Bright Young Things

The girls of 1929...just pages into the book we learn that “long before the next decade rolled around...one would be famous, one would be married, and one would be dead”.

How’s that for a start? Before we’ve even met the characters, we know their fates.
That pulled me in right away. And when I realized this was book 1 in a 3 book series, I ordered the second one because I assumed there was no way we’d know what happened at the end of this book.

The characters are three young women. Letty and Cordelia are best friends, they are from a small town in Ohio. Letty dreams of being a star and Cordelia dreams of meeting her father.

Astrid runs with the wealthy crowd but isn’t rich herself. She dates Charlie, son of the famous show more bootlegger Darius Grey.
Darius also happens to be Cordelia’s father. So, just as Letty and Cordelia part ways, Cordelia and Astrid’s lives intersect.

I liked this unique take on a story set in the twenties. I feel like I’ve never read a book set in this timeframe with such young characters. These girls are barely out of high school. Normally, the books I’ve read set in the 1920’s have featured characters in their twenties and thirties. While this might not seem like a huge difference, it has meant the stories are about married women usually. And they can be at very sad, jaded points in their lives. Have you read Z about Zelda Fitzgerald? Great book but so sad at times.
I found it really refreshing to read about characters who are young and not jaded or hurt by the unique atmosphere of the twenties. They just feel excited about what ever big moment is around the corner.

I liked Astrid best I think, Letty second. Cordelia can be a bit hard to love at times.

Book 2 is in the mail and I look forward to resuming the story of these characters and I will definitely keep reading till I find out which one died, which one got married and which became a star. :) show less

Anyone who has talked to me about books in the last year knows that my love of Godbersen's The Luxe series knows no bounds. That being said I was really worried about reading her most recent historical fiction series. I put off reading Bright Young Things for a long time, but I finally got around to it this week. It blew me away. It was fun, sexy and full of vibrant characters. This is an entirely satisfying read. Set during the last golden days of prohibition era New York City, this glittering novel follows the lives of three girls trying to make a name for themselves in the big city. The glitz and glam of the 1920's is shadowed by the readers knowledge of the economic disaster that looms just beyond the horizon. This idea of fleeting show more opulence creates an attachment to the characters that is totally enthralling. I loved this one so much that I decided to do a video review so I could gush and gush. Even though I still love The Luxe I think Bright Young Things now tops my list of best young adult historical fiction. 5 fabulous stars for this beauty! show less

There is a reason the 1920s is known as the roaring 20s and Godbersen manages to capture the fun, the frivolity and the decadence the 20s was renowned for in an entertaining, engrossing and realistic read.

The year is 1929 and best friends Cordelia Gray and Letitia Haubstadt have dreamed of the day they’ll leave their small town for the bright lights of New York City where all the Bright Young Things are. Their chance comes sooner than expected when Cordelia makes the decision to escape to New York on the day of her marriage - a marriage which she never wanted - seeing this as her last opportunity of ever making it there. Letty persuaded by Cordelia’s assertion of “you’ll never be a star if you stay here” join’s her. Whilst show more on their journey to New York Letty decides to change her name to Letty Larkspur, a name which she believes encapsulates her soon to be new “shiny and worthy of notice” life. However once in New York the girls soon find out that perhaps New York is not all it’s cracked up to be after Cordelia’s deception towards Letty regarding her true reasons for coming to New York is revealed and the girls go their separate ways.

Whilst separated Cordelia tracks down her long lost father - which happened to be her whole reason for coming to New York - and is suddenly introduced into a whole new world where wealth is flaunted and loving the wrong man can be dangerous. It is in this glittering setting where Cordelia meets Astrid Donal, a wealthy flapper in love with Cordelia’s brother, Charlie, who decides to take Cordelia under her protective wing. Meanwhile Letty is making it by as a cigarette girl in one of Manhattan’s numerous speakeasies attracting the attention of several men, some more respectable than others, soon discovering that it’s not just her singing talents many are interested in.

