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Bright Young Things #3
[(The Lucky Ones: A Bright Young Things Novel )] [Author: Anna Godberson] [Jul-2013]
In 1929, the Bright Young Things escape Manhattan's heat for the lush lawns and sparkling bays of White Cove, looking for leisure, love, and luck.New York City's latest It Girl, Cordelia Grey, is flying high with celebrity pilot Max Darby. But Max is a private person with a reputation to uphold—and a secret to hide. A public romance with a bootlegger's daughter could cost him more than just his good name. . . .Aspiring triple threat Letty Larkspur has finally gotten her big break, but will her talent—and special bond with the married silver-screen star Valentine O'Dell—make her a target in the cutthroat world of Hollywood? Perhaps the ingenue knows how to play the leading lady after all.Newly married to her longtime sweetheart, socialite Astrid Donal finds herself spending more time with one of her husband's henchmen than with him. With so many secrets between man and wife, is the honeymoon already coming to an end?As summer reaches its hottest peak, these sun-kissed girls will find out if their luck can last . . . or if dark surprises are on the horizon.From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes the riveting conclusion to the one summer these Bright Young Things will never forget.
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First published November 27, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
April 17, 2013
It's about time.
Finally, I got some real bootlegging action! It's not a real prohibition book unless some illegal liquor is consumed and guns are pulled.
And the flyboy...oh, the flyboy. I was able to fully to commit to love him this time.
OH, and...I won't let on which of the
LET'S GO HOME AND GET BUSY.
...but I had a moment of would this have been said in the 1920's? when reading it (and yes, it WAS in all caps). Apparently, he really wanted to get busy.
Is it sad that in a lovely (and heartbreaking at times) book, this is the only quote I highlighted?
When book 2 suffered from a case of the middle-series slump, I was worried that a tarnish had been put on Godbersen's writing for me. After living the emotional rollercoaster that was The Luxe, I was surprised to find that I wasn't on a constant wave of gut-wrenching feels with this trilogy.
But hot damn, did book 3 bring it. THAT ENDING...good lord, that ending. This author is the queen of unpredictable. I didn't expect anyone's life to turn out the way that it did, even though I had a hunch that at least 1 of the 3 girls would have some sort of issue crop up.
*hats off* to you, Anna. I had my doubts there for a minute, but you managed to pull it together in the end. This was a great conclusion to a trilogy which takes place during my favorite time period of all.
I'm doing an imaginary Charleston for you. On a ledge. With my friend Meg, who also read this.
November 29, 2012
Oh, Anna Godbersen. I've got such a literary crush on you.
The cynic inside me always anticipates being disappointed, but it never is. Every one of these books has impressed me. They might be a guilty pleasure, but they are stunning, beautiful, well-written and well thought out creations that make it impossible to feel guilty over loving. And love it I did. In fact, I miss it already.
This was a beautiful read. Godbersen is a master of language and moments. She has a way of spinning words together in such a way that you fall into this sort of dreamlike trance where the real world gets hazy and you find yourself right there with all these characters in the gilded world of the Roaring 20s. And I loved every minute.
The thing about Godbersen is she knows how to give unpredictable twists without them feeling unnatural. There were things towards the end where I was like, "Oh, yeah, duh! I totally saw that coming." But I didn't. In fact, I think I was annoyed that, as the writer in me followed along, I didn't think of it playing out that way. So it wasn't predictable, just...believable. Oh, and beautiful. So very pretty.
The thing is, quite honestly, if she was a bad writer, I would hate these books (like I hate this copycat). Because, let's face it, this is melodramatic melodrama. There is kissing, boozing, cheating, murder. And it's kind of jolting to remember that all this juicy drama happened in one summer. You're lazily flouncing along when someone suddenly says "I'm 18!" or "It's the end of one summer." And then you realize, oh yeah, all this crazy, crazy stuff happened to people barely adults in three short months. For a realist like me, that's a fact that's hard to stomach. I mean, 18 year olds shouldn't be married, shouldn't be screwing around with married men, shouldn't be deciding who they'll soar off into the sunset with. But, quite luckily, Godbersen isn't a bad writer. Au contraire! She is definitely one of the most talented YA writers I've ever read, and...for all the frilly silliness, I love everything she writes. Especially this.
After a sumptuous debut with The Luxe, she has found her footing and finalized her voice. This was the perfect combination of witty melodrama and soft moments; of sins and sinners with heart and honesty; of sweet kisses and steamy mistakes; of final decisions and second chances. More importantly, this was the perfect final installment of bitter and sweet.
Yes, someone dies. Someone's married. Someone's famous. And the epilogue could be one of my favorites ever. Somehow, Godbersen makes this tragic, gilded tale a dreamy one. And then you find yourself lethargic and thoughtful, still sitting, still holding the book open, just staring into space and thinking about it, gauging your feelings until you wish there was just one page more.
At least that's what I did. And then I started over and read all my favorite bits again. Because that's what Godbersen does: she makes me forget reality to slip into a world I never want to leave and never really can. It might sound melodramatic, but it's a dreamy place--the pages of any Godbersen novel. This series is one of my favorites, and this book is the best of them. So read it--but start from the beginning.
It's a very good place to start.
Read more at my blog: www.by-its-cover.blogspot.com
The cynic inside me always anticipates being disappointed, but it never is. Every one of these books has impressed me. They might be a guilty pleasure, but they are stunning, beautiful, well-written and well thought out creations that make it impossible to feel guilty over loving. And love it I did. In fact, I miss it already.
This was a beautiful read. Godbersen is a master of language and moments. She has a way of spinning words together in such a way that you fall into this sort of dreamlike trance where the real world gets hazy and you find yourself right there with all these characters in the gilded world of the Roaring 20s. And I loved every minute.
The thing about Godbersen is she knows how to give unpredictable twists without them feeling unnatural. There were things towards the end where I was like, "Oh, yeah, duh! I totally saw that coming." But I didn't. In fact, I think I was annoyed that, as the writer in me followed along, I didn't think of it playing out that way. So it wasn't predictable, just...believable. Oh, and beautiful. So very pretty.
