New York City as you’ve never seen it before. A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

Welcome to Manhattan, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one?

Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Debut author Katharine McGee has created a breathtakingly original series filled with high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, where the impossible feels just within reach. But in this world, the higher you go, the farther there is to fall….

This book was way different from what I normally read, which why I kind of picked it. I needed a short break in my normal genre. And honestly it was like reading a soap opera, with all the different over the top lifestyles and drama and angst. This book packed full of teem drama and angst. The writing was fun and easy to follow and honestly one of the reason I stayed with the book, even with all the drama and angst that made me roll my eyes more than once or even twice lol. We follow few people in this book, from the rich spoiled kids from the most upper floors all the way down to the lower and poor people floors. Some lose their money in the story others gain access to the upper levels and then some are just shady. I think all the different people, personalities and voices made it just so much more fun to follow along. I also liked the future tech we get in this book, but sometimes it was just a bit too focused on that and not the people and it got a bit too much. Not sure yet if it just was because it’s the first book in the series and introduces us to the tech or if that will stay that way. I guess I will find out in the next book. Overall, not the greatest book but fun and interesting enough to keep me reading it, all the drama helped too. I will continue on the series to see how it all turns out for them.

I rate it 3 ★

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Came in to update the currently reading list to reflect what I am actually reading these days. I finished this one. Click the link to read my full review of this.

Jane Austen - Jagd auf das verschollene ...

Beschreibung

Rachel und Liam wurden für ein ganz spezielles Projekt ausgewählt: das Jane Austen Projekt. Durch fortschrittliche Technologie reisen der Schauspieler und die Ärztin nach London in das Jahr 1815 zurück. Ziel ihrer Mission ist es, sich über Henry Austen seiner berühmten Schwester und Schriftstellerin Jane anzunähern um das verschollene Manuskript “Die Watsons” sowie Janes Briefe an ihre Schwester Cassandra zu retten.

Nach einer kurzen Eingewöhnungsphase in der Regency-Zeit finden Rachel und Liam tatsächlich Zugang zur Familie Austen. Als ihre Freundschaft zu Henry, Jane und Cassandra sich zu vertiefen beginnt, gerät die Mission jedoch in Gefahr.

Meine Meinung

Bereits das florale Cover von Kathleen Flynns Debütroman “Jane Austen – Jagd auf das verschollene Manuskript” konnte bei mir punkten. Die Kurzbeschreibung hatte mein Interesse dann völlig geweckt. Zeitreisen und Jane Austen – das musste ich einfach lesen! Schließlich schlägt mein Herz für Jane Austens wundervolle Romane und ihre spitze Zunge schon seit Jahren, und die Kreuzung mit einem Zeitreiseabenteuer klingt mehr als verlockend.

Kathleen Flynns Schreibstil lässt sich angenehm flüssig lesen, so dass ich keine Probleme hatte in die von ihr erschaffene Welt einzutauchen. Die Hauptprotagonisten Rachel und Liam stammen aus einer Zukunft, in der es den Menschen möglich ist durch die Zeit zu reisen. Durch diese tolle Errungenschaft erschließen sich der Menschheit unzählige Möglichkeiten, und so entstand das Jane Austen Projekt. Unter vielen Bewerbern wurde der Schauspieler Liam und die Ärztin Rachel auserkoren in das Jahr 1815 zu reisen um die Familie Austen zu infiltrieren und die Chance zu nutzen, das verschwundene Manuskript “Die Watsons” zu retten. Nachdem die Zukunft aus der Liam und Rachel stammen kurz umrissen wurde geht das Regency-Abenteuer auch gleich los.

