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The Dazzling Heights

(The Thousandth Floor #2)

Katharine McGee (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · Rating details · 13,039 ratings · 1,572 reviews

All that glitters is not gold.

New York City, 2118. Manhattan is home to a thousand-story supertower, a breathtaking marvel that touches the sky. But amid high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, five teenagers are keeping dangerous secrets…

Leda is haunted by memories of what happened on the worst night of her life. She’ll do anything to make sure the truth stays hidden—eve ...more

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Hardcover, 422 pages

Published August 29th 2017 by HarperCollins

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· 13,039 ratings · 1,572 reviews

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Aug 18, 2017 Ishmeen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

so much love for this series 😭👏🏼

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Sep 24, 2016 rachel ☾ marked it as zzzz

Shelves: coverporn, young-adult-lit

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Aug 27, 2017 Jasmine from How Useful It Is rated it it was amazing

Shelves: thrillers, young-adult, edelweiss

About: The Dazzling Heights is a young adult thriller written by Katharine McGee. It will be published on 8/29/17 by HarperCollins, 432 pages. The genres are mystery, young adult thriller, fiction, and dystopian. This book is intended for readers ages 13 and up, grades 8 and up.

My Experience: I started reading The Dazzling Heights on 8/21/17 and finished it on 8/27/17. This book is a fantastic read! I love that there weren’t any characters purposely doing any drugs this time. I love the intensit About: The Dazzling Heights is a young adult thriller written by Katharine McGee. It will be published on 8/29/17 by HarperCollins, 432 pages. The genres are mystery, young adult thriller, fiction, and dystopian. This book is intended for readers ages 13 and up, grades 8 and up.

My Experience: I started reading The Dazzling Heights on 8/21/17 and finished it on 8/27/17. This book is a fantastic read! I love that there weren’t any characters purposely doing any drugs this time. I love the intensity of the drama. I like the realistic in how people put on a happy face when inside they feel broken to pieces. The deception are played in many different ways. I like how no matter how closely they keep their secret, that they don’t get away with it, that one way or another, someone will see. It reminds us that our two eyes can’t see everything and that we can only see what’s in front. The world building is glamorous just like the cover of this book.

This book continues on from The Thousandth Floor with flourish. It reveals what happened in each chapter so if you have read a few books between book 1, you will be able to catch on pretty quickly. This book is also told in the third person point of view, starting with the death of a character from the first book and Mariel’s plan to find justice for that death. Then it introduce a new character Calliope Brown, a con artist. Follow that is Avery Fuller and her forbidden love struggles. Then Watt’s illegal secret, then Rylin and her luck, and finally Leda with her busy life harboring everyone’s secrets or maybe sleeping with one eye open in fear of the unknown. Reading this book is like walking on tightrope because everyone is calculating his/her next move. Watt is planning a confession trap, Avery tries not to get caught, Leda wants to make sure her darkest secret is safe, Rylin wants to win her love back despite everything, and Calliope wants it all for free. A drama of the future where they party under the sea!

This book has an exciting start. I love the introduction of a con artist into the mix. I also love the forbidden love. I’m filled with adrenaline rush as I read this book. The advanced technology is still there and many of those sounds amazing. I’m looking forward to the future. I like the reminder between rich and poor and the different point of views from both extremes. I like the close calls when Calliope was almost being recognized or when Avery believes her dad was onto her. I really like Nadia, both in book 1 and 2. I still like Leda because she’s changed a lot, yet still very sharp. I like the drama in this book because it’s less drugs and more mind games. The characters are smart and they use their mind to get out of tough situations or to get what they want. It’s exciting reading this book and I highly recommend everyone to read it!

Pro: forbidden love, con artists, secrets, lies, fast paced, page turner, third person point of view with multiple main characters, action packed, adrenaline rush, cover

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Katharine McGee, publisher HarperCollins, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for a detailed review
...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, read-in-2017

no one goes to a party expecting to die.

