[Review] Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Title: Bright Young Things

Author: Anna Godbersen

Publication: 12 October 2010

Publisher: Penguin

Review Copy: Paperback, review copy (Thanks to Penguin Australia!)

Pages: 390

My Rating:

Blurb:  

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: 

Fan of the very popular The Luxe series as I am, I was thrilled about receiving Bright Young Things. I am even more enthralled upon stating how much I loved BYT! I don't like to compare separate series, so I will not.

I cracked open Bright Young Things to the introduction of Cordelia and Letty, two best friends, stuck in Union; but under the notion that they are destined for greater things, they head off to New York. Of course. Naturally. It is the roaring 20s-the Jazz Age-after all.
After a fight between the two, they separate. Slowly, but surely, things go astray and people may not be as trustworthy as they may think, life may not be as thrilling or glamorous as was the idea of the time.

Cordelia is a spunky girl who runs away from her fiance to the sparkling New York in hopes to meet her long-lost father. All her dreams instantaneously come true--the next day she is living in a mansion Dogwood, has a gorgeous quasi-boyfriend and the most wonderful best friend she ever had, Astrid. Lettie is a shy and petite girl who wants to become a star. And Astrid? Well, she's just trying to get by.

—

Bright Young Things brought to me a world that was somewhat familiar (having read The Great Gatsby, also set in The Jazz Age), but enmeshed it with a solid cast of characters, compelling storylines and backgrounds for each character, with a satisfying and heart-racing ending. I really liked the three "bright young things": Cordelia Gray, Letty Haubstadt (Larkspur) and Astrid Donal. I can't wait to read the second installation, and continue their stories!

Final thoughts:

Cross between The Great Gatsby and Gossip Girl? Perhaps. I definitely saw parallels along the way, but Bright Young Things was fresh, emotionally-stimulating, enjoyable; bundled up together with engaging characters, familiar plots written in a unique manner, and vocabulary that had me running toward the dictionary—this one is a winner, and I can't wait to read more of this brand-new series!

I don't think I need a long review to convince you to read this one, do I? ;)

Official Site

Series (Bright Young Things):


Release date for Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things, #2) TBA.

Previously by Anna...

Buy:
Live in Australia?
Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?
Amazon | The Book Depository

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Learn more about Bright Young Things and read more reviews at Goodreads!