The thing is, quite honestly, if she was a bad writer, I would hate these books (like I hate this copycat). Because, let's face it, this is melodramatic melodrama. There is kissing, boozing, cheating, murder. And it's kind of jolting to remember that all this juicy drama happened in one summer. You're lazily flouncing along when someone suddenly says "I'm 18!" or "It's the end of one summer." And then you realize, oh yeah, all this crazy, crazy stuff happened to people barely adults in three short months. For a realist like me, that's a fact that's hard to stomach. I mean, 18 year olds shouldn't be married, shouldn't be screwing around with married men, shouldn't be deciding who they'll soar off into the sunset with. But, quite luckily, Godbersen isn't a bad writer. Au contraire! She is definitely one of the most talented YA writers I've ever read, and...for all the frilly silliness, I love everything she writes. Especially this.
After a sumptuous debut with The Luxe, she has found her footing and finalized her voice. This was the perfect combination of witty melodrama and soft moments; of sins and sinners with heart and honesty; of sweet kisses and steamy mistakes; of final decisions and second chances. More importantly, this was the perfect final installment of bitter and sweet.
Yes, someone dies. Someone's married. Someone's famous. And the epilogue could be one of my favorites ever. Somehow, Godbersen makes this tragic, gilded tale a dreamy one. And then you find yourself lethargic and thoughtful, still sitting, still holding the book open, just staring into space and thinking about it, gauging your feelings until you wish there was just one page more.
At least that's what I did. And then I started over and read all my favorite bits again. Because that's what Godbersen does: she makes me forget reality to slip into a world I never want to leave and never really can. It might sound melodramatic, but it's a dreamy place--the pages of any Godbersen novel. This series is one of my favorites, and this book is the best of them. So read it--but start from the beginning.
It's a very good place to start.
Read more at my blog: www.by-its-cover.blogspot.com
January 28, 2015
Bullet Review:
FANTASTIC ending. Conclusion had me all misty-eyed. Cheesy as hell but it's exactly what the doctor ordered.
Full review:
Much has changed since Cordelia and Letty high-tailed it out of Union for the lights and glitter of New York City. Cordelia is running her own speakeasy, managing the bootlegging business with her brother, Charlie. Astrid has married Charlie and left behind her carefree life of a single girl. Meanwhile, Letty is ready for stardom and has come under the wing of Valentine O'Dell and his wife, two of the biggest names in the movie-biz.
But all that is going to change, because life in the bootlegging business is never easy. Cordelia continues to be torn between stiff pilot, Max Darby, and bootlegger rival, Thom Hale. Astrid is beginning to see that Charlie isn't all that he's cracked up to be. And poor dear sweet Letty begins to see what happens behind the scenes.
This is the final book in the Bright Young Things trilogy, and it was a whirlwind of trashy goodness. This will never be a Man Booker Prize or anything, but it is FUN. And sometimes, at the end of the day, you just want to be entertained by a trio of girls gallivanting through 20's New York, dodging bullets and chasing beaus.
My previous reviews pretty much are on point for this one as well. Big things change in this book - relationships change, characters grow, the world evolves. It's all done very well, very realistically (as realistically as you want in a book like this, I should say). I love how the author avoids making any one person really bad. There are "shades of grey". I love how the topic of race is discussed; while I hate romantic triangles, I actually loved how all these girls had more than one interest, kissed (and enjoyed it!) more than one boy.
But really made this book great was that epilogue! Without getting TOO awful spoilery, it perfectly ties in to the first book, in a way that was sweet and yet bitter at the same time. I'd be lying if I said I had no tears in my eyes when I finished it. You find out who dies, who is married, and who is famous - and you may be a bit surprised to see who it is!
Godbersen did a fantastic job with this series; I definitely recommend for 20's enthusiasts.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Language is mild.
No explicit sex scenes, though there is at least one allusion. Also, characters dally with adultery.
There is a bit of violence - people get shot, and one person does die.
FANTASTIC ending. Conclusion had me all misty-eyed. Cheesy as hell but it's exactly what the doctor ordered.
Full review:
Much has changed since Cordelia and Letty high-tailed it out of Union for the lights and glitter of New York City. Cordelia is running her own speakeasy, managing the bootlegging business with her brother, Charlie. Astrid has married Charlie and left behind her carefree life of a single girl. Meanwhile, Letty is ready for stardom and has come under the wing of Valentine O'Dell and his wife, two of the biggest names in the movie-biz.
But all that is going to change, because life in the bootlegging business is never easy. Cordelia continues to be torn between stiff pilot, Max Darby, and bootlegger rival, Thom Hale. Astrid is beginning to see that Charlie isn't all that he's cracked up to be. And poor dear sweet Letty begins to see what happens behind the scenes.
This is the final book in the Bright Young Things trilogy, and it was a whirlwind of trashy goodness. This will never be a Man Booker Prize or anything, but it is FUN. And sometimes, at the end of the day, you just want to be entertained by a trio of girls gallivanting through 20's New York, dodging bullets and chasing beaus.
My previous reviews pretty much are on point for this one as well. Big things change in this book - relationships change, characters grow, the world evolves. It's all done very well, very realistically (as realistically as you want in a book like this, I should say). I love how the author avoids making any one person really bad. There are "shades of grey". I love how the topic of race is discussed; while I hate romantic triangles, I actually loved how all these girls had more than one interest, kissed (and enjoyed it!) more than one boy.
But really made this book great was that epilogue! Without getting TOO awful spoilery, it perfectly ties in to the first book, in a way that was sweet and yet bitter at the same time. I'd be lying if I said I had no tears in my eyes when I finished it. You find out who dies, who is married, and who is famous - and you may be a bit surprised to see who it is!
Godbersen did a fantastic job with this series; I definitely recommend for 20's enthusiasts.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Language is mild.
No explicit sex scenes, though there is at least one allusion. Also, characters dally with adultery.
There is a bit of violence - people get shot, and one person does die.
March 9, 2013
For most of this book, I went back and forth with my feelings. I couldn't believe this was the finale, because it just felt like another installment (and the Luxe had been four books, so I just expected it to be the same here.) It also didn't feel as exciting or compelling as the other two, until the end. I have to say, the end got rid of all of my bad feelings and the book was just as magical, probably more, than the others.
Anna Godbersen is an amazing writer. One of my all-time favorites. Her descriptions are enchanting, and you really felt like you were at these fabulous events having the time of your life with your best friends. She's a great at descriptions, and especially good at tragedy.
The only thing about this book that I really didn't enjoy were the men. I felt like all of them were . . . distant. Charlie was so unlikeable, admittedly he wasn't admirable to begin with, but his character was completely soiled in this book. My love for him and Astrid was stomped upon. Victor seemed really out of place too, I didn't root for him at all because I really didn't know who he was and why he was there. Grady was good, but the absence of him throughout most of the book wasn't ideal. Valentine was like Victor to me, distant and unnecessary. Max pretty much made up for all the other guys, I loved him the most!