What is fun about this series is each book (so far) begins with a character who dies and it doesn't tell us who. So throughout the entire book, you're trying to find out who will die at the end and who killed them (if it was in fact someone). There are several POVs and the book does a good job at making you care about each of them in one way or another. I either loved the character or truly loved to hate them. It's very Gossip Girl in that way. Think ...more

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Nov 15, 2018 Matthew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, 2018, library, coming-of-age, young-adult

It would be easy for me to say that this series has become my guilty pleasure, but I have no shame! I say it loud and proud – I love this series by Katherine McGee!

In my opinion, it’s so well written! Every chapter is a perfect part of the intricately twisted storyline. While some might find it a bit cheesy at times, it has exactly what I want when I go into a book like this – drama, gossip, who’s with who, who knows what, which back is the next to be stabbed, what is the next thing that will be ...more

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Feb 25, 2017 Cindy ✩☽♔ rated it really liked it

Shelves: enemies-to-lovers, crime-thriller

Rating ~3.5

Much like the first book, which I read so long ago I was surprised to be reminded of some of the revelations, this book as highly addicting. I already placed my order for the third and final book.

Can't wait to see how this all ends. ...more

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Aug 29, 2017 Chelsies Reading Escape rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-releases, review-books, queer-books

This exactly what I needed after reading an 800 page Adult Fantasy. This was an entertaining read filled with lies and betrayals.The futuristic technology was amazing. Forever puppies, tunnel in the sky, YES please! I also liked Watts sarcastic artificial intelligence. Despite all the technology, the writing wasnt difficult to understand. Now that Ive read this book, the cover and the title totally make sense. Both books start and end with a bang but the plots a little slower toward the middle. ...more

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Sep 21, 2017 Dannii Elle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-sagacity

First Read: September 2017, Rating: 4 Stars
Second Read: August 2018, Rating: 4 Stars

This is Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, and I am 100% here for it!

Following on for the traumatic events that the first instalment, The Thousandth Floor, closed with, this begun in an altogether more sombre mood. Every character has their own secrets to hide, but that doesn't stop them attempting to out each other. Relationships and friendships seem forever severed and the charmed life of this elite cast is ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Caitlin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-read, 5-stars, favorites

This series is honestly so addicting. I cannot manage to put it down. The characters are so trashy and bitchy but I LIVE for this level of drama. I love every single character so much. I was a bit uncertain on Leda but she was such a star in this book. I love the new addition of Calliope too. THERE ARE SO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS AND UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS. I need book 3 right now. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you enjoy Gossip Girl or rich teen drama then this book is made for you ...more

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May 08, 2017 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, read-2017, sci-fi, r2r-read, as, young-adult, death, futuristic

(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

“Even if nothing happens between you and Atlas, you aren’t really going to let that girl get away with trying to seduce him and steal from him, are you?”

This was a YA futuristic story, which followed on from the first book in the series.

Avery continued trying to make things work with Atlas in this book, even though he was her adopted sibling, and even though there seemed to be no shortage of gir ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 Megha Patel rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks

3.5 out of 5

This book was even more dramatic, crazy, and intense than the first one. As if that was possible!

Everyone was out to get each other. They all had their claws out.

Okay, so the world is still fascinating with the futuristic element. The plot was a little slower and some parts seemed excessive but still enjoyable. And the characters are all very different. There are some you will like and some you definitely won’t. My favorites/likable characters would be Watt, Rylin, Leda (yes, you ...more

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Mar 12, 2018 Luca rated it really liked it

The Dazzling Heights is the second book in the thousandth floor series. Now, I can tell that I really really liked the Thousandth Floor. This series is absolutely perfect for fans of Gossip Girl, the It Girl, Pretty Little Liars etc. With the insane amount of drama and absurd lives of the rich teens that live in the futuristic tower with thousandth floors these books simply become addictive.

