Bright Young Things

by Scarlett Thomas

Bright Young Things wanted for Big Project.' They're in the prime of their lives but our bright young things are all burnt out. Six sparky twenty-somethings just out of university and working dead-end jobs, they are all bored to tears with their lives and looking for a way out. When a mysterious job is advertised in the newspaper, they all apply. What they least expect is to find themselves prisoners on a deserted island. There's food in the fridge and they have a bedroom each, but there's no telephone, no television, and no way to escape.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction, Adult, Mystery Thriller

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Scarlett Thomas was born in London in 1972. Her widely-acclaimed novels include PopCo, The End of Mr Y and The Seed Collectors. As well as writing literary fiction for adults, she has also written a literary fantasy series for children and a book about writing called Monkeys with Typewriters. Her work has been translated into more than 25 languages.

She has been longlisted for the Orange Prize, shortlisted for the South African Boeke Prize and was once the proud recipient of an Elle Style Award. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing & Contemporary Fiction at the University of Kent in the UK. She lives in a Victorian house near the sea and spends a lot of time reading Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield.

She is currently working on a new novel and various projects for TV.

Reviews

[Gretchen Rubin]

I so admire the work of Scarlett Thomas. How could I pass up a book about six young people stranded on a deserted island? No kidding, that's truly the subject of this novel.

[Wiebke (1book1review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm falling in love with Scarlett Thomas' books! Bright Young Things was a really surprising read about nothing. No seriously, nothing really happens in the book. The book mainly relies on the characters talking. And they talk about nothing and everything: TV shows, videogames, life, love, sex etc.
This sounds boring to you? Then don't read this book.
If not, let me tell you, that the characters are in their mid twenties and sort of lost in their own life after graduating from university. They have dead-end jobs and nowhere to go.
The story takes place in 1999 and it is addressing the meaninglessness people felt at that time, and still do, I guess.
The book is not only dialogue, there's also a story prompting those, but I'm not giving you that, because I loved diving into the book not knowing where it's going. And the writing and topics just keep your eyes glued to the pages.
I really found myself in some of their experiences and could probably relate to Anne more than to the others.
I clearly need to read more of her writing!

[Jef · Rating 1 out of 5]

I normally enjoy stories that start with a mystery and have a good twist. From start to finish, though, I disliked this book. Unfortunately, I have a rule about finishing ones I've started. The plot is clumsy, the suspense lacking and the dialogue is cringe-worthy and exhausting. The characters are flat and don't develop much at all, and the story falls flat then ends without warning. Much like this review.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Scarlett Thomas's earlier novels, published in 2001 (and set in 1999). As I've read the author's books in almost reverse chronological order, and found the most recent - Our Tragic Universe - to be the best, I wasn't sure what to expect from this, particularly when I began reading and realised it's written in third person (I just have a personal preference for first person narratives, plus all three of the other books I've read by Thomas have been written in first person). But the story has an exciting central idea: six disillusioned young people respond to a mysteriously vague job advertisement looking for 'bright young things', and wake up to find themselves in a large, well-stocked house on an empty island. The rest of the book deals with the efforts of the six to get to know one another as they attempt to work out what exactly has happened to them.

I've mentioned before that one of the most appealing things about Thomas's writing is that her characters are so likeable; unfortunately, I didn't really like anyone in this story. Some of them had certain good features - Paul was probably the best of the lot, and Anne in particular had noticeable similarities with the protagonists of the author's other books - but they were all kind of annoying in their own ways, and I didn't like Emily or Jamie much at all. Perhaps this was intentional, but if so, it isn't what I've come to expect from Thomas. The characters also spend a lot of time talking about their favourite films, music, videogames etc, and because the book is set in 1999, all of this has a very late-90s feel and is quite dated (I suspect this is a large part of the reason that Bright Young Things, unlike PopCo, hasn't been reissued more recently). I wasn't convinced by all of the relationships - surely some of these people would have found it more difficult to interact with strangers than others? - and the 'pairing off' that happened by the end was easy to predict from the start. But the final twist regarding the reason for the group's presence on the island was really quite shocking, unexpectedly dark and not what I had anticpated at all.