Mit viel Liebe zum Detail lässt Kathleen Flynn die Epoche zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts lebendig werden und fängt dabei die Atmosphäre in den unterschiedlichsten Situationen ein. Teegesellschaften, Einladungen zum Dinner oder Bewerbungsgespräche mit Hausbediensteten werden genauso fein gezeichnet wie die Persönlichkeiten die in diesen Szenarien wandeln. Die Geschichte wird aus Rachels Sichtweise erzählt, wodurch man einen guten Einblick bekommt, wie sich die Rolle der Frau in den letzten Jahrhunderten verändert hat. Kaum zu glauben wie mühsam es Frauen in so manchen Belangen hatten und wie gut es doch ist, als Frau im 21. Jahrhundert leben zu dürfen.

Besonders aufgeregt habe ich der Begegnung mit Kathleen Flynn’s Jane Austen entgegengefiebert. Zugegebenermaßen hatte ich etwas Angst davor, mir könnte die von der Autorin entworfene Jane nicht zusagen. Doch als es dann soweit war, und die Zeitreisenden tatsächlich der berühmten Autorin begegneten, lösten sich meine Vorbehalte in kürzester Zeit in Wohlgefallen auf.

Der Buchtitel verspricht eigentlich eine Jagd, doch wer darauf hofft wird enttäuscht werden. Passend zur beschaulichen Regency-Zeit schreitet der Handlungsverlauf eher gemächlich als nervenaufreibend spannend dahin. In meinen Augen passt der englische Originaltitel “The Jane Austen Project” um einiges besser zum Inhalt. Ich selbst habe den an Austen angelehnten Stil jedoch sehr genossen und das hat die fehlende “Jagd” auch sogleich wieder wett gemacht.

Der größere Teil des Romans spielt sich in der Regency-Zeit ab und wurde wirklich wunderbar von der Autorin ausgearbeitet. Die Details über Rachel und Liams Herkunftszeit bleiben jedoch recht schwammig und so fühlte ich mich in den abschließenden Kapiteln nicht mehr so recht zu Hause. Die beiden Zeitreisenden kehren nämlich von ihrer Mission in eine Welt zurück, deren Beständigkeit und Funktionsweise sich mir nicht erschloss. Aufgrund dieses fraglichen Romanendes ziehe ich einen Punkt in meiner Bewertung ab und vergebe 4 von 5 Grinsekatzen.

Fazit

Ein vergnüglicher wie auch kreativer Zeitreiseroman der vor allem für Jane Austen Liebhaber ein stimmungsvolles Leseerlebnis bereit hält.

So I had a friend that said that "When Marnie Was There" (the anime movie from Studio Ghibli) was "queer baiting" as in the anime Anna and Marnie both say that they love each over and over and "that wasn't in the book!" She insisted that she had read the book many times.

Only... reading the book myself there are quite a few time that Anna says she loves Marnie, even one point where she puts her cheek next to Marnie's. Yes they use the word "love" and not just implying it.

So.. yeah, turns out she DIDN'T read the book. Not surprising.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Harper Collins UK for providing me an ARC copy of this novel that I freely chose to review.

I must start by saying that although I’ve been reading more historical fiction recently, I am not an expert on the subject, and I know a bit more about other historical periods than about the rise to power of Henry VII of England. I was familiar with the bare facts and, like many people, knew of Richard III through Shakespeare’s play. So, please take my comments about historical accuracy with a pinch of salt (I might be totally wrong!).

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I had not read any of Joanna Hickson’s previous books but thought this would be an opportunity to familiarise myself with the period and to discover her writing. The book follows the adventures of Henry Tudor, whom we meet as a youth, as he escapes England with his uncle Jasper Owen, and also his mother’s, Lady Margaret Beaufort, who is left in the unenviable position of being widowed and a known supporter of the losing side (the House of Lancaster) in the new court of Edward IV (of the House of York). The chapters, written in first person from the points of view of the two protagonists, alternate as required by the action (at times we might have several chapters from Margaret’s point of view, and towards the end, when Henry returns to England, while his mother is confined to her husband’s household, we have several from his point of view), and we also have access to their epistolary interaction (as many years passed before they set eyes on each other).

