Jenny Jackson (1)

This was a very skillfully written novel that was addictive, laugh out loud funny, poignant, and (to middle class me) a fascinating peek into the world of the uber-wealthy.

It rang true throughout and I loved her excellent renderings of each character. I was grateful that, while it would have been so easy (and probably popular) to turn some of them into clichés, she never did.

And thank you, also, Ms. Jackson, for dividing up the chapters by character without ricocheting us through multiple show more first person accounts.

In fact, I am pretty sick of modern fiction's overuse (imho) of the first person. This novel proves you DON'T have to do that in order to make characters vibrant, sympathetic, and believable.

I found myself going back after I'd finally gobbled down the last page, just to randomly open the pages and savor again some of her wonderful turns of phrase, vigorous use of language and description, and her compact and powerful imagery.

Not life-changing for me, hence not 5 stars, but a breath of fresh air in the current, often dreary contemporary fiction landscape. show less

Maybe 3.5? Fast moving, entertaining, and impressive debut. We are talking about 1-percenters here - I often have trouble understanding and really conceptualizing that kind of wealth. Funny thing - if this book and others like it (The Nest, e.g.) are accurate, they have just as much trouble understanding all of 'us.' This is old family money in the Stockton situation: parents Tilda and Chip have inherited from their parents and will pass on to their children: Darley, Cord, and Georgiana who show more is a good deal younger than her older sibs. Darley is happily married to Malcolm and they have two kids. Rather than ask him to sign a pre-nup, she put her family money in a trust that bypasses her and goes straight to her children. Cord married Sasha, who is 'middle class' and was not happy about signing the pre-nup. She is also not happy about living in her in-laws old family home with all their crap. Tilda and Chip 'downsized' and offered the place to Cord, who was thrilled. But all the old musty heirlooms dominate the space and though they don't live there any more, they don't want anything changed. (this is also their M.O. for life). Georgiana is an immature 20-something who works for a not-for-profit that tries to set up self-sustaining medical care in developing countries. She is in charge of social media, and the newsletter and has a crush on her co-worker Brady. Each character gets their own chapters, so we get a lot of their inner thoughts about their lives and each other. Sasha is the most likeable, because she is the most relatable - baffled by the wealth and unspoken customs that go with it. Darley and Georgiana become likeable as the story progresses because of what happens to them in the course of the story. None of them are truly bad people - just so clueless about how the world works when it is not cushioned by cash. To be fair, the younger generation is better than the Tilda and Chip generation. The author was inspired by an NYT piece that featured a millennial 1-percenter giving up his family wealth and that theme appears here too. Slowly the idea is dawning (on the young characters at least) that no one should have a billion dollars to their name. Overall, well done in the way wealth is examined and in many instances satirized. show less

Pineapple Street is a witty, sharply observed, and surprisingly relatable novel about life, privilege, and identity among New York’s ultra-wealthy. Told through the perspectives of three women connected by one wealthy Brooklyn Heights family, the story offers a fresh, layered look at what it really means to belong—and what it costs to stay comfortable.

Two of the women, Darley and Georgiana, are daughters of old money, raised in the rarefied world of generational wealth. The third, Sasha, show more is the daughter-in-law—married to the only son, and perpetually feeling like an outsider. For me, Sasha was an absolute standout. She’s smart, grounded, and refreshingly self-aware. Honestly? She’s my spirit animal.

The novel is both funny and emotionally sharp, filled with ironic moments that feel incredibly true, even in the midst of extravagant wealth. Jenny Jackson nails the tension between family loyalty and personal growth, and she does it with warmth, humor, and pitch-perfect prose.

I adored this book and have already recommended it to all of my book-loving friends. If you’re into character-driven fiction with heart, humor, and social commentary, Pineapple Street is a must-read. show less

Pineapple Street is a witty, sharply observed, and surprisingly relatable novel about life, privilege, and identity among New York’s ultra-wealthy. Told through the perspectives of three women connected by one wealthy Brooklyn Heights family, the story offers a fresh, layered look at what it really means to belong—and what it costs to stay comfortable.

Two of the women, Darley and Georgiana, are daughters of old money, raised in the rarefied world of generational wealth. The third, Sasha, show more is the daughter-in-law—married to the only son, and perpetually feeling like an outsider. For me, Sasha was an absolute standout. She’s smart, grounded, and refreshingly self-aware. Honestly? She’s my spirit animal.

The novel is both funny and emotionally sharp, filled with ironic moments that feel incredibly true, even in the midst of extravagant wealth. Jenny Jackson nails the tension between family loyalty and personal growth, and she does it with warmth, humor, and pitch-perfect prose.

I adored this book and have already recommended it to all of my book-loving friends. If you’re into character-driven fiction with heart, humor, and social commentary, Pineapple Street is a must-read. show less