Good, but ultimately unsatisfying - plus it would probably have made a more enjoyable read when all the cultural references were still up-to-date. I'm glad I managed to locate this via the library rather than paying for it, as it doesn't match up to the author's later work. If you're new to Thomas, I'd suggest skipping this one and trying one of her most recent books.

[Verlkungen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is this genre?



I really liked Scarlett Thomas's End of Mr Y, so I've been on the lookout for more of her work. End of Mr Y was bizarre - sciency, academic, sexy drugged up magical realism with mice. Obviously it was fantastic.

This one is still weird but not in the obvious ways that Mr Y was. The general story is that 6 young people find themselves on a deserted island with no idea why. That's it. That's the story.

In the introduction to the novel Thomas describes how this book will become dated very quickly due to all the pop culture references and that it's basically just people sitting around talking. That is 100% true. It's total character study with a lot of cynicism about life and the world and an examination of pop culture. I had to keep googling what things were (it's set in 1999, and I was born in 1990, so a lot of the references went over my head).

This really is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, no matter how snappy Thomas's writing is. Personally, I loved it. I was so interested in these complicated characters and their differing views on life, and honestly I think if I was in this situation I would probably behave in the same way they do. (Ie. sitting about). The dialogue was fun and interesting but also kind of realistic, and the tone set by Thomas is one of cynicism and unease, due to both their situation and their world views.

The only thing I was not keen on was that everyone seemed to pair up, and one case was a bit too insta-love-y for me. Honestly, the last book I read was Six of Crows and that was also a book with 6 protagonists who also got together! Weird. However, this did not ruin my experience.
I also really liked the ending, although it may be a little too abrupt for some.

It's funny to read in the introduction that Thomas had sent this off to the publishers just before Big Brother aired for the first time in 2000. Clearly there was a lot of interest in what drives young people and how they would behave when cut off from society. I've never been able to really be interested in BB, whereas I read this in 2 days. Safe to say, this book is much better than Big Brother ever was.

[Beth Lemin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this book until the last page. I'm so glad it was only 20p on Kindle. I would have regretted paying the full amount. The whole concept of the book was enthralling and somewhat originally done, but the ending ruined the whole thing for me. I was unsatisfied and left feeling like the ending was written in 10 minutes. I didn't have some sort of epiphany like some others seem to have done. The characters were underdeveloped, unlikeable and at times unbelievable. I'm just going to try and forget that I ever read this book. I'd give it one star if it wasnt for the fact that the book had the potential to be great.

[BrokenTune · Rating 1 out of 5]

Erm, ok – if you are dead set on reading this, you may want to know this:

First off, feel free to skip the Preface. It’s not just spoiling some of the story, it’s also very tedious. So, save your strength for the long, long, long and very tedious dialogues that are to follow in the never-ending Truth or Dare game.

Secondly, it might not be all wise to read this whilst sober or otherwise in a clear state of mind, especially not if you are a practical person. You know, one of those who is always thinking things through, looks for solutions and is capable of some foresight. This book may test your patience. Otherwise, why would you go along with the notion that the first thing to do when you find yourself kidnapped with five strangers on an island is to drink some wine, smoke some dope, and play games?

And despite these obvious flaws, I found – to my own annoyance – that I had to finish it simply because I like a good mystery and after two thirds of the book I still couldn't figure what the book was about and if there was a story here to be told.

Having finished the story, I am reminded of a comment my mother made when I urged her to read a book that I was intensely keen on but which she couldn't stand: “I must have missed that one important sentence.” Bright Young Things is a bit like this – there is one line which explained the story to me, and which made me think there is a point to the book – even though the message is somewhat bleak, and yes, tedious:

'We’re only in our twenties, but we've already overdosed on the world.’

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting a Scarlett Thomas book gives me the same warm glow as putting cold feet into warm slippers, curling up on the settee with a liquer coffee after a hard day or hearing the opening tune of your favourite weekly drama series. Pure pleasure! After 50 plus years of reading 100s if not 1000s of books, I think Scarlett is my favourite author. There is something so comfortable and familiar about her opening sentences; its like meeting an old friend.

This book did not disappoint even though it is one of her earlier novels just back in print. Six bright young things apply for a job and end up on a deserted island in an unknown place. As they get to know each other, whiling away time playing truth or dare etc, we get to learn a lot about them. The reason for their abduction remains unclear for much of the book but the story darkens as discoveries are made.

