Bright Young Things (Bright Young Things, #1)

by Anna Godbersen

[rakesandrogues]

Posted at: Muggle-Born.net

Reading the summary again, I have to say that it is a little bit exaggerated - and thank god it is. Coming into this story, I felt like it was going to be the Luxe series all over again. Lots of drama, a surprise ending that will leave you waiting in vain for the next book, catty characters... And you know, I didn't know if I had it in me to go through that experience all over again. I did read one review that said BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS would be a lot better than the Luxe, but I still couldn't shake off the feeling.

So right from the beginning, I gave myself the 100-page mark. I vowed not to quit this book until I got at least that far. And you know what? I'm so glad that I stuck it out.

Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid are fascinating characters to read about. I loved Cordelia's story the most, as I cannot resist the idea of star-crossed lovers. My first impression of Astrid: she's the kind of girl that I can quickly hate. She could easily have been turned into a mean girl, but surprisingly Anna Godsbersen has created such a darling character. She's sweet and friendly and despite my harsh first impression, she's immensely likeable. Letty, of the three, is my least favorite mostly because I just found her too naive. I guess it's not so much of a bad thing, considering she is from the countryside, but her chapters were my least favorite to read.

I never much liked the flapper age before reading this book, and I left with a new sense of appreciation. New York City is indeed painted rich and glamorous from all three perspectives.

The ending is somewhat shocking but it doesn't compare to the tragedy in the Luxe series. I will continue reading on the series and I hope it only gets better from here! BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS is a fantastic historical novel that will take you back to the Roaring Twenties. Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid's experiences will have you hooked from beginning to end.

Fans of Anna Godsbersen's Luxe series will enjoy this one tremendously, as well as fans of historical novels.