this book was entertaining. Somehow the characters were all soooooo so so annoying and made the worst choices and decisions they could. I hated all of them. Yet somehow, the book was not terrible, it was still enjoyable. I like some of the things about covid/pandemic times and how it was relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This book felt as surreal as the pandemic did. I'm reflecting on it, and like the pandemic, I find myself asking, "wait, what?!" Every character, even the children, are detestable. Their choices are wild and unexplainable. Yet somehow, I didn't hate this book? I just felt like I was in a strange dream that didn't quite make sense but was still overall pretty entertaining.

If you like schadenfreude, you’ll like this book. All the characters are a little bit unlikeable but also sympathetic. Their downfalls were kind of delicious.

*4.5!!!! First and foremost - as a former Universal Orlando VIP Tour Guide... I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. I was kicking and giggling throughout. Which sounds very vague without much context, but once you pick this up and read it, you'll know. It does get quite messy with the main plot overall, but that's what makes it so fun and interesting.. Its just messy. Human emotion is messy. This is my 2nd Marcy Dermansky novel and it did not disappoint!! Love Marcy's writing and emotion on relationships and the human connection. Its all very raw and vulnerable. Excited to see what Marcy does next.

Thank you, Netgalley and Knopf for the digital ARC.

LOVED THIS! Hurricane Girl was my top read the year it came out and so I squealed with delight when I was gifted a copy of HOT AIR. Every single word, character, plot choice made me giddy. The plot is hilarious and odd and enthralling. The characters find themselves in a situation I could never even think up and I was there for it. There's a hot air balloon, there's a billionaire, there's old friends, new dates, and an incredible Assistant - and then some. Brava to Marcy Dermansky for another brilliant book. Thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Marcy Dermansky : Messy-ass GenX Women :: Anna Dorn : Messy-ass Queer Millennials

If you know this going in, or you have read any of her work in the past, you know what to expect.

Which is the following:

• Messy-ass women that are almost entirely unlikable, but make for compelling reading nonetheless.
• An inordinate amount of messy-ass women swimming.
• Terrible decisions made by messy-ass women; you will want to scream at them "the fuck is WRONG with you?!" but you will keep reading in order to hopefully find out the fuck, in fact, is wrong with them.

My oldest read this review as I was writing this. "Oh, so like if Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was a book? No wonder you loved it!" Yes, exactly. That kid gets me.

I've read the majority of Dermansky's oeuvre, and would slot this solidly in the upper middle. It doesn't top Bad Marie for me, but really...what could?

Lots of fun, will be forcing this on people as an excellent poolside read (heh) when it's released in time for warmer weather.

This is a truly odd book with eccentric characters.

Joanie is going on her first date in a very long time. She can’t find a babysitter so the first date is a dinner at Johnnys house. His son will be there anyway and they can hang out. Joanie isn’t experienced at dating and she thinks it’s not going well when suddenly a billionaire crashes into Johnnys pool. Jonathon is trying to safe his troubled marriage with a hot air balloon ride but the wind picks up and him and his wife end up in Johnnys pool. The night starts off weird and just gets weirder as it goes on.

As I’m reading this book I am enjoying it and wondering what will happen between this group of people. The book held my interest and at the end I liked it. I felt like its message was to appreciate what you have in life because we all struggle with something.

This book was bonkers! It's a quick and breezy read, but overall, I had mixed feelings about it. The writing style is what irked me the most. It's very satirical, but not everyone can write that certain genre. It's very tricky to pull off, and I don't think the author succeed. I wish the tone and prose were done in a more simplistic way. The tone is so over-the-top and juvenile sounding. The characters didn't feel like grown adults. They felt very adolescent and immature. The scenes and situations were so extreme. None of the plot felt fully realized. This book is not supposed to be taken seriously, but I just couldn't completely say it was a slam dunk. I needed more character development and a more cohesive storyline. It's a mixed bag for me. The cover art is absolutely stunning though. Wow!

Thank you, Netgalley and Knopf for the digital ARC.

I couldn't put this book down. I love the way Dermansky writes her POVs from all types of perspectives, not just main characters. What would have made it a 4.5 or even higher was any sort of epilogue or conclusion to the paths crossing but I really enjoyed what we got.