I loved it and my only wish know is that the 3 remaining books that I have still to read (the Lilly Pascale series) are reprinted and stacked on shelves in the very near future!

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scarlett Thomas uses a well thought out plot device to strand six young people on an undisclosed remote island to have them philosophise about their lives and the way the world is/was in 1999. Entertaining read, with the core mystery of how and why they are stranded being a prime driver alongside the thought provoking diatribes and conversations. Zeitgeist? Maybe. Good read. 7 out of 12,

[Judith Ree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow start...hoping it'll get better, especially with the very tiny print I'm putting up with!

Gave up halfway. Had no idea where it was all going and the characters weren't engaging enough for me to persevere. $13 down the drain!

[Ann Jenelle Rotol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bright Young Things is either a book about escape or practicality...

Hmm, this is the scenario here: all of the characters are living horrible lives and they're unhappy and unsatisfied with their lives (well, except for Anne who's just going with the flow. She's my favorite, by the way). And suddenly, without any warning, they have woken up on an island out of no where - where all their needs are met (you know, food, living accommodations, good company, romance, etc.)! It's like they have woken up in a paradise!

Now, here's the question that I want you to answer. If you are in their shoes, what would you do? Will you still want to go back to your old life? Will you be willing to? Or are you just going to do nothing and stay?

At the end of the book, they all decided to stay. In some way, what they've done is practicality. I mean, who wouldn't want to stay on paradise - away from all the bad things the world offers. I've asked myself the same question, as I'm near the end of the book. And my answer: I probably would have done the same as them. But if you look at it closely, what they've done is escape from all their problems! In psychology, that's not a healthy. :P

Furthermore, I probably would have given this book five starts but there are things here which didn't acquire to my taste:

1) The book cover is misleading! I thought this book is all about fun and happy things but no - it's not!

and

2)The villain in this book, I'm sure, is the worst psychopath in the world! If he has wanted to torture the bright young people he has chosen, then why provide all those necessities? And why lock yourself up in the attic? And why not have an accomplice or a back up? I mean, seriously? One versus six? Even though the characters are not athletic or physically strong, they can still beat up one person if they cooperated and came up with a plan, right? I'm a better psychopath than him! HAHA, just kidding! But seriously - :))

Anyway, this book is quite entertaining. The way the characters have their conversations are just like the way normal people talk: some are boring, interesting, fun, informative, heartbreaking and wise. :)

[Hayley Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't have much to say about this book except I can now see why it was free. To be fair, it's a good IDEA for a book, just a shame the book itself was so terrible. It was interesting for about five pages (around page 263 if i remember correctly), they talk about masturbation every single chapter, it's so random and unrealistic AND THEN you get to the end of the book, realise the book had no ending, nothing is resolved, and you've just wasted several hours of your life. Don't waste your time with this book.
(Also this is the harshest review I've ever done, I accept that this is just my opinion and other people might love it, but this is the worst book I've read in a very long time)

[mads · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

It was interesting for a while, a group of people applied for a job and woke up in an island, not knowing how they got there or how to get out. I wanted to keep on reading but I didn't like the characters. if I was trapped in an island with some blokes I didn't know I wouldn't flirt with them or think about getting laid. I would actually try to get the hell out. Instead these people talk about their favourite TV shows and video games, which wasn't very fun. I also read a review saying that the ending isn't very satisfying.

[Gonda Sollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite book by Scarlett Thomas.
But then again she has some really good ones :)

[Petra Willemse · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have listened to what the author wrote in the preface to the edition which explained that the novel was a bit dated and the dialogue stilted. It is true. I got through to what is the “end” but it was a slim read at best and I still didn’t miss anything!

[Nikki Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the disappointing ending.

The book is set out with chapters titled by characters names until they all mysteriously find themselves together. From then the book is chaptered by number but with the perspectives shifting with each new chapter.

I liked the diversity of the characters and the fact that they each represented certain 'types'. For example, Thea was the anxious, over thinker type, Emily was the middle-class, no-stranger-to-going-off-the-rails type, etc.