You know a book is really good when you have trouble believing it's the last one, and cry at the end while you flip through the pages that are just advertisements for other books.
Thank you Anna for bringing another beautiful series into the world, and I hope you write more!
Anna Godbersen is an amazing writer. One of my all-time favorites. Her descriptions are enchanting, and you really felt like you were at these fabulous events having the time of your life with your best friends. She's a great at descriptions, and especially good at tragedy.
The only thing about this book that I really didn't enjoy were the men. I felt like all of them were . . . distant. Charlie was so unlikeable, admittedly he wasn't admirable to begin with, but his character was completely soiled in this book. My love for him and Astrid was stomped upon. Victor seemed really out of place too, I didn't root for him at all because I really didn't know who he was and why he was there. Grady was good, but the absence of him throughout most of the book wasn't ideal. Valentine was like Victor to me, distant and unnecessary. Max pretty much made up for all the other guys, I loved him the most!
You know a book is really good when you have trouble believing it's the last one, and cry at the end while you flip through the pages that are just advertisements for other books.
Thank you Anna for bringing another beautiful series into the world, and I hope you write more!
January 4, 2013
***SPOILERS***
This one stumps me. Letty is still the most annoying and naive of the bunch. She really was my least favorite. How many times can that girl possibly fall for the wrong man? She is such a dunce. Also, not impressed with how she just ran out and left Good Egg like that. Wtf?! Who runs away to Chicago with some dude and never even thinks once about their loyal greyhound? Letty. Is. Annoying.
Astrid. Astrid was alright. I didn't buy into how she fell in love with Victor and so easily gave up money and a lavish lifestyle. Lavish and spoiled and materialistic IS Astrid. But no, a lowly FED turns her heart around! So they run away to Paris , and to get by, Victor is a pickpocket and she cleans laundry? Lmfao!!!! Yeah sure. Awesome!
This brings me to Cordelia. Cordelia was my favorite in the beginning. Up until the second book and she changed her affections from Thom to Max. I was never a Max fan and I just couldn't bring myself to understand why she was. I just feel like Anna Godbersen changed Cordelia's character a lot through the course of the books and I didn't much care for who she was at the end of this book. Also, the cheap ending of Cordelia dying or disappearing Into the Ocean with Max as he attempts to fly to Paris from New York? Didn't even shed a tear. I was hoping she would come to her senses and go back to Thom! I was sadly disappointed.
So what did I think instantly upon conclusion of this book? What happened to Good Egg that she ended up with Cordelia's poor Ohio husband? Really? I can't even. Miss Godbersen did this to me with the Luxe series. She totally blows me away with the first book in the series, then by the second and third , I'm left feeling bummed and like wtf just happened? Disappointing.
This one stumps me. Letty is still the most annoying and naive of the bunch. She really was my least favorite. How many times can that girl possibly fall for the wrong man? She is such a dunce. Also, not impressed with how she just ran out and left Good Egg like that. Wtf?! Who runs away to Chicago with some dude and never even thinks once about their loyal greyhound? Letty. Is. Annoying.
Astrid. Astrid was alright. I didn't buy into how she fell in love with Victor and so easily gave up money and a lavish lifestyle. Lavish and spoiled and materialistic IS Astrid. But no, a lowly FED turns her heart around! So they run away to Paris , and to get by, Victor is a pickpocket and she cleans laundry? Lmfao!!!! Yeah sure. Awesome!
This brings me to Cordelia. Cordelia was my favorite in the beginning. Up until the second book and she changed her affections from Thom to Max. I was never a Max fan and I just couldn't bring myself to understand why she was. I just feel like Anna Godbersen changed Cordelia's character a lot through the course of the books and I didn't much care for who she was at the end of this book. Also, the cheap ending of Cordelia dying or disappearing Into the Ocean with Max as he attempts to fly to Paris from New York? Didn't even shed a tear. I was hoping she would come to her senses and go back to Thom! I was sadly disappointed.
So what did I think instantly upon conclusion of this book? What happened to Good Egg that she ended up with Cordelia's poor Ohio husband? Really? I can't even. Miss Godbersen did this to me with the Luxe series. She totally blows me away with the first book in the series, then by the second and third , I'm left feeling bummed and like wtf just happened? Disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2013
I can't wait till this book comes out I just finished beatiful days and it was really good. Ahh the one bad thing I hate about starting a new series is that just came out is that I have to wait for the other books to come out:(...
January 13, 2015
I DON'T THINK I EVER CRIED SO HARD AT THE ENDING OF A BOOK BEFORE!
5 WONDERFULLY TERRIBLY AMAZING STARS
Okay, so I absolutely adored The Luxe quartet...so I was very excited to read The Bright Young Things trilogy! Although I feel overall I enjoyed The Luxe more, I liked the final installment of Bright Young Things more than I did of the last book of The Luxe (which is Splendor.)
SO, in this novel, so much happens. Letty is taken in by Valentine O'Dell and Sophia Ray - which obviously means a lot is going to happen to her career-wise. Astrid and Charlie are married now, so obviously there will be some sappy romance but some lover's quarrel. And Cordelia and Max's relationship progresses.
The character's made some of their final biggest mistakes in this novel, and finally find out who they are and what they want.
Astrid's biggest problem is her marriage with Charlie, for the most part. Bootlegging is a dirty business, and we get into it a lot more with this book. Astrid, being Charlie's wife, personally experiences some pretty horrible things, and seeing her husband performing these horrible things through his job is hard to watch. Along with that, Astrid's feelings for Charlie may not reign eternal.
YOU GET A TASTE AT A LOVE TRIANGLE...YAY!
So Cordelia's life is pretty good. She owns a speakeasy, and she and Max Darby are in an official relationship. Max's race becomes a big issue in the novel, so it was very exciting to experience all of they went through as an interracial couple. Cordelia and Max's relationship and struggles were my favorite part of the whole novel.
And finally let's talk about our own little Letty Larkspur. Letty, although I love her, is probably my least favorite character. Possibly because of her extreme naiveté, but I mean it's understandable. She's the most innocent of the three best friends, and she makes some pretty blind mistakes.
Living with Valentine and Sophia lead to some obvious drama, but to some obvious benefits as well. Letty has an increased chance of fame, and mentors to help her learn the ropes of everything. I don't know about you guys, but I'm a big supporter of Letty and Grady's relationship. Since it TRAGICALLY ended in the last novel, we do get more of them...but Letty actually gains another love interest.
