Began reading: 23.12.2016
Completed reading: 28.12.2016
Overall rating: 4 stars
The higher you are, the farther you fall.
Welcome to New York, 2118.
A metropolis of innovation and dreams, where everyone wants something... and everyone has something to lose.
The upper floors of a glittering thousand-storey super-tower are home to the rich, beautiful and ruthless. And right at the top is Avery Fuller, the genetically-designed beauty with the perfect penthouse life. The girl who has it all - yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.
Avery's perfect world is set to come crashing down. Lies, betrayals and secret liaisons culminate in a scandal that ensnares everyone.
When you're this high up, there's nowhere to go but down...
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee is a young adult, science fiction novel that contains a combination of dystopia and romance. I couldn’t wait to get into this book, especially after reading about all the hype surrounding it. I wasn’t disappointed, and actually became rather addicted to the plot.
The book was well-written, with a reasonable amount of literary techniques to add depth to the plot. Furthermore, the book was well-paced and well-structured, keeping the narrative from becoming dull. There were also some great quotes, including:
He didn’t know what it was like, wanting something you could never have; how impossible it was to un-want it once you’d let the feeling in (p. 66).
‘I love you,’ he said, and pulled the door quietly shut behind him.
I love you too, her heart whispered, curling around the phrase like a prayer (p. 66).
She never imagined she’d say this, but she almost missed the days when he was half-way across the world. At least then he’d been all hers (p. 167).
Did anyone else ever feel this way, alone and frantic, haunted by a fear she couldn’t quite place? (p. 282).
She couldn’t trust anyone in the world but herself, but then again, Leda never really had (p. 400).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
The plot was interesting and unique, despite many readers comparing it to Gossip Girl. I loved the futuristic concepts and gadgets, such as the floating bubbles at the Bubble Lounge. Many of these were creative and I wished that they really existed. The lounge chairs that changed colour based on the sky was an awesome idea, and I wished that I had them! The drama and romance kept the narrative interesting, but I’ll go into that later.
At first, I thought that the various character point-of-views would make things confusing, especially as each character had a whole new set of relations that I needed to be aware of. As the book progressed, I began to enjoy reading about the individual lives of each character, as well as how they interacted with the other main characters. For example, how Watt became friends with Avery, worked for Leda and eventually met Rylin. There was always a link or connection between the main characters, which was a great idea.
There was a decent amount of drama and romance in the plot, which had me reading until late at night. None of the romances were fluffy (maybe a bit between Cord and Rylin in Paris), but I loved how each relationship worked. Each personal challenge was diverse, as were the relationships, which prevented them from becoming boring and repetitive. For example, Avery’s challenges differed greatly from Watt’s, and their relationship shared no resemblance to Eris and Mariel’s. I thought that McGee did a really good job on this!
The only issue that I had was that there was a heavy reliance on drug abuse. Of course, drugs are common in the young adult age bracket, but I wasn’t expecting so much of it. I understood that some of the characters should have issues with drugs in order to add diversity to their story, but too much of it is really off-putting. I couldn’t relate to it, even though it made some characters more interesting.
My favourite character was Avery Fuller, as she was kind, loyal, forgiving and smart. Even though she had a falling out, she still cared for their well-being, which made her more admirable. The only issue I had with her was that she agreed to hide Leda’s secret – I thought she was smarter than that! Watt was a notable character, and I hoped that he and Avery would end up together! I guess I’ll have to hold onto the hope that they’ll get together in the next book.
I really despised Leda, and I assume that she’s the character that everyone loves to hate. She was a psycho, and I was hoping that Watt would pick up on her weird behaviour before it got out of hand. She was delusional and a stalker, which really creeped me out. Although she’s central to the plot, I’m hoping she gets killed off in the next book!
Speaking of characters that I despise, how about Ming? I haven’t read any reviews that mention her, so I’m going to do it. What a b*tch! Why did she have to ruin Eris’ party the way she did? Why is she so spiteful? Why is Avery still friends with her? Her character made my blood boil, and I wished I could tear her hair out and push her off the top of the Tower!
As for a particular death, I felt so bad for everyone involved (except Leda). It was a dramatic and sad death, especially the messages they sent and received before it all happened. This character was so innocent, and I’m sad that they didn’t get to reveal the truth before they fell.
On a lighter note, my favourite parts included the ARena, Avery and Watt’s relationship, and Eris’ party at the Bubble Lounge. I enjoyed reading about the ARena, as it was full of suspense and was a great way for Avery to meet Watt – the way his character described her made me swoon. Avery and Watt’s relationship was sweet, even though she was using him. I believed that they were perfect for each other – her, always looking to the past while he looked to the future. I liked the idea of Avery with Atlas, but I prefer her with Watt. As for the Bubble Lounge, it was just a creative idea and I was jealous that it doesn’t exist. The tension between Avery and Leda over Atlas also made the party more interesting.
Recommendation time! If you like 1984 by George Orwell, The Perfectionists saga by Sara Shepard, and the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes The Great Gatsby, Poison Ivy, the Gossip Girl TV series, Pretty Little Liars TV series, and the Revenge TV series.
I will also be reviewing the rest of The Thousandth Floor series when the books become available. Keep an eye out for that!
Happy reading!
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