The Boys’ Club by Erica Katz

Alex Vogel has always been a high achiever who lived her life by the book—star student and athlete in high school, prelaw whiz in college, Harvard Law School degree. Accepting a dream offer at the prestigious Manhattan law firm of Klasko & Fitch, she promises her sweet and supportive longtime boyfriend that the job won’t change her. Yet Alex is seduced by the firm’s money and energy . . . and by her cocksure male colleagues, who quickly take notice of the new girl. She’s never felt so confident and powerful—even the innuendo-laced banter with clients feels fun. In the firm’s most profitable and competitive division, Mergers and Acquisitions, Alex works around the clock, racking up billable hours and entertaining clients late into the evening. While the job is punishing, it has its perks, like a weekend trip to Miami, a ride in a client’s private jet, and more expense-account meals than she can count.

Fiction is not my main genre, I read. When I picked this book up, it took me a while to get through. I thought it was slow paced. Now, it could be because I wanted a break and shift in what I was reading prior to this, which was mainly young adult and adult scifi and fantasy, and I was coming off the adrenaline high.

Alex Vogel, the main character, was likeable. I enjoyed her and felt she was a solid character. I can see the change in her throughout the book, much like her family and boyfriend. She was slowly falling into the trap of the blue-collar world. These changes were slow, and I liked how well written these were. As a reader, the changes in Alex started when she was getting praised from her M&A male colleagues. Then grew wild during her Miami trip. As a first-year associate, she was trying to prove herself and while doing that; she was blind about what was happening to her.

The other characters in this book are likeable or solid. They feel human and not an exaggerated superhuman. Each of these characters has a or many flaws. This falls mostly with the characters in Alex’s lawyer world. The world behind the lawyer feels real. I sadly can see a lot of this happening. Doing anything to make a client happy, a high paying client to boot, taking some advantage on new associates and their naivete of the company. Some of these characters do not feel what they are doing is wrong, they are blind, or choose not to see anything.

I feel this world to be real and can still be happening. I can feel the genuine idea and message this book is trying to say. It is sad something terrible had to happen to Alex to get her blinders off and see what was happening within the company, people around her, and herself. I almost think maybe something about the “integration”, which they were not really, questions could have been mentioned in the beginning. I was confused over what they were for and after realizing myself what was going on in the book, I understood what the questions and answers were about.

I would recommend this book. It was a pleasant story. It gave me a Devil Wears Prada vibe.

*I received an ARC, and this is my honest opinion.

I give this book a 3/5