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A Gorgeous Excitement
A dazzling debut novel set in 1980s New York, when cocaine is as easy to get as ice cream, about one young woman’s summer of infinite possibility—and looming danger.
It was the summer of 1986, when the girl was found dead in Central Park behind the Metropolitan Museum—half-naked, legs splayed, arms flung over her head. Larynx crushed.
There are two things Nina Jacobs is determined to do over the summer of 1986: avoid her mother’s depression-fueled rages, and lose her virginity before she starts college in the fall. Both are seemingly impossible—when her mother isn’t lying in bed for days, she’s lashing out at Nina over any perceived slight. And after a blowjob gone spectacularly wrong, Nina is the talk of Flanagan’s, the Upper East Side bar where young Manhattan society congregates. It doesn’t help that she’s Jewish, an outsider among the blue-eyed blondes who populate this rarified world. She can fit in, kind of, with enough alcohol and prescription drugs stolen from her parents’ medicine cabinet.
Flanagan’s is where she pines for the handsome, preppy, and charismatic Gardner Reed, whom every girl wants to sleep with and every guy wants to be. After she’s introduced to cocaine, Nina plunges headlong into her pursuit of Gardner, oblivious to the warning signs. When a new medication seemingly frees her mother from darkness, and Nina and Gardner grow closer, it seems like Nina might finally get what she wants. But at what cost?
Freud called cocaine “a gorgeous excitement,” but a gorgeous excitement for the wrong guy can be lethal.
It was the summer of 1986, when the girl was found dead in Central Park behind the Metropolitan Museum—half-naked, legs splayed, arms flung over her head. Larynx crushed.
There are two things Nina Jacobs is determined to do over the summer of 1986: avoid her mother’s depression-fueled rages, and lose her virginity before she starts college in the fall. Both are seemingly impossible—when her mother isn’t lying in bed for days, she’s lashing out at Nina over any perceived slight. And after a blowjob gone spectacularly wrong, Nina is the talk of Flanagan’s, the Upper East Side bar where young Manhattan society congregates. It doesn’t help that she’s Jewish, an outsider among the blue-eyed blondes who populate this rarified world. She can fit in, kind of, with enough alcohol and prescription drugs stolen from her parents’ medicine cabinet.
Flanagan’s is where she pines for the handsome, preppy, and charismatic Gardner Reed, whom every girl wants to sleep with and every guy wants to be. After she’s introduced to cocaine, Nina plunges headlong into her pursuit of Gardner, oblivious to the warning signs. When a new medication seemingly frees her mother from darkness, and Nina and Gardner grow closer, it seems like Nina might finally get what she wants. But at what cost?
Freud called cocaine “a gorgeous excitement,” but a gorgeous excitement for the wrong guy can be lethal.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2025
415 people are currently reading
25442 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Weiner
1 book86 followersCynthia Weiner has a long career writing and teaching fiction. Her short stories have been published in Ploughshares, The Sun, and Epiphany, and her story, “Boyfriends,” was awarded a Pushcart Prize. She is also the assistant director of The Writers Studio in New York City. A Gorgeous Excitement, her first novel, was inspired by her upbringing on New York’s Upper East Side in the 1980s, and particularly by the notorious “Preppy Murder” of 1986. Weiner now lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews
January 23, 2025
fuccckkk I LOVED this book. I felt like I was sitting at a bar in NYC, smoking a cigarette, and drinking a martini the whole time I was reading this. This book and its characters were so palpable. This book is raunchy, innovative, relatable, quirky, hilarious, reckless. I loved every single second of it and will absolutely be revisiting it at some point. I desperately want this to be made into a tv show 🙏🏼
December 9, 2024
4.5 stars
A Gorgeous Excitement is an impressive debut novel set in 1980s Upper East Side NYC. It’s a coming of age story of sorts as Nina Jacobs has just graduated from an elite private school. Before heading to Vanderbilt in the fall, she’ll spend the summer interning, tiptoeing around her mother’s mood swings, hanging out with friends at a popular bar, and trying to garner the attention of the handsome and charismatic Gardner Reed.
The book captures that crazy and often carefree time period in a young adult’s life. There’s that definite 1980s NYC vibe going on but yet the story feels timeless, as if Nina could be transported to the present day and the character arc isn’t altered one bit. Nina being unsure of what to say or how to behave at times in social interactions strikes a chord because wanting to fit in is a universal feeling especially at that age. It’s typical to ignore warning signs and not recognize danger ahead as you pretty much think you are invincible at that stage.
I couldn’t put this book down. It deals with a wide range of topics including addiction, mental health, anti-semitism, wealth and privilege, and of course what it’s like being a young woman in this world. Credit to the author for writing an ending that’s plausible rather than taking an easier route.
Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
A Gorgeous Excitement is an impressive debut novel set in 1980s Upper East Side NYC. It’s a coming of age story of sorts as Nina Jacobs has just graduated from an elite private school. Before heading to Vanderbilt in the fall, she’ll spend the summer interning, tiptoeing around her mother’s mood swings, hanging out with friends at a popular bar, and trying to garner the attention of the handsome and charismatic Gardner Reed.
The book captures that crazy and often carefree time period in a young adult’s life. There’s that definite 1980s NYC vibe going on but yet the story feels timeless, as if Nina could be transported to the present day and the character arc isn’t altered one bit. Nina being unsure of what to say or how to behave at times in social interactions strikes a chord because wanting to fit in is a universal feeling especially at that age. It’s typical to ignore warning signs and not recognize danger ahead as you pretty much think you are invincible at that stage.
I couldn’t put this book down. It deals with a wide range of topics including addiction, mental health, anti-semitism, wealth and privilege, and of course what it’s like being a young woman in this world. Credit to the author for writing an ending that’s plausible rather than taking an easier route.
Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
January 19, 2025
3.5 Stars
I was fresh out of college and working in New York City in the summer of 1986 when the "Preppy Murder" took place, so there's a bit of nostalgia for me about this time. Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Levin was found undressed and dead under a tree in Central Park, apparently strangled. She and her murderer Robert Chambers frequented a bar called Dorrian's that summer. I also remember the young female model Marla Hanson who was viciously attacked by having her face slashed that same year. Both of these stories were splashed across the newspapers in 1986. I wasn't that invested in either story at the time, but here I am several decades later intrigued to delve into this piece of historical fiction.
First of all, the names were changed of the people this book was based on. This turned out to be a brilliant trope, because I was totally surprised at who the murder victim wound up being towards the end of the book. That was a twisty thing to do! Up until that point I was mildly entertained by this story, because it did drag a little. I felt like it could have been edited down some, since it was almost 400 pages long. Being separated by decades from these young adults on the cusp of attending college, it is easy to remember the social practice and importance of going to bars and dabbling in alcohol and drugs. This activity was a mainstay in the book in the waning weeks before these young ladies were darting off to college, but their vapid ideas and conversations started to wear thin for me.
There was an interesting storyline involving the main character's mother, who was suffering from mental illness. Her moods would radically change and have to be managed by medications, treatment, and hospitalization overseen by her doctor. At times this behavior was humorous, but oftentimes extremely disturbing. It was thought-provoking as to what families go through who have a family member who is mentally unstable. There was also a bird's eye view into friendships, popularity, the have and have-nots, taking care of the elderly, and the rise of AIDS. This was a good book with interesting topics that just could have been more concise. It sparked my interest in this case to such a degree that I'm reading another true crime book about this incident.
Thank you to Crown Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I was fresh out of college and working in New York City in the summer of 1986 when the "Preppy Murder" took place, so there's a bit of nostalgia for me about this time. Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Levin was found undressed and dead under a tree in Central Park, apparently strangled. She and her murderer Robert Chambers frequented a bar called Dorrian's that summer. I also remember the young female model Marla Hanson who was viciously attacked by having her face slashed that same year. Both of these stories were splashed across the newspapers in 1986. I wasn't that invested in either story at the time, but here I am several decades later intrigued to delve into this piece of historical fiction.
First of all, the names were changed of the people this book was based on. This turned out to be a brilliant trope, because I was totally surprised at who the murder victim wound up being towards the end of the book. That was a twisty thing to do! Up until that point I was mildly entertained by this story, because it did drag a little. I felt like it could have been edited down some, since it was almost 400 pages long. Being separated by decades from these young adults on the cusp of attending college, it is easy to remember the social practice and importance of going to bars and dabbling in alcohol and drugs. This activity was a mainstay in the book in the waning weeks before these young ladies were darting off to college, but their vapid ideas and conversations started to wear thin for me.
There was an interesting storyline involving the main character's mother, who was suffering from mental illness. Her moods would radically change and have to be managed by medications, treatment, and hospitalization overseen by her doctor. At times this behavior was humorous, but oftentimes extremely disturbing. It was thought-provoking as to what families go through who have a family member who is mentally unstable. There was also a bird's eye view into friendships, popularity, the have and have-nots, taking care of the elderly, and the rise of AIDS. This was a good book with interesting topics that just could have been more concise. It sparked my interest in this case to such a degree that I'm reading another true crime book about this incident.
Thank you to Crown Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Read
January 22, 2025thought i would love a coming-of-age in 1980s manhattan but this was overwritten and the characters bored me. dnf @ 50%.
