Book Review: How the Other Half Hamptons by Jasmin Rosemberg

How the Other Half Hamptons by Jasmin Rosemberg
5 Spot (Hachette Book Group)


Spring cleaning definitely has benefits. You get to clear out and freshen up things for the busy travel season ahead!! Well, I was sorting some things out in the garage and I ran across a brand new book among other books that had been packed away.  I had never seen the book before. It was published in 2008 which was a year full of transition. I may have even purchased it while in a fog, but I sure am glad I found it!  

Three friends--Jamie, Rachel, and Allison--pay for share house arrangements one summer in the Hamptons and their lives change forever. While that may seem like a rather dramatic observation, it is true nonetheless. Between hookups and hangouts, these girls find out a lot about themselves and about what they truly want.  I enjoyed the entire book. I enjoyed the plot. I enjoyed the insider approach to Rosemberg’s writing. Can I call her “Jasmin?”  After reading this delicious novel, I feel like we’re friends for some odd reason. Her background as a nightlife reporter for the New York Post serves her well as she gives readers a taste of the not-so-often seen side of the Hamptons. 

Jasmin Rosemberg’s How the Other Half Hamptons is an easy read that you won’t want to put down. It was not at all what I expected which was a pleasant surprise. The book is a sneak peek at not how the upper echelon “hamptons” each summer--oh no--but, it’s about how twenty-somethings (sometimes thirty-somethings) break and bend the law in order to make summer memories. As the byline reads, “One house. Forty strangers. Add vodka and stir…”

I appreciate this book not only for the entertainment factor, but also because it shows women from all backgrounds that there is a clear distinction between boys and men. I could relate to some of the hijinks, tomfoolery, and down right ambiguity of the guys these girls had to encounter. I also could relate to the cattiness that plague female interactions. Jasmin got the tone just right and I found myself reading at a frenetic pace in order to find out how things were going to pan out. For example, the adventure in the Lexus was hilarious however, the writing was so great that I felt anxious for the girls! I felt as if I were the fourth chick in the back seat trying to find a sign on the dark roads to save us from a debacle of a trip. Anyway, as you build up your beach reading list (I know I am), add this gem.  If you can’t wait, read it now to get some ideas of ways to spend your summer...or things to avoid!

Salty Wounds

I’m trying my hand at developing a strip, comic and otherwise. The saga continues with Miss Tree. She had to be reminded of her lack of a giraffe by none other than Momma Tree.   Momma Tree means no harm, but salt is poured into the wounds nonetheless.   Miss Tree is resilient.  As this story will hopefully play out, she will learn that if she accepts the wrong giraffe, she will not have any leaves left for the giraffe prepared especially for her.  At least that is what she reminds herself as she waits patiently with her branches swaying in the breeze.

In other news, the editing of my book has hit a small snag: I don’t have any time! I’m about five chapters in and have about 18 more to go. I must say that the story line is consistent, and I have not run into any major contradictions.  My character web looks like a mangled mess, but the character relationships overlap nicely, and my main characters are clearly defined as well as discernible.  I just want to make sure that there is adequate rise and fall throughout the book which has become the most time consuming part of my editing process. I may be second guessing my initial choices too much, but only time will tell. 

Another hurdle in completing the editing of my manuscript is the fact that as I read along, I have a mental flood of concepts for my next books.  I know what I would like the characters to accomplish and experience next in their lives.   I usually have to stop and take notes as the ideas break through into my consciousness.  On top of the inspiration I get from the manuscript, I have daily occurrences that just need to be shared…through my characters of course.  I find that one never can expect what will happen in this life.  The human experience is one that is learned while it is lived.  I learned something very new today or maybe it is old, but repackaged either because of time or because of my own level of maturity. I just heard on a prayer call (http://www.theprayercall.org/) yesterday that at times, we pray for things in faith and when we look around,  it looks as if the direct opposite occurs. So, I learned today that no matter how antithetical a situation may become, God’s hand will either fix what’s broken or give a completely different model. Not profound in the least, but exactly what I need to hold fast to in order to get the salt out of my wounds, whether the salt was poured by loved ones or ones that I had hoped to love.