keblake22's review against another edition
4.0
this book flowed seamlessly with the first book. it was a good second book!
sparkwaren's review against another edition
2.0
For as much drama as this series has managed to pack into it, the second book was a whole lot of mundane filler that didn’t really do a whole lot more than introduce a new character as an additional wrench to toss into the same fires and rehash the same details we were given in the first book. There was some character building and some character demolition, some new relationships and a whole lot of old ones. We learned a little bit more about all of the characters as we went, and there were some twists thrown in that weren’t as big as I would have hoped for. But, all in all, it just felt like nothing much of anything happened. It was 400 pages of, “… Okaaaay?” And then it ended.
I guess that falls into the “second book slump” issue a lot of series have, but, for some reason, I spent the whole book expecting it not to fall prey to that problem. There were a few things I liked! But it didn’t make up for the fact I was pretty bored throughout.
Like the first one, there was a lot of creativity to the technology of the era, and that was probably the most interesting part of the whole book. The different inventions we were introduced to as the story went on were cool to learn about, maybe even more so because they were clearly only inventions to help the already fabulously wealthy and continually perpetuate the class system that was introduced to us in the first book. Obviously, fuck the class system, but it’s still really interesting to read about in a fictional setting, especially with technology that only exacerbates the issue.
Also, and somewhat unrelated to the topic I just discussed, but there were a bunch of times where the characters read older than they actually were in this one. That just seems to be a continuing issue. I kept walking into walls where the character would be doing something and reading like a twenty-something-year-old and then they’d turn around and do something incredibly immature and I’d have to go to myself, “Oh, right, they’re seventeen.” It was really jarring. I couldn’t get over it. Anyway.
I also enjoyed the new character, Calliope, even if her connections to already-existing characters bored the hell out of me. Her background was interesting along with her methods, and I liked watching her worm her way into the scene via the crowd we were already familiar with. Towards the end I didn’t care quite as much what was going to happen (and that’s because I had already spent so long being pretty bored by the happenings otherwise), but, for a while, her chapters were my most anticipated ones.
All in all, not the worse second book in a trilogy that I’ve ever read, but not the best either. I’d like to see how the third book wraps everything up, especially considering how tangled up everything is now.
First posted on my blog, Confessions of a Literary Addict!
I guess that falls into the “second book slump” issue a lot of series have, but, for some reason, I spent the whole book expecting it not to fall prey to that problem. There were a few things I liked! But it didn’t make up for the fact I was pretty bored throughout.
Like the first one, there was a lot of creativity to the technology of the era, and that was probably the most interesting part of the whole book. The different inventions we were introduced to as the story went on were cool to learn about, maybe even more so because they were clearly only inventions to help the already fabulously wealthy and continually perpetuate the class system that was introduced to us in the first book. Obviously, fuck the class system, but it’s still really interesting to read about in a fictional setting, especially with technology that only exacerbates the issue.
Also, and somewhat unrelated to the topic I just discussed, but there were a bunch of times where the characters read older than they actually were in this one. That just seems to be a continuing issue. I kept walking into walls where the character would be doing something and reading like a twenty-something-year-old and then they’d turn around and do something incredibly immature and I’d have to go to myself, “Oh, right, they’re seventeen.” It was really jarring. I couldn’t get over it. Anyway.
I also enjoyed the new character, Calliope, even if her connections to already-existing characters bored the hell out of me. Her background was interesting along with her methods, and I liked watching her worm her way into the scene via the crowd we were already familiar with. Towards the end I didn’t care quite as much what was going to happen (and that’s because I had already spent so long being pretty bored by the happenings otherwise), but, for a while, her chapters were my most anticipated ones.
All in all, not the worse second book in a trilogy that I’ve ever read, but not the best either. I’d like to see how the third book wraps everything up, especially considering how tangled up everything is now.
First posted on my blog, Confessions of a Literary Addict!
ducchan326's review against another edition
4.0
Opening the book with a funeral, and ending the book with another death. The residents at the Tower are in for a rude awakening when a new girl decides to slide her way into the luxury life of the upTown.
Not recalling much from the first book, since it's been almost over a year that I caught up with Avery Fulker's life, I did remember a few bits and pieces of it, and Katharine McGee did sprinkle a few memory-trigger moments in The Dazzling Heights that how could one forget the whirlwind of events?
Unlike other series, having a new character like Calliope appears out of nowhere, her storyline blended into Manhattan life with ease. She was able to keep up with the Fullers, being able to elbow her way into all of the luxuries and events without coning someone to get her in. I also love the fact that we were able to see other characters develop more, like seeing how Rylin is adapting to her new life, thanks to Eris, or seeing Leda take a major 180 in the second half of the book.
Can't wait to see what's in store for the next book.
Not recalling much from the first book, since it's been almost over a year that I caught up with Avery Fulker's life, I did remember a few bits and pieces of it, and Katharine McGee did sprinkle a few memory-trigger moments in The Dazzling Heights that how could one forget the whirlwind of events?