March 12, 2025
give me more coming of age novels set in 1980s nyc pls
January 7, 2025
In Über Coca, Freud announced that cocaine was a gorgeous excitement. So the title of Cynthia Weiner’s debut immediately piqued my interest.
I'm happy to report that this book is in fact, a gorgeous excitement!
A Gorgeous Excitement is a coming-of-age novel that perfectly Captures the essence of what it feels like for a young woman to evolve into adulthood. I loved the flawed and deeply relatable main character with her insecurities and vulnerabilities.
The book perfectly captures NYC in the 80s and makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing the city along with Nina. The story also explores the dangers of being a single woman alone in the city and is set during the notorious Preppy Murder of 1986.
The book touches on many topics including mental illness, addiction, class, race, and misogyny. I thoroughly enjoyed A Gorgeous Excitement and I think a lot of readers will also love it!
A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner will be available on January 21. Thank you Crown Publishing for the gifted copy!
I'm happy to report that this book is in fact, a gorgeous excitement!
A Gorgeous Excitement is a coming-of-age novel that perfectly Captures the essence of what it feels like for a young woman to evolve into adulthood. I loved the flawed and deeply relatable main character with her insecurities and vulnerabilities.
The book perfectly captures NYC in the 80s and makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing the city along with Nina. The story also explores the dangers of being a single woman alone in the city and is set during the notorious Preppy Murder of 1986.
The book touches on many topics including mental illness, addiction, class, race, and misogyny. I thoroughly enjoyed A Gorgeous Excitement and I think a lot of readers will also love it!
A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner will be available on January 21. Thank you Crown Publishing for the gifted copy!
July 30, 2025
Cocaine--A Gorgeous Excitement according to Freud. (always interesting to see where the title of a book comes from). New York City in the 80's was a time when New York was dealing, days were sunny and cocaine was the drug of choice.
This novel is a fictional retelling of the "preppie murder case" that occurred in Central Park, NYC in the summer of 1986.
I'm surprised I've not heard more about this book. I lived in NYC on the Upper East side during 1986 and remember the time and the crime so often in the news that year. I was anxious to see how the author (this is her debut novel though she is a published writer in other forms) handled this story and actually wasn't expecting much. What a great surprise. I waver between 4 and 5 stars. It was a little long but the story was well developed, the writing excellent and even though I knew the crime that is coming and who does it, the fictional characters are fleshed out so well I had to look up the more recent developments.
The story begins early in the days of June before the crime unfolds. The narrator is Nina, an 18 year old Jewish girl growing up on the Upper East side of Manhattan. She is part of the elite wealthy group of kids who hang out each weekend at a bar called Flanagans to drink, use drugs and meet up for sex. Nina has a lot going on in her life. Her mother is in a deep depression due to the recent death of her own mother, her father is a busy lawyer, and lays a lot of responsibility on her, her grandfather now alone is in the early stages of dementia and not coping well with his wife's death. Nina is doing temp jobs for the summer before leaving for college in the fall. On top of all this she is still a virgin, a situation she hopes to correct before the end of the summer.
From this beginning the reader is introduced to various other members of Nina's group. Hard to call them friends as there is little that is friendly about these young women. Mostly there is competition and catty remarks where confessing true feelings opens one up to gossip and much sarcasm. The writer does an excellent job of describing the interactions of this age group and especially how young girls talk and interact during a very vulnerable time in their lives. Along the way we meet Gardner Reed, the heartthrob of every girl in the group. Nina is no exception. As slowly he appears to be paying some attention to her, especially when he finds she is a source for cocaine (the gorgeous excitement according to Freud) they begin to meet in secret.
It is a good story and I found myself enveloped in it in the way some stories can seem to set the reader right in the times and the atmosphere. Rebecca Lowman does a great job of narration and I found it hard to turn it off. 5 star story and narration. One star off for the length and the ending that I thought was unbelievable and took away a little from the rest of the story.
This novel is a fictional retelling of the "preppie murder case" that occurred in Central Park, NYC in the summer of 1986.
I'm surprised I've not heard more about this book. I lived in NYC on the Upper East side during 1986 and remember the time and the crime so often in the news that year. I was anxious to see how the author (this is her debut novel though she is a published writer in other forms) handled this story and actually wasn't expecting much. What a great surprise. I waver between 4 and 5 stars. It was a little long but the story was well developed, the writing excellent and even though I knew the crime that is coming and who does it, the fictional characters are fleshed out so well I had to look up the more recent developments.
