Anna K by Jenny Lee
Published 3 March 2020 by Flatiron Book
I received an advance copy of Anna K from the publisher through NetGalley and this has in no way influenced my review.
Click here to add Anna K on Goodreads!
WHAT I LIKED:
- The character’s individuality. Anna K is told from a third-person omniscient perspective, which I normally lean away from, but in this case, it worked perfectly with the narrative. Anna and her band of friends get little moments when their personality is crystal clear. This also makes it pretty easy to follow along because everyone in the ensemble cast reads as if they were an actual person encapsulated on the page.
- There’s something to love (and hate) about everybody. I’m a sucker for a morally gray character, and Anna K is full of them. Each character has flaws, but is also very redeemable. This kind of connects to my first point; I can’t emphasize enough how genuine each person was. Jenny Lee is clearly a master of character development and I’m definitely adding more of her work to my TBR.
- The atmosphere is dizzying and opulent. The setting and aesthetic of the book was so well-described, I felt like I could smell the expensive perfume and high-quality leather. Anna K has a very similar vibe to that of Gossip Girl or The Thousandth Floor in that the characters are so filthy rich they don’t know what to do with themselves.
- The ROMANCE. Y’all know that I’m a sucker for instalove and headstrong romance, and this book delivered. I rooted for every couple.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
- Anna K (kind of) glorified infidelity. I always feel a little icky reading a sweeping romance that involves one of the characters cheating on their significant other. While we did get to see the characters challenge the notion that infidelity is part of life when you’re wealthy, this book made me wonder what kind of messages authors send when we root for someone who isn’t faithful to their partner.
- The beginning dragged a little bit. This is kind of a given with an ensemble cast: the beginning will probably feel slow because the readers have to have enough time to get to know everyone. Still, I have to trudge through the beginning for a while before the juicy stuff happened.
My rating: 4/5 stars
follow me on | instagram | pinterest | goodreads | twitter
This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
The infidelity really bothered me about Anna Karenina too. It’s a little different in historical Russia when your marriage was probably semi-arranged and divorce isn’t an option, but these days I just can’t understand it. Question: is this written more like a romance novel or more like chick lit?
It’s kind of both!! The romance between the main characters reads as very dramatic and passionate, but the supporting characters are witty and unique, so they lend themselves more toward chick lit. It’s very similar to Gossip Girl or The Thousandth Floor!!