Bold and unpredictable, full of wit and melancholy, with vibrant characters who are impossible to pin down.

Nothing Special is a witty, modern debut novel from Nicole Flattery and follows the lives of two young women who are navigating the complex world of Andy Warhol's Factory in New York in the 1960s. Mae is a seventeen-year old recent high school dropout who lives in a rundown apartment with her mother who turns to alcohol for comfort, as well as her mothers on-and-off again boyfriend, Mikey.

After a random meeting on passing escalators, Mae comes across an opportunity to try something new. It’s here where she enters the exclusive, thrilling world of Andy Warhol and finds herself at the Factory—the artist’s studio known for its elusive parties, famous guests, and progressive (or controversial) happenings. Mae joins a group of women who take care of the operational aspects supporting the artist’s work, yet while they seem peripheral, are the ones actualizing the proliferation of Warhol’s legacy. Mae gets tasked with being a typist for Warhol’s unconventional novel featuring recorded conversations of some of his famed and alluring friends. At first, Mae is thrilled with the prospect of a new world opening up to her, but as time goes on, she contemplates her identity, belonging and relationships in the midst of Warhol’s growing influence in art, media and entertainment.

Although the book started off slow for me, the writing style is witty, honest, and contemplative. Flattery's writing style allows the reader to feel like they are in on a secret, yet there is still so much left to the imagination and so much we’ll never know. For those who are unfamiliar with Andy Warhol's work, this book will definitely pique your curiosity. As someone who is intrigued by art and media, the perspective of a character who seems peripheral to Warhol's work, yet forms part of the foundation of what is known of Warhol today, was an interesting aspect of the book. While the story was engaging, it read like one really long short story, and I found myself wanting more from the ending. I also wanted to hear more about the relational aspects in Mae's coming-of-age story and felt let down by the ending. This is definitely one of those books that are not plot-driven and more just for the vibes, which I tend to not be a huge fan of.

Overall, Nothing Special is a fascinating read and has the potential to be one of the "it-girl" books of the summer. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. Nothing Special hits the shelves in July 2023!

I'm a lover of Irish literature and all things literary fiction so this book was right up my alley! I found the characters well fleshed out I really enjoyed the plot. I will definitely be looking into more books by Nicole in the future!

Well, I understand the Rooney comparisons.

Started strong with crisp, compelling writing. But there was so much...nothing. It was abstract in a largely unsatisfying way.

I am a Nicole Flattery stan, so seeing her first novel being published this year was a BFD for me. Following a young woman in NYC in the 'Gos who works in Andy Warhol's art warehouse. For fans of My Year of Rest & Relaxation, The Bell Jar, and Sally Rooney.

What I would drink while reading this book:
Provençal Rosé

This was a Did-Not-Finish for me, which I don't do often. I felt that the "vintage" feel didn't quite pan-out well here and I wasn't interested in the characters. Will be passing on it in our collection.

This book is about Mae's experience as a young typist working in the late 1960's and her relationship with herself and her mother. It talks about her desire to be different and experience things.
Nothing Special by Nicole Flattery is a wonderfully written novel set in the 1960's and follows a teenage girl named Mae. I gave this book 4/5 stars because I really liked it and found it easy to follow. I liked the setting of the book and the plot. Although at first I thought this book was going to be more about Mae and her mother. I don't know anything about Andy Warhol so I can't really comment on that aspect of the book. Overall, I really liked this book and I would recommend it to others. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I had a very hard time with this.

I loved the description and was so excited for this one. But it completely fell flat. The plotline was minimal and the writing was very tough to handle. I hate to talk so negatively about a book but it needed a lot of work and was sadly a large letdown.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sending and allowing me to read this book.
This was a great read, it was nice switching up the genres I normally read for this. The writing is amazing and the way the author describes stuff is very good. Also, that cover is actually so beautiful.

This book really reminded me of Catcher in the Rye. The writing was meandering, sometimes introspective, sometimes apathetic.
It took some brain power to follow the story, and the main character was very unlikeable - much like Holden.
Unfortunately there just wasn't enough plot to keep me interested.

Each chapter of Nothing Special by Nicole Fattery could be a short story. Told in a back and fourth in time manor, you (the reader) follow Mae along from her young adulthood to "the present day."

From a fairly troubled childhood and teenage years to a solitary adulthood with a troubled mother, Mae led a fascinating life. After dropping out of school and getting a job with Andy Warhol, she falls into a life that she could never have imagined. This is an exploration of womanhood, sexuality and individuality.

I can see how this would bore some people, but I think this book takes a bit of imagination and almost wonderment when reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Really enjoyed the author has a unique voice.The characters came alive ,it was funny emotional moving a true coming of age story.#netgalley #bloomsbury

"Nothing Special". has a unique narrator and voice. If you click with the protagonist you will love this book. Poignant and insightful. Recommended for readers who enjoy coming of age novels, and endearing, somewhat neurotic characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh man, I wanted to love this book. The description sounded so interesting—coming-of-age story of a girl in the late 60s working at Andy Warhol's Factory instead of going to high school?. But....I had a really hard time staying engaged with this book. It seemed kind of...boring? I lost interest in it and Mae was kind of annoying, and I didn't really find myself caring where her story went. Ugh, I wish I liked this more. Maybe this clicks with others, but it didn't with me, unfortunately.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5/5 stars! I don't think I've ever read a book featuring Andy Warhol before, so the premise of this book was exciting to me. However, I don't think the payoff really worked for me. It was a decent piece of literature and very poignant, but it felt a little heavy without purpose at times. I appreciate Mae and following their journey was enjoyable, but overall left me feeling letdown at the end. I think the premise and the storyline were two different stories, which felt disingenuous.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

*Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing/NetGalley for the eARC*

An unreliable narrator with the relatability of the human condition.

We follow our narrator, Mae, through two main jaunts: her life as a girl who is sorting through girlhood friendships and a job that makes her finally feel something other than a purposeless human. Mae is manic, impulsive, rude, kind, thoughtful, hateful, self-less, and selfish. Nicole Flattery delivers beautifully written prose in the form of all of these polarizing traits and what it means to be a girl growing up: the things you try and fail versus the things you try and finally feel a sense of belonging.
There were moments I would get annoyed and angry with Mae yet other times I would laugh and agree with her, just as she does with her own relationships in her life. Mae is so very jaded with the cards she has been dealt in life and this story is a full on stream of consciousness of her life as a teenager; a redeemable characteristic of Mae is that she is an observant character and really does try to fight for want she wants. This story was not plot-driven but I totally love an unreliable narrator so this was right up my alley.

I’m not sure the synopsis of this book quite matched exactly what the book contains. Throughout the first half of the book, I found myself questioning what I thought I was reading, that maybe a big chunk of any type of true plot was missing. I would have loved to see a bit more movement from the outside characters or another time skip at the end of the novel involving Shelly.

This didn't work for me, but I'm sure it will find its audience. The style was just too bizzare for me.