Name: Elisa Bieg's review of The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee
Item: The Dazzling Heights
Rating: 2
Author: Elisa Bieg

Katharine McGee

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Thousandth Floor This edition includes a bonus prequel chapter and a sneak peek at the final book in the series, The Towering Sky! New York, 2118. Manhattan is home to a thousand-story supertower, a breathtaking marvel that touches the sky. But amidst high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, five teenagers are keeping dangerous secrets… LEDA is haunted by memories of what happened on the worst night of her life. She’ll do anything to make sure the truth stays hidden—even if it means trusting her enemy. WATT just wants to put everything behind him…until Leda forces him to start hacking again. Will he do what it takes to be free of her for good? When RYLIN wins a scholarship to an upper-floor school, her life transforms overnight. But being there means seeing the boy whose heart she broke, and who broke hers in return. AVERY is tormented by her love for the one person in the world she can never have. She’s desperate to be with him… no matter the cost. And then there’s CALLIOPE, the mysterious, bohemian beauty who arrives in New York determined to cause a stir. And she knows exactly where to begin. But unbeknownst to them all, someone is watching their every move, someone with revenge in mind. And in a world of such dazzling heights, just one wrong step can mean a devastating fall. Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Big Little Lies, the sumptuous second book in the bestselling Thousandth Floor series has all the drama, romance and hidden secrets that landed the first book in this series at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list!

The Dazzling Heights

Ana Drageljevic

   The sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Thousandth Floor New York, 2118. Manhattan is home to a thousand-story supertower, a breathtaking marvel that touches the sky. But amidst high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, five teenagers are keeping dangerous secrets… 
   LEDA is haunted by memories of what happened on the worst night of her life. She’ll do anything to make sure the truth stays hidden—even if it means trusting her enemy. WATT just wants to put everything behind him…until Leda forces him to start hacking again. Will he do what it takes to be free of her for good? When RYLIN wins a scholarship to an upper-floor school, her life transforms overnight. But being there means seeing the boy whose heart she broke, and who broke hers in return. AVERY is tormented by her love for the one person in the world she can never have. She’s desperate to be with him… no matter the cost. And then there’s CALLIOPE, the mysterious, bohemian beauty who arrives in New York determined to cause a stir. And she knows exactly where to begin. But unbeknownst to them all, someone is watching their every move, someone with revenge in mind. And in a world of such dazzling heights, just one wrong step can mean a devastating fall. Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Big Little Lies, the sumptuous second book in the bestselling Thousandth Floor series has all the drama, romance and hidden secrets that landed the first book in this series at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list!

The Thousandth Floor #2

Elisa Bieg

Meh.

I quite enjoyed the first book in the series, so I was hoping to get more intrigue, and I wanted to see what happened after that “OMG NO!!!” 😱 moment at the end of The Thousandth Floor.
Instead I got lots of teenage angst and drama, and just a hint of the intrigue I was looking and hoping for, but more the kind you find in soap operas, the kind that makes you want to roll your eyes and go “gaaaaah, COME.ON!!” in frustration. 

Still a bit like Gossip Girl, but at its worst. 

Mind you, the cover is super pretty just like the first one, so it will look good on your shelf; but other than that it was a let-down for me and I wouldn’t really recommend it.

Avery Baumel

Of the three this ones the best. That’s a low bar though. Rylin is also the ONLY good character. Still, the sci-fi is interesting and the plot lines might be a bit ridiculous and repetitive, but they are somewhat good. Really 3.5

Lincy

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Thousandth Floor New York, 2118. Manhattan is home to a thousand-story supertower, a breathtaking marvel that touches the sky. But amidst high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, five teenagers are keeping dangerous secrets… LEDA is haunted by memories of what happened on the worst night of her life. She’ll do anything to make sure the truth stays hidden—even if it means trusting her enemy. WATT just wants to put everything behind him…until Leda forces him to start hacking again. Will he do what it takes to be free of her for good? When RYLIN wins a scholarship to an upper-floor school, her life transforms overnight. But being there means seeing the boy whose heart she broke, and who broke hers in return. AVERY is tormented by her love for the one person in the world she can never have. She’s desperate to be with him… no matter the cost. And then there’s CALLIOPE, the mysterious, bohemian beauty who arrives in New York determined to cause a stir. And she knows exactly where to begin. But unbeknownst to them all, someone is watching their every move, someone with revenge in mind. And in a world of such dazzling heights, just one wrong step can mean a devastating fall. Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Big Little Lies, the sumptuous second book in the bestselling Thousandth Floor series has all the drama, romance and hidden secrets that landed the first book in this series at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list!

Helene Utterback

Read this immediately after The Thousandth Floor, definitely a good suspenseful but light Gossip Girlish read with futuristic elements. As I have said in my previous review, I could do without the step-sibling crush plotline

Emi Gilmore 

I'm actually pissed at myself for not reading this series earlier. More thoughts to come later but I HAVE to start book #3 right now.

Ashlei Cottom-Moran

While I wasn't as captivated by this one as I was the first book, it did pick up in the second half! New characters were introduced that added to the messy, secretive plot line and made it that much more entertaining! It did end on a cliffhanger and I am excited to see how everything ends. Definitely a guilty pleasure series.

Caitlyn Whitt

Really liked how this continued to deep-dive into the very personal struggles and personal relationships of the characters.

