9780061996825
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Bright Young Things audiobook

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Bright Young Things Audiobook Summary

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. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.

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Bright Young Things Audiobook Narrator

Emily Bauer is the narrator of Bright Young Things audiobook that was written by Anna Godbersen

Anna Godbersen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Luxe series. She was born in Berkeley, California, and educated at Barnard College. She currently lives in Brooklyn.

About the Author(s) of Bright Young Things

Anna Godbersen is the author of Bright Young Things

Bright Young Things Full Details

Narrator Emily Bauer
Length 9 hours 56 minutes
Author Anna Godbersen
Category
Publisher HarperCollins
Release date October 12, 2010
ISBN 9780061996825

Subjects

The publisher of the Bright Young Things is HarperCollins. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Juvenile Fiction, Love & Romance

Additional info

The publisher of the Bright Young Things is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780061996825.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Kristi

November 05, 2010

I've been anticipating this novel, since I first heard the rumors of it's existence. Bright Young Things did not disappoint! I'm a huge fan of Godbersen's Luxe series, but Bright Young Things now tops it.The story revolves around three young girls. Letty, Cordelia and Astrid. You will love them! One of the things that I loved most about this novel was how very well written each character was. They all had very distinct qualities. Qualities that led them down very differing paths! I would even go as far as saying that this novel really is about Letty, Cordelia & Astrid and not really about the era at all. (And that PROLOGUE!! GAH! It definitely has me intrigued... I might have it figured out, but I really hope I'm wrong)Historical fiction isn't for everyone... but I think that despite being set in the 1920's the themes in this novel are universal, and are still very relevant to what teen girls go through today. This would be an awesome "starter" historical fiction for someone that's wanting to try out the genre!As far as plot goes, it was fast. There really never was a dull moment. One thing that did bother me, was how Letty and Cordelia split up.... the girls have essentially grown up as best friends, yet at the first little spat they have in New York, they end up going their separate ways.... and they don't really worry too much about how the other is faring...? That bothered me. BUT at the same time... since they did split up and go their separate ways, we get to experience two totally different aspects of the 1920's.... which I won't say much more about.I don't really want to go into the storyline, because I hate when people give things away, and this is one of those times that you want to discover those fun and unexpected things for yourself..... but I will say.... Oh Thom... I'm heartbroken, I really am!And those last few chapters! Oh, my goodness! I need book two, like yesterday!Believe me Doll, you need this book! It's the Bee's Knees!

Laurie

August 10, 2010

SOOOOOO excited to find out that Anna is releasing a new series. I LOVE reading about the past and times before me!!! Im sure this series will be just as great as The Luxe series.. hopefully with a better ending this time.

RubyRidingHood

October 29, 2017

4.5 rating. This book was so good! I love the 20s and enjoyed visiting the magical era through this book!! It is about three very different girls living in New York during last summer of the Jazz Age. I think Cordelia was my favorite character, even though she made some foolish decisions. Actually, all of the girls were foolish and sometimes childish...but I think that was fitting and just because they weren’t mature yet or had the leisure of being lazy and silly. I felt like Mr. Grey was basically Gatsby if he had kids. LOL. But he was more compassionate and not disillusioned like Gatsby. Actually, I found his kindness toward his long-lost daughter a bit odd and untrustworthy. Charlie was sweet and I understood that he meant well. I liked that he was a rougher person until you got to know him better, and he was a real sweet, softy. I didn’t get any vibes that Thom was sinister...so I have a hard time believing that he is bad. But I don’t know, I didn’t really like him anyway. Letty was my least favorite girl. I found her slightly annoying and naive. She didn’t do anything important. I really enjoyed reading this book!! It was so not as scandalous as I was worried. It was a very gentle novel full of intrigue, romance, and excitement rich with descriptions of the dazzling 20s! If you loved The Great Gatsby and wanted a YA take on the 20s time period, then this book is excellent! I want to read the sequel!!

Becca

September 20, 2022

I've never been a very avid young adult reader. The genre bothers me and I feel annoyed when I see young mines burrowed into a book with nothing to teach them. (Hate me if you wish, it's quite alright.) But Anna Godbersen's novels have always made me want to read them, and for many reasons. needless to say when I heard of her release of a new series I was eager to pick it up and eager to read it. Now that I've finished it, I'm reminded once again of her powerful writing style.First of, Anna Godbersen's novels, including 'Bright Young Things,' are always juicy. There's drama, gossip, deep characters, and her historically accurate prose just makes me giddy. (I'm an extremely proud history major and geek.) When you sit down to read one of her novels you are investing you time into something that I believe is extremely worthwhile. This particular volume of hers follows two girls from a mid-western town who run away for the big city. Set in the 1920's, they encounter flappers and speakeasies, shifty women and handsome rum-runners. While one has dreams of seeing her name up in lights, another looks for family she never knew. What follows is the first book in a series that will follow their undoubtedly dramatic, yet of course entertaining, lives in New York City.I think the most inspiring thing concerning Godbersen's novels is the emotion she can pull from the reader. Personally I was shocked, excited, pissed, happy, heartbroken, and absolutely in love while I read through these pages. The girly in me squeed over the gorgeous fashion and the nerd in me may have drooled a few times over the accurate representation of the people, places, and things that filled the pages. There are characters you wish you could call your own friends, characters you want to glomp, characters you love to hate, and characters that you wish you could maim or seriously injure. The pages seem to reflect to you their story, while you reflect back your reactions to every twist and turn.So yes, a college gal who can't even stand to walk past the young adult section in her local bookstore is calling this one of her favorites, hands down. If that's not enough to get you to read this book then I don't know what is.

