I smell new HBO series

Having never actually experienced any of her works in their original book form, I figured I should read Candace Bushnell's latest release One Fifth Avenue before it became the TV show or movie du jour. Ya know, so I could have some street cred. This novel chronicles the stories of the residents of a prestigious Manhattan apartment building and explores how their lives are unavoidably woven, in and out of the co-op.

Though One Fifth Avenue is undeniably chick-lit, don't expect all romance, fluff and Louis Vuitton bags. This novel has several qualities a-typical of the genre such as the lack of a mid-twenties girl posse as the focal characters. On the contrary, the only character who fits this description is the beautiful and conniving Lola Fabrikant who instead of dining with girlfriends at Butter and fervently working on her PR career spends the entire book heartlessly chasing after multiple wealthy men and avoiding work at all costs, thus making her easily the book's least likeable character.

The focus on the ensemble cast, most of who are in their forties and above, gives the book a mature and more intelligent feel than one may expect. One of the most likeable characters is art enthusiast/guru to all things fabulous Billy Litchfield, who sits uncomfortably in the middle class while befriending One Fifth's wealthy residents. Billy's charm and genuine affection for the high-society females is endearing, and though obviously homosexual, the fact that Bushnell doesn't feel the need to constantly shove Billy's gayness down the reader's throat and turn him into a stereotype is refreshing.

Though this novel has the hooking power to keep me awake late at night trying to squeeze in just one more chapter, my main criticism is that in one way or another most of the main characters (save for possibly hedge-funder Paul Rice) seem to be in a good place at the close of the story. Though one character tragically suffers an early death, they were at their most carefree and completely in their element at the time of passing. Even Lola and the persnickety and dull Mindy Gooch eventually get what they want, though not necessarily through the means they expected. One Fifth Avenue may not have the sass of Sex and the City, but it certainly hooks the reader, tells an intricate and enjoyable story, and smartly leaves the door open for further projects dealing with these interesting and diverse characters.