What readers think of City of Girls, plus links to write your own review.

What a scrumptious book! It's not only a fun and sexy read, but also it is deeply thoughtful and intelligent—a combination that is not often found in novels, especially ChickLit.

Written by Elizabeth Gilbert (of "Eat Pray Love" fame), this is the story of Vivian Morris, the ultimate party girl who makes big mistakes along the way and learns some pretty big lessons from them. It's the summer of 1940. After flunking out of Vassar after her freshman year, Vivian moves from her small home town in New York state to the big city to live with her aunt, Peg Buell. Peg married well (very well) but the marriage is on the rocks (kind of…it's a complicated story). She owns a dilapidated theater in New York City where she and a motley crew of actors, musicians, and dancers put on a motley variety of simple shows. Vivian, who is a talented seamstress, takes over the costumes…and eventually takes over New York. All is fun, games, and sex until she does the unforgivable and is photographed doing it. How she builds back her life following this scandal is the heart and soul of the book.

With vividly-drawn characters, delightful descriptions, and a plot that never stops moving, this is a glittering and seductive book I couldn't put down. It won't win any literary awards, but it's an enthralling book to read.

Amazingly beautiful Story by Elizabeth Gilbert! Really loved it!

So you might have guessed by my title that I did not like this book. I found the main character shallow, and did not find her asserting her agency strictly through sex to be interesting or admirable. I got very tired of reading about her sexual exploits, as it seemed she didn’t do much else of significance. The only character I found interesting was her aunt (or was she a cousin?), the theater owner. I’m not sure what Ms. Gilbert was going for here, but I don’t think she succeeded. I do not recommend.