Let me start off by saying that this is not a genre I generally gravitate towards. I really only picked up this book because I was able to thrift it for super cheap and I had seen it around a few times for me to recognize the title. With that being said, I absolutely fell in love with this story.

Gilbert made me want to pack my bags, move to NYC, and get into show business tomorrow! When in reality, I've always hated big cities and I don't have a drop of musical talent in my blood! The setting and story became so captivating, it was easy to feel like this was the best and most exciting way to live. Which for our main character, Vivian Morris, it was.

Vivian was a pleasure to read for the entire duration of the story. I generally prefer multiple POV in books, but I loved reading every single step of her journey. Every character we meet through Vivian is excellent despite all their awfulness. And with Vivian now telling her story as a 95 year old woman, only made it better. Vivian is probably one of the most transparent, honest and reliable narrators I've ever been able to read. Her openness about the mistakes she made, reflections on her behavior (good or bad), and blunt retelling of her life was spectacular. I often forgot that Vivian is not actually a real person.

In the end, this is a coming of age story that tackles topics such as gender roles, sexuality, freedom, aging, independence, relationship building, and so much more. I absolutely loved every bit of it!