The Luxe

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It's a hit!

I'm not going to lie...this was a book that I judged by its cover...initially at least. The cover of this book was just so gorgeous...how could I h... (show more)

I'm not going to lie...this was a book that I judged by its cover...initially at least. The cover of this book was just so gorgeous...how could I help it? I'm very happy to say that I was not disappointed. The book is set at the close of the 19th century and focuses on a handful of New York's social elite and the secrets that go on behind the scenes.
If I'm being honest, it was kind of like a written and slightly more realistic version of a soap opera. Scandals and treachery are plentiful as some characters begin to fear losing their lot in life and others struggle to improve their own....meanwhile, some characters live with a complete disregard for what society expects of them.
This book was an easy and relaxing read with just enough plot twists to satisfy readers. The two subsequent books offer more in the way of twists and turns but that is to be expected considering the fact that the first book of a series always has to serve as an introduction. (show less)

 

 

by Amber Finch

No, it's a flop!

Honestly, I expected a whole lot more from this book. I bought all three books at one go as I thought it would be a book I would finish in a span o... (show more)

Honestly, I expected a whole lot more from this book. I bought all three books at one go as I thought it would be a book I would finish in a span of 2 days. Author tried to hard to use olden words, tried too hard to create scandal, and Elizabeth was boring and couldn't make up her mind. This book frustrated me more than excited me but I did think that the plot was not bad. The story could be taken further if the author used a different style and approach to the writing. (show less)

 

 

by Amanda Chan

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  The Luxe tells the tale of young socialites in New York in the late 1800s. Our main character is Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of an old money family, who finds that due to diminished circumstances, she must marry wealthy ner-do-well Henry Schoonmaker. Nevermind that she is in love with her childhood friend (and family coachman) Will. Nevermind that her best friend, Penelope (who is from a new money family and is a little bold) has her sights set on Henry. Nevermind that Henry seems to b... (show more)

  The Luxe tells the tale of young socialites in New York in the late 1800s. Our main character is Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of an old money family, who finds that due to diminished circumstances, she must marry wealthy ner-do-well Henry Schoonmaker. Nevermind that she is in love with her childhood friend (and family coachman) Will. Nevermind that her best friend, Penelope (who is from a new money family and is a little bold) has her sights set on Henry. Nevermind that Henry seems to be falling in love with Elizabeth's sister Diana. One thing Elizabeth knows she must do is her duty.

  Or does she?

  Author Godbersen has created a rich, meaty, historical romance for the YA set that is full of gossip and backstabbing. But this book owes more to Jane Austen than Gossip Girl, and that is a good thing. Slow to get going, once this book hits its stride you can't put it down. Godbersen has also done her research, giving the story a rich backdrop full of fancy dresses and disreputable New York neighbourhoods.

  Go buy this for the young woman in your life. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Dec 23, 2009 at 12:36PM

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  The first thing I noticed about this book, and the series in general, is the gorgeous cover art. Whomever came up with the cover design for the series and painstakingly coordinated all of the cover shoots, including this one, did a fabulous job. Not only does the artwork inspire passersby to pick up the book, but it fits perfectly with the nature of the book itself -plus it's what originally hooked me to the series.

  The Luxe follows the lives of a group of teenage socialites in Manhattan in ... (show more)

  The first thing I noticed about this book, and the series in general, is the gorgeous cover art. Whomever came up with the cover design for the series and painstakingly coordinated all of the cover shoots, including this one, did a fabulous job. Not only does the artwork inspire passersby to pick up the book, but it fits perfectly with the nature of the book itself -plus it's what originally hooked me to the series.

  The Luxe follows the lives of a group of teenage socialites in Manhattan in the year 1899 -at a time where debutante balls, social seasons and society pages were all the rage in polite society. Elizabeth Holland is the darling of the New York rich -she's perfectly mannered and equally as beautiful while her younger sister, Diana, has a reputation for mischief. Elizabeth's best friend, Penelope Hayes, stands in the Elizabeth's shadow while chasing after one of New York's most eligible bachelors, HenrySchoonmaker . As pressures mount among the teenage socialites between parents and societal expectations, friendships dissolve, new alliances are forged and characters are drawn apart.

  The Luxe is basically a historical version of Gossip Girl with some Jane Austen flair. Oddly enough, I'm generally not a big fan of Gossip Girl or similar type things, but I thought I'd give TheLuxe a shot because I thought it looked fascinating.

  I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, but I liked it much more than anything else out there about rich teenagers and their cut-throat lives. Most likely it was due to the historical natural of this book -the period isn't one I've read much about, and AnnaGodberson's vivid detail of the period (especially the clothes) was a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, the description, as great as it is, does seem a little overpowering at times and can bury the plot.

  While the description was great, the characters were not so much. While semi-interesting, all of the teenagers were perfect cut-outs of stereotypes, and I didn't find any of them relate able or even likable. The adults are thrown into the background and seemingly forgotten. There were several points where I was more interested in the setting itself than in the characters -and while this speaks to the author's ability to create setting, it doesn't say much for the characters.

  While I enjoyed this book, I thought I would enjoy it more. It's got an interesting, though simple, story and a great setting, but the characters just don't grab me. I will probably read the next book because a)I picked it up with this book because I thought I'd want to read both and b)one of the main characters finally got interesting at the very end of the book, so I semi-care about what happens to her next. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-användare on Sep 15, 2009 at 08:12PM

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