The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee Review

Sometimes you just need a ‘literary potato chip’, as my English III teacher would say, to keep you from falling into that dreaded reading slump.

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. Everyone there 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 this 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 for 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.... –goodreads.com summary

“Up here on the roof, so close to the stars, she felt young and alive and hateful.”

About a week ago, I found myself strolling through my local library looking for a fun and quick read. The cover of The Thousandth Floor caught my attention immediately prompting me to pick it up. The summary gave me a futuristic roaring 20s vibe, something  that really intrigued me and made me excited for the read. In the end, The Thousandth Floor started very strong, feel flat towards the middle, and picked back up at the end.

The best thing about The Thousandth Floor, is that when it grabs your attention, you don’t want to put it down! The prologue was a brilliant way to open the novel and, although it is kind of a spoiler, I never felt that it lessened the impact of the end. It hooked me immediately and made me want to know the events leading up to it. Once I started reading, I noticed the wide range of POVs and characters meant that there is always someone’s story you would be interested in and wanting to know more about. For me, the most interesting character was always Rylin. She’s very different than many of the other leads since she is not as privileged and you see more of the struggle that goes into her everyday life and the baggage that comes along with her struggle to make it in this city.

Characters that weren’t my favorite was, sadly, almost everyone else. Many of the characters, such as Leda and Avery, just seemed like selfish butt-faces, but not in any interesting or unique way, they were just obnoxious and annoying. There isn’t anything wrong with having characters that are selfish and arrogant but it can get old if not done well. For instance, whenever Avery saw Leda and Atlas together, instead of wanting the best for her friend and brother, she got jealous. And yes you read that correctly she is in love with her brother. Before you get too grossed out, they aren’t actually biologically related, but it’s still really weird and kind of uncomfortable. I would feel better if the couple never became canon, but sadly they get together by the end of the first novel.

I found the character of Watt to be similar to Rylin but less interesting. He also comes from a less privileged background and is using his hacking skills to make some extra money, but his plot line just didn't do it for me. Finally, there's Eris. She is the closest thing to a 'cinnamon roll' in The Thousandth Floor. She has her entire identity practically ripped away from her when she is forced to move to the lower floors and you see how that affects and changes her. She is forced to cope with this new reality of no longer being one of the people on top. This makes her a better person as she is now seeing things from a new perspective. By the end of the novel, I started liking Eris a lot more than I originally thought I would. She ends up being a pretty nice person, not perfect, but much better than some other characters.

Overall, I will say The Thousandth Floor is NOT for everyone. I enjoyed it because I love reading about the dramaticized and over the top lifestyle of the rich. You’re not going learn a life changing lesson but it is a great diversion for a few hours. I understand not everyone likes those types of stories, but if you do, check this out! It’s a quick read and I think I’ll pick up the second book when it comes out.

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Elise