The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Imagine, if you will, New York City, 1899 . . .

Society's elite: the glamour, the grandeur, the glittering parties, the most handsome beaus, the most beautiful debutantes, the sounds of decadence, the rich girl, the humble boy, the forbidden love, the hushed whispers, the stolen glances, the secret rendezvous, the sin, the scandal, the mystery, the revenge.

You are cordially invited to step into The Luxe, where the secrets are dark and the sins are delicious . . . (publisher's site)

With the tagline: White Lies. Dark Secrets. Scandalous Hook-ups. you know The Luxe is going to be one of those guilty pleasure books.

There's four main girls and two main boys in a, hmm, you can't really call it a love triangle, because it's much more tangled up and complicated than that...

The girls:

• two are sisters: beautiful, elite and rich - secretly on the brink of poverty. Elizabeth is in a secret affair and Diana's kissing someone she shouldn't be... 
• another is a best friend, gorgeous and flirtatious and scheming. (Penelope)
• and the fourth is a maid, watching on and seeing more than she should. (Lina)

The boys:

• one an utterly gorgeous player, a wealthy bachelor with a rowdy reputation. (Henry)
• the other, a stable boy who heats things up in the barn. Quite nicely. (Will)

Mix it all up with a high profile engagement, family secrets and forbidden affairs and you have a glamourous and deliciously compelling read.

The strength in this book is in the story-telling. It's told from multiple points of view so it took a little while to set the scene. But once you settle in (for me - it was the 50 page mark) the pages just fly by. Godbersen knows how to plot and throws in twists and revelations, hints and secrets in a such a timely way that you're constantly tempted to keep reading the next chapter.

At it's core it's a story of forbidden love, temptation, family duty verse desire. Expect scheming and betrayals and flirting and broken hearts. Despite some sexy shenanigans, it's very PG and told in a fun and glittering manner.

It's a socialite, glitzy novel set in a historical era rather than historical fiction that explores a historical period. There's no social commentary or wider scope of the world at the turn of the 20th century, it's not a period study. But you can expect New York High Society balls and fashion and gowns and girls who are chasing dashing boys despite the rules of etiquette and decorum. (And the boys are chasing them back). These girls like breaking the rules and living a little bit dangerously.

It feels like Godbersen is more than comfortable writing in this era, her language and narration all add to the tone of period.

For all the fun in the pages, it's not a character driven novel. Godbersen is weaving a story of high drama and taking us along for the ride. Characters motivations remain easy to understand, but are not explored in depth. I didn't overly care for any of the characters - I cared more about the actual story. It's not a book designed to linger, but to give readers a good time while reading it.

A few discussion-y thoughts:

I loved all the little letters and newpapers articles and invitations that were scattered throughout the pages.

I really didn't dig the prologue. Not only did it overwhelm me (I felt like I had to concentrate with so many new characters filling the scene at once) but it also, for me, took some of the oomph out of the climax/resolution. I read it twice and it still didn't grab me into the book.

Henry Cavill
haha, this picture amuses me
and suits Henry from the book as well
anyone else watch the Tudors?

I kind of imagined Henry as Henry Cavill. Hey, it works for me ;)  (even Henry's character somewhat matches the early playboy portrayal of Charles Brandon in the Tudors).

My favourite girl is Diana - she's a spunk, feisty, fun and a bit of a dreamer and not so overwrought as a few of the others :)

The Luxe is a New York Times Bestselling novel which is available now

Recommended: Perfect for a rainy day indulgent read, anyone who loves a bit of soapie scandal will devour this book. The best thing is - all four books in the series are out, so no excruciating waiting between book releases (the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger...)

I liked it. I read it in two indulgent days. But didn't quite love it :)
(If we're talking ratings, I'm giving it 3 stars)

More stuff to check out
The Luxe Website
Read an Excerpt
Read the Prologue
More about Elizabeth (who is the girl on the cover)
The Luxe @Penguin Australia

Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy

Winner of the Young Adult 2010 Prime Minister's Literary Awards

For a refresher, here's the list of books nominated for the award:

Young adult fiction

• Stolen by Lucy Christopher
• The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
• Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon
• The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds
• Swerve by Phillip Gwynne
• Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen
• Beatle meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams

It's the first year there has been a Young Adult prize, so no previous winners :) 




It's a really tough competition with the standard of the short lists being so high. 

