Review: Beautiful Days - Anna Godbersen

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen, published by Puffin on 1st September 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
 For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.
 
After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.
 
Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.
 
Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly.

Review:
This is the second book in the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godbersen which is set in the jazz age of the 1920s.  This is a decade which I love!  Flappers, bootleggers, fringed dresses and jazz music all feature to help set the scene for this particular period in time and Godbersen's wonderful prose and gorgeous descriptions combine to transport the reader back to 1929. 

The roaring twenties are often seen as a glamorous decade with gorgeous fashions, decadence in abundance and where decisions are no more important than where to be seen and what to wear.  However, one of the things I love about this series is that although we are shown the glamour, wealth and privilege of many of the families in the book, the emptiness and shallowness of the lives that characters such as Astrid in particular are living is also depicted.  This is particularly echoed by Letty who has spent an idle and empty summer with Cordelia.  Gradually she begins to realise that she has begun to let her dreams slip away and that if she truly wants to become a star then she must create her own luck and work her way up to the top.

Although Cordelia was my favourite character in the first novel, I really warmed to Letty in 'Beautiful Days'.  Her story is full of ups and downs as she tries to fulfil her dreams to star on Broadway.  She also has the chance at a real romance but even with this things don't go smoothy for her.  I found that I could identify with her the most out of the three girls and I enjoyed seeing her personality develop further and see her struggle to become something and make a name for herself.

All three of the main characters have numerous romantic entanglements.  I must admit that I've always found something slightly sinister about the relationship between Astrid and Cordelia's half-brother Charlie.  Their relationship has progressed a step further by the end of the book but I feel like there's a continual threat of something going terribly wrong between them.  Their romance is incredibly tempestuous so it will be interesting to see whether they're still together by the end of the series.  Cordelia is still recovering from her betrayal in the first book so she starts to put business first and pleasure second although she too forms a romantic attachment in the form of a handsome pilot.

One of the things I love about this series is that it may be set in the past, during a period of history which I find absolutely fascinating, but all the girls are dealing with situations which are still relevant today.  They get their hearts broken and their dreams dashed just like modern girls.  Anna Godbersen is currently working on the next book in the series and I can't wait to see what's going to happen to all the characters next.

Review: Bright Young Things - Anna Godbersen

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen, published by Puffin on 6th January 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star…

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart.

Review:

As well as loving young adult fiction, I also read a lot of literary classics, particularly 19^th century fiction and ‘The Great Gatsby’ is one of my favourites.  Although it’s set a few years before this book, when I heard about ‘Bright Young Things’ and the fact that it takes place in 1929, I immediately thought of Jay, Gatsby and Daisy – the roaring twenties, prohibition and the glittering lights of New York City. 

I haven’t actually read Anna Godbersen’s Luxe series yet (although I really want to) but I know that they have absolutely amazing covers and ‘Bright Young Things’ joins them in being really eye-catching and stylish.  I’m a sucker for a pretty book and I think I would almost have picked this up on the cover alone.  It also meant that I was coming to Godbersen’s writing fresh.  I love her use of description that perfectly conjures up the sights and sounds of the big city and transports you back to a moment in time during a different era. 

The story centres around three girls – Letty Larkspur, Cordelia Grey and Astrid Donal.  Alternating chapters tell of their adventures in the big city.  The contrasting viewpoints of the three very different characters meant that the narrative remained interesting and varied.  The girls set out with individual agendas.  Letty Larkspur has arrived in New York to make her name and become famous.  She has a beautiful singing voice but she’s naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world and easily taken advantage of.  She believes that everything is going to fall into her lap but she suffers a serious of setbacks which shake her faith in the world.  Although she can be rather shy and self-conscious, I admired her bravery in leaving her family behind and striking out on her own.

She comes to New York with her best friend Cordelia, although the two part ways almost immediately on arrival.  I thought it was a little strange that the two girls who were so obviously close would have parted company so quickly over a small falling out but then I guess in a lot of ways they want different things and although Letty initially feels like she needs the braver Cordelia, Cordelia is strong enough to survive on her own.

Cordelia’s come to New York to find her father and this particular storyline is concluded quite quickly.  It might have been more interesting if she’d maybe stumbled across the wrong man and we’d seen the consequences of this.  Cordelia, although she has various faults, was my favourite character and I enjoyed reading the chapters about her the best.  She’s sometimes selfish but she’s also seeking her independence and freedom and learning to survive on her own two feet.

Astrid Donal is a contrasting character to the other two girls.  She lives with wealth and decadence all around her and wants for nothing.  This however, doesn’t necessarily make her happy.  I suspect that there’s a lot more to be revealed about Astrid later in the series and I get the impression that she may be hiding a very dark secret.

I liked the fact that the book was set in 1929 because it meant that we could see the girls branching out on their own in a period when America was prospering.  Obviously in late 1929, the Wall Street Crash was a significant event for many Americans, so it will be interesting to see if this is incorporated into the next book in the series, Beautiful Days which is published in September 2011.  I can't wait.

‘Bright Young Things’ was a real treat to read and I’m so glad that it’s only the first in the series because I want to learn more about all the girls and follow them on their journeys.

Thanks to the publisher for sending this one for review.