I received The Little Clan for free for my honest review. The back cover blurb for The Little Clan can be a little misleading. Although there are elements of humor, really the book is more a drama and character study. If you want to read about a contemporary, floundering Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes and someone akin to her begrudgingly awestruck plainer friend burying themselves into trouble, this book is probably for you.

The Little Clan really immerses you in how stuck in the 19th century librarian Ava seems to be, and yet how drawn she is to her best frenemy's glamorous idea of being embraced by the contemporary elite. Self-possession is something that always seems to elude her, slipping through her fingers just as she thinks she's gotten somewhere. It's a love letter to a literature with its awed regard for books and flawed extravagance. The imagery is gorgeous, referencing expensive but hastily applied wallpaper with gaps in between, an ornate broken mirror barely tacked to the wall, and a large, lovingly crafted bar still tacky with varnish in the room the girls so painstakingly prepare to stake their hopes and dreams on.

At times, I was really rooting for Stephanie and Ava's friendship, for them to draw themselves out of what they saw was obscurity, or even to just reframe what they saw as happiness. But their friendship often devolved into petty condescension over jealousies, smoothed over by some degree of loathing admiration or misplaced idea of what loyalty is. By the end it was almost impossible to root for either of them. Ava seemingly craves approval for the things Stephanie mocks her for (boring stories, love of Proust), but sort of openly despises anyone who doesn't love the same things she does. There's almost never an attempt for her to connect with anyone on anything OTHER than 19th century aesthetics or whining about/defending Stephanie's and hers attempts to make a social club. The author calls her out for this through another character, but it never...changes? I mean, she mentions liking toast, so that's new. She refuses to enjoy a single thing someone recommends to her, whether it's a book, movie, or a guest speaker at one of their events. Even when Ava goes to contemporary parties, she only seemingly enjoys flaunting her literary prowess in people's faces before devolving into the debauchery she supposedly doesn't picture in her ideal life. In some ways it could just be showing her conflicted draw to that world, but since she's so wrapped up in her own interests, angry anxiety kicking in whenever someone even asks her a question about something she's not familiar with (poetry, for example, a cousin of the great works), she comes off as just as shallow and insecure as Stephanie, just far less sociable. Their tumultuous relationship had extremely tender moments, but ultimately felt a little ridiculous by the end, especially with Stephanie's extravagant and blatant disregard for anyone other than herself.

There is a romance I briefly invested in that was cute at first, but quickly lost its sheen when the characters' less charming attributes floated aggressively and stubbornly to the surface. The snooty old members of the Lazarus Club were almost hilarious backdrops. For some reason I kept imagining them scowling and bespectacled, possibly with a monocle, complaining about those young people and the racket. The president was unsurprisingly self-serving, but I started to lose track of who was an actual alcoholic and who was just enjoying the seemingly endless libations of the House of Mirth. I can only imagine what the rarely-mentioned doorman Castor did with socialites and high-brows tumbling past him at all hours. The charismatic intern George is one of the few characters contributing points of levity in the novel, but he's a mere sprinkling throughout and I wish we'd seen him in the epilogue.

I love the idea behind this novel and I wanted to love it (and also want to work at the Lazarus), but I was bored and I fond my mind wandering throughout the novel. I wouldn't recommend.

I really did try with this book but it just wasn't for me. It just couldn't hold my attention unfortunately.

The book description touts The Little Clan by Iris Martin Cohen as "a love letter to classic literature and an illuminating look at new found adulthood." Unfortunately, the literary references are not the memorable aspect of this book. As far as "new found adulthood", neither of the main characters – Ava or Stephanie – seem to progress on the journey to adulthood in the course of this book which is unfortunate in a character driven book.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/12/the-little-clan.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

Set in NYC, The Little Clan, embraces the friendship of opposites.