• My personal favourite on this list is Beatle Meets Destiny
• I thought Stolen was exceptional
• Jarvis 24 and Swerve are two brilliant male POV's (Jarvis 24 won the CBCA for older readers this year)
• I've read all except for two: The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Gold, and Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon.

Anyways, on to the winner (which includes a 100k tax free cash prize)

Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon

I have this annoying problem that gives me a lot of trouble: a conscience. 

Neil Bridges attends a Catholic boys’ school in which teachers rule with iron fists and thick leather straps. Some crumble under the pressure but Neil toughs it out, just as his Vietnam-bound older brother has done before him. He has to be a man, after all. But at sixteen, how can he be sure of himself when he’s not sure of anything else? 

He loses a friend and finds another, falls in love and unwittingly treads a path that leads to revenge and possibly murder . . . (from goodreads)

And the judge's comments:

Judges’ comments

Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God is a poignant, funny and deeply insightful rite of passage novel. Set in 1967, the author makes it seem contemporary, skilfully employing a nuanced first-person narration. Neil Bridges attends a Catholic boys’ school where classmate Ray (Zom) is accused by a Brother of stealing a wallet and is expelled after a fight with his accuser. Neil knows who stole the wallet, but refuses to tell. Ray’s father is so ashamed that Ray is cut off from his family – save for his older sister Sylvana. Neil falls in love with Sylvana, but, implicated in Ray’s disgrace, his loyalties and motives are deeply conflicted. The pain of first love, and the morality attached to individual life choices, is evoked with real empathy. Confessionsof a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God also portrays the strength of ordinary families and the love even between warring brothers. There’s a poignant hint too, of more loss ahead, in Neil’s brother Kevin’s conscription for the Vietnam War. Condon declines to indulge in historical revisionism, while the economical prose attains a rhythm that is almost poetry. The short, chiselled chapters ensure that not a word is wasted. Condon is a writer of considerable craft who eschews the flamboyant in search of deeper truths.

Congrats to Bill Condon and to all authors short-listed :)

The Piper's Son Aussie v US Cover

Here's the US hard cover for Melina Marchetta's The Piper's Son. Due for release in March 2011. Thanks to A.J for featuring it on her blog :)

US   //  Aussie

What do you guys think?

 I'm liking to Aussie one better - more grungy and soulful.

Speaking of the Aussie cover - thanks to the ever-so-cool Jess from The Tales Compendium who pointed out that the model on our Aussie edition is Pete Murray!

His album cover for Feeler

More images of Pete Murray

I absolutely recommend...

I don't have time to give these books the justice they deserve with full blown rave reviews so here I am shouting out about them in a mini-review post. 


I think I may make this a regular feature...


Links go to goodreads.

One Lonely Degree by C K Kelly Martin


Finn has always felt out of place, but suddenly her world is unraveling. It started with The Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only person who knows about that night is Audrey—Finn’s best friend, her witness to everything, and the one person Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn’s childhood friend Jersy moves back to town—reckless, beautiful Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you’d want to dip your fingers into it if you weren’t careful—Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. How could she possibly say no to Audrey? With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time in her life, something feels right. But Finn can’t be the girl who does this to her best friend...can she? 


I absolutely loved this. Beautiful and seamlessly written. It made me ache. C K Kelly Martin just has this way with pulling me in and making me care. 


I loved Finn - I so related to her - quietly, beautifully angsty and unassuming and genuine -  a stunning portrait of a teen muddling through life.


As for Jersey - what a dynamic relationship - so much to read in between the lines. I am crushing on him hard. HARD. 


This is contemporary relationships crafted at it's best. Friendship and family and love.

The ending - just so well done. This book has lingered and I keep feeling the urge to go back and flip through it's pages. 


The premise may sound ordinary, but the book definitely is not. If you are a fan of Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Scott or contemp YA in general - this should be screaming out at you from a must-read list.

Hold Still by Nina Lacour


In the wake of her best friend Ingrid's suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing.


I got this after reading oh-so-many stunning reviews. And it's one of my fave reads this year.


