I didn't particularly enjoy this book unfortunately. It follows three characters - Allie, Rihanna and Natia - as they navigate New York in the 80s-90s. But I use 'follow' lightly - it was very hard to keep up with whose story was whose as none of the three characters are particularly 3-D or distinguishable. They are also supposed to be friends, but their stories didn't intertwine in interesting or obvious ways. When the three of them do all get together it feels rushed and unrealistic. Large parts of the writing don't make much sense as well - although this could be a first draft?
The presentation of New York is brutal, and while the point of the novel is that the main characters have no money and are struggling to get by in one of the most expensive cities in the world, I think there is a fine line that has to be walked of presenting poor young people in a big city and still making you love them and root for them, and feel their joie de vivre. Unfortunately this book doesn't do that for me - I don't feel anything for the main characters, and in fact their lives just sound sad rather than romantic. They also continually make terrible decisions, especially related to the men they date, and there's only a certain amount of forgiving that I can do.
All in all I just think there is nothing special or interesting about this.

Don't Poke the Bear, written by Robin D'Amato, immerses readers in a world reminiscent of Rent, capturing the essence of 90s New York. The story unfolds through the perspectives of a connected group of friends navigating the challenges of life in the city. From work and love to family expectations, the book delves into their struggles, providing an entertaining and relatable reading experience akin to heartfelt conversations with close friends over coffee.

One of the strengths of Don't Poke the Bear lies in its authentic portrayal of everyday life. The characters and their experiences feel remarkably genuine, allowing readers to connect on a personal level. The book's realism enhances its entertainment value, pulling readers deeper into the narrative and making their choices and predicaments all the more compelling. As an outside observer, it's easy to become frustrated with the characters as they make obvious bad choices, feeling a desire to intervene and guide them towards better paths.

Don't Poke the Bear by Robin D'Amato feels like it takes place in a Rent-adjacent world. The story is told from the multiple view points of a loosely connected group of buddies. Each person is figuring out how to make a life in New York and the books details the struggles of work, love, and family expectations. The book felt very real which made it entertaining to read, like the conversations you have with friends over coffee. The realness also made it frustrating, because the characters made obvious bad choices that as an outside observer you want to prevent. Overall, this book was worth reading and helped to contextualize New York in the 90s.

There are some things i liked about this book, like the flashbacks at the beginning of chapters, the music recs and the links between the characters.
unfortunately this book just wasn't for me
Thank you netgalley :)

I was excited to read this book because I’m obsessed with anything NYC-related. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. The beginning didn’t grab me at all. I would be happy to go back to it sometime in the future and see if I can get more involved in the story, but for the moment this was a DNF for me.

I loved this book. It felt from the very beginning like I knew these people. I’ve been through a lot of those situations and it felt so real.

The writing in this is empathetic, but brutal in places. The characters are so beautifully fleshed out that you know exactly why people made the decisions they did. Parents don’t come off particularly well, but they rarely do in life.

The decisions they made were real and true. New York is also a main character. Please read this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

The plot was engaging and I did enjoy how the three main characters were intertwined throughout the book. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced copy.

I am so thrilled to acquire this book! I feel like with the state of the world these days people long for a but if nostalgia. It is so great to read about a less digital time where three friends navigate NYC together! It almost gives me Friends vibes! I cannot wait to share more on this and I know our readers are going to love it!