Kill The Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles by Anthony Joseph Morrone takes you to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, when a new century was dawning. There was the American Dream on a platter, waiting for everyone to take what they wanted, but one group of friends only wants to party and go to the bar before the party. Dive into the world of hipsters that could be more when you look at them, and think about what will happen when the party ends.

I have always been curious about the workings of a town like Williamsburg, where there are hipsters and parties going on all the time. It seems like a dream world, but it also seems superficial. Anthony Joseph Morrone manages to strip that away and show what is underneath the people of this world. He shows that underneath this party generation, that just loves to have fun, there is more to them and they are wonderful people that you would want to get to know. I truly enjoyed this book and the way it flowed and spilled out to tell the stories of everyone in town. Williamsburg seems like a place that I would like to visit and the characters within the pages are people I could find myself making friends with, and truly enjoying being with them in my inner circle - whether it was party time or not. An enjoyable read that seemed to fly by as I turned the pages. I think any reader who loves a truly well crafted work of fiction will enjoy this one.

Kill The Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles by Anthony Joseph Morrone is a compelling story where readers find themselves in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, one Saturday. The story is set around the area of Williamsburg where readers are shown how everyone struggles to find their own space to survive in the times they live in. In this story, we see a group of friends who feel let down when compared to others of their era, and they struggle to find a place for themselves in society. The book connects readers to the culture of Williamsburg and to the people living in that area through a story that is both palpable and identifiable.

I found the book rich in imagery and the black and white pictures help readers savor the essence of the place and enjoy the book even more. They also add to the starkness of the plot, making it intense and deep. The characters are well sketched and real, and they are people one might run into in daily life. Every character in the story is unique and original. Whether it is Grayson, Eliot, Flower, Driscoll, Willie, Pretty or Cristin, the author has made them memorable with his excellent portrayal that defines their individuality and strength. The narration is detailed and descriptive, making the story visually satisfying to readers. The author's writing style is unique and the colors of bad youth due to bad decisions taken in life opens up slowly as the story progresses. I enjoyed this story. There is something very appealing and interesting about the plot which pulls readers in. Great cover that says a lot of "unsaid" things.

In Kill the Balloons, the 2000s are under way, and it's a typical Saturday for a group of twenty-somethings living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. These hipster friends share a common set of ambitions: getting high, getting drunk, and hooking up, and while each has an occasional thought of a better life, none can be bothered to do anything about it, opting instead for the comfort of here and now. With a playlist of musical references and photos of places around Brooklyn, author Anthony Joseph Morrone paints an often dreary, aching picture of a generation with a markedly bleary identity.

Morrone provides a cast of eight or so primary characters, introducing the unique traits of each in order to create a distinct impression on readers. Morrone's strength is in his use of figurative language -- often extensive -- to provide vivid snapshots of his characters and their surroundings. For example, in describing the setting of a dismal Brooklyn neighborhood, Morrone writes: "A plastic garbage can rolled around in the wind, banging itself back and forth on the curb like a confused inmate, arms strapped behind her back in the corner of a padded room, rocking herself against the wall in an attempt to make sense of her surroundings."

Where the book suffers is in the lack of editing -- which bothered this reader but may not be an issue for others -- but more so in the narrow audience. A reader unfamiliar with Brooklyn will not appreciate the insider references; a reader unfamiliar with the music of "the singles," will not understand the soundtrack to these characters' lives; and a reader who was not a twenty-something during that decade will not understand the lack of ambition and choices made by the characters.

Kill the Balloons is not a book where I could find a connection to or understand the characters; however, their dialogues are realistic and memorable. Anthony Joseph Morrone shows promise as a skilled writer, and I will not soon forget being along for this Saturday in Brooklyn where the cry of “kill the balloons” hides many different stories.

Kill the Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles by Anthony Joseph Morrone is about one day in the life of a group of friends in Brooklyn, New York. The book is written in a way almost as if you are a fly on the wall, observing everything. The characters are brutally honest and feel like real people. The book may be long but it is an easy read.

Kill the Balloons follows the lives of a group of friends who have one goal in common. That goal is to have fun and enjoy life. The story follows them as they all get ready to attend an art party. Each character is unique and has their own way of doing things. My favorite character was Pretty because she seemed the most level-headed to me. The main thing I enjoyed about Kill the Balloons is Morrone’s detailed descriptions of places and events that occurred in the book. His words painted me a very clear picture of what was happening in his story. I also enjoyed the photographs of locations and scenery at the beginning of each chapter. This gave the book an artsy feel to it which flows with the story nicely.

I admit Kill the Balloons is not for everyone. It does contain a lot of swearing, so if you do not mind that, then give it a try. I did find the story interesting; however I do wish that there was a little more description about the characters. I had trouble picturing what they looked like. If you enjoy the movies like Saturday Night Fever, then I recommend you read this book.