I have a confession I haven’t really read many historical novels before (oh I have read a lot of the classics just not much of the newer historical fiction), I just haven’t found many that have interested me but if all historical novels are as absorbing and as realistically written as Bright Young Things I’ll definitely be giving more a try. I found the realistic writing to be one of the main strengths of this book as I believe for a historical novel to sound convincing it needs a realistic tone and dialogue that is in keeping with the era it’s written in and Godbersen manages to pull this off effortlessly taking the reader back to a time where everyone seemed a lot more polite and genteel.

I also loved the setting, before reading this book I couldn’t even begin to envision what New York was like in the 20s but with Anna’s exquisite and descriptive imagery of the isle of Manhattan as well as the fabulous fashions of the time I was taken on a journey back into 1920s New York a place which I wouldn’t mind visiting.

From the moment I read the prologue I was hooked, it definitely draws you in especially the ominous sentence describing the fate of three girls where “one would be famous, one would be married and one would be dead”, how can you not want to read on after a revelation like that?

As is evident from my blurb there’s a lot happening in this book as we follow all three girls - Letty, Cordelia and Astrid - through their highs and lows yet it’s never confusing and always flows together. Of course there is a romance aspect to the book but it’s not the sole aspect of the novel, the friendships these girls make and loose are just as important.

I enjoyed reading about all of the girls as they each were their own woman. Letty may have been naïve yet she showed an amazing strength of character, Cordelia was always so sure of herself, underneath however she was dealing with her own demons from her past and Astrid was the socialite with the seemingly perfect life but beneath it all she was just as insecure as many young girls are. Whilst these girls seemed so different from one another there was one common thread that connected them which was the lack of a caring loving family, Letty’s father was miserable and unkind, Cordelia was raised by her harsh uncaring aunt and Astrid’s mother collected men like it was going out of fashion. So no matter how different these girls lives seem some things are universal no matter what social class or town you come from.

The dapper young men in Bright Young Things were just as interesting as the girls particularly so because they were very mysterious from Cordelia’s forbidden romance with Thom to Letty’s smitten admirer Grady and Astrid’s love of the aloof Charlie.

The final pages were a blur to me so much was packed into them I ate it up. The ending was a satisfying one, whilst there were plot points left in the open none were left dangling there taunting me, that said I can’t wait until the second book in the series will be released, I’m hooked on these girls and their fascinating lives.

So for those of you who don’t think historical fiction is for you I urge you to give this a try just for the beautiful imagery of the city and the fashions alone, you won’t be disappointed. show less

I had super high hopes for this book. I absolutely loved The Luxe series AND I love reading about the time of Prohibition and speakeasies and all that, so this book sounded perfect to me. And it was! It is! It’s so good – Bright Young Things didn’t disappoint me at all.

The descriptions inspire just as extravagant images as The Luxe series did, if not more so. I loved how the story effortlessly switched from point of view to point of view. I thought I would get at least a little bit confused, but it was really well-done and obvious who’s story we were hearing from.

The three leading ladies – Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty – were all very unique characters and I loved how none of them really resembled each other. They all had show more their own personalities, and their own faults. I couldn’t pick a favourite. Letty and Cordelia’s friendship really hurt me and made me want to shake them both, but I’m glad that they each had their own story line. It made for a more exciting book than the alternative would have.

I didn’t really like any of the guys introduced in Bright Young Things. No, that’s not true. I liked Thom. And Charlie, kind of… I don’t know. You’ll just have to see for yourself! I definitely liked the guys in The Luxe series more, but these guys were just as handsome, but also infuriating. But it makes sense, because of the time period I guess. In The Luxe series, everyone was more uptight and proper, but in Bright Young Things, it’s a period of more freedom. So I get it, really. But I still love my Luxe men!

The plot of Bright Young Things was awesomeeeeee. I didn’t get bored at all while reading this book. Like I said, I love the time of Prohibition and Bright Young Things was an excellent look on the social and political ongoings of the time period. I loved having the three different views on New York City. And, agh! The last couple of chapters are seriously intense. I need the second book in the series now, please!

This book truly had it all – an interesting beginning, beautiful girls and handsome men, bright lights and a big city, romance, mystery, drama, temptation of the forbidden, secret tunnels, and an explosive ending. show less

I have been yearning to read Bright Young Things for YEARS. I saw this cover and fell in love (yeah, yeah... don't judge a book by it's cover... but it's so PRETTY) and knew I had to read it. If you add in all the other factors of this book: 1920s, New York, Gatsby references and some excellent YA nostalgia, you've got me!

