Sunday, April 8, 2012

18. Summer And The City

Book #18: Summer And The City
Author: Candace Bushnell
Published: April 26, 2011
409 pages
4 gold stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. 

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. 



The moment Carrie Bradshaw steps foot into New York, everything changes. This is the moment she starts to become who we know her as today. And of course, because it's New York, she's robbed within minutes. This sends her straight into the arms of Samantha Jones, and we all know what happens next.


The big city could eat Carrie up, but with the help of Samantha, she gets invited to the best parties, gets to live in a swanky apartment and starts a relationship with a famous playwright. Bushnell captures the sparrow qualities of Carrie perfectly. She is desperate to make it in New York, but she doesn't understand that it's not as easy as she thinks it will be. She gets involved with the wrong people, compares herself to the more privileged in her writing class, and gets her heart broken all over again.


The point is she doesn't give up. Carrie is a strong character and she knows how to chase her dreams. Even when she thinks there is no hope of becoming a successful writing, she doesn't quit. New York tries to beat her but she fights against it, and that's what every good heroine needs to do. 


Once again Bushnell has impressed with her writing. I've fallen in love with this series, and the young lives of some of my most beloved characters. We meet Miranda in New York, the strong headed woman we know her as today, and we see hers and Carrie's relationship build from the beginning. Soon it's the three of them, Carrie, Samantha and Miranda, and we see the group slowly forming into what it will become in their 30s. I'm eager to read the next instalment, to see young naive Charlotte enter the world of New York and see it not break her either. The characters are just as loveable in their teens as they are later in life, and these books have become a welcome addition to my collection. Now excuse me while I re-watch the series over and over again.


“Like me, he has a searing belief that books are sacred. They might not be to other people, but when you have a passion, you hold on to it. You defend it. You dont pretend it isn't important at the risk of offending others." 

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