Beautiful Days by Anna Godberson
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication date: September 2011
Length: 8 hrs 58 min
Source: Audiobook from library
For: YA Audiobook Challenge
Series: Bright Young Things, Book 2
Cordelia, Letty, and Astrid seem to have everything they wanted - plenty of money and nothing to do but play. Except Letty is more determined than ever to become a Broadway star, Cordelia is trying to find her place in the family company after her father's death, and Astrid is discovering that not everything is perfect when you're engaged to a gangster. Will the three of them find what they are looking for? And at what cost?
Things I Liked:
The narrator, Caitlin Davies, did a really great job. I thought each of the three main ladies voices were distinct enough I could almost always tell who was talking without any kind of intro. She also had the write inflections and tone for what I imagined for that time and place. The story itself is fascinating, as are all of Godberson's gossipy stories. You can't seem to look away from what appears to be the slow train wreck of their lives. The period details seem pitch perfect (though, let's be honest, I probably wouldn't notice if something was out of place). An interesting and exciting story from the 1920s, a time period that continues to fascinate me (and apparently everyone else, what with the Great Gatsby movie just out).
Things I Didn't Like:
I got a little tired of the characters and story after a while. I wondered a number of times if people really would react (or overreact) the way they did. Each of the three leading ladies would think the world came to an end every time something didn't go perfectly their way. It got a bit tiresome. Also, I started to think the plot a bit predictable, but not in the sense that I knew what exactly was going to happen next, just that you have to have this thing happen, so these people will argue and these people will break up and she won't get what she wants after all, etc, etc.
Read-alikes:
Start with the first book, Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson
The Flappers series
by Jillian Larkin
Check out my Listless Monday list of 1920s reads for more
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some, but not too many
mrg-factor: X
mostly it's implied
v-factor: ->
a little bit, but nothing described or gory
Overall rating: ***
What 1920s reads are you raving about?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: October 2010
ISBN: 9780061962677
Source: Library
Letty and Cordelia have run away from their small town life and found their way to the Big Apple. Letty is determined to make it big as a singer, to see her name in the lights, but runs into a lot more competition and problems than expected. Cordelia is searching for her father, a rich and famous man in the town of Manhatten. But finding her life there is a lot more difficult than she imagines. She makes an ally in Astrid, her brother's girlfriend, who wants to help Cordelia out, but also hides a number of secrets from her as well. Will the three girls get all they hoped for or will their dreams be ripped from them?
Things I Liked:
Oh the setting. It was pitch-perfect and made you feel like you were living in the Jazz Age of New York - flappers and speak-easys and Broadway and huge mansions homes. Godberson has created another fabulous setting for her rich, twisted, and complicated historical fiction series. You will fall into the time and place with such ease, you won't ever want to come back out. And once again, she's created a story that will have you wondering and guessing who is telling the truth and who is hiding more lies.
Things I Didn't Like:
It definitely didn't have quite the appeal that The Luxe books did. I'm not sure exactly why that is, but I didn't enjoy it as much. Other than the setting, I was not as drawn into the story and the characters. They were not people I cared about or wanted to read more about. Still, I'll be intrigued to read the next book.
Read-alikes:
The Luxe books by Anna GodbersonVixen by Jillian Larkin
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some throughout
mrg-factor: XX
lots of implied stuff, some off-page action
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ***
I'm a sucker for a 20s setting. Is there a setting you're drawn to?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
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