Book Review – Hipster Death Rattle (2019)

Hipster Death Rattle (2019) by Richie Narvaez – A series of attacks terrorizes a trendy neighborhood in New York City. Is it gangs or someone trying to “save” the neighborhood from changes brought on by the growing population of hipsters.

There’s an old saying that springs to mind about this book- ”A half inch deep and two miles wide.” It covers a lot of ground but it lacks depth. The result left me wishing there had been more.

Narvaez leaves us with shallow characters moving through situations that feel like sketches not fully colored. The thought kept recurring that there was a great story about to unfold.  But it never arrived.  This makes it hard to invest emotionally in what happens. The shallowness only works on the hipster characters. It left me without an emotional connection to any of the characters. At best, they were annoying. As a result, little of the story has stuck with me. For folks with familiar with the city of New York and its legendary neighborhoods, the book may evoke some deeper emotions.  For the rest of the world, there will be an enormous void in the story.

The writing isn’t bad, and the storytelling has moments. Once again, I wish for more. Better storytelling and more interesting writing. Characters with some depth.

Is it a terrible book? Certainly not. Richie Narvaez shows skill in the book.  The problem is that there are too many places where not enough of that skill is applied.  In a world with so many books to read, I’m not sure I can recommend you spend your reading time with this one.

“Hipster Death Rattle” is now available at bookstores and online.

I based this review on an ARC I received from the publisher.  The review complies with our Review Policy.

Rating: ** Not Impressed