You'll just have to READ THIS TERRIFIC NOVEL to learn more of this mystery love interest, and the romantic Grady.
The Lucky Ones endlessly consists of sweet kisses, a kick ass bootlegging scene, planes, alcohol, and everything else you could possibly want.
By far, the best part of this book for me, was the epilogue. I'm not going to say why, but one of the reasons why I sincerely ADORE Anna Godbersen's books is because of her amazing tendency to end the books without a happily-ever-after for all the characters.
I was perfectly content with the ending, even though some weren't. It was one of those endings you still think of for weeks after you finished the book!!
I 110% recommend this novel!
5 WONDERFULLY TERRIBLY AMAZING STARS
Okay, so I absolutely adored The Luxe quartet...so I was very excited to read The Bright Young Things trilogy! Although I feel overall I enjoyed The Luxe more, I liked the final installment of Bright Young Things more than I did of the last book of The Luxe (which is Splendor.)
SO, in this novel, so much happens. Letty is taken in by Valentine O'Dell and Sophia Ray - which obviously means a lot is going to happen to her career-wise. Astrid and Charlie are married now, so obviously there will be some sappy romance but some lover's quarrel. And Cordelia and Max's relationship progresses.
The character's made some of their final biggest mistakes in this novel, and finally find out who they are and what they want.
Astrid's biggest problem is her marriage with Charlie, for the most part. Bootlegging is a dirty business, and we get into it a lot more with this book. Astrid, being Charlie's wife, personally experiences some pretty horrible things, and seeing her husband performing these horrible things through his job is hard to watch. Along with that, Astrid's feelings for Charlie may not reign eternal.
YOU GET A TASTE AT A LOVE TRIANGLE...YAY!
So Cordelia's life is pretty good. She owns a speakeasy, and she and Max Darby are in an official relationship. Max's race becomes a big issue in the novel, so it was very exciting to experience all of they went through as an interracial couple. Cordelia and Max's relationship and struggles were my favorite part of the whole novel.
And finally let's talk about our own little Letty Larkspur. Letty, although I love her, is probably my least favorite character. Possibly because of her extreme naiveté, but I mean it's understandable. She's the most innocent of the three best friends, and she makes some pretty blind mistakes.
Living with Valentine and Sophia lead to some obvious drama, but to some obvious benefits as well. Letty has an increased chance of fame, and mentors to help her learn the ropes of everything. I don't know about you guys, but I'm a big supporter of Letty and Grady's relationship. Since it TRAGICALLY ended in the last novel, we do get more of them...but Letty actually gains another love interest.
You'll just have to READ THIS TERRIFIC NOVEL to learn more of this mystery love interest, and the romantic Grady.
The Lucky Ones endlessly consists of sweet kisses, a kick ass bootlegging scene, planes, alcohol, and everything else you could possibly want.
By far, the best part of this book for me, was the epilogue. I'm not going to say why, but one of the reasons why I sincerely ADORE Anna Godbersen's books is because of her amazing tendency to end the books without a happily-ever-after for all the characters.
I was perfectly content with the ending, even though some weren't. It was one of those endings you still think of for weeks after you finished the book!!
I 110% recommend this novel!
December 8, 2012
WHY DO THEY KEEP CHANGING THE DATE??????? UGH.
SOOOOOO GOOOD! I HATE THAT IT'S OVER. No more Bright Young Things. I was glued to this book as much as I could be with my busy life right now. I read it pretty quickly and didnt' want to put it down!
I dont' want to give anything away. If you haven't read this trilogy.... Give it a try.. I think you will be pleasantly suprised.
SOOOOOO GOOOD! I HATE THAT IT'S OVER. No more Bright Young Things. I was glued to this book as much as I could be with my busy life right now. I read it pretty quickly and didnt' want to put it down!
I dont' want to give anything away. If you haven't read this trilogy.... Give it a try.. I think you will be pleasantly suprised.
January 17, 2022
TL;DR of the whole series:
Three girls meet&smooch a variety of fuckbois during the Prohibition era. THE END
[image error]
Before I started Bright Young Things (sometime in 2010! I can't believe that was TEN years ago!!) I read Anna Godbersen's The Luxe series, which is a YA 4-book epic about the upper crust of New York society, around 1899. Please do your eyes a favor and check out the sumptuous, overflowing covers of those books! Gorgeous, ballgown-porn covers like that don't get made any more (maybe for a good reason, IDK).
Anyway, I had a love-hate relationship with Anna's books. On the one hand, THOSE COVERS. UGH! On the other hand? I was really young and still believed that YA series desrved a full-closure happy-for-now kind of ending, and not such vague, unhappy consequences for the characters.
Now I'm older and wiser and when I finally resolved to read the final installment of the Bright Young Things trilogy, I noted the VERY GOOD WRITING.
Anna Godbersen knows how to write a scene. She knows how to set the stage, how to spotlight the characters, which dialogues to include and which to withhold. There is some real character development going on! Girls are becoming women on the pages of this novel! Wives are realizing that their husbands are far more troubled than they thought!
The writing was my favorite part. Some of the descriptions held real emotion and sway, like watching a movie (think: Brideshead Revisited vibes).
BUT
unfortunately, I couldn't get on board with the plot. Book 1 and 2 in the series underwhelmed me in the same way, because the story back then was just "girls meet fuckbois, then move to big town and meet cuter fuckbois. also, champagne!"
The plot didn't improve much in this one. As we all know, there are three Plots:
1. Cordelia (aka the interesting one): she is a bootlegger's daughter. Married one guy, ran away to New York, met another bootlegger's son, got backstabbed, and is now dating a pilot! Yey!
2. Astrid (aka the rich one): used to be flirty and rich. Now married to Cordelia's brother and rich. But also ... dissatisfied with Cordelia's brother, who is the unhinged, violent type of bootlegger (is there another kind of bootlegger, really?)
3. Letty (aka the dumb wun): with the intelligence of a toaster and the personality of a cream pouf, this girl wants to become a STAR. She's lucky a married couple of actors take her in, because lets be honest here, you could not teach this girl more tricks than a chimpanzee.
The Fuckbois (abridged; I cannot possibly list them all, not even the ones who show up in this book)
Charlie Grey: Cordelia's big bully of a brother. Married and possibly cheating on Astrid.