The story begins early in the days of June before the crime unfolds. The narrator is Nina, an 18 year old Jewish girl growing up on the Upper East side of Manhattan. She is part of the elite wealthy group of kids who hang out each weekend at a bar called Flanagans to drink, use drugs and meet up for sex. Nina has a lot going on in her life. Her mother is in a deep depression due to the recent death of her own mother, her father is a busy lawyer, and lays a lot of responsibility on her, her grandfather now alone is in the early stages of dementia and not coping well with his wife's death. Nina is doing temp jobs for the summer before leaving for college in the fall. On top of all this she is still a virgin, a situation she hopes to correct before the end of the summer.
From this beginning the reader is introduced to various other members of Nina's group. Hard to call them friends as there is little that is friendly about these young women. Mostly there is competition and catty remarks where confessing true feelings opens one up to gossip and much sarcasm. The writer does an excellent job of describing the interactions of this age group and especially how young girls talk and interact during a very vulnerable time in their lives. Along the way we meet Gardner Reed, the heartthrob of every girl in the group. Nina is no exception. As slowly he appears to be paying some attention to her, especially when he finds she is a source for cocaine (the gorgeous excitement according to Freud) they begin to meet in secret.
It is a good story and I found myself enveloped in it in the way some stories can seem to set the reader right in the times and the atmosphere. Rebecca Lowman does a great job of narration and I found it hard to turn it off. 5 star story and narration. One star off for the length and the ending that I thought was unbelievable and took away a little from the rest of the story.
February 18, 2025
For a book that seemed like so much would be happening in it, this was really kind of dull.
July 30, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
This is a fictionalized version of the Real Crime called The Preppy Murder in 1986 where Jennifer Levin was killed by Robert Chambers. Both had been in a popular NYC Bar, Dorian’s Red Hand and had briefly dated. Chambers ended up murdering Levin and left her body in Central Park. He was considered handsome and although his story was flimsy, the prosecutor cut a deal where he was sentenced for a 5 year minimum, but he ended up serving 15 years. He has since been rearrested and believe he is in jail.
Jennifer’s mother, Ellen Levin came to speak. She dedicated her life to being a Victims Rights Speaker. It was very sad and unjust. People just couldn’t imagine someone white, young, popular, and good looking could murder her. They were afraid the jury was not going to find him not guilty.
This book follows the real life true crime story outline. The description is similar to the story, but the actual main character, Nina and her best friend capture the coming of age during the 1980’s in NYC. The young women felt safe and carefree in this environment, the Upper East Side. That is a very Upscale Area and Drinking and Cocaine use was Extremely Common then. I grew up during this time, too and did not feel fear either. Probably, due to youth and love of seeking out adventure. I love that all the references are real. There was a bar on Long Island called Padee McGees, The Guilted Giraffe was an expensive well known restaurant, the music, Roaming around 42nd Street which was a mixture of sleaze and also Broadway Shows.
So, beyond the murder, this is a coming of age story for Nina and Stephanie. That time in your life when best friendship is everything and you just live to share what you hope will happen in life. Yet, the book explores what happens when a young woman gets killed. It changes everything.
Nina’s mother has a mental illness and this is handled well. I felt Nina acted her age, both mature at times and impulsive and childish at others. At 17 that is the way someone should behave. Her eye is on Gardner and she wants to be really noticed and special to him. That also takes up so much brain space when you are first finding someone and also figuring out yourself.
The only issue I have is making this a retelling of the Chambers/Levy murder, as I think the book stands well on its own. It is a unique slice of a young girls life, and how she is just hitting adulthood, but isn’t quite there. Most of the scenes have nothing to do with violence or murder and afraid people might read this and think it is a close retelling of the Chambers Murder, which it is not.
I really enjoyed the book though. Definitely, took me back to this time period which is exactly the age I was and fascinated with all Manhattan had to offer. The dark side lurking so closely, you discover that later or at least understand it and how dangerous many situations could have been. This real life murder and also discuss a young models face that was slashed with razor blades, I remember so well.
This is a fictionalized version of the Real Crime called The Preppy Murder in 1986 where Jennifer Levin was killed by Robert Chambers. Both had been in a popular NYC Bar, Dorian’s Red Hand and had briefly dated. Chambers ended up murdering Levin and left her body in Central Park. He was considered handsome and although his story was flimsy, the prosecutor cut a deal where he was sentenced for a 5 year minimum, but he ended up serving 15 years. He has since been rearrested and believe he is in jail.
Jennifer’s mother, Ellen Levin came to speak. She dedicated her life to being a Victims Rights Speaker. It was very sad and unjust. People just couldn’t imagine someone white, young, popular, and good looking could murder her. They were afraid the jury was not going to find him not guilty.