The story is a kind of mystery. I'll try to avoid spoilers but if you want the book to be a complete surprise then stop reading now! All six characters wake up together, abandoned on an island. They don't know how they got there, why they are there or what the purpose of their being there is. The characters start to remember their last moments before waking up, and alongside shocking discoveries begin to see how they found themselves in this position.

Thomas uses a game of truth and dare as a device for us to get to know our characters in more depth. Usually I would become bored with a book written in this way, however Thomas has such a descriptive and, often raw way of writing that it's easy to get caught up in.

The reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars is due to the ending. The book finishes very abruptly with no real explanation. You find out the reason they are there, in a way, but I really felt as though that was going to be a red herring and the true reason was yet to be revealed. I also guessed the reason before it was revealed which was a little disappointing.

Thomas is far too talented a writer to have simply written the ending poorly, so we can only assume that it was her intention to leave it so open ended. Actually, where this kind of abrupt ending to a story usually frustrates me, I actually find myself, days later, thinking about it and coming up with solutions to the mystery. This more than makes up for it, though I would also quite like to know what happened to the characters as they were so well written that I found myself becoming attached to them.

I really do recommend this book. Thomas also wrote a book called The End of Mr Y. The fact that I have never finished it because I couldn't bear to be parted from it is testimony to the art form that is her writing.

[❄ Pixelflocke ❄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Buch war definitiv eine Überraschung für mich! Ich habe es eigentlich nur aufgrund des Covers aus der Bibliothek ausgeliehen (wie so oft..) und hatte keine Ahnung über Handlung oder Autor.
Die Geschichte ist sehr kurz erzählt: 6 junge Menschen in den Zwanzigern bewerben sich im Jahre 1999 auf ein mysteriöses Stellenangebot und landen nach einer Einladung zum Vorstellungsgespräch auf einer abgeschiedenen kleinen Insel irgendwo in / um Großbritannien. Keiner weiß warum und wieso. Danach geht es eigentlich eher um die Dynamik der Charaktere und ihrer Geschichten. Klingt auf den ersten Blick nach nicht besonders viel, aber Thomas schafft es ein wunderbares Buch daraus zu machen.
Zunächst einmal fand ich die Protagonisten unglaublich toll. Jeder ist anders und hat auch eine eigene Stimme (die Kapitel werden immer wieder abwechselnd aus Sicht einer der 6 erzählt) und ihre Macken & Fehler. Sie sind vielschichtig und spannend, nicht perfekt und sicher auch nicht immer sympathisch. Eben wie echte Menschen. Anne war dabei diejenige, mit der ich mich fast zu 100% identifizieren konnte. Das hatte ich lange nicht mehr in einem Buch.
Die Dialoge zwischen ihnen waren interessant, lustig, oftmals intim, manchmal altklug und dämlich, aber immer unterhaltsam. Ich kann mir genau solche Unterhaltungen auch mit Freunden vorstellen. Lediglich die Truth or Dare - Kapitel haben sich etwas gezogen, aber ansonsten flog das Buch nur so dahin.
Der gesamte Roman ist gespickt mit popkulturellen Anspielungen. Musik, Serien, Filme, Bücher, Videospiele, wirklich die ganze Bandbreite. Es wirkte fast schon wie eine Zeitkapsel in meine Kindheit. Manche Dinge waren für mich allerdings fast schon zu spezifisch, wenn z.B die Rede vom britischen Fernsehen der 90er war.
Das Ende fand ich persönlich perfekt. Offene Enden sind nicht jedermanns Sache und können schnell daneben geraten (wie bei dem schrecklichen "Forever" von Maggie Stiefvater z.B.), aber hier passte es einfach. Sowohl zu den Figuren, aber auch zur Story.
Ich habe das Buch innerhalb weniger Stunden gelesen, Thomas hat einen sehr lockeren, leichten Stil, mit dem sie aber auch traurige oder schockierende Ereignisse wunderbar einnehmend erzählen kann.
Die Einleitung hätte sich die Autorin allerdings meines Erachtens nach sparen können, das waren unnötige Seiten. Aber das ist als einzige Kritik ja wirklich ein Luxusproblem.

[Crazyjamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bright Young Things is a novel where six twenty somethings are essentially abducted and stranded on an island after all applying to take part in the 'Bright Young Things' project. The island contains ample food and other resources, but it is remote and with no clear way of leaving.