Ava Gallanter, is a shy 20-something librarian and lover of 18th century literature, she also hopes to be a successful writer. She works at a rather eccentric place called The Lazarus Club, a place where eccentric geriatrics residents gather. Ava's college friend Stephanie, is her polar opposite: outgoing, energetic with a lust for life. She vows to do what she can to help Ava fulfill her dreams of becoming an author and, she convinces Ava to open a hip literary salon at the Lazarus Club. Needless to say, things don't necessarily go as planned.

Readers who love stories with quirky, flawed characters and literature should give this debut novel a try. Overall, I liked this book but, I was hoping for some resolution to a few of sidebars and that never occurred.

Loved this book. Didn’t want it to end. Highly recommend.

Love love love. Incredible book. Fabulous book club pick too

I tried, I really did. I started this then stopped, then started again but I just couldn't get into it. At first I was confused because I thought the book was set in a different era but then it just seems Ava is a little quirky and dresses from a different time period. I just struggled through half of this book when I finally gave up. I found no connection to the characters and it was just lacking something. I don't even feel I can really rate this book since I couldn't even finish it.

After 221 pages I decided to stop reading The Little Clan. Why? Well I read somewhere once that readers have expectations when they start to read a book. That expectations are based on a many different things like what we read or heard about particular book, or what we already read from the author, or on the genre. If these expectations are not met we as readers are disappointed. And that is in some extent is true. I started reading The Little Clan expecting to read about two girls opening a book club in the elite club full of eccentric old people. I expected lot of funny moments, I expected few revelations; but I did not get any of that. What I get is overanalysing mind of a twenty something insecure girl, Ava, who is forced to do something she did not want but has no courage to stop it. I also get an attention seeking girl who tries to climb social ladder without caring much who she will hurt in the process. Not at all what I expected.
While reading about Ava and Stephanie’s it seems to me that author do not know what to do with them. After a while I just stop caring about both of them. It happened because Ava is so boring girl full of self-doubt. She is so spineless that is painful to read about her mis(adventures). Stephanie, on the other hand, is totally unlikable person and the author did not try to expose her motives for being such a user, at all. Maybe that happened later in the story, but I did not get to that part.
Beside unlikable characters I decided to quit the reading because I didn’t get what is this story about. Is it about friendship between Ava and Stephanie, or is it about Ava coming of age, or is it about Ava finding a love of her life, or Ava writing her novel? This is all so mixed up.
I hate when story does not work and when I have to quit it. Obviously, The Little Clan did not meet my expectations, but then again, I cannot expect that each book will.

I'm sorry to say that I DNF at 28%. I found myself skimming. A LOT. I wanted to know what the story would be but I just didn't want to skim the remaining 72% when I know I have other books that I can pick up and read.

Maybe <I>The Little Clan</I> was just a bit out of my league. I'm ok admitting that. At first it came across as a bit pretentious. The main character, Ava, presented herself as a lonely shut-in who only seemed to identify with the 18th century and not the current 21st century also had a very high opinion of herself. The whole character development was confusing to me. As much as I wanted to, I could not relate.

I have no doubt that literary fans, especially those who identify with the world of Sherlock Holmes, will find more of a connection with this book than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley, Park Row Books and Iris Martin Cohen for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel!

Ava is in her 20s yet in her mind she firmly belongs in another era, one that is reflected in the old-fashioned books she loves to read. She's even taken to wear the clothing of another generation and is happiest in her small room with her cat, reading and trying to write a novel. She works as a librarian for the Lazarus Club - a beautiful old building occupied by elderly eccentric people. When her college friend, Stephanie, comes back into her life, she convinces Ava to open up a literary club within the Lazarus Club but it quickly takes on a life of its own in a direction that Ava isn't happy with.

I love books about books and books about people who love books! So I really wanted to love this book more than I did. The setting for the Lazarus Club was amazing - I could picture it totally in my mind from reading the descriptions. But the characters just never gelled with me - the main characters of Ava and Stephanie weren't extremely likable. However, the writing and descriptions were spot on and made for an enjoyable read.