This book follows the real life true crime story outline. The description is similar to the story, but the actual main character, Nina and her best friend capture the coming of age during the 1980’s in NYC. The young women felt safe and carefree in this environment, the Upper East Side. That is a very Upscale Area and Drinking and Cocaine use was Extremely Common then. I grew up during this time, too and did not feel fear either. Probably, due to youth and love of seeking out adventure. I love that all the references are real. There was a bar on Long Island called Padee McGees, The Guilted Giraffe was an expensive well known restaurant, the music, Roaming around 42nd Street which was a mixture of sleaze and also Broadway Shows.
So, beyond the murder, this is a coming of age story for Nina and Stephanie. That time in your life when best friendship is everything and you just live to share what you hope will happen in life. Yet, the book explores what happens when a young woman gets killed. It changes everything.
Nina’s mother has a mental illness and this is handled well. I felt Nina acted her age, both mature at times and impulsive and childish at others. At 17 that is the way someone should behave. Her eye is on Gardner and she wants to be really noticed and special to him. That also takes up so much brain space when you are first finding someone and also figuring out yourself.
The only issue I have is making this a retelling of the Chambers/Levy murder, as I think the book stands well on its own. It is a unique slice of a young girls life, and how she is just hitting adulthood, but isn’t quite there. Most of the scenes have nothing to do with violence or murder and afraid people might read this and think it is a close retelling of the Chambers Murder, which it is not.
I really enjoyed the book though. Definitely, took me back to this time period which is exactly the age I was and fascinated with all Manhattan had to offer. The dark side lurking so closely, you discover that later or at least understand it and how dangerous many situations could have been. This real life murder and also discuss a young models face that was slashed with razor blades, I remember so well.
February 3, 2025
This overall has the recipe of books I’m typically into. There is even a blurb that it resembles Bret Easton Ellis. Well….that’s not entirely true. This book is a literary fiction coming of age story following Nina in 1986 and her cocaine-fueled summer before going away to college. She’s obsessed with a boy so this paired with cocaine you know I was all in for if you know me.
Unfortunately, this fell flat because the entire book is just the internal ramblings of a teenager and her drama involving a boy, wanting to lose her virginity, and her mother’s mental illness. There was some sort of murder mystery promised as this was written based on a true crime case in the 80s but we knew the entire book what was going to happen there. Overall, I wish this had a little more emotional depth or a little more plot so I could be more invested.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this fell flat because the entire book is just the internal ramblings of a teenager and her drama involving a boy, wanting to lose her virginity, and her mother’s mental illness. There was some sort of murder mystery promised as this was written based on a true crime case in the 80s but we knew the entire book what was going to happen there. Overall, I wish this had a little more emotional depth or a little more plot so I could be more invested.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2025
But she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been singled out somehow, protected against her own will, uniquely incompetent to grapple with adulthood and everyone knew it but her.
I know it’s early in the year, but I’m pretty sure that A Gorgeous Excitement is going to end up having my favorite book title and cover of 2025. I can’t remember the last book I read where the title (a Freudian description of cocaine) and the cover so perfectly represented the story itself. And thankfully, the story lives up to its pretty packaging.
It’s 1986 in New York City, and Nina Jacobs has just graduated from high school. The whole summer spreads out before her, and she has two goals: Stay out of her parents’ apartment as much as possible so she can avoid her depressed mother, and lose her virginity before heading off to college. As a means of accomplishing both of these goals, she’s spending a lot of her nights at an Upper East Side bar called Flanagan’s with her friends, where she sets her sights on the handsome, preppy Gardner Reed. When a new friend introduces her to cocaine, Nina goes all-in on her pursuit of Gardner, falling head over heels in love with the drug and with him. She never would have expected that her gorgeous, exciting summer would end with a girl found dead in Central Park, strangled to death.
Drawing on her own experiences growing up in NYC during the 1980s, Cynthia Weiner has written a vivid, vibrant coming-of-age story about an 18-year-old woman rushing headlong into the world of adults. A Gorgeous Excitement thrums with atmosphere and completely immerses the reader in the Manhattan of the ‘80s, where magic and menace lurked around every corner. It perfectly captures the naiveté of young adulthood: how confusing yet liberating it can feel; desperately wanting to be treated like an adult when you still feel, emotionally, very much like a child. Nina is a sympathetic main character whose vulnerability practically screams from every page; she’s so endearingly insecure, so determined to be a grown-up.
A Gorgeous Excitement deals with heavy themes like mental illness, complicated mother-daughter relationships, substance abuse, toxic (and intoxicating) female friendship, misogyny, and culture and class differences, so there’s a lot to ponder between Nina’s frenetic, shimmering cocaine binges. A Gorgeous Excitement is just as thoughtful as it is exhilarating, and I am BEGGING someone to turn it into a TV show because I’d watch the hell out of it. Thank you to Crown Publishing for the complimentary reading opportunity.
