Title: Bright Young Things
Author: Anna Godbersen
Publication: Oct. 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Different Area Code ARC Tours
Synopsis (from Goodreads): The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star…
Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.
Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.
My Thoughts: I picked up this book and was immediately transported to 1929. It was incredible! This book was so unbelievably good and leaves you needing to read the next book NOW! I don't even know how anything else will compare to this one right now.
The descriptions were so real and it is obvious that the author did her research. I felt the awe of Cordelia and Letty as they arrived in New York City for the first time. I felt the rage Cordelia felt towards Thom at the end of the book, I felt the despair that Letty felt and the hurt that Astrid felt. The author made the characters so real that you can't help but feel exactly what they are feeling.
I loved Cordelia! She was so full of life and energy and adapted so easily to any situation. She was bold and brave and a perfect character of the 1920s. I also really loved her father, even if he did have a questionable business. He wasn't a huge character in the book but I did enjoy reading about the time Cordelia and him spent together. Cordelia's brother Charlie is one of those characters that you just love to hate. He is surly and at the same time, the perfect big brother.
Letty was a fun character as well. She wasn't as brave as Cordelia but proved to be strong and able to make it on her own. At first, I wondered if she would just ride on Cordelia's coattails but after her and Cordelia parted ways, she proved to be very brave. She wasn't quite as independent as Cordelia, seeming to need help from others often but she was a wonderful albeit naive character. You couldn't help but love her!
Astrid is your typical rich girl. She sleeps all day and parties all night but she doesn't come across as a spoiled brat. While she expects nice things and people to do things for her, she doesn't mistreat the help or look down on them and I liked that. She is so in love with Cordelia's brother Charlie but at the same time she doesn't let him bully her. She wants to be nothing like her mother and after getting to know her mother, that is something you can totally appreciate! She takes Cordelia under her wing and is another strong character that you can relate too.
The prologue of the book gives you a brief look at what will happen to the three girls through the series. However, it is a little deceiving and that was a little frustrating (however a great play by the author because now I cannot wait to read the next book). The ending is a cliff-hanger and also leaves you begging for more! I can't believe I am going to have to wait until September to get my hands on the next book!
This is one of those books that a review can't really do justice for. You have to read the book yourself to see how truly great it really was. If you like historical fiction, you will love it and even if you don't usually read historical fiction, try it anyways. Trust me, the book is worth it!
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star…
Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.
Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.
My Thoughts: I picked up this book and was immediately transported to 1929. It was incredible! This book was so unbelievably good and leaves you needing to read the next book NOW! I don't even know how anything else will compare to this one right now.
The descriptions were so real and it is obvious that the author did her research. I felt the awe of Cordelia and Letty as they arrived in New York City for the first time. I felt the rage Cordelia felt towards Thom at the end of the book, I felt the despair that Letty felt and the hurt that Astrid felt. The author made the characters so real that you can't help but feel exactly what they are feeling.
I loved Cordelia! She was so full of life and energy and adapted so easily to any situation. She was bold and brave and a perfect character of the 1920s. I also really loved her father, even if he did have a questionable business. He wasn't a huge character in the book but I did enjoy reading about the time Cordelia and him spent together. Cordelia's brother Charlie is one of those characters that you just love to hate. He is surly and at the same time, the perfect big brother.
Letty was a fun character as well. She wasn't as brave as Cordelia but proved to be strong and able to make it on her own. At first, I wondered if she would just ride on Cordelia's coattails but after her and Cordelia parted ways, she proved to be very brave. She wasn't quite as independent as Cordelia, seeming to need help from others often but she was a wonderful albeit naive character. You couldn't help but love her!
Astrid is your typical rich girl. She sleeps all day and parties all night but she doesn't come across as a spoiled brat. While she expects nice things and people to do things for her, she doesn't mistreat the help or look down on them and I liked that. She is so in love with Cordelia's brother Charlie but at the same time she doesn't let him bully her. She wants to be nothing like her mother and after getting to know her mother, that is something you can totally appreciate! She takes Cordelia under her wing and is another strong character that you can relate too.
The prologue of the book gives you a brief look at what will happen to the three girls through the series. However, it is a little deceiving and that was a little frustrating (however a great play by the author because now I cannot wait to read the next book). The ending is a cliff-hanger and also leaves you begging for more! I can't believe I am going to have to wait until September to get my hands on the next book!
This is one of those books that a review can't really do justice for. You have to read the book yourself to see how truly great it really was. If you like historical fiction, you will love it and even if you don't usually read historical fiction, try it anyways. Trust me, the book is worth it!
I love historical fiction so this one sounds like one I would enjoy! Of course, I may wait until the whole series is published. Thanks for bringing this one to my attention though - great review!
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