Synopsis: 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.
Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Number of pages: 389
My review: I have read Anna Godbersen's other series The Luxe, and was completely enthralled by that one so when I saw that she had written a series set in the 1920's I was immediately drawn in.
Our story follows three main girls, Cordelia, Letty, and Astrid. Cordelia and Letty are best friends who wish to move to New York in order to "find themselves" and make it in the big city. Anna Godbersen does an excellent job once again of setting up the scene and switching from the different points of views of the characters without it being confusing or annoying. Just when you get too much of one character she moves you onto the next and let's you see into their life for awhile.
Typical of Anna Godbersen's books there is a lot of mystery and intrigue that float beneath the surface of the glitz and glamour of these girls' fabulous lives. She definitely keeps you guessing and wanting more, more, more! I read half this book in one day because I was so captivated by her writing!
Often I was reminded of The Great Gatsby, and I could tell that she pulled a few components from Fitzgerald's novel such as magnificent parties, riches being thrown around, and lot's of fancy women and dresses (and illegal alcohol! Remember this is during prohibition...)
The ending, of course, left me wanting more and I have ordered the second novel so that I can continue on with reading what happens next with these girls. Anna Godbersen always has something up her sleeve and I'm always following along wanting to know what it is! This also interests me in other types of YA novels written during this time period so I will have to definitely find more!
Ah I'm so glad you enjoyed this!! I've had Young Bright Things on my shelf for a while, and I'm definitely going to read it once I get the next two. The time period fascinates me so much!
ReplyDeleteEmily from Blue-Eyed Bibliophile