I am most astounded with just how deeply I sunk into these pages. Nina LaCour knows teens and she's pitch prefect at capturing them.


I personally not only related to Caitlin, but also to Ingrid (who, wow, she's dead from the outset, but her presence is so keenly felt throughout the pages). 


It's beautiful and hopeful and brave and captivating and I wish I could go back to my teen self and give her this book. This is another one where the magic lingers in my mind. Stunning.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on "a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

What an amazing book.


 It's refreshing and honest and not at all awkward (which I was initially apprehensive about). 


At its heart, it's a love story, and a story of friendship and mothers and daughters. 


Despite Drea's Aspergers, she's incredibly easy to relate to, to love and to cheer on. It's funny and precious and inspiring. 


It's a little heartbreaking, a whole lot eye-opening and completely captivating. Also, Justin, swoon :)

(and a shout out to Angie who gave it to me! You're the best!)

All three of these books are ones I will re-read. 

Ones I'll be passing on to friends. 

All have crush-worthy guys (just saying). 

They're stand out reads for me. 

And contenders for my top fave reads this year.

Have you read any of these?

What contemp YA have you recently read that you fell in love with?

The Rosie Black Chronicles by Lara Morgan

Well, how brilliant is this trailer?



I am very psyched for this one - brilliant premise, funky cover art, Australian and it's receiving some outstanding reviews.

It's out now in Australia and New Zealand. I spotted a copy @ Kmart and the cover looks stunning in the flesh, the black ink raised and bumpy :) My copy is flying to me after winning one from The Book Gryffin. (yay! Thanks Tye)

The Rosie Black Chronicles
by Lara Morgan

Five hundred years into the future, the world is a different place. The Melt has sunk most of the coastal cities and Newperth is divided into the haves, the “Centrals”; the have-nots, the “Bankers”; and the fringe dwellers, the “Ferals”.

Rosie Black is a Banker. When Rosie finds an unusual box, she has no idea of the grave consequences of her discovery. A mysterious organisation wants it – and will kill to get it.

Forced to rely on two strangers, Rosie is on the run. But who can she trust? Pip, the too attractive Feral, or the secretive man he calls boss?

From Earth to Mars, Rosie must learn the secrets of the box – before it’s too late.

Rosie Black dot com
Rosie Black @ goodreads

In other news. The Rain! Argh. I live on the coast and it's rained for weeks and weeks and now it's forecast to pretty much rain until Christmas. It's thundering-down, blast-in-your-face, insane-overflowing-gutters stuff.
Have a good (hopefully sunny weekend)

:)

This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas

Seventeen-year-old Olivia peters has long dreamed of becoming a writer. So she's absolutely over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and much-adored local priest Mark D. Brendan, selects her from hundreds of other applicants as the winner of the Emerging Writers High School Fiction Prize. Now she gets to spend her summer evenings in a college fiction seminar at the nearby university, where dreamy college boys abound and Father Mark acts as her personal mentor. 

But when Father Mark's enthusiasm for Olivia's writing develops into something more, Olivia quickly finds her emotions shifting from wonder to confusion to despair. And as her wide-eyed innocence deteriorates, Olivia can't help but ask - exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can she get out of it? 

This remarkable second novel by the author of The Possibilities of Sainthood, about overcoming the isolation that stems from victimization, is powerful, luminous, and impossible to put down. 

I psyched myself up before reading this because it looked intense and emotional and maybe even a little disturbing.

It was kinda intense and it hit me hard emotionally but don't let the slightly disturbing subject matter deter you from reading this. Despite the premise, there is a lot of breathing space in these pages which not only focuses on the main premise, but also includes a beautiful love story and an unforgettable main character with a cast of faithful and fun friends.

There's a lot to admire about this book. It's lyrical and haunting. There's moments of stillness amidst bubbles of fear. It's a little creepy and I had chills by the end. It's a page turner with masterful execution of the plot.

The ending was powerful and liberating. It really superseded my expectations and I know I'll be passing it on to teens I know.

I had this sense of peace and empowerment when I finished reading the book. It's a story that will linger and I am so glad that this story has been told.

*Slightly spoilery, but not much :) *
I was grateful the story didn't get into physical abuse as I had thought it might. It was all psychological and stalker-y - which, while just as powerful and scary, was easier for me as a reader to stomach.


