Diary of a South Beach Party Girl

Diary of a South Beach Party Girl ended up being a lot more than I expected, and Gwen Cooper is one hell of a writer. Her prose is warm, witty, and beautifully evocative, her characters are completely unforgettable, and her story is by turns so funny and so moving that I have to agree with the other reviewers who said they found themselves both laughing and crying. It's the kind of book that sneaks up on you--you think you're reading an interesting and light-hearted account of the wild and decadent South Beach scene, but when you get to the last page you find you can't stop thinking about the people Cooper so vividly describes and all their ups and downs. You also won't be able to stop thinking about South Beach and how gorgeous and glamorous it must have been in its "heyday." Cooper's descriptions of what was really going on behind all those velvet ropes makes you feel like you're in right in the middle of the craziness. This is a story about a close circle of friends you'll wish you were a part of, a page-turning love story about a doomed romance you'll wish you had (even though you're secretly glad you didn't have to go through all that drama!), and a coming of age story that any girl, or even guy, will be able to relate to. I was almost angry when I got to the last page because I never wanted this book to end. I wanted to stay with Rachel and her friends in their exotic, exciting world forever.

I wasn't sure how I would respond to this book based on the title but I was familiar enough with South Beach to know that it would, at the very least, be a fun read. It was hysterical! Gwen Cooper is a terrific writer and if I ever get the chance to meet her one day we're going to have a great time. I just know it! Run to the store, buy a copy of this book, and have a great time on the beach, any beach, and enjoy the visions of celebrity dancing around in your head.

I came upon my "pre-release" book by accident in a library/bookstore and wasn't sure if I should read it out of respect for the Author...well, my curiosity took over and after the first few pages I was HOOKED!! Gwen Cooper writes so that you feel there with Rachel. What a journey she was on. Most of us can identify in one way or another with the character, even having not lived in South Beach. The struggle with careers, falling for the "bad-boy" ect.. This is a MUST read!! I actually read it twice & have ordered this as a gift..

When I was given this book I was told, for lack of a better term, that this was Chick-Lit. THIS IS NOT CHICK-LIT. "Diaries" gives you a glimpse of what some might call a Utopian world that only exists in romanticized, revisionist's versions of the truth. But that is such a cynical and ironic way of reading about a book that speaks to the ability of recognizing that this life is fleeting and that place of euphoria that we all seem to constantly be in search of is ours for the taking if we choose to open our eyes. "Diaries" is cognizant in a way that many of us wish we could recall some of our former days. It tells of a looking-glass world, where status and bank accounts mean nothing, if those are the only standards upon which you're going to measure your experience. This is a tale of folly and of youth and the possibilities lying in wait if you are willing to venture out of the little box that everyone tells you that you must stay in. This book gives you access to places that only exist if you know whom to ask. It is a journey that takes you inside and underneath. It also cracks the veneer of the Art Deco facade that so many of us only know the city to be. And more importantly it gives the reader a glimpse of what was beating beneath the surface. The book is a love letter to a city that you cannot stumble upon. It reminisces about the beginning of a road that does not end on the last page of the book. It will remind the reader that once, the world was full and round and everything was shiny and new.

We (Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern) interviewed Ms. Cooper recently and everyone on the show agrees: a must have for summer 2007! If you want to vicariously experience late 90's South Beach nightlife, drugs, partying, drugs, romance, drugs, and a young woman's coming of age (while on drugs) - here's an easy way to get it all in one place WITHOUT the nasty hangover.