Max Darby: pilot boi. Nice airplane & bomber jacket. Understands the importance of curfews & appearances. Sad past.
Victor: ~ le bodyguard ~ kinda skinny but with big soulfoul eyes as he gazes at Astrid.
Valentine: an older actor who will teach Letty to become a better bunny for Hollywood
Thom: Cordelia's ex. Enemy bootlegger. She shot him! And he loved it.
Grady: Who the fuck is Grady? Doesn't matter, because Letty remembers him.
In short, in this book alone every one of our Bright Young Things (they're not even 18 yet! Imagine) are so busy with their complicated love lives I'm surprised anything else actually fit into this 350 page novel. Wow!
Even though quite a bit happened - there was the cheating, for one, and the drama, and Letty's pathetic attempts at becoming a star, yuck! - it actually dragged and dragged and dragged.
The worst part were Letty's scenes. I browsed over that snoozefest but it still feels as if I noticed too much. But I also couldn't get excited enough to cheer Cordelia on. Usually, a trilogy about three girls ought to be about them, and their choices and them making a life for themselves: y'know, feminism.
But even though this book does that (as I said, there is character development, for everyone, except Letty who is dumb), it also isn't, because SO MANY BOIS.
In short, it's a series about girls, but the network it CW, so ... BOYSBOYSBOYS.
Three girls meet&smooch a variety of fuckbois during the Prohibition era. THE END
[image error]
Before I started Bright Young Things (sometime in 2010! I can't believe that was TEN years ago!!) I read Anna Godbersen's The Luxe series, which is a YA 4-book epic about the upper crust of New York society, around 1899. Please do your eyes a favor and check out the sumptuous, overflowing covers of those books! Gorgeous, ballgown-porn covers like that don't get made any more (maybe for a good reason, IDK).
Anyway, I had a love-hate relationship with Anna's books. On the one hand, THOSE COVERS. UGH! On the other hand? I was really young and still believed that YA series desrved a full-closure happy-for-now kind of ending, and not such vague, unhappy consequences for the characters.
Now I'm older and wiser and when I finally resolved to read the final installment of the Bright Young Things trilogy, I noted the VERY GOOD WRITING.
Anna Godbersen knows how to write a scene. She knows how to set the stage, how to spotlight the characters, which dialogues to include and which to withhold. There is some real character development going on! Girls are becoming women on the pages of this novel! Wives are realizing that their husbands are far more troubled than they thought!
The writing was my favorite part. Some of the descriptions held real emotion and sway, like watching a movie (think: Brideshead Revisited vibes).
BUT
unfortunately, I couldn't get on board with the plot. Book 1 and 2 in the series underwhelmed me in the same way, because the story back then was just "girls meet fuckbois, then move to big town and meet cuter fuckbois. also, champagne!"
The plot didn't improve much in this one. As we all know, there are three Plots:
1. Cordelia (aka the interesting one): she is a bootlegger's daughter. Married one guy, ran away to New York, met another bootlegger's son, got backstabbed, and is now dating a pilot! Yey!
2. Astrid (aka the rich one): used to be flirty and rich. Now married to Cordelia's brother and rich. But also ... dissatisfied with Cordelia's brother, who is the unhinged, violent type of bootlegger (is there another kind of bootlegger, really?)
3. Letty (aka the dumb wun): with the intelligence of a toaster and the personality of a cream pouf, this girl wants to become a STAR. She's lucky a married couple of actors take her in, because lets be honest here, you could not teach this girl more tricks than a chimpanzee.
The Fuckbois (abridged; I cannot possibly list them all, not even the ones who show up in this book)
Charlie Grey: Cordelia's big bully of a brother. Married and possibly cheating on Astrid.
Max Darby: pilot boi. Nice airplane & bomber jacket. Understands the importance of curfews & appearances. Sad past.
Victor: ~ le bodyguard ~ kinda skinny but with big soulfoul eyes as he gazes at Astrid.
Valentine: an older actor who will teach Letty to become a better bunny for Hollywood
Thom: Cordelia's ex. Enemy bootlegger. She shot him! And he loved it.
Grady: Who the fuck is Grady? Doesn't matter, because Letty remembers him.
In short, in this book alone every one of our Bright Young Things (they're not even 18 yet! Imagine) are so busy with their complicated love lives I'm surprised anything else actually fit into this 350 page novel. Wow!
Even though quite a bit happened - there was the cheating, for one, and the drama, and Letty's pathetic attempts at becoming a star, yuck! - it actually dragged and dragged and dragged.
The worst part were Letty's scenes. I browsed over that snoozefest but it still feels as if I noticed too much. But I also couldn't get excited enough to cheer Cordelia on. Usually, a trilogy about three girls ought to be about them, and their choices and them making a life for themselves: y'know, feminism.
But even though this book does that (as I said, there is character development, for everyone, except Letty who is dumb), it also isn't, because SO MANY BOIS.
In short, it's a series about girls, but the network it CW, so ... BOYSBOYSBOYS.
December 24, 2012
Anna Godbersen is one of my favorite authors of all time, so I will faithfully devour anything she puts out. Anna continues to immerse us in her beautiful writing and transport us back to the 1920s with her imagery. The plot and characters are just as strong as they were in the beginning of the series, but there is a note of caution that was absent from the earlier novels now that the girls have all lived through some very horrific tragedies.
One of the things I love about Anna’s characters is that they are always relatively independent given the worlds they live in. They are brave and unafraid to take risks. Cordelia, Letty, Astrid, & Billy are all quite daring given that they lived in the 1920s. In Astrid’s case, however, I think her risk taking behavior was largely due to her youthful naivety and belief that nothing truly bad would become of her actions. Unfortunately for her, she had to learn the hard way that actions do have consequences that no one can escape.
Unlike Astrid, Letty & Cordelia were both lucky and truly brave. It took a lot of courage to leave their small town and travel to such a big city. They were still naive—I don’t think they quite grasped how difficult it would be to become successful in NYC, but it certainty takes guts to leave everything you’ve ever known behind and start all over. With a lot of determination and a bit of luck, they were able to make their dreams come true and I loved watching them strive to achieve their goal.
From the prologue of Bright Young Things, we know that one of the girls will be famous, one of the girls will be married, and one will be dead. At the beginning of the story, however, two are quite famous and two are married. This makes it really difficult to figure out who will die, as each girl tends to be placed in bad situations and all three are exposed to the seedy bootlegging world that existed during prohibition. The outcome of each girl’s fate was a bit surprising, as was how it happened. I have to say I was expecting a bit more of a dramatic outcome, but it was lovely and sad at the same time.