To begin with I was overwhelmed by the large cast of characters, some with pretty complex titles and similar names, but the book offers a Family Tree and a Map at the beginning, that allow us to follow some of the intricacies of the relationships and to better understand the movements of the characters, and a glossary at the end, that includes definitions of some of the historical terms in use and others relevant to the story (some French and Welsh words that are introduced in the action). (Those who access the story in e-book format should be able to find most of the terms in the dictionary included with the e-reader). Do not be put off by talk of historical terms, as the language used in the story, although not jarringly modern or inadequate to the times, is easy to follow, flows well and feels completely natural to the setting and the situation.

As for the characters… I liked Margaret from the very beginning. Even though her circumstances are miles and centuries apart from most of us, it is easy to empathise with a woman who has lost her husband, is separated from her son, and has to make difficult decisions in order to survive and to further the cause of her son. She is intelligent, astute, determined, but also caring, generous, and kind-hearted. She takes on the children of noblemen and women who have lost their lives in the war or fallen on hard times (perhaps as a way of compensating for the loss of her son), and she is presented as a woman particularly attuned to the difficulties and tragedies other women are faced with. She is a staunch supporter of her son, schemes and puts herself at great risk, at times, to try and further his cause.

I found the early chapters from Henry’s point of view, less interesting. Although he finds himself in dire situations, he is too young to fully understand what is happening, and he gets side-tracked at times and behaves like a boy his age, no matter what fate might have in store for him. This is as it should be and shows the skill of the writer, who presents Henry as somebody aware of his position but also a young boy with much to learn, not only about becoming a king but also about life in general. The book is, in part, his coming-of-age story (including a romance, which the author explains in her note at the end, she made up), but as he grows, he comes into his own and ends up being the one to drive the action. Whatever our opinion of the historical events of the time, his life in exile, always at risk of assassination due to his bloodline, the early loss of his father and the forced separation from his mother make him another character easy to side with. The fact that we see the story from his point of view, and have no insight into Richard III or his actions (other than third-hand through comments and gossip from others) adds to our enjoyment of the story as it is told, although I found that, like Margaret, we come to appreciate some of the members of the York House (Edward IV, his wife, and his daughter, Elizabeth of York) and, like the country, we see that politics and alliances can be difficult to fathom and understand without full knowledge of the circumstances.

There are enigmatic characters (Margaret’s husband, Lord Stanley, is fascinating and plays his cards very well, although he is not heroic in the standard sense), and the novel offers us a good sense of the complexity of the historical period, of what passed for diplomacy at the time (that might include marrying somebody to further one’s claims to land, power, and titles), and of how easily somebody’s luck can turn. Survival was complicated in such a period, no matter who you were (in fact, it might be more difficult if you were of royal blood), and knowing how to present yourself and who to choose as your ally could be (and often was) a matter of life or death.

The author includes recent discoveries (like Richard III’s body being unearthed from a Leicester’s car park) and research to bring to life Bosworth Battle (or Redemore Battle, if we were trying to be more precise). The scene is set in detail and she manages to convey the brutality of it and the tactical elements. Richard III’s determination also comes through, and no matter what we might think of him as a person, it seems he was a brave and determined fighter.

The ending, which is satisfying (of course, not surprising), leaves us with Henry waiting to be crowned and talking about his marriage, after having finally been reunited with his mother. In her note, the author tells us she plans more books with Margaret as a character, and she explains her first-hand research (including visiting some of the Bretton and French castles where Henry spent his youth, and the Battle of Bosworth Heritage site, which sounds like a must for anybody interested in the topic), and the books and sources she has accessed. She also explains which liberties she took with the story and how much she made up (very little is known of Henry’s life in France), and it did not sound excessive, considering this is not intended as a history book but as a novel.

In sum, I enjoyed learning more about this historical period; I felt the first-person narration made it easier to get invested in the fates of the characters and enjoyed the mixture of politics and action. I recommend it to people interested in this historical period, lovers of historical fiction and all things Tudor, and to fans of the author. I will keep my eye on future releases and will check her other books.