Book Review: Bloom by Bellebird James

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A Book Review: The Thousandth Floor

 


⭐⭐⭐🌠☆ 3.5 

    The Thousandth Floor, the first book of The Thousandth Floor series by Katharine McGee, revolves around the lives of five teenagers-- Avery Fuller, Leda Cole, Rylin Myer, Watt Bakradi, and Eris Dodd-Radson-- coming from different social classes, enmeshed in friendship, love, betrayal, and controversy. The series is regarded as the “futuristic Gossip Girl” set in the year 2118.  


    Even though I am not a big fan of teen dramas, I still enjoyed the other components of the novel. I am fascinated by the futuristic world that McGee created that showcases new technology, food, transportation, business establishments, and residential spaces that can be found inside the Tower, a 10,560-feet skyscraper with 1,000 floors, in New York City. It’s almost like 4 Burj Khalifas placed on top of each other. According to her website, McGee based the concept of the mega-structure on vertical urbanization, “the idea that cities of the future will grow upward rather than outward.” Aside from being a sustainable and high-tech habitat in 2118, the tower marks the social classes of the people living there--- those who live on higher floors belong to a higher class. The Tower is an incredible setting that keeps the story in motion, displays the proclivity of the characters, and increases my emotional experiences as a reader. 


    As for the story, the pace is mainly influenced by two emotional drivers: forbidden love and unrequited love. These forces weave the paths of the teenagers into a web of lies that eventually leads to an unexpected, unspoken, reluctant agreement to keep their secrets from the authorities, their family, and friends, or else their lives will be destroyed. Told from different perspectives,  the story was overwhelming at first as I followed the narrative of different characters but I was absorbed and intrigued by the characters eventually despite their teenage idiosyncrasies. 


If you enjoy teenage drama and science fiction, this book is for you.


Discussion Questions

  1. How many main characters are there in the story? What do you think about having multiple main characters?

  2. The story is told from different perspectives, how does it affect the story?

  3. Who among the main characters do you identify with the most? Explain. 

  4. What makes the relationship among the main characters complicated? Why?

  5. What is your opinion about the ending?

  6. The Tower is an unbelievable mega-structure where you can find houses, restaurants, parks, hospitals, and other important establishments. What do you think about this vertical urban city?

  7. What can you say about the new technologies described in the novel? Which one is your favorite and why?

  8. How do you imagine cities in 2118? Cite specific examples. 

  9. What emotions were evoked as you read the novel?

  10. Who would you recommend this book to?



Further Information


Title: The Thousandth Floor

Author: Katharine McGee

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Reprint edition (June 6, 2017)

Publication Date: June 6, 2017

Print length: 496 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062418602

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062418609

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