In the Dazzling Heights we start off almost immediately after the events in the Thousandth Floor, and thu ...more

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Dec 14, 2018 Brittany rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian, romance, ya, favorites, i-need-a-copy, 5-star-reads, mystery, sci-fi, thriller-suspense, book-crack

5 Dazzling Stars!!

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The phrase kept echoing in her mind like cymbals. A fall for a fall, a voice inside her added.

Just as twisted and dark as the first book!! I felt every emotion possible reading this one and it was fabulous!!

There are a couple new characters this go round and they brought something totally new to the atmosphere of this world. The author did an amazing job of keeping this story just as manipulating and conniving as the first. Some of ...more

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Jul 06, 2017 alice (arctic books) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, edelweiss-netgalley, dystopian-scifi, cover-love, 2017, physical-arc, read-2017, signed

2.75 (this is the first time I've had to use quarter stars lol)

This was a very enticing and quick read, but I had several problems with this sequel, some of which I failed to recognize in the first novel. Full review to come. ...more

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Sep 30, 2016 Nikki rated it it was amazing

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The phrase kept echoing in her mind like cymbals.
A fall for a fall, a voice inside her added.

I entered this book wanting to kill Leda and finished this book wanting to kill Leda some more.

I was afraid of starting the sequel because I forgot 98% of what happened in The Thousandth Floor. I vaguely remember bits and pieces, but not enough to confidently start The Dazzling Heights without the fear of being lost in the narrative. These fears were placated, however, when I actually started reading! Each perspective starts with a quick recap of what happened to them in the first book, which triggered more pieces to the puzzle I was trying to figure out. I ended up being able to remember fully what had happened in The Thousandth Floor and felt prepared to immerse myself in the bedazzling (haha pun) sequel!

Safe to say, it was an interesting read! We have all the same characters save for one addition that spiced up the story even more. People have described this series as Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars and even if I don’t really follow either shows, I could see the parallelism! This series is Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars in a technological futuristic setting. The details are crucial to understand just what kind of world everyone is living in because it is much more advanced than where its readers are now.

For the characters, I had mixed feelings about them. I greatly disliked most of them mainly because to me they were stuck up, entitled, and rathe petty. But then again, what kind of book would this be if it didn’t have characters that made you want to pull all your hair out? Each character is its own personal headache yet they are so interesting that you can’t help but want to read more about them—even if it means losing a few brain cells in the process.

I liked the projection of the story. I didn’t find any parts boring, which is a great plus because sequels tend to suffer the second book syndrome and I’m glad to let you guys know that The Dazzling Heights delivers with great results! They have dug their own graves too deeply to get out of it unscathed.

At the end of it, headaches and all, I gave this 5 stars because I was able to zoom through it with great excitement. I highly recommend this series if you like modern contemporaries filled with drama, love triangles (even squares?), and most of all, people dying for what they know about those in power.

Review originally posted on https://bookallure.com/2018/01/08/the... ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Katie rated it really liked it

ugh such a trashy series but soooo addicting

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Oct 11, 2017 Elle (ellexamines) marked it as zzzzz-coverporn-etc

Shelves: x-coverporn, what-is-this-mess

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2017 M F added it

Shelves: books-read-in-2017, by-women, netgalley, canon-queer-characters

Warning: spoilers for book one. Spoilers for this book are marked, so only click on those if you want the ending to be ruined.

Okay, I found this book incredibly frustrating, in the worst way. I had some issues with the first book: I found most of the characters shallow, there was too much focus on unconvincing romance, and the ending is blatant example of the Bury Your Gays trope in which one of the only queer characters is killed off for no real reason except shock value, when it could have bee Warning: spoilers for book one. Spoilers for this book are marked, so only click on those if you want the ending to be ruined.

Okay, I found this book incredibly frustrating, in the worst way. I had some issues with the first book: I found most of the characters shallow, there was too much focus on unconvincing romance, and the ending is blatant example of the Bury Your Gays trope in which one of the only queer characters is killed off for no real reason except shock value, when it could have been literally any of the other characters. However, I did like the worldbuilding, and since I was auto-approved for this on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go in case the series redeemed itself.