Unlike other series, having a new character like Calliope appears out of nowhere, her storyline blended into Manhattan life with ease. She was able to keep up with the Fullers, being able to elbow her way into all of the luxuries and events without coning someone to get her in. I also love the fact that we were able to see other characters develop more, like seeing how Rylin is adapting to her new life, thanks to Eris, or seeing Leda take a major 180 in the second half of the book.
Can't wait to see what's in store for the next book.
holly_wanda_12's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ayla_184's review against another edition
4.0
~But the thing about the truth was that once you learned it, it became impossible to unlearn.~
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Bewertung
Insgesamt: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
Inhalt (Storyline & Charaktere):⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
Schreibstil:⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
Cover & Design:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
---
Also, zunächst kann ich sagen, dass mir dieser Teil nicht umbedingt besser gefallen hat, als der erste, ich ihn abef zumindest besser verstehen konnte.
Auch in diesem Teil hab ich die Haupthandlung nicht wirklich gesehen. Zunächst war es etwa langweilig, dann mega spannend und ich habe es wirklich gerne gelesen, dass Ende allerdings fand ich nicht wirklich gut.
Das lag vor allem daran, dass ich die Darstellung mancher Charaktere nicht korrekt fand und die Einsicht in ihre Perspektive zu wenig. Das zum Beispiel bei Mariel. Durch die Einblicke in die verschiedenen Perspektiven konnte ich andere Charaktere, wie zum Beispiel Leda, besser verstehen und irgendwie auch mit Ihnen sympathisieren.
Das Auftauchen von Calliope fand ich irgendwie unnötig. I mean noch ein Mädchen mit Atlas und noch mehr Spielchen.
Noch immer weiß ich nicht, wie ich über die vielen Perspektiven denken soll. Diesmal war ich zwar nicht so verwirrt, das lag aber vor allem daran, dass ich das Hauptgeschehen und die Verbindungen der Charaktere ja schon kannte. Die Wiederholungen am Anfang haben zwar geholfen, waren aber auch irgendwie nervig.
Insgesamt habe ich gespaltene Gefühle über »the dazzling heights« und kann mich nicht ganz entscheiden ob ich es mag oder nicht so wirklich. Ich bin auf jeden Fall gespannt auf den dritten und letzten Teil, da mir ja vor allem der Teil vor dem Ende gefallen hat.
---
Song
• Happiness is a butterfly (Lana del Rey)
---
~ Ayla
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Bewertung
Insgesamt: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
Inhalt (Storyline & Charaktere):⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
Schreibstil:⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
Cover & Design:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
---
Also, zunächst kann ich sagen, dass mir dieser Teil nicht umbedingt besser gefallen hat, als der erste, ich ihn abef zumindest besser verstehen konnte.
Auch in diesem Teil hab ich die Haupthandlung nicht wirklich gesehen. Zunächst war es etwa langweilig, dann mega spannend und ich habe es wirklich gerne gelesen, dass Ende allerdings fand ich nicht wirklich gut.
Das lag vor allem daran, dass ich die Darstellung mancher Charaktere nicht korrekt fand und die Einsicht in ihre Perspektive zu wenig. Das zum Beispiel bei Mariel. Durch die Einblicke in die verschiedenen Perspektiven konnte ich andere Charaktere, wie zum Beispiel Leda, besser verstehen und irgendwie auch mit Ihnen sympathisieren.
Das Auftauchen von Calliope fand ich irgendwie unnötig. I mean noch ein Mädchen mit Atlas und noch mehr Spielchen.
Noch immer weiß ich nicht, wie ich über die vielen Perspektiven denken soll. Diesmal war ich zwar nicht so verwirrt, das lag aber vor allem daran, dass ich das Hauptgeschehen und die Verbindungen der Charaktere ja schon kannte. Die Wiederholungen am Anfang haben zwar geholfen, waren aber auch irgendwie nervig.
Insgesamt habe ich gespaltene Gefühle über »the dazzling heights« und kann mich nicht ganz entscheiden ob ich es mag oder nicht so wirklich. Ich bin auf jeden Fall gespannt auf den dritten und letzten Teil, da mir ja vor allem der Teil vor dem Ende gefallen hat.
---
Song
• Happiness is a butterfly (Lana del Rey)
---
~ Ayla
tramuntana's review against another edition
Reads like a 90s sitcom about toxic, rich kids. No, thank you!
doremelodie's review against another edition
2.0
I only continued reading this book because the first one left on a potential cliffhanger. Do I regret continuing the trilobite? Sorta. Will I finish it? Sadly. The villain baton just keeps getting passed. And not even in a creative way.. very deja vu. The cycle of secrets being kept, grudges held, secrets revealed in a non-consensual way, threats made, damage inflicted, revenge sought.
jesenice's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75