Now with that premise one would naturally expect a plot full of mystery and tension as six young people try to figure out the meaning behind their abduction and, crucially, how they are going to free themselves from the situation that they find themselves in. Or at least, that is what I expected.

Unfortunately what the book provides is almost exclusively dialogue between these six individuals, where they talk about everything from music, video games and other pop culture, to notable life experiences that each of them has gone through. The overarching plot is so threadbare and dissatisfying that it came as no surprise to me to learn that Thomas actually didn't want there to be an overarching plot; apparently it was included at the request of her publisher.

As such, it seems that the book was intended as some kind of creative writing exercise exploring the interaction between six young people in a remote location. But the problem is that the book is not portrayed in that manner. Because of the nature of the characters' predicament, the reader will naturally be expecting a resolution to the larger plot. That resolution is so poor that it barely even registers as a legitimate attempt at providing the book with a plot, and as such for me it tainted the book as a whole.

If this book was actually held out to be a study of interaction between young people, then I just might view it in a slightly different way. But then again I might not have bought it at all, and the author including an overarching plot just creates a book that lacks any sense of cohesion when the reader will expect something more focused. I actually found the dialogue to be easy flowing and interesting to some degree, but overall the book is a dissatisfying experience that I struggle to recommend, unless by some chance a book of six young people talking to each other with no real purpose appeals to you.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets be honest, there's barely any kind of plot going on here, this novel is basically an excuse to get six characters together in a strange isolated situation, talking about little but pop culture. In the introduction, Scarlett herself admits the plot element was basically begrudgingly added at her publisher's behest, and the conclusion barely deserves being recognised as such. Luckily, though, the dialogue flows with the kind of believability, grace and fluidity that Tarantino used to get in his early films, with much less profanity. It's like delving into an episode of Big Brother where the contestants are at least vaguely intelligent and have some kind of character.

All in all, it's just a novel to view characters grow and bond in a strange setting, talking about anything and everything but the situation in which they find themselves. It should feel like a creative writing exercise, but somehow because of the warmth and depth of the protagonists, it transcends that, into a quiet little stage play of a novel about nothing.

[Shalini Menon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is awful. I simply cannot understand why anyone would rate this positively. The story line had such great potential, I was totally captivated by just picking it up in a bookstore and reading the backcover!! Little did I know what horrid storytelling I was in for. The story felt dragged out, then rushed, dragged out then rushed. The ending was so disappointing there aren't even words... there basically wasnt ending, just something she scrapped together in half an hour before she had to submit it for publishing! I cant even believe I finished the darn thing. Definitely do not waste your money or time and dont get sucked in by the story line, because she executed it awfully.

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing happens in this book outside of the plot summary you can find on the back of the book. I really wanted to like this novel, but the characters were obnoxious, the entire plot was them talking about pop culture and masturbation, and then the book just ends mid story.

[Melanto Mori · Rating 3 out of 5]

...meh?
Potrei chiudere qui la mia recensione, credo possa esprimere a fondo la perplessità una volta arrivata alla fine.
In realtà, la scrittura della Thomas a me è piaciuta, difatti il mio voto è solo per quello, perché se avessi dovuto dare un voto esclusivamente per la trama, lo svolgimento e il finale sarebbe stata 1 stellina scarsa. Forse mezza.
Interessante l'idea di base: sei personaggi che finiscono non si sa come su di un'isola sperduta non si sa dove a fare non si sa che, né perché. Okay? Inizio intrigante: tutti rispondono a uno stesso annuncio di lavoro e poi si risvegliano lì dopo il colloquio. Figo.
Poi però... il nulla che non sia discorrere della vita di questi come se nemmeno fossero stati rapiti, ma siano tipo lì in vacanza e cianciano delle loro vite, si conoscono, giocano a obbligo o verità e nessuno che si fa prendere subito dal fuoco sacro del: "Porcoca**o, siamo stati rapiti, vediamo di capire come andarcene".
Fino al 70% la storia è interamente formata da chiacchiere. Chiacchiere anche piuttosto inutili ai fini della trama, ma che avrebbero funzionato se fossero stati solo uno studio sul "come far conoscere i personaggi e come caratterizzarli". Perché la caratterizzazione è davvero ben fatta, i personaggi hanno tutti una loro voce che si riconosce e, oggettivamente, non ce n'è uno sano di mente (ma dettagli). Un intero capitolo è dedicato ai VIDEOGAMES, con tanto di riassunto di non ricordo quale Final Fantasy che, okay, per me che sono amante dei videogames è anche molto figo, ma che oggettivamente... A CHE E' SERVITO?
Spoiler: a niente.
Arrivati al 70% finalmente ci si anima, qualcosa si muove, la storia inizia a prendere dinamismo e ti fa ben sperare fino a che intorno al 90% non inizi ad avere la certezza di quale sia la sonata e quindi resti con un "uh" nel leggere l'ultima frase. Con tanto di "Lo sapevo" che passa per la testa assieme al volo di una cornacchia in stile City Hunter (visto che sto libro è pieno di citazioni, ecco il mio contributo).

