Summer and the City

Title: Summer and the City

Author: Candace Bushnell
Date Read: August 29, 2013

Series: Carrie Diaries #2

 

Summary: Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw. goodreads

 

Review: I’m a part of what they call the “Sex and the cCty” generation. I grew up admiring the life that Carrie et al. had in New York City, but fully understanding that it was not where my life was going. This allowed me to live vicariously through these girls as a teenager who couldn’t even spell Manolo Blahnik. Few people know that this series was originally a book. Even fewer people have read this book. This is a good thing because it was one of the worst books I have ever read and made New Yorkers seem pretentious and annoying. Utterly gross and unappealing. At some point though, Candace Bushnell had the bright idea to create a series revolving around Carrie as a teenager which, would allow avid SATC series watchers to understand her background more. (This series does not hold a candle to the original.)

 

I read the first book and it was sweet and entertaining but didn’t do much for me. As part of a reading challenge, I picked up the second in the series to see if Candace could redeem herself from the horror that was Sex and the City. Believe it or not, she did! I enjoyed this book. It was a fun look into Carrie’s first real steps into the city and the crazy life that ensues. But it is also sweet and innocent. Carrie is starting to really discover herself, her love for The City, and her place in this world. At times, her innocence is off-putting, until you remember what it was like to be 18 and when you were on your own for the first time and the hard lessons you had to learn. Then comes the endearing part. It is fun to follow Carrie as she discovers the fabulous Samantha and the buttoned up, liberal Miranda. This book gives us a look into the girls before they were The Girls. If you ask me, skip Sex and the City (actually, avoid at all costs. It will ruin part of your love for the series.) and give Summer and the City a chance. It will provide you with more of the story now that the series is over and the movies are subpar.