It did not.

This book has a continuation of book one's cool worldbuilding: there is a lot of cool tech with imaginative uses, and we get to see more of it at work here. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the various uses to which futuristic technology was put, whether for communication or fashion or utility. Moreover, the characters were largely more interesting and less insufferable than in the first book, because due to what happened at the end, they had actual issues and trauma and weren't just thinking about parties and love triangles all the time. That said, it was difficult to get attached to any of them when there were a gazillion different points of view and the narrative didn't stick with anyone for more than a few pages. But on the whole, some good stuff. Intrigue. Double-crossing. Blackmail.

And then. Then there are the issues, and basically all my issues are with the LGBTQ representation. First up, after randomly killing off one of, like, two entire queer characters in book one, the remaining one is given a POV chapter at the very beginning of the book and then basically disappears from it until right near the end. She doesn't even overlap with the other characters; she's just not in it. We see her grieving her girlfriend and suddenly she's not relevant for the vast majority of the narrative. Great. Way to remind us that we, as queer people, only exist in the background of your life.

But that's not all! And here's where the spoiler tag comes in. (view spoiler)

I very much doubt I'll be picking up the sequel to this. The author had two chances to make an interesting narrative decision, and instead on both occasions made the same unpleasant and unoriginal choice, one that hurts LGBTQ teenagers who want to see themselves represented in fiction. So why should I expect any better from a third book?

If you need a palate cleanser after reading this, I have a shelf called "Unbury Your Queers" that you might want to check out. I'd begun to think it was too low a bar to set to require queer characters merely to survive a book, but apparently not. ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Krystal rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: utter-trash, loved-up, owned, sci-fi, ya, dramarama

If you've read my bio, this series is the perfect example of lovable trash.

RICH KID DRAMA. It's so freaking cliche but I love it! It's my guilty pleasure because it's so bad it's good. That being said, I probably enjoyed the first book more. Way more drama.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for The Thousandth Floor, my review for which can be read here.

Book 2 begins with the same kind of dramatic opening we had with the first book, but here it just felt like there was no heart in it; like it ...more

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Feb 17, 2018 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: z-2018, own-paper-english

Seriously, this book was better than the first. It kept me on edge all through the story. Can’t wait for book 3!

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Oct 02, 2020 Aarushi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2020-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. To people who think the Selection is a guilty-pleasure read: that's got nothing on The Thousandth Floor trilogy.

I think this sequel was phenomenal. I say this about a lot of sequels, but I really felt The Dazzling Heights did not have second-book syndrome; in fact, quite the opposite.

In this review I will be talking, of course, about my five topics: characters, world-building, plot, anything else, and my overall review (which can be found at the bottom, for people like me who do NOT like to rea ...more

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Oct 02, 2016 Tanishq Kaushik rated it it was amazing

I can hardly wait to read it myself.

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Jul 25, 2018 Selene rated it liked it

7in7Readathon July 23, 2018 - July 29, 2018

Challenge #3 - Come up with a food/drink inspired by the book you’re reading.

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Oct 19, 2018 Alaina rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia, romance, sci-fi, fiction, young-adult, mystery, favorites, contemporary, october-challenge-2018

OH SHIT!

I love this book, this series, and these covers! Leda is definitely my favorite character and I can't wait to see what the hell is going to happen in the next book - which I need right now!!

The Dazzling Heights is the second book of the wonderful series, The Thousandth Floor. It still reminds me of gossip girl and I love it. Leda, my favorite, definitely changes in this book. She went from a vindictive bitch to growing a heart and finally caring for someone - for real. Enter Watt, I love ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Leyna rated it it was amazing

*DISCLAIMER* LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS!!!!!!!

PHEW WHAT A RIDE THIS BOOK WAS!!! I just....*sigh*.....this book was too good, 4.5 stars.

