Rabiah’s Recommendations: Historical YA #3

As I’d mentioned in my first Recommendations post, I was inspired to do this series of posts by Epic Read’s The Age of YA: A Timeline of Historical Fiction. Last time I recommended books that were set in Ancient Greece and then books set in Ancient Egypt, so now it’s time for another time period/setting:

Historical Fiction #3:

The 1900s

(Part 1: 1900-1929)

Quite a huge jump, I know, but it’s frustrating for me, since I haven’t gotten to read about so many amazing time periods in history. I’ll be making jumps around the timeline from now on!

In the Shadow of Blackbirds

by Cat Winters

••• My Review ● Goodreads •••

I was super excited to receive a copy of this one, and it definitely did not disappoint. I’d never really heard about the Spanish Influenza, and this was a fantastic portrayal of the US at the time. I’ve heard a lot about Cat Winter’s other book The Uninvited which is also set during the same time period, so I’m super pumped to dive into it.

Blood Red, Snow White

by Marcus Sedgwick

••• Goodreads •••

I read this one in grade 7 or 8, and I honestly don’t think I understood it too much. The writing in this one is absolutely gorgeous–I know I need to re-read it. I also got the chance to meet Marcus Sedgewick at ALA in 2013, and got him to sign the copy I had since middle school! It’s really a wonderful story that I’ll need to pick up once again.

Bright Young Things

by Anna Godbersen

••• My Review ● Goodreads •••

Oh, the Jazz Age! I’m a huge fan of The Great Gatsby and I believe I read this one around the same time I read Fitzgerald’s novel. I love Anna Godbersen’s portrayal of the time period in both this book and The Luxe series. I don’t know why I didn’t pick up the rest of the series, but I’m sure I’ll have to pick this one up soon to do so.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

There’s so many more books I need to read from these three decades: The Diviners, A Death-Struck Year, Vixen...just too many good reads to pass up! And not just set in the US as well–there’s Russian history involved as well! Next time, more WWII books will be featured, as that’s next on the timeline (or I might jump back again...who knows!).

Do you have any recommendations for books set during the beginning of the 20th century?

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

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 Timesbestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.

I was so excited when Anna Godbersen (author of one of my favorite series, The Luxe) was going to write another book series. And this one does not disappoint.


It's the 1920's and we enter the era where the economy was bursting through the roof, and everyone was partying all the time...the Jazz Age. I love this era. I swear, it's so interesting! Right now in English we're reading The Great Gatsby and it's quite a coincidence that I read this book before our English unit...hmm....
But anyway, Jazz Age in New York? You don't wanna miss this!


Bright Young Things takes us to the lives of three girls: Letty, Cordelia and Astrid (who is on the cover...isn't she really pretty?). In the same style as The Luxe, this book alternates on their perspectives. I think the character I loved best was maybe Cordelia. She's headstrong, falls in love with an amazing guy (luv him!) and finally gets to find her father. Loved her story the best. Astrid's story was interesting, but not so filled with too much action (well, sort of) and Letty's is pretty okay, I mean, it's about her stage life and etc., which does get kinda scandalous, but meh, not as impressive as Cordelia's.


I really feel that Anna Godbersen's one of the only people who can make era's and time's such as this seem alive and very real. Every detail makes the world of the 1920's come alive. She includes real places and real events in history which make it seem more real. And there was a sentence (well, a part of it) which stuck with me. Cordelia's eyes are described as the colour of Coco-Cola. This is BRILLIANT. I mean, it's such a small detail, but thats the uprising of the most popular brand today. I believe it started around that time, so that's what I mean by adding history! 
Godbersen makes books that are like modern "classics"...only with a LOT more secrets. 


This book wasn't as scandalous as The Luxe though. The Luxe had far more secrets (maybe too many...) and was really different and on dangerous ground for what seemed "appropriate" back then. Bright Young Things was nicer, yet it does get a bit more scandalous throughout, there are not such big secrets that make you go *GASP* or any big shockers or whatever.


Forbidden love is a thing that pops up a lot in Godbersen's books. *SPOILER ALERT* Cordelia falls in love with a man her new-found father disapproves of. Actually more than that, because the guy that Cordelia falls in love with is the son of her father's rival. Wow...harsh. This is similar to The Luxe, cause *SPOLIER ALERT (if you haven't read the Luxe!)* Diana and Henry fall in love (while he's engaged to her sister Elizabeth) and Elizabeth is in love with the family's driver, Will. So that's a really big similarity between the two book series.


I felt as if the series could have ended there, except for the bit with Cordelia. Like, everything kind of fell into place (ish) and it seemed like it was okay to end there. But I'm still glad that it will continue though!


Overall, Bright Young Things is a fantastic read for Teen's and Young Adults, opening up another fantastic era in YA fiction. Though not as scandalous and filled with many secrets like The Luxe, Bright Young Things is the amazing story of three girls who want to find their freedom in the towering, action filled and dazzling New York City. It's worthy to be compared to the legendary work of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, while the both touch the topics of scandals, forbidden love and the Jazz Age. Loved this book! Can't wait for the second one, Beautiful Days.

WWW Wednesdays - Week 4

"WWW Wednesdays" is a weekly meme by Should Be Reading. Just do the following:


• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

My Answers:

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen. Just started it and it's amazing!

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished reading Prom Night: All the Way by Megan Stine. Look out for a review soon!

What do you think you’ll read next?

I think I'll read Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway next! It sounds really good :D

Leave a comment with a link to your answers, or just post your answer (if you don't have a blog) in the comments!