YA Reads

January 18, 2011

Originally featured on yareads.comRated 4.5If there was ever a book to make you feel glamorous just by reading it, then Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen is it.Set in New York in 1929 during the last summer of the Roaring 20s, the story follows the trials and tribulations of Letty Larkspur, Astrid Donal and Cordelia Grey. Godbersen wastes no time in hooking our attention by stating in the first three pages that by the end of the summer one girl will be married, one will be a star and one will be dead.Letty and Cordelia have been friends since they were young while growing up in the small town of Union, Ohio. After years of dreaming about it they finally pack their bags and runaway to the big city – New York. Letty is out to realize her dreams of becoming a star on Broadway, while Cordelia plans to track down her infamous father.Astrid on the other hand is a born and bred socialite and New York City is her playground. She’s got money, looks and charm…..yet why does it not seem to be enough to curb her darling Charlie’s wondering eye?As the story flutters from the perspective of one girl to the other we get a quite a fascinating picture of what New York was like for a woman in 1929.Though Cordelia and Letty come to the city with quite different goals, they have naivety in common. It takes them both quite a while to figure out who to trust and what constitutes as a wise decision (in particular with the people they associate with).On the other side of the social fence is Astrid. Though at times she may come across as fickle or dramatic – she’s really just jaded by her world and the people in it.One of the things I liked about this book was that even though it was about three beautiful girls it didn’t come across as shallow, insincere or bitchy, pitting the girls against each other over a man etc. Yes, they each have interests in men (hey, doesn’t every girl?) but they had their own moments where their strength, cleverness and independence were on full display.The fashion mentioned in this book was to die for and created some truly glamorous scenes for us to visualize – everything from the cover, to Astrid’s glittering collection of gowns, to Letty’s dark bobbed hair made the story feel so much more authentic.The writing in Bright Young Things is rich, atmospheric and artfully done. You’re vividly transported into the sepia toned memories of the 1920s and the story’s dark glamour really shines through.Though you may get a sense of what might happen next, what actually takes place as the story unfolds can shock you. Since it’s only the first book in the series, and the beginning of the summer, there are still many questions left unanswered.After reading Bright Young Things you’ll probably feel a strong urge to start calling people Doll Face and Darling and walk around the house with a feather in your hair (but this is not advised if your family is like mine – odd looks will ensue). If historical fiction isn’t normally your thing, this book is a great starting point, plus, the story will charm your socks off.

Sab H.

January 01, 2011

This was a delightful story to read. Anna Godbersen's writing is poetic and rich, letting the story flow from different perspectives in a carefully descriptive, dreamy way. Set in 1929, during Prohibition, this story will illustrate vividly a historical period marked by parties and glamour. The writing was incredibly atmospheric, I felt myself transported back in time, becoming a part of Cordelia and Letty's adventure.I did feel sometimes that the story was heavy in details, letting the pace slow down for a bit, but it picked up rather fast as the secrets blossomed and the scandals grew. You can sense the tense feeling of the climax coming, but what happened shocked me nonetheless.The reader can truly relate to the well-done female characters. The three girls were regular girls who just happen to live in that time. Godbersen switches swiftly from one girl to the other, allowing us to view the historical period through various points of view. The male characters though, were easily forgettable. Every time a boy's name came up, I couldn't help but feel I was lost. Yet, it clicked after reading a bit more. Grady, Thom, Luke, Charlie, Darius, Duluth, Glenn? and what's the name of the husband in the first chapter? Anyhow... You get the idea.Overall, I really enjoyed the book and cannot wait for the next one, where I'm sure I will have remembered and placed all the male names. If you enjoy ridiculously well-written novels with a creative and fresh story to tell, go get Bright Young Things right now.

Jenny

February 05, 2017

Look at that pretty cover! I picked this up for two reasons. One was the cover, and the other was the author. I read The Luxe when it came out, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The same was true for this. I do agree with some peoples complaints about the fact that this is not completely accurate. There is no commentary on any of the lower class people, any of the immigrants, any of the African American influence of the Jazz age, nor do any of the adults really disapprove of any of the (then) shocking behavior of their young counter parts. Sure, the adults in Ohio do, but they take up so little of the story as to be non existent. This reads more like a 1920's fairy tale in all honesty. Yes, there are some bad things that happen, but the true grit of this time was glossed over. Despite all this, the book was still well written and did have enough elements of the roaring 20's to still hold its own as pure entertainment. Godbersen has a way with words, and a way of wrapping intrigue around everything that makes for good reading. In short, if you are looking for a deep commentary on the Jazz Age or the next Great Gatsby, look elsewhere. If you want something light and set in that time, maybe this will be for you.

Courtney

March 20, 2022

Such a delightful read! I normally don’t like historical fiction but this one was fun and fast paced! It follows three different girls and the struggles they face. I found myself wrapped up in their stories, which I normally am not with historical fiction. The author did a fantastic job of keeping it light but also deep enough of a story to get into. I look forward to the others!

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