Okay so lets kick it off with how much I HATED Leda in the beginning. Like every single time i had to read her chapters i would try my best to hold back from punching the wall. Yeah, i really did hate her. But seriously i ship Watt and her like so much. They are so cute together and just gotta be my next favorite ship of this book series.

In the first book I absolu ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 ari rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

The Dazzling Heights is the sequel of the series The Thousand Floor. I have to admit that I had a lot of expectations because I enjoyed the first book. I am so happy that The Dazzling Heights was not a let down. It was much darker than the first one. Well, it went from Gossip Girl to Pretty Little Liars.

Avery was pretty much the same throughout most of the book.

I honestly hated Leda with a passion most of the time but later I actually liked her more. Her character developped in a good way.

Rylin, ...more

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May 23, 2017 Tala Lolias rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017

Original Review 23/05/17
Holy shit I cant wait for this to come out - The Thousandth Floor was my first read for 2017 and I just loved it.. so excited that this is being released this year!!!!

New review 31/10/17
OKAY so I finally got my hot little hands on this number. First all I want to say that this had a release date of the 29/08/17 and QBD didn't not have any...... like cmon. So I randomly found it by chance at Big W.. You could imagine the excitement as it was such a highly anticipated read ...more

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Sep 22, 2016 Sail ♛ A Wicked Reader rated it it was amazing

This was just as addicting as the first novel and the drama reached even new heights. It was still full of petty, back-stabbing, and deceitful teenagers that are too caught up in their own problems to care about anyone else's. In this one there was a con artist who goes by the name Calliope, and she really added a new level of intrigue to everything.

The futuristic setting is still incredible to read about and honestly, it could totally be like that in 2118. Katharine's writing is wonderful and s ...more

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May 03, 2018 Atlas rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-s, ya

No one goes to a party expecting to die

* * *
3 / 5

The Dazzling Heights manages an impressive cast of different characters with a really complicated web of relationships and it's very cool and impressive. But it also feels like a rehash of the first book just with a less gasp-worthy ending.

"Did you fall in love with me because it was complicated and forbidden - because I was the only thing in the entire world that you were ever denied?"

We pick up with the remaining cast of The Thousandth Floor: th ...more

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Jul 27, 2017 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, coyer-summer-2017-read

The Dazzling Heights is the second book in the YA The Thousandth Floor trilogy. You must read the first book before reading The Dazzling Heights as it is a continuing story.

The story is set in New York City in 2118.

The narrators of this book are Leda, Watt, Rylin, Avery and Calliope. The story is told in 3rd person POVs.

I really liked The Thousandth Floor so I was very excited to read this new book. The Dazzling Heights has a very similar feel to the first book. So if you liked that book then I ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Bookalicious Book...: The Dazzling Heights Group Thread	13	10	Feb 03, 2020 11:01AM
You Are Never Too...: The Dazzling Heights (The Thousandth Floor #2) - March 2019	8	6	Mar 24, 2019 02:14PM
Leda and Watt	9	53	Jul 15, 2018 02:02PM
Who do u ship together? Avery and Cord or Rylin and Cord	1	18	Apr 03, 2018 10:13AM
Synopsis in Spanish // Sinopsis in Español	1	5	Nov 05, 2017 02:54PM

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About Katharine McGee

Katharine McGee

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Katharine McGee is the New York Times bestselling author of American Royals and The Thousandth Floor trilogy. She studied English and French literature at Princeton University and has an MBA from Stanford. She lives in her hometown of Houston, TX with her husband.

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Quotes from The Dazzling Heights

“She was maddening and stubborn and tormented and deeply flawed, but so was he; and maybe the important thing wasn’t finding someone without flaws, but just someone whose flaws complemented your own.” — 10 likes

“But the thing about the truth was that once you learned it, it became impossible to unlearn.” — 9 likes

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Preview — The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

The Dazzling Heights

(The Thousandth Floor #2)

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