June 10, 2024
Sadly this was a major disappointment for me…almost 400 pages of teenager’s internal rambling thoughts. Stating her mother’s severe mental illness was depression is an injustice for all suffering from mental disease. There wasn’t any depth to the plot or any character development. Maybe I’m not the right target audience for this novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 5, 2025
To be trapped in the mind of a naive teenage girl desperate to grow up. Feeling simultaneously invincible yet like the most insecure person in the world.
This is a fictionalized retelling of the preppy killer/murder from the pov of Nina
This is a fictionalized retelling of the preppy killer/murder from the pov of Nina
September 15, 2024
2.5/5
It was really difficult to get pulled into this one. It feels like a perpetual loop of settings and events -- going to the bar, pining over this terrible guy, doing coke -- without the character development to really justify the repetition. The only real shift in circumstances is the fictionalized insertion of a real-life murder in the final chapters of the book. Considering how little of the book remains at that point, the intention doesn't really seem to be to show how that murder affects our characters, and if that is the intention then it doesn't sufficiently achieve that. The main character's actions and attitude do finally shift, but it feels a little too fast-paced at that point. I commend the novel for successfully cultivating such a specific vibe (though it's one that makes me very glad to not live in 80s NYC): much of it feels like an exercise in tone and setting and I have to imagine it's quite an accurate portrayal. But, while there is something affecting to Nina's evolving relationship with her mother, I largely didn't find anything to grasp emotionally. I don't know if the book fully escapes the shallowness of the world it portrays.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the eARC.
It was really difficult to get pulled into this one. It feels like a perpetual loop of settings and events -- going to the bar, pining over this terrible guy, doing coke -- without the character development to really justify the repetition. The only real shift in circumstances is the fictionalized insertion of a real-life murder in the final chapters of the book. Considering how little of the book remains at that point, the intention doesn't really seem to be to show how that murder affects our characters, and if that is the intention then it doesn't sufficiently achieve that. The main character's actions and attitude do finally shift, but it feels a little too fast-paced at that point. I commend the novel for successfully cultivating such a specific vibe (though it's one that makes me very glad to not live in 80s NYC): much of it feels like an exercise in tone and setting and I have to imagine it's quite an accurate portrayal. But, while there is something affecting to Nina's evolving relationship with her mother, I largely didn't find anything to grasp emotionally. I don't know if the book fully escapes the shallowness of the world it portrays.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the eARC.
August 28, 2025
Book rating: 3.75 stars.
Maybe a beach read?
Summer 1986, in New York City. Nina Jacobs, is working various temp jobs before starting college, and hopes to lose her virginity before leaving.
This place of New York City almost becomes a character. Nina meets a new friend in Central Park and they hit it off right away, and she introduces her to cocaine, for a gorgeous excitement. Nina is also dealing with her mentally ill mother, unwanted sexual attention, such as the smarmy hugs the doorman always gives, and yet hoping to snag Gardner as her first. Plus, what's going on with her childhood friends, not feeling so friendly towards her lately.
There is a lot going on in the novel, which kept it interesting.
Short notes here, perhaps more later....
Maybe a beach read?
Summer 1986, in New York City. Nina Jacobs, is working various temp jobs before starting college, and hopes to lose her virginity before leaving.
This place of New York City almost becomes a character. Nina meets a new friend in Central Park and they hit it off right away, and she introduces her to cocaine, for a gorgeous excitement. Nina is also dealing with her mentally ill mother, unwanted sexual attention, such as the smarmy hugs the doorman always gives, and yet hoping to snag Gardner as her first. Plus, what's going on with her childhood friends, not feeling so friendly towards her lately.
There is a lot going on in the novel, which kept it interesting.
Short notes here, perhaps more later....
December 28, 2024
When I saw this was a coming of age story set in NYC in the 80’s that’s all I needed to know, that combination just sounded so appealing to me and it was! It follows Nina the summer before she leaves for college and the author really captured that new adult feeling and all the anxieties and immaturities that are a part of that period in one’s life. Nina is a mess but a relatable one, she’s insecure and awkward and just trying to find her place in a world that is not kind to women and especially to Jewish women. Her home life is fragile too, her mother struggles with mental illness and she’s always walking on eggshells. The author covered so many topics from mental health and addiction to womanhood and privilege this was thought provoking and would make a wonderful book club choice. Next time you’re in the mood for a literary style coming of age story try this, I found it compelling and well written.
January 17, 2025
A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nina Jacobs summer plans are to avoid her mother and lose her virginity. She finds a home in cocaine and the pursuit of preppy and charismatic, Gardner Reed, oblivious to the warning signs.
