Book review

In the middle of August’s heat, our former volunteer Helin returned to her home in Finland but she left us some book recommendations. We will publish her three books, one after one in the sequence of upcoming magazines.

Grab your coffee, get comfy on your sofa (or maybe a hammock already?) and let’s dig in. Here is the third and sadly last recommendation of Helin’s top three summer readings (or for you “spring readings”).

Happy hour - Marlowe Grenados

This is a book about two pretentious, self-serious, a bit unlikable girls who are generally just “too much", navigating their early twenties in a big city. The plot is non-existent and practically nothing happens.

That being said, I really liked this book.

Happy Hour is a diary-style book about two best friends, Isa and Gala, who move to New York for the summer. Due to their immigration status they have to become creative with finding money to pay rent. They go to parties, sleep through the days, hustle for money, make dumb decisions, have ridiculous encounters, argue and complain. A lot. All day every day.

I loved the writing in this book. It was beautiful and Isa is an interesting narrator. Her observations and the social commentary was very clever. I would say that this is a book you either hate or love and I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but if you enjoy Sally Rooney, Ottessa Moshfegh, unhinged women in their twenties, no plot just vibes -type of books, give it a try.

By: Helin Leini