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The Night Shift
" The Night Shift is an engrossing and vibrant novel, and I loved watching my fair city shine in these pages. This is a great book for readers who love New York City after dark, and who see mysterious possibilities around every corner."
— Emma Straub, New York Times Bestselling Author of All Adults Here
Only by traveling into the past can Jean discover a happy future…
Hidden behind back doors of bars and restaurants and theaters and shops all over New York City are shortcuts—secret passageways that allow you to jump through time and space to emerge in different parts of the city. No one knows where they came from, but there are rules—you can only travel through them one way and only at night.
When Jean’s work friend Iggy introduces her to the shortcuts, it’s to help shorten her commute between her night shifts bartending and her work at an upscale bakery. Jean is intrigued but has a hard time shaking the side effects—the shortcuts make her more talkative, more open to discussing her past and recalling memories she’s tried hard to forget.
When Iggy goes missing, Jean believes it’s related to the shortcuts and his growing obsession with them. But as she starts digging into their origins, she comes to find a strange connection between herself and the shortcuts. A shimmering, propulsive novel set in New York City during the early aughts and across time, The Night Shift shows that by confronting the past can we reshape our future.
— Emma Straub, New York Times Bestselling Author of All Adults Here
Only by traveling into the past can Jean discover a happy future…
Hidden behind back doors of bars and restaurants and theaters and shops all over New York City are shortcuts—secret passageways that allow you to jump through time and space to emerge in different parts of the city. No one knows where they came from, but there are rules—you can only travel through them one way and only at night.
When Jean’s work friend Iggy introduces her to the shortcuts, it’s to help shorten her commute between her night shifts bartending and her work at an upscale bakery. Jean is intrigued but has a hard time shaking the side effects—the shortcuts make her more talkative, more open to discussing her past and recalling memories she’s tried hard to forget.
When Iggy goes missing, Jean believes it’s related to the shortcuts and his growing obsession with them. But as she starts digging into their origins, she comes to find a strange connection between herself and the shortcuts. A shimmering, propulsive novel set in New York City during the early aughts and across time, The Night Shift shows that by confronting the past can we reshape our future.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2022
61 people are currently reading
7139 people want to read
About the author
Natalka Burian
4 books82 followersNatalka Burian is the co-owner of two bars, Elsa and Ramona, as well as the co-founder of The Freya Project, a non-profit reading series that supports community-based activism and annually awards five unrestricted grants to further the work of women and non-binary writers.
She is the author of three novels and the cocktail cookbook, A Woman’s Drink. Natalka’s bars and books have been featured in The New Yorker, Elle, Vogue, the New York Times, and elsewhere. She grew up on a farm, but now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.
She is the author of three novels and the cocktail cookbook, A Woman’s Drink. Natalka’s bars and books have been featured in The New Yorker, Elle, Vogue, the New York Times, and elsewhere. She grew up on a farm, but now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
June 7, 2022
This book wasn’t for me. It felt more like a contemporary drama with a few dips into Sci-Fi and not like a Sci-Fi at all. This is not what I signed up for.
I think it was boring and I wasn’t invested in the story at all. It took forever to get to the point that the shortcuts get introduced, before that there’s a LOT of talk about Jeans living and working situation. How she struggles to make ends meet after leaving her old 9-5 job.
There were so many unnecessary points, that didn’t affect the story at all. For example, all the mentioning of 9/11. Why? To let us know that the book is set in the early 2000s? That setting wasn’t relevant for the story at all. The only time it is relevant, is when 9/11 is mentioned. It doesn’t do anything for this book. So much in this story felt like a filler.
The writing felt clunky, and the story dragged on and on and on. I was tripping over not well written sentences and repetitions. And the characters, especially Jean, were SO unlikeable. Jean was giving me whiplash with her behavior and temper. She got mad and started fighting with other characters for no obvious reasons, maybe that’s due to the writing, I don’t know.
In the end I didn’t even care if and how they solve the problems with the shortcuts and how Jean got out of that. I was just happy that it was finally over.
I think it was boring and I wasn’t invested in the story at all. It took forever to get to the point that the shortcuts get introduced, before that there’s a LOT of talk about Jeans living and working situation. How she struggles to make ends meet after leaving her old 9-5 job.
