Reviews

The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

drynankaylee42810's review against another edition

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5.0

I read this book front to back in a day. I was so hooked on these flawed characters and their drama.
description

Leda is in a downward spiral since Eris' death. She is obsessed with making sure no one knows her secret. Including blackmailing Watt to keep his mouth shut and cover up the night of Eris' fall.

Watt will do anything to keep Nadia a secret, even following Leda's every command to make sure she doesn't tell anyone about Nadia.

Avery and Atlas continue to keep their forbidden love a secret. Avery will do anything to make sure Leda doesn't tell. But Avery and Atlas' dreams of running away together are complicated by the return of Calliope, a girl determined to have Atlas as her own.

Rylin is the ironic recipient of the Eris Dodd scholarship. But accepting this scholarship puts her right back in Cord's orbit. And the unlikely love interest of her teacher.

Now for the romance

While Leda is just using Watt as her lackey to keep Nadia a secret the two develop an unlikely friendship that eventually evolves into friends with benefits. And most unlikely of all LOVE
description

Throughout the course of this story Watt and Leda were the last couple I expected to get together, given his obsession with Avery. Let alone root for! Leda is such a tortured character fighting her many personal demons but deep inside there is a sweet girl who just wants to be loved. Watt sees right through her tough exterior and they really made a sweet couple.

Avery and Atlas are a relationship I love to hate. I can't stand the two of them together but I like them as individual characters so I am torn. Calliope is a much better match for Atlas... if she wasn't a con artist. Atlas is the one person who could get her to turn away from her crazy life with her mom but now after seeing Avery and Atlas kissing who knows what kind of hell she will unleash on them. Atlas and Avery's secret is beginning to not be a secret anymore.

And poor Rylin. That girl cannot win in her love life.

The one aspect of this book I couldn't get behind was the Miriam situation. I kind of felt as tho Katherine McGee just threw her in at the end of the story as a surprise! moment but didn't really flesh her out enough. I would have liked to have gotten little hints here and there that something really sinister was going on behind the scenes. Instead of just like plop here she is.

sunzreads's review against another edition

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3.0

The teen drama continues as Leda Cole, Avery Fuller, Watt Bakradi, and Rylin Myers hide the secret that can ruin their lives. The new character, Calliope Brown, brought fresh excitement to the story with her interesting background and job description. McGee also added more futuristic features to the world she created. I enjoyed the first book more but Dazzling Heights is still fun to read.

matasatan's review against another edition

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5.0

Omg this book was so freaking awesome. Can't wait for the third.

emhildeb's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

There was still mystery and drama, but something was missing. For example, the girlfriend who wanted revenge was barely there. The threats of telling the secrets didn't feel convincing either but I liked how the characters changed. Everything got so messy and I kept wanting them to just tell all their secrets and get it on the table. I can't get behind the teacher subplot though.

ashleyrneal's review against another edition

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  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

millielo's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

4.0

kat7890erina's review against another edition

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4.0

Just as good as The Thousandth Floor. Our original cast are joined by a new troublemaker and the tea just keeps spilling.

makennakjacobs's review against another edition

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3.5

I wanted to know what happened to the characters, which is why I picked up this second book, but a lot of it felt repetitive. Maybe the point is the iterative nature of their lives, but I wanted to see more character growth and plot points that felt fresh. Even the new viewpoint character, "Calliope," seemed a little too perfectly fit into her role to feel real (again, probably the point, but still). 

abbyl819's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5
It was definitely worth continuing this series, because I really enjoyed this book. While 4 of the main characters whose perspectives we saw through were the same as the first book (Avery, Leda, Rylin, Watt), the fifth character, Calliope, was new to this book. After finishing book one, I was not able to pick a favorite character, but after finishing this one my favorite is hands down Calliope. Her new view as a con artist alongside her mother was just so interesting and exciting to read about. I really hope that she returns for book 3. All of the characters continued to have good development and none seemed to be left behind. The intricate secrets keeping them together kept getting more and more complicated and dangerous, which made it very interesting. Overall, I enjoyed this a lot and am very excited to read the third book.

julsyx's review against another edition

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2.0

No sé ni por donde empezar.
Mira que el primer libro me gustó con ese toque de dramas de ricos y misterio, pero este añadió las situaciones más ridículas y el misterio más decepcionante sin duda.
Estaba tan ilusionada por leerme este libro, con el final del primero y todo lo que pasó, la verdad es que prometía muchísimo. Pues mi gozo en un pozo.
Comenzamos con otra muerte de la cual no sabemos nada y los dramas de ricos comienzan. Primero tenemos el duro amor imposible de Avery que me llegó a molestar por el simple hecho de que la chica estaba tan enamorada del chico, que parecía que solo pensaba y vivía por él, lo demás en su vida sin el chico era como falso. Eso hubiera estado bien si de verdad me creyera que el chico siente algo por ella, que me parece fantástico que me digan que lo hace, pero lo más importante a la hora de leerte una historia, es que te la creas. El chico me parecía simplemente como una pared en blanco, con pensamientos blancos, sentado en un suelo blanco. No entendía qué sentía, ni qué pensaba, ni nada. Pero él ama a Avery. Porque me lo ha dicho la autora. Ah. Pues entonces debo creérmelo, ¿no?
En fin, que para lo que es el libro, Avery se lo pasa casi siempre deprimida por este chico, el cual también está deprimido porque me lo ha dicho la autora (mhmmh)
Después está el romance más poco creíble que he leído en mi vida. Creo que este es el factor más ridículo que he leído en toda la novela. Básicamente, la autora coge a los dos personajes que no tienen pareja fija y los pone juntos. Más forzado imposible.
Además de que el amor entre ellos tras lo que ocurre al final del primer libro me parecía bastante incoherente. Pues va a ser que no.
Y total, que su historia de amor acaba siendo como una mala historia de Wattpad tipo te odio pero me estoy enamorando de ti, aunque solo es atracción pero en realidad te deseo, pero de verdad que esto solo es un rollo y bla bla bla.
Ridículo.
Y encima me lo tengo que creer. Pues lo siento pero no. ESto añadía que cada vez que leía la perspectiva de Watt, me apetecía morirme un rato.
Después están Rylin y Cord, los cuales no tienen apenas evolución en esta historia y por lo tanto no tengo mucho que añadir. Solo que cada uno debe ordenar sus prioridades.
Ahora hablemos de las cosas tan convenientes que suceden en esta historia. Para empezar tenemos un nuevo personaje en la novela, Calliope, que es una estafadora y que cuando estuvo en África, conoció al único chico que la rechazó. Adivinad a quién se encuentra cuando está en la Torre. No, en serio, adivinadlo. Pues a quién sino que al chico que la rechazó en África. Todo muy realista.
Siguiente ejemplo: algo que no logro entender es como siguen funcionando las escenas en las que unos muy convenientes personajes escuchan una muy conveniente conversación que les incumbe en sus convenientes situaciones. Es que no pasa una, sino varias veces.
Dos personajes están haciendo algo y justo los empieza a espiar la persona a la que más le conviene saber qué están haciendo. En fin, solo pido un poco de realismo.
En cuanto al asesinato en este libro... decepcionante y quedándome corta.
Yo tanto predecir e idear quién podría ser la nueva víctima y la autora se va por el sendero más fácil y menos emocionante posible. Muchas gracias por nada. Siento que me he leído un libro completo de nada. Pasan cosas que no llevan a ninguna parte y encima lo único que me mantenía a flote era saber quién iba a morir, lo cual acabó en desastre.
Me leeré el tercero para ver como acaba toda esta situación, pero he perdido muchas ganas.