Reading Off of Olga's Bookshelf Week Three: Bright Young Things (Novel)

Bright Young Things is the last installment of the Reading Off of Olga's Bookshelf series! This novel is a perfect example of a great idea gone stale. What started out as a female Great Gatsby turned into a rather "meh" story. So, without further ado, I'll just get right into the review! This is my review of Anna Godberson's Bright Young Things. 

The Story 

The year is 1929, the last of the Jazz Age. Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escape their small town in Ohio for the glittering metropolis of New York City. Letty dreams of seeing her name lit up in lights all the way across the strip, and singing for sold-out crowds in exclusive clubs. Cordelia wants to search for the father she never met, but who she believes is an infamous bootlegger living a glamorous life on Long Island. Astrid Donal is an experienced flapper who seems to have it all, money, looks, and love. But behind all the smoke and mirrors is a trail of family secrets. 

Together these women will embark on their various journeys, experiencing successes and pitfalls that will pull them together-- or tear them apart. 

So, I liked the premise of a Gatsby-esque tale of the glamorous Jazz Age, flappers, New York clubs, extravagant parties, and the like. I've always had a love for that type of aesthetic, the Great Gatsby as a story, as well as the noir theme from which would follow. There is not enough of these stories, and to finally get my hands on one in the Y/A genre was something I definitely wanted to experience. 

My Thoughts

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the story by any means, I just think the story has the potential to have as much flare and glamour as the classic The Great Gatsby itself, but in the Y/A genre. The characters are interesting, dynamic, and the story itself is very real at times, down to earth, and shows the different ways that it can connect and overlap with others. Each character has their own goals and everyday circumstances that is life. The problem is that nothing happens that has any impact or is simply glossed over. 

For example, when Cordelia Grey actually meets her father, logic would dictate that her father would be skeptical, or at the very least, not immediately take her in without doing some research on her background. Especially if you're upper class, you'd not risk the chance of leaking your wealth out to some faker. You'd never just up and believe the girl at first right? But that's exactly what happens! Literally, Cordelia sneaks into his home while he's hosting guests for his birthday party, and tells him that he's her daughter because her mother had letters from a man with the same initials as him. And what's worse, he blindly accepts it! From that point on, Cordelia becomes his new daughter, moves in with him, and even gets to become part of the will! 

In contrast, Letty sings on stage once during one of her shifts as a cigarette girl and attracts the offers of an exclusive talent agent, as she supposedly has this godly voice after having no real singing training. And this is only a handful of examples from the story, I can promise you there are more. 

On top of that, Letty and Cordelia are honestly terrible friends, at least in the beginning. They get separated over one argument, because they meet some people and go out and get drunk, and come back as such, where the housemother of the spot they're staying at in Greenwich catches them. And then they blame each other and wander the streets separately trying to find a place to stay. That's not a very strong friendship, and not an issue worth separating over. Again, one example out of many. 

However, there are some positives here. The story was still engaging and it was interesting to see each character deal with their highs and lows, shedding light on the both the common person's experience in New York during that time, and the upper classes as well. There's an interesting sub-plot with Astrid, a character I haven't spoken about much, and a lot of the subplots between Cordelia and the upper-class world she's been thrust into was quite enjoyable to read. Letty, not as much (but this is a personal choice), as Letty's character revealed more about the hardships of making it "big" as a common girl with no money and very little options. 

My Rating 

So yeah, while I realize that this series is book 1 of 3, I wasn't too impressed with this story. I would give it a borrow if you can find it at your library, but I wouldn't say it is a "must-buy". Check it out for yourself and see what you think! 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

~Meghan