Here Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire | ★★☆☆☆

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Part of me truly expected to love this for nostalgic reasons. That sounds a bit odd considering the contents of Here Kitty Kitty but hear me out--I used to read a lot of books like this. Some good, some bad. At the end of winter, just a few weeks before spring every year, I get into this reading mood where I want to read books that feel like what I once adored. Last year brought me quite a few new books that somehow felt fresh and familiar all at once, so I had high hopes for this book.

When I saw Here Kitty Kitty's synopsis, I thought: yes, this is like an out-of-control adult version of Gossip Girl that I must read. Plus, I really liked the general party girl Polaroid vibe that the cover art gives off. I was like, okay, sign me up--STAT! Ultimately, I found the book to be difficult to get into and while many books share a similar plot to them, this one felt way too familiar to dozens of books and not in a good way. In short, it was repetitive and I almost didn't finish it.

It's not that I'm not keen on Libaire's writing--I enjoyed it and frankly felt it was the only thing that salvaged a lot of it and kept me reading. There's a brutal honesty to certain parts in the prose that I really got into. I like my characters complex and horribly flawed to the point of being almost unlikable. For some reason, I couldn't connect with Here Kitty Kitty even if it seemingly spelled out every trope and characteristic I'd normally like.

Who can resist a hot mess?

Apparently, I could in this case. Here Kitty Kitty simply was not for me but I think that, if you haven't read many books that are similar, you will enjoy this one. It was pretty to the point; I can definitely appreciate that even if it wasn't my cup of tea when it boiled down to it.