There were so many unnecessary points, that didn’t affect the story at all. For example, all the mentioning of 9/11. Why? To let us know that the book is set in the early 2000s? That setting wasn’t relevant for the story at all. The only time it is relevant, is when 9/11 is mentioned. It doesn’t do anything for this book. So much in this story felt like a filler.
The writing felt clunky, and the story dragged on and on and on. I was tripping over not well written sentences and repetitions. And the characters, especially Jean, were SO unlikeable. Jean was giving me whiplash with her behavior and temper. She got mad and started fighting with other characters for no obvious reasons, maybe that’s due to the writing, I don’t know.
In the end I didn’t even care if and how they solve the problems with the shortcuts and how Jean got out of that. I was just happy that it was finally over.
February 4, 2022
A wildly imaginative and utterly addictive novel that had me eagerly turning pages late into the night. Natalka Burian's clever conceit of an NYC peppered with mysterious shortcuts lays the foundation for a propulsive story which also offers a thoughtful examination of self-preservation, vulnerability, and human connection.
July 22, 2022
Imaginative, character-focused, and fulfilling. I saw so much of myself in Jean, the protagonist.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy!
Thank you to the author for providing a copy!
June 1, 2024
After reading the blurb on the dust jacket, I had high hopes for this book. Afterall, it included elements of science fiction and time travel. However, after reading this book I found it to be a plot searching for a good story.
Jean left a job as a psychologist's receptionist for reasons not exactly clear, and obtains employment at a bar, and an upscale bakery helping to prepare the next day's wares. After completing one, she must take the subway across the city to the other with little time to spare. She has been late for the bakery a couple of times and risks being fired if she is late again. This is when her friend Iggy introduces her to worm-hole portals peppered throughout Manthatten tucked within closets and back storerooms. Travel via these gateways do have their rules: you can only travel during night and you can only enter them at one end.
When Iggy becomes lost after using one of these portals, Jean and friends investigate his disappearance. However, to do so they must learn how this travel network was created.
Several times during my reading of this book, I was tempted to drop it and turn to another book. There was enough in its story that kept me reading. Overall, it was okay but not good. Most of the characters were caricatures without much depth. Some seemed thrown into the mix without much purpose. The adventure was tepid at best.
Jean left a job as a psychologist's receptionist for reasons not exactly clear, and obtains employment at a bar, and an upscale bakery helping to prepare the next day's wares. After completing one, she must take the subway across the city to the other with little time to spare. She has been late for the bakery a couple of times and risks being fired if she is late again. This is when her friend Iggy introduces her to worm-hole portals peppered throughout Manthatten tucked within closets and back storerooms. Travel via these gateways do have their rules: you can only travel during night and you can only enter them at one end.
When Iggy becomes lost after using one of these portals, Jean and friends investigate his disappearance. However, to do so they must learn how this travel network was created.
Several times during my reading of this book, I was tempted to drop it and turn to another book. There was enough in its story that kept me reading. Overall, it was okay but not good. Most of the characters were caricatures without much depth. Some seemed thrown into the mix without much purpose. The adventure was tepid at best.
December 22, 2022
This is really more of a 3.5 star read. It moves along quickly enough but requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. There’s a lot of hand waving going on.
Which is fine- I wouldn’t understand an explanation of a wormhole anyway. But I wish more had been done with them. I was expecting the shortcuts to take us to some dark and gritty corners of the city followed by a slow descent into danger/obsession whatever.
Instead we get some fainting, some head aches,, some ominous “danger” warnings, and just exactly the right people falling into Jean’s life at just exactly the right time.
The biggest downfall of this book though, is the ending which is tied up far too nicely in far too neat a bow much like everything else about this book.
So- really not a bad read. Interesting for the most part. Good concept- could have used tighter execution is all.
Which is fine- I wouldn’t understand an explanation of a wormhole anyway. But I wish more had been done with them. I was expecting the shortcuts to take us to some dark and gritty corners of the city followed by a slow descent into danger/obsession whatever.
Instead we get some fainting, some head aches,, some ominous “danger” warnings, and just exactly the right people falling into Jean’s life at just exactly the right time.
The biggest downfall of this book though, is the ending which is tied up far too nicely in far too neat a bow much like everything else about this book.
So- really not a bad read. Interesting for the most part. Good concept- could have used tighter execution is all.
August 3, 2022
This is one of those books where the premise sounded good, but it just wasn’t executed in a way that sat well with me. Working in the mental health field, I am just very sensitive to how certain topics are portrayed in books; therefore, I struggled with the therapist/mental health components of this novel.
