Title: The Luxe
Author: Anna Godbersen
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA
Hardback 433 pages
Source: borrowed from the library
My Rating: 97/100
In the self-contained world of young Gilded Age Manhattan socialites, Elizabeth and Diana Holland reign supreme. Or so it seems. Scratch the surface, though, and you can detect festering jealousies that threaten to topple them. Elizabeth suffers a more literal fall when her carriage overturns and she is carried away by the swift East River current. That's only the beginning of the action and suspense in The Luxe, the launch volume in a teen series by Anna Godbersen. (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
Decadent...fun......deliciously sinful. These are the wrods that immediately come to mind after reading The Luxe. The plot is not difficult. It is actually very simple and to me completely predictable. It was however the journey in finishing the book, the delight I had while reading this book, that made it's simpleness palatable. The basic plot is this: rich, young, gorgeous people in 1899 New York, that must marry certain people for family's sake. They gossip, party, and waste their days away thinking how awesome they all. Now although all of the characters sound totally vapid, there are one or two that make the story redeemable. There is Diana Holland who tries to buck convention. She likes to read, dress differently, and speak her mind. There is also Henry Schoonmaker who starts out as quite a despicable character, but when he meets the woman he really loves, he changes his ways. At least the best that he can. His character becomes much more likable. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Penelope the trouble maker. She is quite a piece of work, and every story needs a villain, don't they?
Overall, the book has the feel of soap opera, something I don't normally read. But for whatever reason, I completely lost myself in this book. One could say Godbersen is trying to demonstrate how women had little freedom, and family was everything, but to analyze this book in that way seems false to me. The Luxe is a guilty pleasure, plain and simple. It allowed me to escape life and imagine being a fly on the wall in 1899 New York, and for me that is the sign of a good read. I can't wait to get my hands on the second in the series, Rumors. Incidentally all of these books have now been reviewed her on Royal Reviews.
Visit Jenny R. @ Jenny Loves to Read
12 comments:
I haven't read this yet, but have wanted to for awhile. It is along the same vein as Gossip Girl (which I love!) however a century earlier. Definitely a guilty pleasure read.
I never saw Gosspi Girl, but that's the first comparison I thought or. That and the movie Cruel Intentions. Totally mindless fun :)
I enjoyed this series, hope you continue on with it!
Great review :)
I made the library get the 3 first ;)
@ Nise: I definitely will. I was debating how I could fit this in with my 2012 reading plans.
@ Blodeuedd: ha-ha! Good for you! HOpe you enjoy them.
I have been curious about this series for ages, but never attempted to read it before. One day...
@ Kailana
It was the same for me, but this commitment for a review finally pushed me over the edge. This book only took me a week to read, which is pretty fast. I don't have a lot of free time :)
Go on...request it from the library...
I keep seeing this one at my library. Because of your awesome review and high rating I'll make sure to pick it up the next time I'm there. If nothing else than to blame you for it!! LOL!
Feel of a soap opera hmmm not sure but then you won me with "Decadent...fun......deliciously sinful" LOL
I really will have to borrow these, I think Alaine loved them too :)
@ Staci: That's what friends are for! It's a super quick read.
@ Teddy: I wasn't sure about the soap opera comment either, but things that go on reminded of something along those lines. Cliche happenings may be a better term. Definitely a borrow for mindless fun!
I love these covers and this has been on my wish list for a while. I don'y mind a good soap opera now and then :)
Ever time I see this book on the shelf I always think I should read it but then I was a little worried it would be super soap opera-ish or too YA but it sounds like it was a fun read. Thanks for the review, it was helpful!! :)
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