I really, really enjoyed The Thousandth Floor. It read like an excellent drama / soap opera - high-emotion, pure escapism. And I was hoping for more of the same from The Dazzling Heights.
For the most part, I got it. Actually, that’s unfair. There was still the high-emotion, high-drama aspect and I still really liked the concept and the characters. None of the rich kids have figured out how to be happy yet, despite their billions of dollars and cushy lifestyles and are utterly caught up in things that totally wouldn’t register in the lives of people with real problems (BTW - this isn’t a criticism).
Maybe the reason the sequel didn’t score quite so highly for me was the wow-factor originality of the concept of the first book wasn’t there. Obviously. Because I’ve already read the first book, I can’t be surprised by the concept twice. It’s not the author’s fault, and I guess it’s a pitfall of writing a series.
And actually the author makes a really good job with this sequel. She introduces a couple of new characters to keep things rolling. The old characters are trying to adjust to the tragic death at the end of the first book, and they’re all doing it in really, really dysfunctional ways, which makes for an awesome read. People are still attracted to people they shouldn’t be attracted to and hate people they secretly have tonnes in common with. All good.
This series is shaping up to be a really good read. Pure, indulgent escapism. Really recommended.
4 stars