This book felt like a YA through and through. Love triangles, overly dramatic characters, daddy issues, mommy issues, lost friendships and more! All of this was packed in and tied with a bright gold, 1920s styled bow. Saying that, this book would have been way more enjoyable to me if I read it back when it came out (during my youthful, high school years). Like I said in some of my short, little tidbit reviews - it show more reminds me of the TV show Gossip Girl by in the 1920s. It's full of the goofy high school drama we all lived on back in the day (well, back in my day).

The drama we live off in this book is due to Astrid, Letty and Cordelia. Cordelia never knew who her Father was, and when she moves to New York she ends up finding him! He's a mob boss (he reminds me of a younger Sonny Corinthos from General Hospital, but in the 1920s) and she also has gotten a hefty fortune and new brother out of it. Oh, did I mention she falls in love with her mob boss's enemy's son? Yup, that level of drama. Letty wants to be a singer, and she goes down some shady paths by mistake to chase that dream. Astrid was already in New York and is dating Cordelia's new (yet old) brother Charlie.

I loved their stories because they were so addicting. I began to really feel for these characters and got mighty frustrated near the end when there's a cliffhanger leaving all of them hanging. Not one single happy ending in sight! Not yet anyways. I pretty much have to read the next books to feel like any sort of ending happens to these characters. Seriously, the life lessons these girls face are BRUTAL. It's heart breaking... so if you wanted a lovely, fluffy, romantic YA novel... RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. Well, maybe. The sequels might have a more happy ending but I don't have those books in my hands yet.

One of the big pluses in this book was the Good Egg comment. It reminded me of The Great Gatsby and the West Egg, East Egg debacle. I really hope that name was in reference to Gatsby, but a girl can never be sure!

To be honest, I was really anticipating an epic YA novel. Every book store I went into during the 2010s had this book perched right out front and advertised EVERYWHERE (in my area, anyways). When I finally got my hands on this book I was salivating, ready to devour it... and it kinda felt like it fell short for me. I honestly expected more.

I do want to read the rest of this series because it's a really enticing book, buuuuut I hate cliffhangers and this book was SUPER depressing. I get it, the 1920s were roaring but the Great Gatsby was pretty depressing, but leaving this book like THAT? It hurt my soul! At least give us one happy thing to end on so I'm not left feeling cheated! Also... some of the bad guys seem good and some of the good guys seem bad. I left that portion of the book wondering who the heck I was supposed to be cheering for.

Three out of five stars. show less

After delighting young readers with a charming, yet deliciously scandalous trip to the Gilded Age, author Anna Godberson takes readers to the roaring twenties, a world of jazz, booze and nightclubs -a dangerous lifestyle that ensnares many fine young ladies into a dark world filled with glitz, glamor and money. Godberson's Bright Young Things follows the adventures of three young women in 1929, all of them bright, full of dreams, opportunity and inspiration -all of them young and all of them naive, curious little things...

Young Cordelia and her friend Letty live in small-town Ohio, but have dreams of going to the glittering world of New York City and exploring the romantic dreams that unfold in such a city. After Cordelia was forced show more into a marriage with a local boy, the two girls run away on a late night train to New York. Once there, the two begin to make their way, but follow different paths. Cordelia finds her way to the home of wealthy bootlegger Darius Grey, where she discovers that she is Darius' long-lost illegitimate daughter, and he welcomes her into his family, his home and the wealthy upper class of New York, where Cordelia gets swept up in the games the rich play. Letty, on the other hand, gets a job as a cigarette girl and tries to make her way as a singer which, unfortunately, isn't as easy as it sounds. Then, there's Astrid, the conniving girlfriend of Cordelia's new brother Charlie, who seems to be from a family with secrets. The three try their fortunes in the big city. Some stars rise, some stars fall...

