Book Review: The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee
TO READ MY REVIEW ON BOOK 1: THE THOUSANDTH FLOOR, CLICK HERE
Title: The Dazzling Heights
Author: Katharine McGee
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Release date: September 1st 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Goodreads Synopsis (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) :
Leda is haunted by nightmares of what happened on the worst night of her life. She’s afraid the truth will get out – which is why she hires Watt, her very own hacker, to keep an eye on all of the witnesses for her. But what happens when their business relationship turns personal?
When Rylin receives a scholarship to an elite upper-floor school, her life transforms overnight. But being here also means seeing the boy she loves: the one whose heart she broke, and who broke hers in return.Avery is grappling with the reality of her forbidden romance – is there anywhere in the world that’s safe for them to be together?And then there’s Calliope, the mysterious, bohemian beauty who’s arrived in New York with a devious goal in mind – and too many secrets to count.Here in the Tower, no one is safe – because someone is watching their every move, someone with revenge in mind. After all, in a world of such dazzling heights, you’re always only one step away from a devastating fall….
Review:
That was a whirlwind of a ride (even though surprisingly not very much happened for the most part??). McGee has a way with writing anticipation! Despite my busy schedule I made myself some time to finish the book (yet simultaneously I didn't want to because I wanted to spend more time with the characters!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
What really got to me was the character development. I always have high expectations on the characters when it comes to young adult sequels. I always feel like the first book lack character depth, and that was definitely the case for The Thousandth Floor. The characters had so much room to grow (especially when we're following more than five points of view), and I love how everything unravels in the sequel. I especially love the love/hate trope the author incorporated in the story. It was SO well done. Both the characters showed so much more complexity and depth which made me root for them all the way through.
For the most part I didn't really feel the connection with the other characters, but I enjoyed reading about them nonetheless. I love that the storyline and plot twists didn't go overboard on this one, though there were some jaw-dropping moments. Seriously. My annotations mainly consists of cusses and the " :o " expression. But the fact that the author focused predominantly on the characters is very much appreciated (may be a little biased on this. i'm a character driven story kind of person), and I'm hoping to see the two aspects balancing out in the third book (that is, i'm crossing my fingers there will be one!).
The Dazzling Heights was exactly what I needed. It was fast paced and interesting, and again the multiple viewpoints were executed brilliantly. The ending was a little bit rushed but then again it could be a segue to a continuing novel...? (seriously hoping xD ) Overall I really enjoyed it. Even more so than the The Thousandth Floor, if I might add. This series is such a gem, something about it is just wholly unique in itself. I've never read anything like it.
Highly recommend it.
Many thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
if you're interested in buying The Dazzling Heights, you can click here to shop the book at Book Depository - i receive a small commission if you use the link! :)