August 20, 2022
It’s 2004 in New York. Jean has just left a 9-5 job and now works at a bar and a bakery overnight. When she struggles to make it to her next shift on time, her friend Iggy shows her a way to get there faster. But actions have consequences. Jean learns that these shortcuts can be quite dangerous, especially if you make a mistake.
Jean confronts some past trauma and finally begins building some relationships. When Iggy goes missing, they begin to suspect it’s because of the shortcuts. I think everything tied together nicely, but there was still a lot of mystery surrounding the ending of the story and I would have loved more!
I recommend you give this one a shot if you like time travel!
Jean confronts some past trauma and finally begins building some relationships. When Iggy goes missing, they begin to suspect it’s because of the shortcuts. I think everything tied together nicely, but there was still a lot of mystery surrounding the ending of the story and I would have loved more!
I recommend you give this one a shot if you like time travel!
March 27, 2022
I felt like this started off really slowly, to the point where I forgot I was waiting for the shortcuts to be introduced and the book to get exciting. The heavy emphasis on Jean's jobs and daily struggle felt stretched out. I wanted more out of the ending too as it felt a bit rushed at the end and I felt like I deserved a bigger payout.
Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2022
I enjoyed this book! It follows Jean, a 20 something year old in NYC who recently quit her 9-5 to start bartending at night. When she gets a second job at a bakery she has to find a way to commute between the bar and the bakery without being late. Her coworker Iggy introduces her to “shortcuts”, doors around the city that allow people to travel through space and time. Howver shortly after, Iggy disappears and Jean must help his friends uncover the truth about the shortcuts in order to save him.
I thought this book was well paced and vibrant. There were so many moving parts that there was really no point where I was bored. I think about halfway through it becomes obvious what’s going on but it still kept me invested.
I will say I have never been interested in physics so I was able to suspend my disbelief when some of the scientific stuff was explained. I have a feeling that people who know physics may not agree with some of the explanations. But again, I have no bearing on that subject so who knows.
Definitely an enjoyable reading experience!
I thought this book was well paced and vibrant. There were so many moving parts that there was really no point where I was bored. I think about halfway through it becomes obvious what’s going on but it still kept me invested.
I will say I have never been interested in physics so I was able to suspend my disbelief when some of the scientific stuff was explained. I have a feeling that people who know physics may not agree with some of the explanations. But again, I have no bearing on that subject so who knows.
Definitely an enjoyable reading experience!
September 30, 2022
This one took me by surprise and ended up being really great! It was the perfect blend of character based storytelling and and light sci-fi. If you go in expecting a thriller you may be disappointed because it is not that at all. It is a slow build following Jean in her New York life while revealing little bits of her past. The sci-fi elements unfold as a normalized, pedestrian part of her life. She only hears about the portals because she has back to back shifts at her two jobs and needs a quick way between them so she doesn't get fired for being late. Kind of a spectacular solution to a mundane problem! The last couple hours are faster paced and more like a thriller as Jean and her friends race to solve an issue while pursued by the bad guys. It would have been very hard to put down during that! I liked the ending and feel satisfied by how it turned out.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent. It is a story that worked very well in audio and I recommend it.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent. It is a story that worked very well in audio and I recommend it.
July 12, 2022
This book felt very very long. It had good moments and a good idea but just wasn't put together that well in my opinion. There were so many details and so many things going on all the time. It came together in the end but during it felt so confusing.
Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2022
This novel is scheduled for publication on July 12 of 2022. Harlequin Trade Publishing provided me an early galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
As a music fanatic, I really appreciated the author's various references to new-wave and alternative bands and songs. It gives the whole novel a built-in sort of soundtrack.
I have always had a fascination with New York City, starting from when I was a kid reading comic books and watching TV and movies. It always seemed like a vibrant, mythical place. The author captures that element of energy and mystery here. In my early 20's, I got the opportunity to visit the city a couple times and would always be open for returns there again.
What drew me into this book was the concept of these "shortcuts" in the city. They start out as a very mysterious, almost mystical concept that moves the story quickly from contemporary urban fiction into one that is fantastical. I think the idea is very genius and thus an intriguing foundation upon which to build the story of the characters involved.