After reading Hurricane Girl by this author, I was automatically sold on any books from her in the future. In Hot Air, we follow four characters - Joannie, Julia, Johnny, and Johnathan - as their lives intertwine after a hot air balloon accident. Told in multiple POVs with very short chapters, this was a quick and quirky read with messy characters and interpersonal relationships. It wasn't as unhinged as Hurricane Girl, but it had the same sense of humor and vibe - messy, funny, silly, absurd.

The characters are all quite self-involved, a bit unlikeable, but very real. Their lives and motivations are messy and self-serving but interesting in a voyeuristic way. Since it's a short read, some of the dynamics between characters aren't fully explored, but I still appreciated what was explored.

Recommended for fans of slice-of-life literary fiction on the weirder side. For fans of Melissa Broder (The Pisces, Death Valley), Mona Awad, Ottessa Moshfegh.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a super fast read. I wouldn’t say it was an easy read because it was very confusing at times with the names of the characters (Joanie, Jonathan, Julia, Johnny) and the the multiple POVs.

This book was a roller coaster ride or maybe a hot air balloon ride. I did like the overall message of the book, I just wish there was a little more depth to the characters.

While this book was not for me, definitely think there are readers who will enjoy this type of genre and writing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Very quick read! First book I’ve read by Marcy! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Loved the multiple POVs. Going to go back and read the others! I loved Lucy! I have a daughter myself so I really understood the mother wanting just a few minutes to relax whether it’s in the pool or the bathroom.

This novel is hard to put down (or pin down) because, in the back of your mind, it rings a little true. A billionaire makes the grand gesture of learning (more or less) to pilot a hot air balloon to surprise his wife. They crash-land in a suburban swimming pool where a woman from his past is having a dinner date. Each of the main characters—Jonathan, Julia, Johnny, and Joannie—has an agenda that plays out, often with the help of Vivian, a long-suffering personal assistant.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf/Pantheon/Vintage for the advance reader copy.

This was a 3.5 star for me. Out of all her books I've read, this is definitely my lwast favorite but it still struck the quintessential Dermansky chord. I felt that I got a healthy dose of what I was looking for when I picked up her book, but the characters and the storyline didn't click with me quite as much as her others have. Still very much worth reading for any Detrmansky fan,

Not my cup of tea. It’s a specific voice and style, either you like it or you don’t. The circling, the shape-shifting, the on/off nature of the inner landscapes. It’s a scenario rather than a novel, and one built on rocky foundations. Is Joanne plausibly the author of an award-winning novel? Is Julia or Johnathon or Johnny as much of a switchback decision maker as portrayed? Does any of it matter in the book’s brevity and stasis?
I guess this, for me, falls under the heading of modish fiction. Maybe I’m just too old. Or maybe it’s as slight as it seems.

For an unlikely series of events, this felt so real. They characters were all so unlikable and mildly unhinged but like a hot air balloon crash I could not look away.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGallet for the ARC of Hot Air.
Pretty cover, but I did not like the plot and had no connection with any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley & Knopf for this ARC! Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky is a sharply observed, witty novel that explores the complexities of family dynamics, betrayal, and self-discovery. The protagonist, a woman struggling with the sudden death of her husband, navigates a whirlwind of emotional upheavals while dealing with her teenage son and her strained relationships. Dermansky's writing is crisp and insightful, blending dark humor with poignant moments that make the characters' struggles feel relatable and real. The narrative unfolds at a fast pace, drawing readers into the chaos and absurdity of modern life. It's a quick yet deeply engaging read for those who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of wit and sarcasm.

I LOVED the multiple POV's throughout this book and thoroughly enjoyed the perspectives from each of them. The names got a little confusing at times, but I found it rather funny they all started with the letter J. Parts of this book honestly felt like a dream and I think that's strange because I don't get that feeling from literary fiction often, so I really enjoyed how much detailed Marcy included. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

A hot air balloon falls from the sky into a suburban pool. This starts a madcap days-long adventure into swinging sex, divorced coupling, and too-smart kids. While that could be a hackneyed plot, it quickly moves along, and the characters are interesting, very saucy, and original. Apart from their similar names -- which normally would annoy me but turns out okay -- the novel is a fun read and the makes for some funny scenes and interactions. While one of the couples are exceedingly wealthy, they use their wealth sometimes wisely and sometimes not, and that also drives one of the subplots that could easily turn out trite but has some depth. I found once I got into the novel I couldn't put it down for long, and highly recommend it.