[Review] The Lucky Ones (#3) by Anna Godbersen

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(#3, Bright Young Things)

Bright Young Things | Beautiful Days | The Lucky Ones

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 27/11/2012

Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 375

Source: Bought
Genre: YA (14+) - Historical

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ x ♪

My Rating:

Entertaining to the very end.

My thoughts

Gee whiz, this series/trilogy was so delightfully fun and entertaining to read. I give it 4 stars simply because it didn't MOVE me (no tears, no big bouts of laughter) and there wasn't really much of a lesson to be learnt from reading these books. I enjoyed every page of this trilogy though; I guess I just love reading about horrible and vapid people (I mean, come on, I loved The Great Gatsby!).

[Review] Beautiful Days (#2) by Anna Godbersen

Title: Beautiful Days {goodreads}

Authors: Anna Godbersen

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 24/08/11

Publisher: Penguin (AU)
RRP: $19.95

Source: For review (thanks T at Penguin)
Age: 14+

Pages: 350

My Rating:

Summary:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My thoughts: 

WARNING:

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS!!!

I'd be lying if I said I was utterly and completely blown away by BEAUTIFUL DAYS. However, with that said, this eagerly awaited sequel really brought me back to the Jazz Era - along with the lives of Cordelia Grey, Astrid Donal and 'Letty Larkspur'. There's mystery, romance, intrigue, fun, tragedy and beautiful days and roaring nights among it all.

[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

I am in no way affiliated with the above sites, nor with Godbersen or publisher. I do not receive any money for reviewing or linking.

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

Teaser Tuesday (6)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Grab the book you are currently reading and randomly post a couple sentences.

"Hello mister." Astrid put a flirtatious hand on her hip and smiled at Charlie with one corner of her mouth.

"Don't try that with me," Charlie snapped as he took several long steps toward her.

"Try what?" Astrid asked innocently.

(p. 73)

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Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
Pages: 389
Release date: 12 October 2010
Genre: historical, romance, mystery
Ages: YA, 14+
Amazon | Goodreads

 Hope you enjoy this week's Teaser Tuesday! What are you reading?