DON'T POKE THE BEAR

In this novel, a trio of female friends face rising costs and the challenges of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll in mid-1990s New York City.

New York is expensive. Rent prices soar and groceries become hard to come by for three 30-something pals and their partners. The setting of the intriguing misadventures of Allie Squerciati, Rihanna Strauss, and Natia Stojanovich feels real and lived-in. Some characters share an apartment divided by a measly curtain, and others trade counterfeit money to help get through financial hardship. Yet this New York is sexy and exciting nonetheless. These heroes are plucky and entertaining. There’s Allie—this ensemble’s lead—whose narrative jump-starts the story when her boyfriend dies of a drug overdose. Her tale picks up steam as she learns to cope with her tragic loss and finds herself in the company of a new man: the energetic, chaotic rocker Izaak Sawicki, aka Pest. Allie and Pest’s relationship is messy, complicated, and compulsively readable, with a soundtrack of heavy metal and noisy punk music. At one point, Pest gives Allie a rundown of his rap sheet (“Assaulting a police officer, armed robbery…ummm, I think that’s it”), to which she confesses that she has “a thing for rabid dogs.” Much like Allie, who falls for Pest—despite his stints in juvie and jail—D’Amato extends an enormous amount of empathy to the troubled musician. Pest’s flashbacks, which often begin the chapters about this group of friends, are among the most harrowing. Meanwhile, Rihanna has a knotty, borderline toxic relationship with Dylan Gillespie, who owns a ferryboat that he rents out for parties. And Natia seems absolutely smitten—against the wills of her conservative parents—with musician Danny Benton. These intersecting narratives nicely complement one another, offering intriguing reflections on what is happening in the lives of other characters. All of this is buoyed by the author’s clear prose and dry humor—highlights of which include an excellent use of lists at the beginning of the story. Like the music that captures the attention of the characters, D’Amato’s novel is a catchy anthem of friendship and the city.

A smart, rhythmic, and unflinching relationship tale with a strong cast.