Just as the shortcuts tend to leave the passers-through a bit disoriented, there were places in the narration where I as a reader felt that way. I am not sure that was the author's intention. That feeling seemed to pass as the story got back into the groove once more. Things really pick up when Jean and her various acquaintances band together to attempt to make everything right. The ending of the story seemed to pull together very quickly; I almost would have preferred some trimming of the earlier chapters to give the ending some space to breathe.
As a music fanatic, I really appreciated the author's various references to new-wave and alternative bands and songs. It gives the whole novel a built-in sort of soundtrack.
I have always had a fascination with New York City, starting from when I was a kid reading comic books and watching TV and movies. It always seemed like a vibrant, mythical place. The author captures that element of energy and mystery here. In my early 20's, I got the opportunity to visit the city a couple times and would always be open for returns there again.
What drew me into this book was the concept of these "shortcuts" in the city. They start out as a very mysterious, almost mystical concept that moves the story quickly from contemporary urban fiction into one that is fantastical. I think the idea is very genius and thus an intriguing foundation upon which to build the story of the characters involved.
Just as the shortcuts tend to leave the passers-through a bit disoriented, there were places in the narration where I as a reader felt that way. I am not sure that was the author's intention. That feeling seemed to pass as the story got back into the groove once more. Things really pick up when Jean and her various acquaintances band together to attempt to make everything right. The ending of the story seemed to pull together very quickly; I almost would have preferred some trimming of the earlier chapters to give the ending some space to breathe.
September 5, 2022
MEEP
NIGHT SHIFT started off really strong for me. Although centering around Jean and her struggling from being a 9-5 person to a night time bartender/food prepper, I was actually feeling invested in her from the get go. I could relate to both types of jobs so it was easy to put myself in her position.
Then we get introduced to NYC shortcuts?! Um, yes yes - it made me want to go find some in this brilliant city because goodness knows we run at a fast pace so if we could get places even faster? GIMME. But then.... well, it got a bit stagnant at this point, which is the opposite of what I expected. The reasoning behind it didn't quite do it for me and the ending felt a bit rushed for the pacing of the rest of the book.
Maybe I needed more sci-fi? I'm not sure what it was missing for me personally but I'm not mad I read it either!
NIGHT SHIFT started off really strong for me. Although centering around Jean and her struggling from being a 9-5 person to a night time bartender/food prepper, I was actually feeling invested in her from the get go. I could relate to both types of jobs so it was easy to put myself in her position.
Then we get introduced to NYC shortcuts?! Um, yes yes - it made me want to go find some in this brilliant city because goodness knows we run at a fast pace so if we could get places even faster? GIMME. But then.... well, it got a bit stagnant at this point, which is the opposite of what I expected. The reasoning behind it didn't quite do it for me and the ending felt a bit rushed for the pacing of the rest of the book.
Maybe I needed more sci-fi? I'm not sure what it was missing for me personally but I'm not mad I read it either!
October 20, 2022
Here's very specific subgenre of stories I like: stories set in the wee hours of the night. Novels like Murakami's After Dark or the supremely weird but incredibly awesome Beard After Dark episode of Ted Lasso or the song Midnight City by M83 all fit that bill. So I was excited to give this book a try.
The story's about a young woman named Jean trying to make her way as a bartender and baker's assistant in NYC. The twist is that there are these shortcuts all over the city -- basically you walk through a door and are transported to another part of the city. Jean starts using these to save time going from one job to another. But then, of course, things go awry.
Loved the first half of this novel, but the second half goes a bit off the rails and feels a little rushed and incomplete. Not bad, overall, though - a quick, inventive read.
The story's about a young woman named Jean trying to make her way as a bartender and baker's assistant in NYC. The twist is that there are these shortcuts all over the city -- basically you walk through a door and are transported to another part of the city. Jean starts using these to save time going from one job to another. But then, of course, things go awry.
Loved the first half of this novel, but the second half goes a bit off the rails and feels a little rushed and incomplete. Not bad, overall, though - a quick, inventive read.
December 30, 2022
A 2022 staff favorite recommended by Erica. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
February 23, 2025
In my first foray into fiction for 2025, I picked up Natalka Burian's 2022 contemporary science fiction novel The Night Shift due to its interesting-sounding premise ("shortcuts," space-time portals interspersed amongst New York nightlife) and setting (post 9/11 early 2000s New York City). Burian's protagonist, the 24-year-old, unimaginatively-named Jean Smith, has a traumatic past that comes to light as she travels through shortcuts in search of a missing friend, with several narrative threads sprinkled throughout that all coincidentally converge and then get neatly resolved in the book's rushed conclusion. Burian is an engaging writer and clearly put a lot of character work into Jean (though her personality shifts are quite odd - which I presume were due to ), though all other characters are rather one-dimensional. I enjoyed this book quite a bit up until the last few chapters, when the final sequence and conclusion felt too abrupt and neat, as if Burian didn't know how to resolve her story and just settled on a variant of the trope.
