"That was the morning I committed the first sin of love, which was to confuse beauty and a good sound track with knowledge."
This book mostly worked for me because of where I am in my own life- 6 weeks away from graduating college, with a plan to move half way across the country alone. Danler creates another set of characters that you love to hate. Jake was an asshole, but everyone needs one of those types in their history. Simone is a straight up bitch, but of course I am still asking myself if I want to date her or be her. And Tess, oh what a dramatic, insecure young woman, to say the least. I truly feel like the only thing she learned during the course of what could've been a huge growth year for her, is how to describe fancy foods and wines.
There's something about Danler's writing that makes me go kinda feral. It's some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read, and therefore makes everything I didn't like about the book redeemable. While it's really just Tess's sort of coming of age story over the course of a year, I do wish it had a bit of a more structured plot. But then again, sometimes I feel that way about life, so perhaps (re: most definitely) that's the point.