Ava remains stagnant in her life until the return of her best friend Stephanie. Stephanie comes in and takes over Ava's life with little regard for what Ava wants. I spend the book hating Stephanie and being annoyed because Ava can't stand up to her. Other things happen in the book and I was satisfied with the ending but those two feelings overshadow everything else I felt about the book.

I tried to get into this book but just couldn't connect with it, so I won't be reviewing it.

I was really looking forward to Iris Martin Cohen's debut novel The Little Clan. What better story is there than with a book-loving main character and a New York City setting? Nothing, I assumed, but I started to realize very early on that this book was not what I am looking for in a book.

Blurb:

Ava Gallanter is the librarian in residence at the Lazarus Club, an ancient, dwindling Manhattan arts club full of eccentric geriatric residents stuck in a long-gone era. Twenty-five-year-old Ava, however, feels right at home. She leads a quiet life, surrounded by her beloved books and sequestered away from her peers.

When Ava’s enigmatic friend Stephanie returns after an unplanned year abroad, the intoxicating opportunist vows to rescue Ava from a life of obscurity. Stephanie, on the hunt for fame and fortune, promises to make Ava’s dream of becoming a writer come true, and together they start a Victorian-inspired literary salon at the Lazarus Club. However, Ava’s romanticized idea of the salon quickly erodes as Stephanie’s ambitions take the women in an unexpected—and precarious—direction.

I really enjoyed the initial storyline of this novel. As a book lover myself I love to read about fictionalized book enthusiasts in literature. I also think that opening a literary club for book lovers with a bar or a coffee house is the dream of many bookworms around the globe. Ava and Stephanie tried to make this dream come true. The only thing I couldn't really get behind was the type of club they wanted to open. Ava loves 19th century classics and the only books she wanted to display were those 19th century classics. I don't think there's something wrong with those kind of novels but opening a literary club in 21st century New York with dusty and old books only is far from reality if you ask me. It's a great idea but it wouldn't be somewhere I would want to go to. If it were a literary book club with modern and classic literature, I would be game.

Ava, the main protagonist, is literally all of us bookworms: She absolutely loves books, she has read her favorite stories over and over again, she is currently in the process of writing her first own novel, and on top of that she works in a library. #DreamGoals As I already mentioned her favorite books are the ones from the 19th century, like Little Women and Sherlock Holmes - and only those books. She doesn't read any Contemporary novels, nor Fantasy or Young Adult novels. But she not only reads those old classics, at 25 years, Ava basically lives the life of the people in her favorite books: She dresses like them, she thinks like them, she even uses an actual candle as a night lamp. I don't want to judge her for who she is but she lives so far from reality, I don't think it's normal anymore, which is why I couldn't take her character seriously or even connect with her.
Ava's best friend, Stephanie, was another thorn in my side. She constantly belittled and patronized Ava, she always dismissed her friend's ideas and let Ava do the labor while Stephanie was off flirting with old men to get money for their literary club project. Stephanie was without a doubt a crappy friend and one Ava didn't deserve at all.

The Little Clan was also a little too wordy for my taste. I had to look up at least three words per page because I've never heard of those before and it totally took away some valueable reading time.
Although I liked the initial storyline, it didn't really hold my attention. The descriptions and the characters' doings really bored me which is why I skimmed through the last 70% of the book. I'm glad I did because because from what I gathered through skimming, I didn't miss much.

I feel really bad for giving this book a 1.5 Star rating, but the book was just not what I had hoped for. Nevertheless, if you like wordy books and classic literature book references, then The Little Clan will be the perfect book for you.

I enjoyed the twist in this book. It was a quick read and I read it in one sitting.