This Gorgeous Game @ goodreads
Praise for This Gorgeous Game
Read an Excerpt
Download discussion Guides
The cover story for This Gorgeous Game (isn't it a gorgeously evocative cover?)

Five Parts Dead by Tim Pegler

Dan has dodged the Reaper again. If he were a cat, five of his nine lives would be gone—when his mates didn’t even get second chances. He’s still grieving their deaths when he’s dragged on a family holiday at a remote island lighthouse.

Left alone, at what feels like the end of the earth, Dan starts sensing a mysterious girl. Is she a dream? Or has he somehow hooked into the spirit world?

The lighthouse logbook helps illuminate some of the girl’s tragic story but Dan will have to dig deeper to find answers and the inspiration to embrace life again.

Tim Pegler gets inside the minds and hearts of teenagers and captures their voices—spot on.

Five Parts Dead would have to be among one of the best books for teens I have read. 

Tim Pegler is some sort of plotting genius. He has two timelines, Dan's present day holiday at the island (which also includes flashbacks to his life before the accident) and the second story of the people who lived at the light house which is unveiled through the light house log and some research at a local museum. 

The pacing is so well done that everything unfolds brilliantly, always leaving more mystery and secrets for the reader - the whole mass of story and emotions and mystery is all explored in just under 200 pages and it's incredible how much power and emotion is packed into such a short space. One of the dangers of weaving different time lines and characters together is that I often end up being more invested in one of the stories than the other. Not so here - in fact, I felt deeply immersed in all the characters and their journeys.

It's eerie. Okay, so I was reading it home alone in the middle of the night during a coastal storm. And, initially,  I felt freaked out in a goosebumpy delicious way which then changed to a complete wide-eyed horror as the story progressed. There's some gore and creepy stuff going down.

It has a very sexy, very teen love story in there.

Not only is the story stunning - both timelines, but the characters, make this book far more than just a captivating story. They're the kind of characters that feel real, that are captured in smart, succinct dialogue and individual nuances. They're characters that make you ache and laugh and it was so easy for me to visualise them and find myself caring for them immensely. 

Me and Five Parts Dead

I don't cry in books. Sometimes I call books tear jerkers because they really tug at my emotions. I was happily grinning away one page and completely invested in the story, madly flipping through pages, and then - BAM - the next minute my eyes have welled up and tears are spilling over and I felt like I had been ripped open. It's been a long time since I've bawled in a book.

Other cool cool stuff:

• Pip (funky 17 year old girl)- reads Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, out in the sun on the island. Loved that :)
• Dan's a twin. I love twin stuff in books. And this is cool as his twin is a sister.
• the car crash scene is the best I have ever read, anywhere. Talk about graphic - I was wide-eyed and hit hard. Mesmerising prose. I don't think the images created in my mind will ever leave me.
• there's some freaky haunting stuff in here. Including an exorcism scene - which is creepier as it's notated factually in the light house log book. 
• there's some cannibalistic stuff going down. Everyone loves a bit of cannibalism, yeah :)
• I got right inside Dan's head space - such an honest and funny and heart-felt male POV. I really love the guy. And he's having such a rough time...

Recommended: Five Parts Dead is on my favourites shelf (obviously) and I can't wait until my boys (and my girl) are old enough to read it. It's a perfect novel for all ages, that will capture the imagination of all readers - but it's especially brilliant for boys and reluctant readers. This is a book that will not only mesmerise readers, but one that will linger. And did I mention it's funny? I so love books that make me grin :)

I personally can't wait to read it again.

Five Parts Dead is available in Australia now

Five Parts Dead @ goodreads

Five Parts Dead @ The Book Gryffin "I have oft praised Melina Marchetta for her beautifully developed characters and till I read Tim Pegler, I had thought she was alone in her ability to make me long to meet her protagonists in real life. Not only did I spend a great deal of time yearning for Tim’s characters to be real, I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about them since I closed the cover on Five Parts Dead."


Snapshot of a novel Tim Pegler's written notes - his first ideas/inspiration for the novel. This is completely awesome!


Reviews of Five Parts Dead Professionals who are so more eloquent and succinct than I and who love this book as much as I do.