I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from Sadie Hayes’ The Start-Up series. Buzz was comparing it to Gossip Girl meets The Social Network, as a self-proclaimed lover of pop-culture I was pretty intrigued. What confused me was the fact they are being released in “episodes”, upon a bit of poking around those are basically novellas released once a month. Since I don’t usually review novellas, I’m going to do a review of both episode 1 and 2 together.
The Start-Up does read similar to the Gossip Girl books, it’s fast-paced and drama-filled. It’s the perfect “fun” read to unwind. The siblings are seemingly normal teens, abiet Amelia being a computer genius. Adam, who works at parties hosted and atteneded by their peers, is seeking a way to have money and fit in. After one such party, he gets the bright idea that his sister and he should go into business together.
The episodes are told in a fashion that you get a peek into the stories and drama of all key-players. From the twins to everyone around them, in a world where everyone is pretty much out for themselves. It’s a fun peek into a world that most of us will never see – you’ve got to wonder how much of it is similar to real life.
I will say I never expected them to end with such big cliffhangers, especially epsiode 2. The third episode, which I’m eagerly needing to get my hands on after a major cliffhanger ending, releases December 1st.
I received my copies of The Start-Up and The Anti-Social Network (The Start-Up) from the author in exchange for my honest review.