Cups & Curiosity

When I picked up Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh, I expected a story filled with glitz, ambition, and maybe a little bit of scandal—and that’s exactly what I got. But what surprised me was how much depth Ahdieh wove into the glittering backdrop of Manhattan’s elite. On the surface, it’s a novel about expensive penthouses, glamorous parties, and secrets hidden behind polished smiles. But beneath all the sparkle, it’s also about identity, love, and the price we pay to belong.

First Impressions

Right from the start, Ahdieh pulls us into a world that feels part Gossip Girl, part Crazy Rich Asians, but with her signature lyrical writing style. The protagonist doesn’t step into this world from a place of privilege—she’s an outsider trying to carve out a spot in the inner circle of Park Avenue society. That “fish out of water” perspective made the story instantly relatable, because haven’t we all, in some way, tried to fit into a world that didn’t quite feel like our own?

I liked that this wasn’t just a fairy-tale transformation. Sure, there are stunning gowns and glittering parties, but Ahdieh doesn’t let us forget the cost of that reinvention. The pressure to appear perfect, the sacrifices made to keep up the image, and the constant worry about secrets slipping through—it felt raw and very human, even in such a larger-than-life setting.

Themes That Stood Out to Me

Identity and Reinvention

One of the strongest threads in this book is the question of identity. The main character has to reshape herself to survive on Park Avenue, but the deeper she goes, the more blurred the line becomes between who she is and who she’s pretending to be. It made me think about how often we put on “masks” in everyday life—at work, in relationships, even on social media. The book asks: how much of that mask becomes you, and when do you risk losing the real version of yourself?

Love vs. Ambition

The romance in Park Avenue is deliciously messy, but it’s never just about romance. Every love interest comes with strings attached—status, ambition, and trust issues. I found myself questioning along with the characters: is this real love, or is it ambition disguised as affection? That constant push-and-pull added a lot of tension and made me reflect on how relationships can sometimes get tangled up with outside pressures and expectations.

Class and Power

This is where Ahdieh really shines. The glitzy setting isn’t just for fun—it’s a way to explore power dynamics and the invisible walls between people who “belong” and those who don’t. There are moments when wealth seems like magic, making problems vanish, but there are also moments when it’s clear that money only makes life more complicated. The novel paints Park Avenue as both dazzling and dangerous, which gave the story so much edge.

Secrets as Currency

I don’t want to give spoilers, but let’s just say secrets are the fuel that keeps this book burning. People are constantly hiding something, and those hidden truths aren’t just personal—they’re weapons. It made me think about how in real life, too, the things we keep hidden often end up shaping us the most.

Ahdieh’s Writing Style

One of the things I always love about Renée Ahdieh is her prose. Even though this story is contemporary and set in New York, she still brings that lush, vivid detail that made me fall in love with her historical and fantasy novels. She knows how to set a scene: a ballroom dripping with chandeliers, the view from a penthouse window, or the sharp edge of a whispered insult across a cocktail party. It’s like you can feel the silk of the gowns and taste the champagne.

But what made this book stand out to me was the dialogue. It’s sharp, witty, and feels alive. The characters spar with words the way others might spar with swords. That quick pace kept the book feeling fresh and modern.

What I Loved

• The atmosphere. I loved escaping into Ahdieh’s version of New York—the luxury, the intrigue, the tension between old money and outsiders.
• The characters. No one was purely good or bad. They all had shades of gray, which made them feel real.
• The tension. The mix of romance, ambition, and scandal kept me flipping pages quickly.

What Didn’t Work As Well

If I’m being honest, some parts of the plot did feel familiar. If you’ve watched Gossip Girl or read books about high society before, certain twists won’t shock you. And at times, the romance felt a little predictable. But even then, I was invested, because Ahdieh’s storytelling and atmosphere gave it its own flavor.

My Takeaway

Reading Park Avenue felt like slipping into a different life for a while—a life of glittering lights, whispered secrets, and champagne-fueled drama. But at the heart of it, the novel also reminded me of something very real: how much of ourselves we’re willing to change just to belong, and how dangerous it can be to lose sight of the truth.

I’d give it 4/5 stars. It’s glamorous, sharp, and entertaining, but also layered enough that it sticks with you after the last page.

Personal Reflection

While reading, I couldn’t help but think about how easy it is to get caught up in appearances in our own lives. Whether it’s trying to “look the part” at work, curating a perfect image on social media, or wanting to impress people we admire, there’s always this pressure to perform. And just like in the novel, it can be exhausting. What I loved about Park Avenue was that it doesn’t just celebrate the glamour—it reminds us of the cost.

Sometimes, I think we all long for a little of that Park Avenue sparkle—a chance to dress up, step into a world bigger than our own, and imagine what it would be like. But at the end of the day, I’d take authenticity over appearances. This book left me feeling grateful for the quieter, less glamorous, but more genuine parts of life: morning journaling, cooking at home, or a coffee with friends.