Sam Kiszonka

Heads up this may be an over-enthusiastic review of this book because lets face it, it is amazing!!

Anyway I absolutely adored The Thousandth Floor (Read my review here) and was highly anticipating this book. I was so eager to return to the crazy lives of the occupants of Manhattan’s thousand-story super-tower. I swear books like these are an addiction, I devoured the book in 3 days! (would have been 1 day if I didn’t have to adult)

The story basically picks right up after The Thousandth Floor’s traumatic ending. We have the same fun, crazy, deceitful characters, PLUS some new ones to either love or hate!! Personally I hated them, it’s fantastic!! Katharine has managed to keep most characters likable, whilst still being quite despicable in their own ways. I really enjoyed watching the characters grow and bond throughout the story. I can’t wait to see how they handle whatever is thrown at them in the next book.

The world building is amazing and I still want to live in the tower, on the thousandth floor of course! I loved that we got to see more of the tower and world this time. The author has expanded on an already amazing world, I can only imagine the things she is dreaming up for the next installment. This world of the towers occupants is still full of lies, drama and blackmail, there is possibly more in this one. Although the story felt a bit slower paced than the first book it was still as enjoyable.

After creating an amazing world with a thousand story building, we get to go to Dubai for the unveiling of the new towers. Yes that’s right plural. Also Dubai is where the shit hits the fan. I am going to leave it there because I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone, but y’all need to go read this now!!

Once again I was left with a book-hangover, highly anticipating the next installment in 2018!! Here’s hoping the series continues to be as fun and intriguing!!

I would like to thank the author and HaperCollins for providing me with a copy of this book. This has in no way influenced or affected my thoughts or opinions of this book.

Jelke Lenaerts

It took me a bit to get into this book but for the rest I really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see what’s happening next!

mar medina

Emily C Peterson

Brittany Harper

This one was probably better than the first one - it seemed to actually have some more plot and life to it. It wasn't bad, it was definitely not 'the best' book I've ever read. I think the premise and mystery is what kept me reading honestly.

A complicated web of lies threatens to destroy the teen residents of Manhattan's thousand-story supertower, as someone with revenge in mind watches their every move.

Cath

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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 ” 😮 ” 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!

Lisa van der Heijden 

*4.5 stars 

This book series is such a guilty pleasure. It is a futuristic pretty little liars meets gossip girl. It is highly entertaining

Jessica 

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  As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
 Review also found here. 

After the shocking end--that death, that cliffhanger--in the stylish and intriguing first installment of Katharine McGee's dazzling series, The Thousandth Floor, I was completely and utterly hooked on what comes next. Although I was deeply saddened by the death of one character (who, of course, happened to be my favourite) I knew I had to get my hands on all future installments.

Between The Thousandth Floor and Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians series, the Gossip Girl hole in my literature-loving heart is being filled slowly but surely. I'll start off by saying that Katharine McGee has this undeniably smart, sizzling and steamy (so much S!) quality to her writing that is fun and compelling. It's intelligent and mysterious. I feel instantly captivated by it and maybe a little nostalgic. 

Reading The Dazzling Heights felt like I was reuniting a part of myself that had been long MIA. I anticipated the release not unlike I used to for new books in the Gossip Girl, The A-List, Pretty Little Liars and Private series. I have been waiting for this one for so long (a year can seem like a long time, okay?) and McGee did not disappoint me in the least. She hooked me from the first moment and it felt like no time had passed at all since I picked up the highly addictive first book. 

Picking up almost immediately where The Thousandth Floor left off, The Dazzling Heights is just as stylish and fun as the previous installment. This time, we are witness to more emotions and scandal. 

How are our main characters facing their lives in the aftermath of what happened at the end of The Thousandth Floor and what comes next as lives begin to tangle together tightly after one fateful night? You guessed it: drama. Fireworks. Heartbreak. New additions. New lives. New scandals. And of course, a lot of complexities in the lifestyles of the rich and bored teenagers of this futuristic NY. 

I loved how the story developed further on the previous book. All elements of it were explored and built upon. I'm not saying that it was perfect or unique or whatever else you want to look down on YA for, but it was entertaining and fleshed out quite a few of the characters more. Plus, I enjoyed the fact that Eris' presence is still infinite in the story and that Rylin becomes more entangled in this world. She and Watt were two of the biggest the outsiders in the previous book. After the night that everything changed, they are thrust deeper into the others' lives. 

I do wish we had seen more of Calliope and her mother's backstory. I thought the introduction of these two was really fun and needed to spice things up in the narration. We have a gap where Eris was and while the leads are all fun it was just a spot that needed to be filled. Another thing I wished for would be a deeper look into Leda's addiction and how Mariel is really coping after Eris' death. I can't complain, though, because this didn't break the novel in any way. 

Long review short: The Dazzling Heights is highly entertaining and will certainly quench readers' thirst for a good old fashioned scandalous-rich-kids-in-action romp. Katharine McGee is a total queen.

Casandra Sandu

This book was way better than I expected. I need the next one now!

Cailin Duffy

3.5*

glad i went with the audiobook for this one because it’s really good and so entertaining. the narrator is perfect for the story.

New York City, 2118. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible – if you want it enough. The dazzling sequel to The Thousandth Floor.

Ana Drageljevic &
The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

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Ana Drageljevic &The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

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Ana Drageljevic &
The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee