Gatsby is a glittering, razor sharp retelling that understands the original assignment: excess is intoxicating, longing is corrosive, and the rich remain spectacularly bad at being decent humans, no matter the century or the gender.

This time, our guide through the champagne fog is Nic Carraway, an outsider with a front row seat to obscene wealth and even obscener behavior. Enter Jay Gatsby, beautiful, untouchable, and burning with the kind of ambition that smells like desperation under expensive perfume. Her parties are dazzling, curated chaos: A-lists, whispered secrets, and the distinct sense that something is about to shatter.

At the center of it all is Danny Buchanan, charming, married, and just careless enough to be dangerous. The gender reversal isn’t a gimmick, it sharpens everything. Desire feels more exposed. Power dynamics feel more brittle. And Gatsby’s longing? It’s aching, obsessive, and tragic in a way that feels both modern and timeless.

Crowther excels at showing how privilege insulates and corrodes. Everyone wants something. Everyone is lying, especially to themselves. And Nic, watching it all unfold, becomes entangled in a slow burn moral crisis that simmers beneath the silk dresses and waterfront mansions.

This isn’t a nostalgic rehash, it’s a stylish, suspense laced reckoning. A reminder that reinvention has a price, obsession always collects interest, and no one wrecks lives quite like the wealthy when they’re bored.

Gatsby is seductive, smart, and quietly vicious, a modern tragedy wrapped in glitter, betrayal, and that familiar sinking feeling that comes when the music stops and the truth refuses to stay buried.

Pop the champagne.
But don’t expect a happy ending.

I was instantly pulled into the world of Gatsby — both the nod to the classic and the modernized West Egg — thanks to the layered characters, beautiful descriptions, and engaging narration. While at times it felt like the story was a bit overwritten and I'd have to reread paragraphs (multiple times) to understand what was being said, I felt completely immersed in this world. I agree with another reviewer who noted how closely the plot mirrored the original. I would have loved to see Jane Crowther work in a few twists to further make the story her own.

I love the story about Gatsby, and this updated take on the original was well done. It felt like parts were literally just replaced with modern-day bits, and nothing else was changed at times. I wasn’t bothered much by that, though. I was entertained and drawn into the drama and setting that Crowther detailed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have loved The Great Gatsby for a very long time which was why I was inspired to request this. I did not have high expectations; I fully expected it to be cheesy. But I fell in love with this!

It is a gender swap retelling set in the modern age. I loved Gatsby so much. I wanted to hug her. The writing was beautiful, that is all I have to say.

Enjoyable on several levels.
Is it a true retelling of Gatsby? You can decide.
Interesting though.
It's got good flow.

A pleaser for fans looking for the atmosphere of the original classic. A well written & displayed version of the original. I enjoyed the modern twist on the characters, while still presenting the nostalgic feel of an era that has since long ended.

I enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were well developed and interesting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I loved this gender-bent Gatsby retelling. I remember reading The Great Gatsby in high school and really enjoying it. This was such a good read!

The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite novels. I’ve been obsessed with it since high school, so when I saw a gender-flipped modern retelling of the book - I knew I needed to read it.
It did mess with my mind a little bit that the characters were gender flipped. It would take me a second to remember while reading. But the writing was absolutely fantastic. I was instantly pulled in and captivated. Crowther is a beautiful writer. The language and flow of this writing was very similar to Fitzgerald.
I really liked the story of Gatsby in a modern setting. I liked that she was a mysterious influencer that nobody knew a lot about. Having Nic being able to peek into Gatsby’s curated lifestyle was a really interesting element.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was it felt like Crowther wanted to give meaning to the original metaphors from Fitzgerald - like the green light. I would have liked it to be kept more ambiguous instead of kind of explained to me at the end of the novel.
Overall, this was a really good retelling for anyone who loves The Great Gatsby. I was absolutely hooked.

Crowther does a brilliant job of flipping gender on this modern-day Great Gatsby retelling. The story started off slow for me but soon I was caught up and immersed in Nic’s world and her obsession with the opulence and social media stardom of Jay Gatsby. My heart went out to Nic, as she found herself caught in a web of infidelities and lies in her longing just to be near Gatsby and to be involved in her life. Relationships become tangled and her need to be accepted leads Nic into some very dark waters. All of the characters are morally bankrupt and Nic finds herself becoming ensnared in this lifestyle. As the story developed, I found myself feeling sorry for Gatsby and for Nic as well. The last 20% of the book really ramps up and I found myself furiously flipping pages toward the explosive ending. I hadn’t read the original so I really wasn’t sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it and will definitely look forward to Crowther’s next novel.

I’ve been a huge “Great Gatsby” fan since high school, so I was excited to read this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It stayed faithful to the original story while adding a modern twist about immigrants. Highly recommended for my fellow Gatsby-lovers.

This was a Bold, thought-provoking, and emotional story. This explored complex themes through strong characterization and engaging storytelling, making it both memorable and impactful. I will def be purchasing this in March!

This book was so fun to read. This was a very cool retelling of the original, but in a much different and more modern way. I wasn't sure what to expect, but once I started reading this book I definitely could not put it down.

I love the classic "The Great Gatsby" I have 2 physical copies as well as a kindle copy. I've read it several times. It was super cool to read a retelling of it! Such an interesting twist on a classic novel!

Thanks to NetGalley and The Borough Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's been years since I last read The Great Gatsby, so I'm not going to really talk about how it compares to the original source material - other than that the main strokes are all there. I loved the update of Gatsby and Nic becoming influencers.
The update really helped me see how toxic most (if not all) of these characters are. And yet, I couldn't help loving this retelling. And I think it helped me really get the message of The Great Gatsby in a way I hadn't previously understood/felt it.
Definitely recommend reading - I'll be checking out more Crowther books in the future!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @harpercollins @boroughpress for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this #gifted book. All opinions are mine alone.

From the publisher:

Everyone knows Gatsby. New money. Murky past. Huge online following. Nic Carraway doesn’t belong amongst the super-rich, but when she scores a cheap summer lease in Long Island, it-girl Jay Gatsby becomes her neighbor.

Gatsby welcomes Nic to her opulent parties attended by the world’s A-list. And in return, Nic helps Gatsby reconnect with an old Nic’s cousin, the ever-charming but now-married Danny Buchanan.

But no one can be careless like the rich. As the summer heats up, Nic finds herself tangled in a web of longing and ambition, betrayal and deceit. In a world where everyone is lying – about and to themselves – can Nic finally tell the truth?

Thoughts:

This was such a fun and contemporary retelling of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. With a glittering backdrop of The Hamptons’ uber rich and opulent lifestyles, influencers, and social media presence, I was a sucker for the vivid attention to detail, madness of forbidden, flaunted romance, and effortless merge from the classic to having this shine in its own light.
This would be an absolute perfect beach or summer read, while sipping cocktails oceanside. I couldn’t get enough and wish the story went on forever. A must read!

gorgeously interesting retelling of the Great Gatsby with a gender flip that makes it surprisingly different. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Jane Crowther’s Gatsby is a captivating and stylish exploration of one of literature’s most enduring stories. With a keen eye for cultural detail and narrative nuance, Crowther revisits the world of glamour, longing, and illusion that has fascinated readers for generations. Her writing feels both thoughtful and inviting, guiding readers through the layers of meaning surrounding Gatsby’s glittering yet fragile universe.

What makes this book particularly engaging is Crowther’s ability to connect the myth of Gatsby to the broader cultural imagination. She examines the allure of wealth, reinvention, and romance with clarity and curiosity, illuminating why the story continues to resonate today. The prose is lively and accessible, making complex literary and historical insights feel natural rather than academic.

Crowther clearly writes with affection for the subject, and that enthusiasm shines through every page. Readers who love literary history, cultural commentary, or simply the magnetic pull of Gatsby’s world will find much to enjoy here.

Elegant, insightful, and thoroughly engaging, Gatsby is a rewarding read that reminds us why this story still glitters so brightly in the literary landscape.

Any retelling of The Great Gatsby and it is a must read for me. This book took the retelling to a new level with swapping the genders and making it more modern day. It gave it a different spin on the classic book. Even though I knew what would eventually happen in the book, it was interesting to read about this author's take on the events. I would recommend to fans of The Great Gatsby or to people who didn't quite like that book but want a different spin on the old classic.

