Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Title: Bright Young Things
Author: Anna Godbersen
ISBN: 9780061962660
Publisher: Harper Colllins
Page #: 389
Source: From my public library

Summary:
"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 in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.
___________________________________________
First Lines:

"It is easy to forget now, how effervescent and free we all felt that summer. Everything fades: the shimmer of gold over White Cove; the laughter in the night air; the lavender early morning light on the faces of skyscrapers, which had suddenly become so heroically tall."
Page 1
___________________________________________
Review:

It's not often that I read a book set in the 1930s. Many historical fiction books that I pick up are set in the 1800s or something - including the other series by this author. I loved her books. Here are my reviews for a couple of those (the first two were pre-blog):
Luxe (#1), Rumors (#2)Envy (#3), and Splendor (#4)

In this new series, the whole format of the story is very similar to the Luxe series. You follow the lives of three girls in NYC - through the drama, the love, the loss, and more. I was a little worried when I started this book and it felt exactly like the first Luxe book. But it takes a huge turn very quickly. It's more about girls who aren't used to the NYC lifestyle and how they adapt to it in vastly different ways.

There is something in the prologue that stuck with me throughout the story. It says,
"They were all marching toward their own secret fates, and long before the next decade rolled around, each would escape in her own way - one would be famous, one would be married, and one would be dead."
That forshadowing really kept me guessing which girl would be which. At any given moment, I thought each thing could go for each girl. And you really don't find out with these three things because there are more books to come in the series. I'm looking forward to solving the mystery to see if I was right :).

I will absolutely be recommending this book to people who love historical fiction books. Especially if they are looking for something a little different. It's very well written and I felt completely pulled into that time period. There are times that I really couldn't put the book down. Other times I wanted to draw it out some because I wanted to live the era through the stories.

If you haven't read the Luxe series by this author, I absolutely recommend those as well. I look forward to reading anything she's got coming up in the future. I see there is a second book on the horizon and I really look forward to that. Check out her website for more information.
___________________________________________
Other Blog Reviews:

Rebecca's Book Blog
The Book Smugglers
Katie's Book Blog
The Fourth Musketeer
Tea Mouse Book Reviews
Reading Teen
21 Pages