For a book about dynastic wealth, a book about the power and privilege of inherited money, this was such a fun and devourable story while also delivering a strong bottom line: whether you have too much or too little, the “biggest mistake [is] giving money [too] much power over [your] life” (287). While this is a book about relationships in this financially elite family—including outsiders Sasha and Malcolm who marry into the wealthy fruit street Stockton fam—the characters are surprisingly relatable (most of the time) and even more surprisingly endearing (some of the time). I was afraid they’d be so pretentious to the point of not caring what fates befell them, but from the beginning, I was completely absorbed in their small Brooklyn Heights world and cared very much about their complicated (capitalistic and otherwise) outcomes. In a delightful dance, balancing heavy themes with lighthearted wit, this is a summer read that deserves to rise to the top. ( )

Not gonna lie, this ended up being a little bit of a hate-read for me. I somehow thought from the cover and title that this was going to be a multi-generational saga about immigrants? I have no idea where I got that from. Obviously on page 1 I realized that was not the case. I kept reading even though I hated everyone I was reading about, because it was kind of funny how awful they were. I made it all the way to the end, and the prose certainly goes down easy, but I still hated everyone I was reading about (even Sasha, who I think is supposed to be a relatable point of entries for us "poor" normies). Problem is, I don't think the author actually knows how awful all these people are. She clearly admires them in many ways, which was frustrating.

It's certainly readable and entertaining, and it's not like I could do any better, but I really am mystified how this ended up on the NYT "notable book" list; it was light as a feather and will float out of my consciousness just as quickly. ( )

There was so much hype over this novel, that frankly, I was expecting a lot more. Based on GMA's book club pick and the (literally) 37 positive reviews posted at the beginning of this novel, I was expecting an epic novel. "Pineapple Steet" by Jenny Jackson was mediocre at best. The chapters bounce back and forth between the various boring and unrealistic characters and their ho hum lives. The ending is predictable and unrealistic with its happily ever after conclusion. ( )

Interesting look at wealth from the perspective of growing up with money. ( )

This was a very skillfully written novel that was addictive, laugh out loud funny, poignant, and (to middle class me) a fascinating peek into the world of the uber-wealthy.

It rang true throughout and I loved her excellent renderings of each character. I was grateful that, while it would have been so easy (and probably popular) to turn some of them into clichés, she never did.

And thank you, also, Ms. Jackson, for dividing up the chapters by character without ricocheting us through multiple first person accounts.

In fact, I am pretty sick of modern fiction's overuse (imho) of the first person. This novel proves you DON'T have to do that in order to make characters vibrant, sympathetic, and believable.

I found myself going back after I'd finally gobbled down the last page, just to randomly open the pages and savor again some of her wonderful turns of phrase, vigorous use of language and description, and her compact and powerful imagery.

Not life-changing for me, hence not 5 stars, but a breath of fresh air in the current, often dreary contemporary fiction landscape. ( )