The Luxe

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780061345685

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899.

Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

*spoiler*

Here's my situation with The Luxe I was really liking this book when I started it, but like I usually do I had to know what happens so I looked ahead. When I read that Will dies, I stopped reading the book and I won't start it up again. I know it's more realistic if things don't happen like we hope, but leave the heartbreak to the real world and let the books I read end happily. Honestly if Will didn't die I would have continued on with the book and the rest of the series, but since he does I won't be reading the rest. I won't even give it any starts because I don't want to say I didn't like it, and don't want to say I loved it either. I would have liked it had I not found out WIll dies