Jason Allen (1)

The East End by Jason Allen is an upstairs-downstairs of the Hamptons, where everyone has a different style of misery.

The accidental death at the beginning puts the plot in motion, so overlook that the entire novel could have been avoided with a call to the family lawyer. A man who quickly gets his hands on a million dollars in cash probably has one on retainer, or at least in his contacts list. And rich Manhattanites never go to jail for possession.

There is a heavy sense of unhappiness throughout this book, as characters made self-destructive choices. The author plays with invisible class markers here — whose depression sends them to an upscale psych ward and whose to the liquor store? Which teenagers get to be rebellious? The novel stops short of equalizing classes, never conflating problems of survival and of social positioning, but there’s a sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness though all the characters.

I read this novel immediately after finishing Out East, a memoir about finding love and identity in the Hamptons party scene. I enjoyed Out East, and of course the Hive tribe isn’t quite at the Sheffield’s level (yet), but I felt like I connected more with the working-class Hamptons. For many years, I supplemented my regular work by taking waitressing shifts over holidays. I’ve worked summer Saturdays at beer tents, Christmas day at a Chinese takeout, covered for others taking the holiday weekend off, etc., so I appreciated the details of the underclass doing the invisible work of making A Weekend In The Hamptons happen.

At times, the female dialogue feels slightly forced, particularly in conversations between Tiffany and Angelique, and Gina and Marianne.

The final scene is heavyhanded, forced and awkward, in a way that doesn’t do justice to the subtlety of the rest to the novel. Just skip the heavyhanded Grand Canyon scene for a solid manners novel of the Hamptons.… (altro)

The East End by Jason Allen is an upstairs-downstairs of the Hamptons, where everyone has a different style of misery.

The accidental death at the beginning puts the plot in motion, so overlook that the entire novel could have been avoided with a call to the family lawyer. A man who quickly gets his hands on a million dollars in cash probably has one on retainer, or at least in his contacts list. And rich Manhattanites never go to jail for possession.

There is a heavy sense of unhappiness throughout this book, as characters made self-destructive choices. The author plays with invisible class markers here — whose depression sends them to an upscale psych ward and whose to the liquor store? Which teenagers get to be rebellious? The novel stops short of equalizing classes, never conflating problems of survival and of social positioning, but there’s a sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness though all the characters.

I read this novel immediately after finishing Out East, a memoir about finding love and identity in the Hamptons party scene. I enjoyed Out East, and of course the Hive tribe isn’t quite at the Sheffield’s level (yet), but I felt like I connected more with the working-class Hamptons. For many years, I supplemented my regular work by taking waitressing shifts over holidays. I’ve worked summer Saturdays at beer tents, Christmas day at a Chinese takeout, covered for others taking the holiday weekend off, etc., so I appreciated the details of the underclass doing the invisible work of making A Weekend In The Hamptons happen.

At times, the female dialogue feels slightly forced, particularly in conversations between Tiffany and Angelique, or Gina and Marianne.

The final scene is heavyhanded, forced and awkward, in a way that doesn’t do justice to the subtlety of the rest to the novel. Just skip the heavyhanded Grand Canyon scene for a solid manners novel of the Hamptons.… (altro)

Set in the Hamptons, The East End explores the clash of the wealthy and working classes that keep the area running. Corey Halpern and his mother Gina work on the Sheffield estate, but that hasn't stopped Gina from becoming something of a confidante to her boss, Leo, and Corey from befriending Leo's daughter's best friend. During Memorial Day weekend, though, their relationships will change and be tested. Seeking thrills by breaking into the mansions, Corey unwittingly witnesses an accident that reveals shocking information about Leo, who will do anything in his power to keep it from coming to light.

Reading this book was an interesting experience. Whenever I put it down, it was easy to not feel compelled to pick it up again or try to sneak in reading time while my kids played. But, whenever I was reading, I didn't want to put it down; I was so drawn into the narrative the characters were weaving and kept wondering where it was all headed.

It was hard to tell if the characters were based on stereotypes as it went along with what limited information I have on the area, but the author is from the working class side of the Hamptons, so it must be that the stereotypes are indeed true. Or perhaps Allen crafted such a wide ocean between the two classes to really hammer in the differences and make the clash between the two worlds that much more intriguing.

