix #Halloween #ScaryMoviesNetflix Halloween Picks to Put On Your ‘List’
Dreaminlace is an online publication dedicated to the style, beauty and ambition of the modern woman.

WELCOME TO DREAMINLACE

DREAMINLACE celebrates the style, beauty & ambition of the modern woman as she pursues her dreams with passion.

Founded by Kelly Lund

Menu

  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Life
  • About
  • Contact

Search Dream in Lace

Follow Me

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join the Dream Squad



My Latest Pins

DreaminLace Journal On Amazon

DREAMINLACE Goal Tracking Journal on Amazon

Affiliations


Zadig & Voltaire Spring 2022 Collection
SHOP Coach Handbags and Accessories

Pat McGrath 

@gigihadid x @jacquemus FW23 🤍 #gigihadidstyle @gigihadid x @jacquemus FW23 🤍

#gigihadidstyle #jacquemus #palacedeversailles #versaillespalace #gigihadidnews #fw23collection #fashionshow
Summer street style looks from Lily-Rose Depp #li Summer street style looks from Lily-Rose Depp

#lilyrosedepp #theidol #summerstreetstyle #streetstylelooks #casualsummeroutfits #casualoutfitideas #casualootd #summerootd
The GOAT, @naomi! #naomicampbell #badbitchquotes The GOAT, @naomi! 

#naomicampbell #badbitchquotes #alexandermcqueen #barbarawalters #iconiclondon #supermodels
Louis Vuitton FW 23 😎 #louisvuitton #pfw23 Louis Vuitton FW 23 😎

#louisvuitton #pfw23
@sukiwaterhouse’s @daisyjonesandthesix press tou @sukiwaterhouse’s @daisyjonesandthesix press tour looks

Stylist @robzangardi 

#daisyjonesandthesix #sukiwaterhouse #sukiwaterhousestyle #itgirlstyle
Flashback to when an onlooker jumped onto a 2019 C Flashback to when an onlooker jumped onto a 2019 Chanel catwalk and strutted her stuff — till @gigihadid ushered her away. 

#parisfashionweek #chanelfashion #gigihadidstyle #fashionflashback #pfw #gigihadid
@feben.x #feben #londonfashion #londonfashionwee @feben.x 

#feben #londonfashion #londonfashionweek #londonstyle #londonstreetstyle #londonfashion #iglondon #fashionweek #fashionnews #aesthetic
@parishilton in @celine #parishilton #celine #gr @parishilton in @celine 

#parishilton #celine #grammys2023 #redcarpetfashion #fashionnews #heidislimane #celinedress #sparklydress #aesthetic #fashiondetails
@dojacat x @schiaparelli #schiaparellihautecoutu @dojacat x @schiaparelli 

#schiaparellihautecouture #dojacatedit #dojacat #hautecouture #hautecouturedress #celebritystyle #parisfashionweek #hautefashion
Kylie Jenner in vintage Thierry Mugler @mugleroffi Kylie Jenner in vintage Thierry Mugler
@muglerofficial 

#kyliejennerstyle #thierrymugler #vintagestyle #couturedress #hautecouture #celebrityfashion #americancrimestory #redcarpetstyle #redcarpetlook

Copyright © 2023 · Yoon Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in