Immediately the author did a great job of capturing the narrative feel of The Great Gatsby — intimate first person, nostalgic, and confessional. I think the lush notoriety of the original Gatsby definitely lends itself to the social media era, making this book a really great concept. It was also super interesting seeing women placed into the main roles here. The author did a great job building tension and the twists kept me on my toes.

This is one review where I won't do a little summary, because if someone doesn't know what The Great Gatsby is about, I'm certainly not going to be the one to ruin the surprise. I found this to be a fresh re-telling, due mostly to the gender-flipped aspect of it. I think it was an interesting angle, and also served to highlight the privileged carelessness of the characters. The prose did seem a little overly-thesaurus-ed at times, but I found it to be in line with how Nic Carraway, aspiring think-piece writer, would write, so no real complaint there. Overall I found this to be a fun retelling from someone who clearly loves the original and all the media it inspired, and I'd recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

It took a little while for me to get into the story because I felt the beginning was dragging a lot. Once the characters got introduced and the chapters progressed, the ball really got rolling. I highly enjoyed the decision to flip the genders in this version and enjoyed the modern take with Gatsby being a huge influencer. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a Great Gatsby remake or for someone wanting to read the original but might struggle with how it was written.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of Gatsby in the return of an honest review.

*Gatsby* by Jane Crowther is a sharp, engaging reimagining that breathes new life into a familiar world. Crowther brings a fresh perspective, blending wit, insight, and a modern sensibility that makes the story feel both timeless and newly relevant. Her writing is crisp and immersive, capturing the glamour and underlying tension of the setting with ease.

What stands out most is the way the characters are reinterpreted with added depth and nuance. Crowther explores their motivations and relationships in a way that feels thoughtful and layered, offering readers a chance to see them through a different lens. The emotional undercurrents are handled with care, giving the story a resonance that lingers.

This *Gatsby* is both a tribute and a reinvention—perfect for readers who love the original but are eager for a fresh take. It’s a compelling, stylish read that proves there are still new angles to discover in even the most iconic stories.

Great stories are costantly made and remade. “Romeo and Juliet” is the plot for over 100 films, 117 indirect versions (e.g., “West Side Story”). Hundreds of books and TV shows have been made of the greatest teen-age angst story of all time.

So why not “The Great Gatsby”?

Which brings us to “Gatsby,” a terrific retelling of the Jay Gatsby story translated into today’s digital celebrity-heavy social media society. This time around, Jay Gatsby is a woman social influencer with a heavy back story. Nick Carroway, the neighbor, is Nic, a woman writer who has yet to find her literary voice. Daisy is now Danny Buchannon, the beautiful man, who Gatsby longs for. His acid-tongued wife is “T,” a reference to the original’s Tom. Jordan Baker, the cynical woman golfer is now a man. Tom’s auto garage lover Myrtle becomes Miguel, T’s rough-hewn lover.

But do not mistake this book for a quick-buck two-bit gimmick. Despite the gender changes, all the characters emerge as thoughtful, breathing flawed human beings. As with the best of literary adoptions, this is a powerful well-written, thoughtful story of fame, pain, deceit and ultimately tragedy.

Even if you know the Fitzgerald original, be prepared to be emotionally involved as the players take their place in somewhat familiar places, yet emerge as fresh in this retelling as a wholly original story. In many ways this modern retelling expands the original tale, allowing the characters more room to breathe, expanding their emotional range in ways the original never did. “Old sport” and other period pieces are gone; this version is current in the best sense. Yet it never strays from the original’s emotional core, the utterly senseless tragedies that makes the story so beloved despite its many retellings.

Just like “Romeo and Juliet,” “Oedipus Rex,” “Sherlock Holmes,” King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table” and many other, great tales are told and retold because their soul, their human appeal remains exquisite and meaningful for new audiences. “The Great Gatsby” has become one of those tales. “Gatsby,” this new version, joins the ranks of those books that do honor to the original and still emerge as a well-crafted work of contemporary original art.

For those who care about these matters, seven feature films have been made about Jay Gatsby, at least 30 books and innumerable references in all media. “The Chosen and the Beautiful” came out in 2021, telling the Gatsby story from Jordan Baker’s point of view, recast as a gay Vietnamese woman. It won the attention of the nation’s literary community. With luck, and enough reviews, this current “Gatsby” deserves readers’ attention. Highly recommended.