Cobble Hill

A Novel

By: Cecily von Ziegesar

Narrated by: Pete Simonelli

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl series brings her sharp-eyed and irresistible wit to this “quirky novel of lovable misfits” (Publishers Weekly) chronicling a year in the lives of four families in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood as they seek purpose and community—until one unforgettable night at a raucous neighborhood party knocks them to their senses.

Welcome to Cobble Hill.

In this eclectic Brooklyn neighborhood, private storms brew amongst four married couples and their children. There’s ex-groupie Mandy, so underwhelmed by motherhood and her current physical state that she fakes a debilitating disease to get the attention of her skateboarding, ex-boyband member husband Stuart. There’s the unconventional new school nurse, Peaches, on whom Stuart has an unrequited crush, and her disappointing husband Greg, who wears noise-cancelling headphones—everywhere.

A few blocks away, Roy, a well-known, newly transplanted British novelist, has lost the thread of his next novel and his marriage to indefatigable Wendy. Around the corner, Tupper, the nervous, introverted industrial designer with a warehouse full of prosthetic limbs struggles to pin down his elusive artist wife Elizabeth. Throw in two hormonal teenagers, a ten-year-old pyromaniac, a drug dealer pretending to be a doctor, and a lot of hidden cameras, and you’ve got a combustible mix of egos, desires, and secrets bubbling in brownstone Brooklyn.

“Breezy, witty, and compulsively fun to read” (Kirkus Reviews), Cobble Hill is highly entertaining portrait of contemporary family life and the colorful characters who call Brooklyn home.

Critic reviews

"It's great fun listening to narrator Pete Simonelli illuminate the gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood featured in this engaging audiobook by the author of the GOSSIP GIRL series. With lively rhythms he shines a spotlight on the interconnected lives of four affluent families who reside there. The animated and witty characterizations of Roy, a successful novelist; Stuart, a formerly famous musician; Tupper, an odd industrial designer; and Peaches, a bubbly school nurse, along with their spouses and children, will entertain listeners. Simonelli shows considerable range in depicting each character's emotions and is especially adept at portraying the concerns of adolescents. The novel is an amusing slice of contemporary urban life."

Entertaining

This was an entertaining book with relatable characters. Not sure why a narrator who could not do accents or different voices was chosen though, particularly when at least two of the characters were supposedly British.

Unfortunately boring

I live in Cobble Hill. The best part about the book was the geography- it’s always fun to read about your own neighborhood. But I found the story and most of the main characters kind of outlandish- too cliched and goofy to enjoy. Which is unfortunate because I feel like much better commentary could be made describing the people here and the neighborhood. Read Jonathan Letham’s Fortress of Solitude for a much better Cobble Hill story.

Entertaining!

Starts a little slow but kept me interested. Wide range of characters that were amusing.

Cobble Hill

This listen was not as engaging as I had anticipated . While the characters are well developed, they are a tad too self absorbed to be truly likable . The exception is Peaches the school nurse . The plot moves forward but seems to miss something. Please, when a book is narrated and there are characters with different accents , the chosen narrator should be able to pull them off ! In this case English accents for Roy , Wendy and Shy would have been a significant improvement.

Entertaining

Sooo entertaing with its mix of characters. Thouroughly enjoyed it. Wpuld love to read more from the author