Bright Young Things is an absolutely engaging and exciting novel that paints an amazing picture of jazz age America with fully dimensional characters that readers want to cheer for -even the manipulative characters are interesting to read about. Though somewhat similar to The Luxe, this series will appeal to Godberson fans and fans of Gossip Girl, but with the exciting glamor of the twenties. In fact, I really liked how the cover art echoes The Luxe series -it's equally as eye-catching and captivating. I'm actually watching the new HBO series Boardwalk Empire right now, which also takes place in the twenties, so the book seemed to the echo the show, and I found myself building interesting historical connections between the two (even though one takes place in 1920 and the other in 1929). Is there a rush on the twenties? Who knows, but I can't get enough of it.

Godberson's writing and storytelling skills have definitely improved since since The Luxe series, and the maturity is apparent here. Bright Young Things could be even better than The Luxe. As soon as I finished the last page of Bright Young Things, I was scouring the Internet for release dates for the next installment, Beautiful Days. Godberson can't write fast enough! show less

Anna Godbersen sets her latest series at the end of the roaring twenties, a time of prohibition and loosening morals when everyone who wanted to be anyone flocked to New York City. Cordelia and Letty are no different -- two girls from Ohio convinced that they're bigger than their small town. Cordelia is practically forced into marrying her high school sweetheart after being caught doing things with him that no good girl would do before marriage, spurring her decision that it's time for the girls to leave. They skip the reception to hop on the only train that goes direct to New York City and so begin their epic adventure. Letty (who ditches her last name and re-christens herself "Letty Larkspur") has stage aspirations and while she might show more be naive, she has the vocal talent that just might make her dreams come true. Cordelia, meanwhile, simply appears to be supportive of Letty's plans and doesn't confide in her friend that she believes she has figured out the identity of her father: the notorious bootlegger Darius Grey.

After a night on the town and a loud fight, the girls get kicked out of their hotel for unmarried women on their very first night and go their separate ways. Letty is taken under the wing of a cigarette girl who invites her to live in a small apartment with her and two others, and even manages to secure Letty a steady job while Letty circles newspaper audition ads that she hasn't the courage to go to. Cordelia shows up at Dogwood, Darius Grey's estate, on the night that he's throwing himself a birthday party... and after tricking her way in, is welcomed with open arms by the father who always missed her (even if her new half-brother isn't exactly thrilled with her appearance). Cordelia befriends Astrid, her new brother's girlfriend, and Astrid proves to be a young woman who has grown up privileged, though the situation has always been somewhat precarious as her mother goes through husbands rather quickly. Bright Young Things entwines the stories of these three young women, destined to play a role in each other's lives, and sure to live quite an adventure before "one would be famous, one would be married, and one would be dead."

I'll admit that since I haven't read The Luxe and its series, I wasn't quite sure what to expect -- yet Bright Young Things exceeded whatever those expectations were. Godbersen's ability to create a historically sound atmosphere makes for a charming read, as what New Yorker hasn't imagined the bygone days of the 1920s? It's full of jazz and illegal liquor, of course we've imagined it (even before Boardwalk Empire helped us with the details.) As a result, it's a great time period for a series, particularly one that doesn't seem fixated on just providing the point-of-view of the wealthy. Letty's storyline is a touch more realistic (including the struggle to make ends meet and naive notions dashed in dramatic ways), whereas Cordelia is whisked off to luxury and a Montague/Capulet family feud, realized a bit too late for her romantic nature. Astrid, meanwhile, deals with the many sides of both wealth and romance -- which makes her come off a bit one-note in the beginning and she develops depth as we go. Astrid's presence is a little surprising at the start -- though one assumes she'll be folded into the main story and come to know Letty and Cordelia. Her position as girlfriend of Cordelia's new half-brother and Cordelia's new best friend is an interesting role, particularly as her friendship with Cordelia seems very situational. As a result, she remains a bit of an outsider, allowed her closeness with the absence of Letty, and so the next books will likely play upon her tenuous bond.

The three girls are all unique in situation and attitude, though I hope we don't lose the perspective that's placed on the less-than-upper-crust scene. The glitz and glamour might be with the high society types, but the peek at how the rest of us might have lived is quite fascinating indeed (and certainly bears a resemblance to young adults of the modern day, just out of college and floundering around in the big city). As the first in a series, Bright Young Things certainly shows promise and while that whole "one would be famous, one would be married, and one would be dead" is ridiculously over-dramatic, it does certainly have the reader guessing as to the fate of each girl. show less