While I appreciate the intent with this one, it just wasn’t for me. I find a lot of character driven novels slow, and this was no exception. I thought the clubbing in the 80’s, cocaine, and a real life murder, would bring some excitement to the story. I did brighten up some scenes for me, but in between was hard for me to get through.
“Did cocaine make you verbalize every thought? But why not, when every thought was so enchantingly profound.”
A Gorgeous Excitement comes out 1/21.
Nina Jacobs summer plans are to avoid her mother and lose her virginity. She finds a home in cocaine and the pursuit of preppy and charismatic, Gardner Reed, oblivious to the warning signs.
While I appreciate the intent with this one, it just wasn’t for me. I find a lot of character driven novels slow, and this was no exception. I thought the clubbing in the 80’s, cocaine, and a real life murder, would bring some excitement to the story. I did brighten up some scenes for me, but in between was hard for me to get through.
“Did cocaine make you verbalize every thought? But why not, when every thought was so enchantingly profound.”
A Gorgeous Excitement comes out 1/21.
September 18, 2025
4.25 stars. 🎧
July 10, 2025
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK.
my reading slump had nothing to do with the quality of this book and everything to do with me moving and getting settled. this book is maybe one of my fave reads so far this year, so it sucks i took so long to get through it. WORTH ITTTTT
my reading slump had nothing to do with the quality of this book and everything to do with me moving and getting settled. this book is maybe one of my fave reads so far this year, so it sucks i took so long to get through it. WORTH ITTTTT
May 1, 2025
Stumbling across a book you've never heard of before, reading it on a whim and having a 5 star experience? One of those little things that make life worth living.
I found this book thoroughly engrossing. The author did such a great job portraying what is to be eighteen, in that liminal time between high school and college, brashly impatient for your life to start but perpetually anxious about what is to come, feeling as if your skin doesn't fit. Weiner captured the achingly dangerous self-absorption of teenagers, the shocking naivety that goes hand-in-hand with bold, exuberant sexuality.
In the hot, muggy New York summer when Nina idles, waiting for the semester to start at Vanderbilt, she has one goal on her pre-college To Do List: pop her cherry. She hones in on the devastatingly gorgeous Gardner, aloof and mercurial. But as her mother's mental health deteriorates and she clings to new friends to prop her up, Nina flirts with a danger she insists on turning a blind eye to.
I found this book thoroughly engrossing. The author did such a great job portraying what is to be eighteen, in that liminal time between high school and college, brashly impatient for your life to start but perpetually anxious about what is to come, feeling as if your skin doesn't fit. Weiner captured the achingly dangerous self-absorption of teenagers, the shocking naivety that goes hand-in-hand with bold, exuberant sexuality.
In the hot, muggy New York summer when Nina idles, waiting for the semester to start at Vanderbilt, she has one goal on her pre-college To Do List: pop her cherry. She hones in on the devastatingly gorgeous Gardner, aloof and mercurial. But as her mother's mental health deteriorates and she clings to new friends to prop her up, Nina flirts with a danger she insists on turning a blind eye to.
July 19, 2025
This was such a good literary fiction approach to a mystery that by the time the murder comes around I literally forgot the book opened by telling us there would be a murder. I also don't always love books based on real criminals because the plotline can often feel lazily ripped from headlines, but Weiner definitely made the Preppy Killer her own. Everything about the story oozes 1980s - pieces reminded me of reading Bret Easton Ellis's The Shards in how we are focused on a small set of rich, partying characters but our protagonist is just a little more peripheral due both to her caretaking demands at home for her mentally ill mother and being the only Jewish women among her social circle.
If you like slow, character-driven historical fictions with a dash of true crime thrown in, this debut is definitely worthwhile.
If you like slow, character-driven historical fictions with a dash of true crime thrown in, this debut is definitely worthwhile.
June 10, 2025
This book was pretty boring except for the last like 75 pages. Maybe it was a little too intelligent for me idk but I found it really hard to follow. The parts that grabbed my attention were really fun to read though and I enjoyed those. I can tell it’s an objectively good book, it just wasn’t for me I don’t think. Also I couldn’t stand Nina and I hate long chapters so that could also have contributed to the problem. Would’ve been 2.5 ⭐️ but the last chunk bumped it up.