Having worked in libraries for over a decade, I’ve met a lot of people who feel like they’ve found the perfect corner of the world in which to live. (I’m one of these people.) Not only are we surrounded books, but we encounter a lot of people with their slightly odd obsessions and preferences. Most of us are also very introverted*. Ava Gallanter, the protagonist of Iris Martin Cohen’s The Little Clan, is a quintessential librarian. I identified so much with her (with one big exception) that it was almost scary. She is incredibly shy, affects old-fashioned dress and rituals, and is quite content to work at a job cloistered away in the library of a private club. Her big regret is that she wants to be in a relationship. Her shyness and lack of self esteem, however, are so acute that she finds it almost impossible to talk to people she doesn’t know.

Ava might have quietly moldered away forever in New York’s Lazarus Club, with its aging members and dodgy architecture, if it hadn’t been for her college friend Stephanie blowing into her life like a well-dressed hurricane. Stephanie figuratively twists Ava’s arm until she agrees to become Stephanie’s partner in a grand scheme to turn the Lazarus Club into the city’s hottest night club/literary salon. The details are fuzzy. In truth, the details are always fuzzy when it comes to Stephanie. The woman is a dynamo of confidence and terrifyingly good at wheeling and dealing—at least compared to Ava.

An outside perspective or a protagonist with a bit more savvy can easily tell that Stephanie is a flimflam artist. Ava grumbles about the amount of physical labor she has to do to make the club pas muster with their ultra-rich clientele. She worries about the debt she has had to take on to pay for the things the Stephanie’s schmoozing fails to accumulate. She puts up with Stephanie’s occasional vicious criticisms. Ava is along for the bumpy ride in the hope that all this will somehow transform her into a dazzling social creature like Stephanie. Poor Ava is a terrible judge of character. She’s also a bit of a coward in that she’s allowed her fear of rejection and embarrassment stop her from trying to break out of her shell.

All this might sound like The Little Clan is a depressing read. It very much isn’t. It’s funny, quirky, and packed with details about the dilapidated Lazarus Club and its equally dilapidated members. I loved the atmosphere of this book. So much of it rings true from me, from the painfully awkward Ava and over the top Stephanie to the off-kilter plans they hatch over the course of the book. What they get up to is just what you might expect from people who think they know what they’re doing but very much don’t. This book was a perfect read for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration. It will be released 17 April 2018.

* Yes, I know there are extroverted librarians. I’ve met more than a few. I’m just saying, there’s a reason stereotypes exist about us.

This was a very well written book but in the end the 'twist' just wasn't that interesting. The characters and premise were good, plot needs to be upped a notch.

Loved it! This book was my style...NYC, libraries, friends, etc. This was a different story line than the usual books about friends and I loved it! Makes me want to move to NYC and join a club like the Lazarus Club!!

*This book was provided to me through NetGalley in return for an honest review*

I just couldn't get into this book. I tried and so much about what the book was about appealed to me. Librarians, literary societies, someone the same age as I, yet every page was a struggle. I so wanted to love this book and connect with the characters, but I couldn't and that was the downfall of this book. Other people may be able to connect to this story, but sadly that wasn't me.

25-year-old Ava and her BFF, Stephanie decide to start a literary salon inside the venerable Lazarus Club. With very different expectations the two women don't know what they don't know but begin renovations on the space, fund raising, and plan their first event. They don't even agree on what that event should be. So this story is all about two different women with their respective hopes and plans but they lack in maturity, knowledge, execution, and funding to make it all work. Various other characters pass through their orbit with differing impact.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and all the literary references. Everything slowed down in the middle section and then picked back up near the end. This book has been described as a coming-of-age story but I didn't get enough growth to really identify it as that. I thought lots of loose ends were left hanging and just wasn't completely satisfied at the end. Maybe because I'm not young and living in NYC I'm not the intended audience for this book.

I really wanted to love this book, being a librarian, but I didn't connect with Ava as much as I thought I would. I liked her character development and her openness to new things but I guess because she worked in a setting that is very different than mine, I found some of it very unusual.