My statistics:
Fiction book 1/10 for 2025
Book 60 for 2025
Book 1986 cumulatively
My statistics:
Fiction book 1/10 for 2025
Book 60 for 2025
Book 1986 cumulatively
June 14, 2025
DNF @45%
The potential…the potential of this idea/plot is for sure there. Portals, sci-fi, a journey that will change the MC —what else could you ask for?? There is little to no structure. It was hard to figure out the point because the story doesn’t guide you. I remember buying this book when it got released and I was so excited to pick it up. It is so flat. Like old soda. Jean finds out about the shortcuts and then BOOM…all the sudden she has to trek through them to find a friend. It really did not make a whole lot of sense. I’m disappointed to say the least:/
“ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴛ ꜰᴜʟʟʏ ɪɴ.”
The potential…the potential of this idea/plot is for sure there. Portals, sci-fi, a journey that will change the MC —what else could you ask for?? There is little to no structure. It was hard to figure out the point because the story doesn’t guide you. I remember buying this book when it got released and I was so excited to pick it up. It is so flat. Like old soda. Jean finds out about the shortcuts and then BOOM…all the sudden she has to trek through them to find a friend. It really did not make a whole lot of sense. I’m disappointed to say the least:/
“ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴛ ꜰᴜʟʟʏ ɪɴ.”
July 19, 2022
I really like scifi stories that are heavily ordinary/normal with just a twist of the fantastical. This book is a great example of that genre. My main complaint is that the book tried to add a plot explaining the how/why of the shortcuts, but the majority of that story took place "off-camera" or through dialogue from other people. The main antagonist only appeared over the phone, except for a fleeting scene near the end. It would have been better without the focus on that angle and just stuck with the main characters.
July 11, 2022
I'm a big fan of the idea of time travel and what that might mean to the future... or the present. The Night Shift does a nice job of interweaving the past with the present as Jean and Iggy use the portals that are all around the city to get from place to place, and sometimes to another time.
Jean is struggling and when she tries to get from one job to her other one, Iggy introduces her to the city's portals. Little does she know that these portals have a deeper connection to her and her past. As she tries to find out what happened to Iggy after he suddenly disappears, secrets start to unfold. She finds out that she is involved way more intricately than she first imagined.
The Night Shift is full of action and intrigue, with some great characters who are just trying to live their lives. As they race to set things right, will the portals trap them.... or set them free?
Jean is struggling and when she tries to get from one job to her other one, Iggy introduces her to the city's portals. Little does she know that these portals have a deeper connection to her and her past. As she tries to find out what happened to Iggy after he suddenly disappears, secrets start to unfold. She finds out that she is involved way more intricately than she first imagined.
The Night Shift is full of action and intrigue, with some great characters who are just trying to live their lives. As they race to set things right, will the portals trap them.... or set them free?
February 9, 2025
This book was good but a little slow paced in my opinion. There was some character development, but I always wanted more (maybe a good thing until the ending?) I also don’t like when books try to really simplify psychological concepts and then morph them into something they’re not; this book did a lot of reaching. It was a fun enough read, though; I enjoyed it enough.
April 6, 2024
3.5 rounded up! I ended up really enjoying this towards the last third of the book! I think the cool sci-fi themes were really just towards the end which boo! I wanted Jean to time travel the whole book!!!
Thank u to my lil brother & his boo for getting me this book! I’m in a sci-fi thriller mood now! 😌
Thank u to my lil brother & his boo for getting me this book! I’m in a sci-fi thriller mood now! 😌
August 6, 2025
4.5⭐️Plot was fascinating but by the end I was craving more from the story. I feel there could easily be a second novel as I was kind of unsure on exactly what happened in that last chapter and I’d like that explained more
July 23, 2022
Despite its slow and overly neurotic start, ended up being one of the best and most human time travel novels I have ever read and I have probably read almost every piece of fiction I could find on this subject, especially when I was a kid.