January 19, 2025
I really enjoyed this debut novel and will definitely be following this author. This is a very well written debut with excellent story telling skills on display. As someone who graduated high school in the 80s and loves NYC, I thoroughly loved this coming of age novel that seems to capture very authentically the "adulting" of a young woman as she experiences new freedoms in the city. It was a gorgeous excitement for our main character as she has lots of firsts during the summer before she heads off to college. I believe the author did an outstanding job of portraying a young woman on the brink of everything. The female friendships seemed very real as did the bar where they all hung out. The book doesn't shy away from the dark side of the city and of the world of young adults. Mental illness, addiction, class, misogyny are all explored as part of the plot. The ending is very satisfactory without being "happy". Thanks to Crown Publishing for the early copy and to netgalley. for a wonderful read. I will be expecting more great novels from Cynthia Weiner.
June 28, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced reader copy.
This was a wonderful debut that really captured the spirit of New York City in the 1980s, including openly underage drinking, lack of parental responsibility, easy access to hard drugs. Nina was a great character to follow, as she's both an insider (has enough wealth to live on the right side of Manhattan and attend a private school) but is also an outsider (is Jewish and still looking to lose her virginity at a time when her peers are easily hooking up). The addition of her personal losses--her grandmother's death, her grandfather's mental decline, and her mother's mental health issues--adds up to a poignant, at times devastating, read.
This was a wonderful debut that really captured the spirit of New York City in the 1980s, including openly underage drinking, lack of parental responsibility, easy access to hard drugs. Nina was a great character to follow, as she's both an insider (has enough wealth to live on the right side of Manhattan and attend a private school) but is also an outsider (is Jewish and still looking to lose her virginity at a time when her peers are easily hooking up). The addition of her personal losses--her grandmother's death, her grandfather's mental decline, and her mother's mental health issues--adds up to a poignant, at times devastating, read.
June 16, 2025
She was so insufferable, I like books where nothing really happens and it’s guided by character development. BUT, it’s just her rambling on and on.
I get she has a lot going on for her that really affects someone’s mental state/ the way you process and see society.
But still, idk
Maybe cause it was the 1980s she doesn’t have the right mindset towards certain topics and goes with what the ideologies where in the 80s, but still she is an educated woman who should have more of a educated opinions.
Did I make sense? No
I get she has a lot going on for her that really affects someone’s mental state/ the way you process and see society.
But still, idk
Maybe cause it was the 1980s she doesn’t have the right mindset towards certain topics and goes with what the ideologies where in the 80s, but still she is an educated woman who should have more of a educated opinions.
Did I make sense? No
February 25, 2025
Coming of age story set in 1980s NYC. I’m sure this book is much more impactful for people who live/lived there. I was not into it at all until the last 100 or so pages when things got chaotic. Content warning for drug use, mania, and murder
October 6, 2025
I love anything set in New York, especially 1980s New York, and I loved this debut novel by Cynthia Weiner about a girl’s determination to have the summer of her life, and another’s whose life ended in Central Park. The audiobook was fantastic, I started this on a Saturday morning and could not stop listening, I was captivated by the lives of these teenagers and all they were experiencing, both good and bad. It was a fascinating time period back then, and it all culminated in a murder, that hit home closer than any of them thought it would. I loved how the author blended coming of age with historical fiction and technically true crime (it is loosely based on an actual murder, but this is a novel, sooo) together and it made for a very enjoyable read that I devoured.
Thank you to Crown Publishing #partner for the free book and to PRH Audio for the ALC to review.
Thank you to Crown Publishing #partner for the free book and to PRH Audio for the ALC to review.
September 11, 2024
I was so grateful for the chance to read this ARC from Netgalley. I live in NYC and am always interested in some of the "old New York" tales - this one was especially interesting with the link to what many women in modern day feel in terms of fear and uncertainty around safety when alone at night.
This book gave us a really great glimpse into an interesting main character who is far from perfect, very stuck in her own head, but has desires that so many of us have had. It was a great coming of age story bridging the gap between high school and college, giving us a glimpse into the less mature impulses for very mature things (drugs, sex, etc.) I only deducted a star because of the somewhat incessant amount of the pining and yearning for Gardner and cocaine. Change seemed somewhat sudden instead of growth that occurred over time.
This book also gave a great look into the impacts of mental illness and complicated family relationships and responsibilities. Honestly, there were just so many great themes packed into a normal-length book. I would definitely recommend it!
This book gave us a really great glimpse into an interesting main character who is far from perfect, very stuck in her own head, but has desires that so many of us have had. It was a great coming of age story bridging the gap between high school and college, giving us a glimpse into the less mature impulses for very mature things (drugs, sex, etc.) I only deducted a star because of the somewhat incessant amount of the pining and yearning for Gardner and cocaine. Change seemed somewhat sudden instead of growth that occurred over time.
This book also gave a great look into the impacts of mental illness and complicated family relationships and responsibilities. Honestly, there were just so many great themes packed into a normal-length book. I would definitely recommend it!
March 15, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ you were good, i was waiting for you to be great type vibes
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