Sul serio, il voto è dettato solo dalla scrittura della Thomas, ma per il resto è piuttosto meh.

[Federica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho acquistato questo libro dopo aver letto, della stessa autrice, "Che fine ha fatto Mr. Y?", che mi era piaciuto tantissimo.

Il libro parte un annuncio di lavoro, in cui si ricercano "Giovani menti brillanti" che, se interessate al lavoro, dovranno compilare un questionario. Continua descrivendo i 6 protagonisti: Anne, Thea, Emily, Jamie, Bryn e Paul: tutti giovani molto brillanti (a parte forse Bryn) che però sono segnate da eventi spiacevoli e conseguenti problemi comportamentali.
I protagonisti vengono selezionati per il colloquio, vengono drogati e portati a loro insaputa su un'isola deserta, dove cercheranno di capire che cosa è successo loro e come liberarsi da questa prigionia forzata.

Il libro è molto, molto lento all'inizio, ma la cosa non mi ha stupito perché anche "Che fine ha fatto Mr. Y?" era partito lentamente, ma in questo libro non succede praticamente nulla per più di 230 pagine! C'è poi qualche avvenimento importante, ma il tutto rimane sempre abbastanza piatto.
Lo stile della scrittrice personalmente mi piace molto, ed è ciò che mi ha convinto ad assegnare tre stelle (per la trama in sé sarebbero state due) anche se a volte si perde un po' troppo in descrizioni complesse, che potrebbero essere evitate.
Per quanto riguarda il finale, sinceramente un po' me lo aspettavo, quindi non ho avuto nessun "effetto wow" quando ho letto le ultime pagine.

In complesso un buon libro, intrattiene ed in certi punti fa anche un pochino riflettere, ma dalla penna di Scarlett Thomas mi aspettavo molto di più

[Alice Incandenza · Rating 1 out of 5]

parte bene, ma poi cala precipitosamente diventando una boiata insensata e irritante.

[Zoe Campana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il libro parte perfettamente per finire vergognosamente. Si viene lasciati a bocca asciutta, confusi a cercare di capire che cosa questo libro ci abbia lasciato, a me personalmente quasi niente.
Viene impiegato troppo tempo nel parlare dei personaggi che giocano ad obbligo o verità, cosa che dopo 250 pagine su 323 ti spinge a chiederti quando effettivamente inizierà la storia. Essi parlano del niente ed è stata una grande delusione.
Non metto una stella perché era partito con un gran potenziale e sembrava dover essere un libro d’avventura, spoiler, non lo è.

[J.T. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six twenty-somethings reply to a job advert seeking "bright young things" and, after an introductory vignette each, journey to Edinburgh for the interview. Next thing they know, they're marooned on a desert island together. Well, sort of: they're in a nice, well-provisioned house, but it's still on an island which is otherwise unoccupied. How did they get there, and why?

This might all sound a bit 'Big Brother'/'Lost' but it pre-dates both properties. Moreover, despite the plot summarised above, the book is more interested in characterisation, dialogue and chatting about the deadening, overwhelming effects of the 1990s than about solving, or even doing anything with, the mystery. I'd even go as far as to say that the Bright Young Things advert is a Macguffin: the elusive reasons behind the group's captivity drive the reader to keep reading, but to what extent does it drive the narrative?

