The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

Published: August 2016

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 437
Copy Provided by: Library

Summary:  Goodreads

Summary:

New York City as you’ve never seen it before.

A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

Welcome to Manhattan, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one?

Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Amid breathtaking advancement and high-tech luxury, five teenagers struggle to find their place at the top of the world. But when you’re this high up, there’s nowhere to go but down…

Review:

I have been on the waiting list for this for AGES.  I put it on hold at the library and would forget to pick it up or be waiting in a long line to get it, or they wouldn't have it at the bookstore.  It seemed that fate just never wanted me to read it....until one day I managed to get an eBook on my phone....

The first thing I need to say is that Katharine did an excellent job of creating believable, likeable characters.  At least for me.  I really enjoyed peering into everyone's life and how each was defined by their status and level in society.  How different Watt's life was compared to Avery.  She also managed to merge different sexual preferences into the mix in a subtle way.  I find that more of the current titles seem to involve or mention bi-sexual or transgender relationships.  While this is something that has come more to the forefront in society and is nice to recognize, I don't feel that EVERY title needs to be doing this.  Some are very blatant about it as well, like it was an afterthought in the editing process and now they have to go back and re-write it into the story line.  One of the characters realizes that she likes girls and begins a new relationship with someone outside of their clique.  The way Katharine explored this development felt very natural and integrated.  OK. Enough of me venting about sexuality in current YA titles. (Sorry for the rant).

I really enjoyed this title and the storyline took a turn that I wasn't expecting and left me LITERALLY hanging at the edge of my seat for the next title.  (Which I promptly purchased).  That is EXACTLY what I look for in a novel.  Entertaining, engaging, suspenseful, thrilling and always keeping one step ahead to surprise you at the end and leave you breathless and wanting more.  Well Done Ms. McGee!

I think you'd like it if you enjoyed watching and/or reading the series - Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars.  This is a nice mix between the two.  There is enough drama from Gossip Girl to keep the relationships between characters constantly flowing and enough intrigue, lies, misunderstandings and demise to mirror Pretty Little Liars fans.