Anna Godbersen continues to deliver beautiful & riveting stories with The Lucky Ones. She has a unique ability to sweep you up in her novels and endear her characters to you. I so enjoyed reading The Lucky Ones and I have to say that the wait for Anna’s next novel will be excruciating as always.
One of the things I love about Anna’s characters is that they are always relatively independent given the worlds they live in. They are brave and unafraid to take risks. Cordelia, Letty, Astrid, & Billy are all quite daring given that they lived in the 1920s. In Astrid’s case, however, I think her risk taking behavior was largely due to her youthful naivety and belief that nothing truly bad would become of her actions. Unfortunately for her, she had to learn the hard way that actions do have consequences that no one can escape.
Unlike Astrid, Letty & Cordelia were both lucky and truly brave. It took a lot of courage to leave their small town and travel to such a big city. They were still naive—I don’t think they quite grasped how difficult it would be to become successful in NYC, but it certainty takes guts to leave everything you’ve ever known behind and start all over. With a lot of determination and a bit of luck, they were able to make their dreams come true and I loved watching them strive to achieve their goal.
From the prologue of Bright Young Things, we know that one of the girls will be famous, one of the girls will be married, and one will be dead. At the beginning of the story, however, two are quite famous and two are married. This makes it really difficult to figure out who will die, as each girl tends to be placed in bad situations and all three are exposed to the seedy bootlegging world that existed during prohibition. The outcome of each girl’s fate was a bit surprising, as was how it happened. I have to say I was expecting a bit more of a dramatic outcome, but it was lovely and sad at the same time.
Anna Godbersen continues to deliver beautiful & riveting stories with The Lucky Ones. She has a unique ability to sweep you up in her novels and endear her characters to you. I so enjoyed reading The Lucky Ones and I have to say that the wait for Anna’s next novel will be excruciating as always.
June 7, 2017
I really like Godbersen's stories. Her writing is very vivid, although I do think the way the characters speak is modernized a bit, but really thats ok. So, as promised one is famous, one married and one dead. Or is she? I say no, but... Anyways, I expected what would happen to each girl from the midway of the first book, in respect to which of the three options would befall. Cordellia and Astrid I kinda went back and forth on which would die and which marry. I did not expect all the twists and turns, however! That epilogue too... man talk about waking from a dream.
June 4, 2020
A 3.64 for this final book in the Bright Young Things trilogy. In my review of Book 2, I described it as a shiny bauble of a book--pretty and distracting. That applies equally to Book 3. An absorbing, slightly cheesy at times, but overall enjoyable and escapist romp, which is really all I wanted with this book.
April 23, 2022
This was definitely not how I expected any of these girl’s stories to end! It was a wild ride but of so worth it. I normally read thrillers and mysteries so this was very different for me but it was a nice break and I loved reading about the time period. You get to see how life was back then in the middle of a bootleggers world at that. So interesting and entertaining!
February 7, 2017
Hooray! There's a synopsis now, along with the beautiful new cover. :) Can't wait!!!
4/5
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!.
I suppose if I expected more intelligence from these characters I would have been repulsed by some of their behaviour, but I just couldn't. I just read as is - I suppose this is what you'd call a guilty pleasure read. I was just coasting along, enjoying the ride, not really caring about the implications of what had happened. While none of the characters are REALLY likeable, with the exception of Max Darby for me - the girls each fall at some point, as with Charlie and other secondary characters, I was still invested in their stories and cared about where they ended up in the end. Because of the third person narrative I feel like my interest in these characters was more detached however, more that of an outsider looking in (kind of like a reality tv show viewer). The many romantic/sexual entanglements that these girls get themselves in was so... entertaining. I could not stop reading on!
The writing style is on-par with the previous books. Godbersen provides some description so the setting isn't a complete vacuum, the pacing was neither too fast nor too slow (in my opinion) and the overall plot was easy to follow and enjoyable. I loved the inclusion of the epilogue - it ties in with the prologue from Bright Young Things and it all kind of just makes sense. The ending kind of reminds me a little of (possibly spoiler-ish) .
My fascination in and utter obsession with the '20s Jazz Age started with The Great Gatsby. I read Bright Young Things in Sep-Oct 2010 (I remember because I was supposed to be studying for HSC but instead was engrossed in this book) which only fuelled my love for this rapidly changing and revolutionary era.
4/5
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!.
I suppose if I expected more intelligence from these characters I would have been repulsed by some of their behaviour, but I just couldn't. I just read as is - I suppose this is what you'd call a guilty pleasure read. I was just coasting along, enjoying the ride, not really caring about the implications of what had happened. While none of the characters are REALLY likeable, with the exception of Max Darby for me - the girls each fall at some point, as with Charlie and other secondary characters, I was still invested in their stories and cared about where they ended up in the end. Because of the third person narrative I feel like my interest in these characters was more detached however, more that of an outsider looking in (kind of like a reality tv show viewer). The many romantic/sexual entanglements that these girls get themselves in was so... entertaining. I could not stop reading on!
The writing style is on-par with the previous books. Godbersen provides some description so the setting isn't a complete vacuum, the pacing was neither too fast nor too slow (in my opinion) and the overall plot was easy to follow and enjoyable. I loved the inclusion of the epilogue - it ties in with the prologue from Bright Young Things and it all kind of just makes sense. The ending kind of reminds me a little of (possibly spoiler-ish) .
My fascination in and utter obsession with the '20s Jazz Age started with The Great Gatsby. I read Bright Young Things in Sep-Oct 2010 (I remember because I was supposed to be studying for HSC but instead was engrossed in this book) which only fuelled my love for this rapidly changing and revolutionary era.
November 3, 2016
I found "The Lucky Ones", the last book of the "Bright Young Things" series disappointing in several ways.
1) I thought that all of the characters acted in ways that weren't typical, not just at the end, but throughout the book.
2) I thought the book was much less interesting than the previous two in the series, with the first, "Bright Young Things" being the best. The series went downhill from there.
3) While I realize that the author writes for the young adult market, I'd think that young adults should expect better writing than could be found in this book. The constant description of Charlie's face as a slab, grew very wearying: "his slab of a face", "the slabs of his cheeks", "his slab face"
Unlike with any of Godberson's other books, there was frequent temptation to put this one down, unfinished. Each of the girls did things so incredibly stupid as to be unbelievable. Cordelia and Astrid--always sneaking away without bodyguards, though they both knew people had been killed by their enemies, while Letty just behaves like an idiot almost constantly. She's little more than an annoyance.
