Well, I got what I wished for…The Luxe is dramatic, trashy historical fiction. Although this was officially a young adult book, I expected it to be better. It’s like Gossip Girl/Sweet Valley High set in the turn of the century New York City. One gal is posed to be society’s sweetheart, but flakes her own death so she could run off with the stable boy. Woops, I gave away the ending.
I was into it during the beginning, but then it kind of fizzled on me. The characters really were not likeable (even bad-likeable) and had no motivations for anything. Elizabeth, the good sister, I guess was like our Elizabeth Wakefield, and her friend Penelope is like Jessica/Lila, and the boring and rich Henry is like a Patman. Oh, and Diana Holland is supposedly “free-spirited” but really comes off as childish and annoying. The only entertaining character is Issac Phillips Brock, the bitchy gay friend who is showed as a shallow gossipy type. But really, he is the only only one that shows personality.
Really? The Luxe was my fav book of 2oo7. But maybe it had more to do with the dress on the cover than the actual story.
Ha, I know what you mean. I read the book because of the cover.
LOVE that dress! Too bad the story sucks. I haven’t seen this book before but I’d have gotten it purely for the cover as well.
See, I actually really loved The Luxe, and immediately went and bought the sequel.
Then again, I checked it out from the library based on this blog, where you said it was SVH/Gossip Girl-ish, so maybe my expectations weren’t as high.
I loved this book as pure brain candy, but I feel you on the characters. I didn’t like a single one of them. Penelope grew on me in book two, and Elizabeth got to be a little better, but Henry and Diane were the drips of the very highest order. And they’re the couple we’re supposed to be cheering for. Damn, it is SVH.
I hear you on Isaac, though…he rocks. I want an Isaac.
i really liked the luxe! and the cover dress too of course. i liked rumors even better. i find elizabeth’s story boring though… i’m a fan of diana and henry. in SVH i’d definitely have a 1henry1 plate. haha
Heh. Never underestimate the drawing power of crinolines… 😉
That dress immediately reminded me of the shiny, Mylar-looking poof-skirts of the ’80s. Only on serious steroids.
Still can’t wait to read it… but yeah, it’s probably because I want that ballgown.
Ha! “The characters have no motivation” = welcome to the world of current YA fiction. Honestly, that winds up being my complaint with at least half of the newer YA books I pick up — why is any of what’s happening happening?
I haven’t read “The Luxe”, but at least this means they can’t claim one of the main characters “feels just like Lily Bart in ‘The House of Mirth'” (this happens in Gossip Girl, The It Girl, The A-List, and probably more I haven’t read). I mean, yes, since the whole idea of this series is “crappy YA Edith Wharton” I’m sure technically the characters DO feel “just like Lily Bart,” they can’t come out and say so since the book hasn’t been published yet.
Just while I’m on my list of literary allusion (or should it be illusion in these cases?) pet peeves — Can there be one current YA series where they DO NOT make reference to “The Great Gatsby”? Please? I’m begging here. I know all the newer books are crazy-focused on class issues, but it’s ridiculous how many times “The Great Gatsby” gets dragged through the dirt. The worst offender is the second A-List book, where they film their own “modern version” of it that they describe as “Daisy Buchannon meets Daisy Dukes.” But there are many, many others — of course GG and TIG, but also somewhat more obscure series like the truly heinous “Upper Class” (which should also win some kind of award for its title — this is the most direct, we’re not messing around title since ‘The Boyfriend Club’).
Okay, sorry, done ranting now! : )
OMJ I so agree with you I thought this book was going to be good but it plain sucked! I give it credit for prety good historical facts but none of the characters are likeable, Diana is just annoying,childish, and bi-polar and Penelope is a plain two-faced bitch and Will is just too boring and so is Henry. I know Henry is suppose one of those bad boys we are suppose to love and hate at the same time but really I just hate. And then there’s Lina the poor girl we are suppose to maybe like and possibly root for just a little bit? But yeah she was just annoying and bitchy too. And Elizabeth is ok I guess but even that is pushing it and I agree Isaac is the only character I liked in The Luxe. Another problem is by the middle of this book I had already unraveled the whole “surprise” ending I knew Elizabeth was going to fake her death and run away and I think it was pretty obvious. So overall this was just a plain bad book. If anyone wants to read a good book read Twilight,Blue Bloods, Ophelia (if you’ve read Hamlet but even if you haven’t it’s a good book), or Perfect those are books actually worth reading unlike The Luxe.