Reviews

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

eg94's review

adventurous dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

erinchickey's review against another edition

emotional

3.75

szirbel's review

3.0

I love all of Fiona Davis’s novels. This one centered around two young women who met in Italy during WWII and follows them through the New York theatre scene at the height of the Red Scare. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 stars!

moonflower97's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

jeffreybalch's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

avigail's review against another edition

4.5

I heard many good things about Fiona Davis's writing. I also know that she picks a building in New York that becomes a character of the story. The Chelsea Girls is set at the beginning of the Cold War and the dark days in the United States when people accused people of being communists. Reading a historical fiction novel set after WWII and during the Cold War is fascinating. The Red Scare is a scary time because you don't know who you can trust and who you can't. I like Maxine & Hazel's friendship, and sometimes I was mad at Maxine's naivety. Hazel is a person who lets people push over, but she finds her voice by writing a solid play, and she finds her voice to defend her beliefs. If you are in the mood for a richly detailed portrayal of the Chelsea Hotel and its inhabitants, this novel promises to be a captivating and emotional read.

 

booklover000's review

emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This one’s definitely a slow burn, but the characters and setting outweighed the pacing for me! This is essentially a look at women’s roles and opportunities in 1950s NYC during McCarthyism.  It’s about friendship, political pressure, the arts, and freedom.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis takes us back in time with Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead. From 1945 through the late 1960s we join Hazel and Maxine on their journeys. Hazel joined the USO in 1945 to finally get a chance to be on stage instead of being an understudy. She meets Maxine Mead in Italy where she is the star performer of their all-female troupe. A terrible incident forms a bond between the ladies that aids them in their careers. The Chelsea Hotel in New York City is a haven for creative types (writers, artists, musicians, actors, singers, etc.). Hazel ends up at the Chelsea Hotel in 1950 when she needs a place to write a play that is bursting to come out. Maxine needs an escape from California and soon joins her. Hazel’s play is about to be produced when communism rears its ugly head and FBI agents are patrolling the Great White Way. The 1950s is not the best time to be in the entertainment industry as Senator McCarthy begins his witch hunt for communists. Many careers are ruined in McCarthy’s search. I thought The Chelsea Girls was well-written with developed characters. The author provides detailed descriptions which brings the characters and scenes to life. The pacing was gentle which went with the story. I like how the author made the Chelsea a character. It became a living and breathing entity. We get to know its history of the establishment along with the various characters who have lived and worked there. I enjoyed the variety of intriguing and lively characters that inhabited the hotel. It was interesting learning more about Broadway and how a play comes to life. Fiona Davis captured the time period along the feelings of the people being questioned and persecuted by McCarthy. The emotions poured from the pages. It was fascinating to read about this time period. It is not an era that is usually addressed in fiction. I liked that there was a good twist later in the book. We get to see two women whose friendship is tested during a tumultuous time. I do not want to say too much and spoil the story for you. The Chelsea Girls is a complex novel that transports readers to New York City during the 1950s and early 1960s. I am curious where Fiona Davis will take us next time.

terraturtles's review

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

leding's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

3.0