*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 1, 2024

Reeled in by the title and stuck around for the quirk. A bit of a love letter to travel, solo travel, Berlin—I felt like I was in an early-aughts fever dream at times. Really enjoyed the ride this took me on!

This book felt like a gray day in Berlin, in the most complimentary way. It challenges you to think about aging, comparisons, your purpose and the unfolding future.

Sam's journey through Berlin was dotted with strangers that quickly become his whole life in a foreign city. The prose was beautifully written and melancholic, and the characters all felt real to me. We know that kid whose family had money and personally had no direction that moved to some farflung place. We know that person who tempts us and makes us do some reevaluating. I really enjoyed this snapshot of Sam's life during a week in Berin.

3.75/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, University of Nebraska Press and Eric Schnall for the ARC!

My best guess at the translation of "I Make Envy on Your Disco" is "I'm jealous of your party"... but it took a long time to get there. The title intrigued me enough to read it though.

I found this book engaging at times but overall the plot dragged and Sam is a bit melancholy throughout. An art dealer and lifelong New Yorker who can't figure out his life and goes to Berlin for a gallery/exhibition opening. He mostly blows off work, which is where it gets interesting. Three stars for the lack of resolution on anything by the end.

While I greatly admired the descriptive writing and the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of Berlin, I simply couldn't get into the story or characters at all. That's just me. Your mileage may differ.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. There are readers who will absolutely love it.

This book captured Berlin at the beginning of the 21st century perfectly - I felt like I was back on the streets and in the cafes and clubs. Some of the plot twists were pretty improbable and I had a hard time believing in the main character as a successful art advisor b/c he seemed so hapless much of the time. But the world building was just fantastic! Also, LOVE the title.

I enjoyed this book. The writing really immersed me in the story which I loved! The details of the environment featured in the book really make me want to go back to Berlin.

Although there were points where I felt disconnected from the characters, probably due to being in drastically different life situations, I enjoyed learning about the characters lives and following Sam through Berlin.

This was an enjoyable read and I’m sure folks who enjoy literary fiction will enjoy reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press for the ARC!

This was a no for me. I ended up DNF’ing this book fairly quickly. I found myself not engaged with the characters at all. I also found the authors penchant to have foreign language in the text without translation to be very annoying. I felt like this book was going to continue down this road and instead of put myself through the angst of plodding through a book that I was not enjoying, I decided to cut my loses and stop.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel, in exchange for my honest review!

This is really beautiful, a lot of gorgeous quotes, and is the perfect book for anyone in a long term relationship, loves traveling alone and meeting new people, and ultimately wants a cozy read about life and it’s ups and downs.

This was unique and entertaining, I would recommend it, I didn’t personally connect to the characters on a deep level because I am a homebody who hasn’t experienced life the same way, but still appreciate this all the same!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this gifted eARC!

I truly enjoyed the prose in this book, but I just could not connect to the character and I wasn’t finding myself engaged in his story. It had a very Holden Caulfield quality, which just isn’t for me. However, I can see many people enjoying this book, and it is beautifully written.

4 stars unique, interesting and kinda weird at points in the best way. Thanks for the ARC and my gosh I would recommend