The author, who must not have done extensive research into 1920s fashion, mentions pantyhose more than once. Be assured that women of the 20s did not wear pantyhose. Pantyhose weren't even invented until decades later.
The ending was incredibly disappointing. Are we seriously expected to believe a girl as self-absorbed, spoiled and utterly dependent on money and lots of it, would be blissful doing other people's laundry in a Paris hovel? Can anyone possibly believe an interracial romance like Max and Cordelia's would been accepted in the 1920's? Charlie would have killed Max himself, or he would have been publicly lynched. Cordelia would, at the very least, have been shunned by everyone. Not that those actions would have been right, but that's the way things were at that time. And come on....A pilot as good as Max would run a race with the added weight of a passenger in his plane, then blithely start across the Atlantic without even pausing to refuel?
None of this trilogy was nearly as good as the Luxe series, and it's sad to see that someone capable of writing books as good as those, could turn out this "barely even OK" novel.
1) I thought that all of the characters acted in ways that weren't typical, not just at the end, but throughout the book.
2) I thought the book was much less interesting than the previous two in the series, with the first, "Bright Young Things" being the best. The series went downhill from there.
3) While I realize that the author writes for the young adult market, I'd think that young adults should expect better writing than could be found in this book. The constant description of Charlie's face as a slab, grew very wearying: "his slab of a face", "the slabs of his cheeks", "his slab face"
Unlike with any of Godberson's other books, there was frequent temptation to put this one down, unfinished. Each of the girls did things so incredibly stupid as to be unbelievable. Cordelia and Astrid--always sneaking away without bodyguards, though they both knew people had been killed by their enemies, while Letty just behaves like an idiot almost constantly. She's little more than an annoyance.
The author, who must not have done extensive research into 1920s fashion, mentions pantyhose more than once. Be assured that women of the 20s did not wear pantyhose. Pantyhose weren't even invented until decades later.
The ending was incredibly disappointing. Are we seriously expected to believe a girl as self-absorbed, spoiled and utterly dependent on money and lots of it, would be blissful doing other people's laundry in a Paris hovel? Can anyone possibly believe an interracial romance like Max and Cordelia's would been accepted in the 1920's? Charlie would have killed Max himself, or he would have been publicly lynched. Cordelia would, at the very least, have been shunned by everyone. Not that those actions would have been right, but that's the way things were at that time. And come on....A pilot as good as Max would run a race with the added weight of a passenger in his plane, then blithely start across the Atlantic without even pausing to refuel?
None of this trilogy was nearly as good as the Luxe series, and it's sad to see that someone capable of writing books as good as those, could turn out this "barely even OK" novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2013
eh... underwhelmed.
okay so firstly, i loved Cordelia's character the most, and i really loved the romance with Thom, Max was so boring! i really didnt understand the attraction there and i was so sorry for poor Thom in the end - he didn't even end up with anyone else. I also wanted some closure with John from Ohio and Cordelia, some part of me wanted a confrontation there and it irritated me that next to no one knew about this part of her life. I also felt there was an opportunity for a more interesting death - her's was so vague.
Astrid really became a favourite in this book, but again i felt that there was still so much of her story to tell, however i really did like the Victor storyline, Anna Godbersen did a good job of ruining Charlie for me - i did actually like him til he went all physcho murderer. I also thought the whole raid thing wrapped up the bootlegging storyline nicely.
Letty, of all people, came out the best in this story - irritatingly since she was the least likeable, in any case she ended up with Grady...i wish there was some ending with Valentine there. And wtf with them abandoning goodegg especially since they rescued the dog together.
Loved that Billy was the narrator, and although the fulfilling of the "prophecy" was satisfying it was pretty obvious. I just wish Cordelia had chosen Thom, and obviously not died...i really wish there were more details about her death. All in all, it wasnt a bad book, but like The Luxe, left me feeling unsatisfied and sad.
okay so firstly, i loved Cordelia's character the most, and i really loved the romance with Thom, Max was so boring! i really didnt understand the attraction there and i was so sorry for poor Thom in the end - he didn't even end up with anyone else. I also wanted some closure with John from Ohio and Cordelia, some part of me wanted a confrontation there and it irritated me that next to no one knew about this part of her life. I also felt there was an opportunity for a more interesting death - her's was so vague.
Astrid really became a favourite in this book, but again i felt that there was still so much of her story to tell, however i really did like the Victor storyline, Anna Godbersen did a good job of ruining Charlie for me - i did actually like him til he went all physcho murderer. I also thought the whole raid thing wrapped up the bootlegging storyline nicely.
Letty, of all people, came out the best in this story - irritatingly since she was the least likeable, in any case she ended up with Grady...i wish there was some ending with Valentine there. And wtf with them abandoning goodegg especially since they rescued the dog together.
Loved that Billy was the narrator, and although the fulfilling of the "prophecy" was satisfying it was pretty obvious. I just wish Cordelia had chosen Thom, and obviously not died...i really wish there were more details about her death. All in all, it wasnt a bad book, but like The Luxe, left me feeling unsatisfied and sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2015
What kind of sh!t ending was that?!?!?!?!? like WTF ANNA GODBERSON YOU MADE A SUCKY ENDING IN THE LUXE SERIES LIKE DO YOU FREAKING HATE LOVE STORIES OR NAHH CUZ WHATS WRONG WITH FREAKING HAPPY ENDINGS??????
But I absolutely adore Anna Godbersons writing just not her horrible conclusions of series...
But I absolutely adore Anna Godbersons writing just not her horrible conclusions of series...
December 4, 2012
More of a 3.5, honestly. The outcome teased by the anonymous narrator (whose identity is finally confirmed) since the beginning book of the series finally plays out, and not in the way I had expected.
December 23, 2014
I haven't quite finished this yet but I already know how I'm going to rate it. Literally no f***s were given about any of the main characters. Not any of the characters really. Except maybe Good Egg. The rest could have fallen off a cliff and I wouldn't thought "meh." Letty is the literal worst. An idiot supreme. "Oh Sophia is sick I have to get to her!" No you f***ing idiot she's an adulteress. Just like the rest of you. Literally. If I hadn't loved the Luxe series so much I definitely would not have bought this crap series but now I'm stuck with it. Also, that prophecy was bull crap as it is in fact exactly who you think it's going to be for each "ending."