But what I really loved was how Allen presented all the information we needed, but the characters didn't have the full story. As the reader, we knew what was really going on, but it played out differently on the pages. While it can be easy to slip and add in some detail a character isn't supposed to know, I can't think of a single case of that happening in this book. I loved getting multiple perspectives of the same scene, each providing more information to paint a full picture. I especially liked that, instead of making me yell at the characters because they didn't know something, it made me hold my breath as I waited to find out if they would find out or how their ignorance would impact what they said and did. I really enjoyed just reading as it all played out.

What I didn't love, but can grudgingly admire, is all the cursing. I don't usually enjoy books that are heavy on cursing. Every character seemed to drop them like they were any other word. At first, I was annoyed because both the wealthy and working class characters were using the same language. Though now I wonder if that was done to highlight how alike they might actually be despite the vast difference in wealth. Indeed, I love that Leo never lorded his high status and wealth over Corey. Despite being wealthy and prone to making mistakes, he was actually a fairly decent guy.

Another thing I didn't really enjoy was that a lot was introduced, but never fully realized. Gina's estranged husband, Ray, is rarely seen and rarely talked about, but plays a key role at the end. Gina and Corey are mother and son, but Corey doesn't seem to have much love for his mother. That parent-child relationship is hardly explored and it feels more like employer-employee. Corey mentions being concerned about his mother, but that doesn't impact the way he treats her. Gina attends an AA meeting, but it seemed to have little effect on her despite the fact that she sometimes contacted her sponsor and thought about her.

However, I recognize that this book takes place over a single weekend. Even though some scenes overlap so we get multiple perspectives of the same event, it still has a very linear flow. That means sometimes we don't see some characters for several chapters, but, in the end, it makes sense even though, as a reader, I would have liked seeing them more often or seeing the characters do something that would draw in the lesser used characters. But, time is limited.

Overall, this was an interesting book. There was a lot going on and a great deal of tension between the two classes to keep things moving. I loved how the characters stayed true to who they were and behaved accordingly. Even though there might have been some minor points that didn't feel as authentic, I'm happy to say much of their behavior made complete sense and I couldn't help but wait with bated breath to see how it would all play out at the end. There were so many ways I could think of it ending with, and I think it was, ultimately, the perfect ending. I felt completely satisfied and wouldn't wish for it to happen any other way. I might have liked to see it end differently, but it all just made so much sense.


Thank you so much to the publisher, Harlequin - Trade Publishing, for an ARC. All opinions expressed here are my own.… (altro)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Life in the Hamptons for two very different families unravels faster than a spool of yarn when an accidental death appears to be murder.

Corey Halpern, recently a high school graduate, with college on the horizon, has a habit of breaking into homes. As Corey lives in the affluent community, one would think his motive would be robbery. Why not take incredible valuables from the homes? Instead, Corey just wants to cause havoc. An example is to pour salt into a gallon of milk, simply to imagine the response of the people using it the following day. However, Corey gets far more than he bargained for when he witnesses a accident by the pool. The man that died was apparently the lover of the homeowner, Leo Sheffield. Leo is actually the boss of Corey and his mother, Gina.

When this happens, Corey realizes that he is not the only witness. Due to some rather odd conniving, a plan is hatched, and this sets the pattern for events that no one will be able to turn back from.

This exciting debut story is delivered in rapid succession from several points of view. What is explored is how something as tragic as an untimely death pushed people to behave in an abominable manner. However, the story is much more than that. It becomes a powerful reminder that we live in a society that is bent by many unpleasant things. Not the least in this situation are, to mention a few, class differences, secrecy, obsession and desperation.

This stunning and rather shocking read was difficult to put down. It was compelling, leaving me desperate to see how everything would develop and what possible resolution could be experienced. The fact that everything happened in just a two-day span was incredible. Jason Allen is most certainly talented and I am glad to have been afforded the opportunity to read this book. I most certainly am eager to read his next one.

Many thanks to Park Row Books, Harper Collins and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.… (altro)