As with her later books, 'Bright Young Things' has Thomas's trademarks: long dialogue sections, showing-off research, cluster-bomb pop culture references, and potted explanations (here, 'Final Fantasy' is summarised). I love all this shit, by the way, and the characters, although a bit eccentric, seem plausible and full of nuance. (My favourite was Bryn: an Essex drug dealer who bullshits on the application form and seems like an archetypal bit of rough, but with a broad range of musical knowledge and a latent desire to be a photographer.) But what's the point of it all? Her most satisfying novels, 'PopCo' and 'The End of Mr Y' had Aesop endings which felt anvilicious but, however heavy-handed, at least they were endings: alas that's more than can be said for 'Our Tragic Universe' (a sort-of literary in-joke about writing a novel with no plot in a novel with no plot) and 'Bright Young Things'. It doesn't conclude as much as stop.

[Grace Harwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for twenty whole English pence for my Kindle because it sounded alright - I didn't have any strong feelings either way about it, but I thought for 20p, I couldn't really go wrong. The book began with an introduction from the author which to be honest, nearly put me off reading the entire book. It was a load of pretentious waffle about how she had thought up the idea for Big Brother/Castaway first and so on, and so on, and what her book really MEANS. It might be the case that she dreamed up these things first - I have no idea - and I don't much care - I certainly don't want to be told what to make of her book. She's done her bit in writing it - it's up to me now to interpret it as I see fit. I can never understand why writers always want to tell their readers what to think - readers are perfectly capable of making up their own minds about the story; and this was just one further example of why authors should never introduce their own work, but just leave well alone.

So I got through the introduction and onto the story - at this point I was prepared not to like it at all - so it was a wonderful surprise when I found that, actually, I loved it. This is an entirely original story with strong characters each of whom have unique and individual voices. I loved pretty much everything about this book (excluding the introduction by the author). I loved the set up, the characters, the island, and the way the story progressed to its rather unique ending. I even loved Sebastian the spider (and I'm a bit like Thea where spiders are concerned).

This is really a very good book. I'm going to read some more of this author - I'm just going to stay away from her introductions.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was originally written in 1999, but this edition was reprinted in 2014 to include a blurb from the author. In it, she says:

"I wanted it to be a kind of time capsule that you could open ten years, twenty years, fifty years later and be surprised both by the things in it that still exist and by the things that are only faint memories."

Mission accomplished - this was a delight for a nostalgia junkie like me.

A newspaper ad seeks "Bright Young Things" - no more information. Out of all the applicants, six are chosen.

All six are young graduates trying to find a place in the world - three boys, three girls. They wake up on an island - a small island, with a house, shed, clothes line and windmill. The fridge is fully stocked, everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom - but there's no power and no explanation. They don't have anything in common. So why are they there, and what is going on?

The plot isn't the best part for me - in fact, it's the weakest. The joy in this book is the unexpected little pop culture references that pop up every few pages - references to Snake (the game on Nokia), video games, tv programmes, pop stars, magazines, and this gem of a line:

"She's a total Jen, but she wishes she were a Joey."

There's a discussion about a Home and Away plotline that had me GRINNING like a loon and sent me straight to youtube to find old episodes.

In terms of plot - meh. In terms of suspense and nostalgia - win.

[Rachel Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Scarlett Thomas but this one less so. This was her first, repackaged to sell on Kindle. Written during the late 90s during the zeitgeist of reality tv shows like Big Brother and Survivor (she insists she wrote the book before seeing either of those shows) we end up with six twenty somethings on an island.

Unfortunately none of those twenty somethings are remotely likeable and you kind of don't care what happens to them. Lots and lots of lovely late 90s British pop culture though which is fun. And the ending is amazing and totally worth putting up with the rubbish people talking rubbish.

Oh and if you don't want spoilers, don't read Scartlett's introduction until after you've read the book!

[Ruthiella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of this early Scarlett Thomas novel is like “And then There Were None” meets “The Breakfast Club”; six young strangers in the late 1990’s find themselves mysteriously stranded on a remote island where they have been expected as there are 6 prepared ensuite bedrooms, clothing, plenty of food, drink laid on, etc. While the 20-somethings try and figure out why they have been brought to the island, they also bare their souls to one another. This is definitely the weakest book in my opinion of those that I have read by Thomas thus far, but I think that weak Scarlett Thomas is still worth reading.