December 27, 2012
DX That was so sad... though, I thought Cordelia would get shot or something. But I suppose disappearing over the Atlantic is more romantic, so...
I kinda feel bad for Charlie... and Jones... since they both just ended up in prison in the end.
The person I feel the worst for is John Field. He finally saved up all that money (well, I assume that's what happened), went to New York, and found that his wife had run off with a dashing pilot and they had both disappeared in the Atlantic.
I think the confrontation between Lettie and Sophia wasn't that great. At least, Lettie should've confronted Valentine and there should have been a big explosion or something...
I kinda feel bad for Charlie... and Jones... since they both just ended up in prison in the end.
The person I feel the worst for is John Field. He finally saved up all that money (well, I assume that's what happened), went to New York, and found that his wife had run off with a dashing pilot and they had both disappeared in the Atlantic.
I think the confrontation between Lettie and Sophia wasn't that great. At least, Lettie should've confronted Valentine and there should have been a big explosion or something...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2016
This is one of the best endings to a series I've ever read. On, its own I'd say that book was on par with Bright Young Things and Beautiful Days, but it was a really strong and satisfying ending. The only thing that confused me was how under the author blurb it said there would be a sequel to TLO. I don't really see where the series could go from here unless it's going to focus on all new characters. I strongly recommend everyone read this series, it's everything you could hope for in a series finale.
January 18, 2013
I'm a little conflicted about Ms. Godbersen's books, both this series & the Luxe series. I really enjoy them while I'm reading them. However, neither series has left me with an ending that I was satisfied with for all of the characters. Perhaps it's just me, as I prefer happy (or at least not disappointing) endings for characters in whom I've invested several books worth of time.
October 7, 2014
Though not without flaws, this series is far better than the trite publisher's summaries and cheesy cover art would indicate. The plot is exceptionally far-fetched and swings from moving at a snail's pace to ripping along far too quickly at various points, but Godbersen crafts excellent dialogue, sketches endearing characters, and above all else, really knows how to set a scene.
January 9, 2013
I'm not sure what to think. I liked parts of it and was bored by some. I thought the epilogue was a little ridiculous, especially about Astrid. Overall I think I liked the Luxe series a little more even though I love the Roaring 20's.
May 16, 2014
It was good, then it got boring, and then it got good again. However, I should not have read the epilogue, because then it was just sad. Note to readers, stop after the last chapter; stay away from the epilogue.
March 25, 2016
I read this soooo long ago because this series was next to the Luxe one and preteen me LOVED the covers of the Luxe so lol. I liked this more than Luxe, I think, but those covers still make me heart eyes
January 17, 2014
I did enjoy this series, but I was a little disappointed in the ending. I was hoping for some seriously dramatic confrontations, not quiet escapes into the night!
July 18, 2014
This could've been so good and she ruined it! The first two books were great but anna gobersen just can't end a series
August 28, 2024
4.5 stars
nooooo that was a sad ending I hate sad endings *sobbing*
nooooo that was a sad ending I hate sad endings *sobbing*
January 4, 2023
"You know, if you weren't my friend...I don't know that I'd have had the courage to live at all."
So ends The Bright Young Things trilogy. I actually rather liked this book and it was my favorite out of the three. I believed that everything wrapped up rather nicely and that the plot really moved along. I also thought that Letty and Astrid finally grew a backbone and, though it took three entire books to see it, I'm glad that they finally did.
My big problem with this book, as with the entire series, is the pacing. I know that it is typical of YA to have a lot of descriptions regarding clothes , cars, and whatever else the period has to offer, but I felt these descriptions served too much as filler. There was a lot of nothing happening in the middle and the plot points seemed to just slam into you rather than slowly building up.
In short words: cut the fat.
However, with that being said, I did think that this book had the strongest plot out of the three. The character motivations were solidified and expanded on and I did feel that the character arcs and character growth were rather organic.
I do want to applaud Godbersen on making her characters consistent-I never felt as if Cordelia, Letty, or Astrid made choices that were so ridiculously out of their character. Yes, Letty seemed to grow the most out of them and I liked the fact that Letty finally took what she wanted. I really did worry about her (she was my favorite) and thought she was too soft to make it in an industry as ruthless as the motion picture one. But she pulled through.
Astrid really surprised me in this book. I'm glad that I really disliked Astrid in the first two books but she really stepped up in the final one.
Cordelia was my least favorite of the three. She was too tough and there was very little vulnerability. I thought the entire situation between her and Max was far too simplified and I can say that it really wasn't for me.
The writing was fine. It wasn't anything special; it seemed a bit generic but it wasn't horrible by any means of the imagination. It was easy to digest and rather standard of the popular YA novels of the 2010s.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but the series should have been a duology because the second book was just complete filler.
I recommend this if you have time on your hands and enjoy the twenties.
So ends The Bright Young Things trilogy. I actually rather liked this book and it was my favorite out of the three. I believed that everything wrapped up rather nicely and that the plot really moved along. I also thought that Letty and Astrid finally grew a backbone and, though it took three entire books to see it, I'm glad that they finally did.
My big problem with this book, as with the entire series, is the pacing. I know that it is typical of YA to have a lot of descriptions regarding clothes , cars, and whatever else the period has to offer, but I felt these descriptions served too much as filler. There was a lot of nothing happening in the middle and the plot points seemed to just slam into you rather than slowly building up.
In short words: cut the fat.
However, with that being said, I did think that this book had the strongest plot out of the three. The character motivations were solidified and expanded on and I did feel that the character arcs and character growth were rather organic.
I do want to applaud Godbersen on making her characters consistent-I never felt as if Cordelia, Letty, or Astrid made choices that were so ridiculously out of their character. Yes, Letty seemed to grow the most out of them and I liked the fact that Letty finally took what she wanted. I really did worry about her (she was my favorite) and thought she was too soft to make it in an industry as ruthless as the motion picture one. But she pulled through.
Astrid really surprised me in this book. I'm glad that I really disliked Astrid in the first two books but she really stepped up in the final one.
Cordelia was my least favorite of the three. She was too tough and there was very little vulnerability. I thought the entire situation between her and Max was far too simplified and I can say that it really wasn't for me.
The writing was fine. It wasn't anything special; it seemed a bit generic but it wasn't horrible by any means of the imagination. It was easy to digest and rather standard of the popular YA novels of the 2010s.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but the series should have been a duology because the second book was just complete filler.
I recommend this if you have time on your hands and enjoy the twenties.
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