Totally transcends the genre, as cliche as that sounds. Absolutely excellent.
Totally transcends the genre, as cliche as that sounds. Absolutely excellent.
August 7, 2022
The premise of hidden shortcuts in NYC that could get you from one place (and possibly time) to another sounded promising, but I was a little underwhelmed with the execution. When a character goes missing from the shortcuts the scooby gang sets out to bring their friend back, find the origin of the shortcuts and close them for good. The story got off to a slow start being bogged down in Jean's life struggles/jobs. The pacing felt a bit off with the ending felling a bit rushed.
Special thanks to @netgalley for providing me with an ARC of The Night Shift for review purposes all opinions are my own.
Special thanks to @netgalley for providing me with an ARC of The Night Shift for review purposes all opinions are my own.
January 31, 2023
I liked this book a lot!
There were times that the main character snapped at people for no reason, and I thought there was going to be more of a revelation into her past - but it was really good! It was probably more of a 4.5 because I felt that it had such a slow build (which I liked and felt realistic to what was happening) but then the end resolved it’s self a little bit too quickly.
There were times that the main character snapped at people for no reason, and I thought there was going to be more of a revelation into her past - but it was really good! It was probably more of a 4.5 because I felt that it had such a slow build (which I liked and felt realistic to what was happening) but then the end resolved it’s self a little bit too quickly.
March 19, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed this twist on portal fantasy/sci-fi: literal doors throughout NYC open to other doors, which those who know about them call shortcuts. The present-day storyline (taking place in 2004) was captivating, and I could understand some of why Jean's personality and actions led to certain decisions, though it was still a bit lacking in a fully developed backstory. Great adventure traveling through doors all around the city to discover what their purpose was, and those who are wanting to get into more sci-fi will find this a great place to start, as it's approachable and mostly contemporary—just with a twist.
CW: loss of parents (flashbacks), fatal car accident and many instances of flashbacks and anxiety surrounding cars, domestic and emotional abuse (flashbacks), discussions of psychological and therapy-based experiments, mild elder abuse (no harm, but elder is locked away in long-term care and everyone in his life is told he is no longer coherent or able to see visitors)
CW: loss of parents (flashbacks), fatal car accident and many instances of flashbacks and anxiety surrounding cars, domestic and emotional abuse (flashbacks), discussions of psychological and therapy-based experiments, mild elder abuse (no harm, but elder is locked away in long-term care and everyone in his life is told he is no longer coherent or able to see visitors)
July 15, 2022
You are anticipating the best steak dinner you have ever had. Your mouth is watering picturing your first bite. Then, the server puts a large cheeseburger in front of you with an explanation of how the restaurant is out of steak. Sure, the burger looks juicy—but it is no steak.
The Night Shift is the burger in this scenario. I was expecting a time travelling thriller. But I received a slice-of-life character study. If you enjoy reading that type of book, you will probably disagree with my rating. As a thriller, however, The Night Shift is too slow-paced so I give it 3 disenchanted stars.
Thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
The Night Shift is the burger in this scenario. I was expecting a time travelling thriller. But I received a slice-of-life character study. If you enjoy reading that type of book, you will probably disagree with my rating. As a thriller, however, The Night Shift is too slow-paced so I give it 3 disenchanted stars.
Thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
January 3, 2023
This book had a lot of promise in its concept, but at the end of the day it was simply not good. New ideas were suddenly introduced to shift the story line without warning. Characters that were presented as important were dropped without explanation. And, perhaps most stunningly, Manhattan was portrayed as a small town where everyone knows each other and their business. Unfortunately, the worst book I’ve read in recent memory.
January 7, 2023
“But the truth was, the best life in any timeline was the life you let fully in”.
I enjoyed this book, though it is a bit quirky. You have to take the twists and turns with a grain of salt, because to be honest, it kind of comes of out nowhere. It was an interesting concept and book to read. The life we live depends on our attitude and no matter the cards we are dealt, it’s how you play them that matters.
I enjoyed this book, though it is a bit quirky. You have to take the twists and turns with a grain of salt, because to be honest, it kind of comes of out nowhere. It was an interesting concept and book to read. The life we live depends on our attitude and no matter the cards we are dealt, it’s how you play them that matters.
January 31, 2023
Absolutely loved this. A joy to read. Perfectly paced, lovely and knowable characters, thrilling and comforting and beautifully written.
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