Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Title - Burn for Burn
Author - Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Publisher - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published - 18th September 2012
Series - Burn For Burn #1
Source - Own Copy

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.
Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.
Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.
Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.
Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

It's shallow, I know, but the reason I wanted to read this book was because it had a pretty cover and Jenny Han was involved with it. I didn't really know much about the story going into it, but I just dived right in. I started this book in the waiting room before a physio appointment, and I don't know if I was distracted, or just not paying attention, but the switching of narrator from one chapter to the next really threw me. Luckily for me I got over that super fast (I must have just been worried about my appointment) and each of the characters started to feel like they had their own voice.

This book took a long time to set up the premise of the story. I didn't mind this however as it gave me time to get to know the characters and their voices. At its core this is a book about revenge. Each of these girls has been wronged by someone that they want to get revenge on. This was really fun and I liked some of the ideas they came up with. I wished that the revenge had gone on for a bit longer for each of the victims as I would have liked to have seen some more of the suffering (does that make me a bit sick?)

I think what I liked most of all in this book, and what really stuck with me was that when you read about what the girls had been going through, their thoughts and fears about everything, we got to see that these girls are more similar that they appeared on the surface. The issues they were struggling with were great equalisers  showing that essentially we all have problems and no one has a charmed life.

I liked this book and enjoyed it on the whole. The one issue I had a little problem with was the Carrie style powers that appeared. This was not explained and we were left at the end of this book with only half of this story being told with no hint of an explanation to keep us excited until the next book. It left me wanting so much more and a little confused (did I just read a contemporary book or a paranormal book?). The whole ending felt rushed and cut off almost like it had been cut mid chapter. This little annoyance aside, I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next books in this series.

Review: Pieces of Us by Maggie Gelbwasser

Title: Pieces of Us
Author: Maggie Gelbwasser
Published: 8th March 2012
Publisher: Flux
Source: eArc thanks to NetGalley and Flux

Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces. - From Goodreads

This book was nothing that I was expecting. From the description what I was expecting was a book about four broken teens coming together over the summer, but what I got was a book that was far more sinister. This book was a brutal look at abuse and "victims" set over the period of a year.

Katie and Julia are sisters and Katie is the star, at home and at school. Julia can't compete for her mother's love with Katie, the star cheerleader "The Pyramid Girl". Alex and Kyle's father killed himself after finding out that their mother was having an affair. During the summer Katie, Julia, Kyle and Alex all meet at their Russian Grandparent's summer houses and they have the chance to leave their normal selves behind to become Katya, Yulya, Sasha and Kostya. In the past summer and school lives have always been kept separate but soon the worlds begin to bleed together. As secrets get revealed the lives for the four of them change in ways that mean they will never be the same again.

I hit a barrier with this book almost immediately with the writing style. This book is written from the perspective of all four of the major characters. Often this can enhance the flow of a story giving the reader the opportunity to experience different perspectives. In this instance we were able to see parts of the story from different viewpoints, but I felt like switching narrator interrupted the flow of the story dragging us away from what was going on. My other issue with this was that 3 of the character's stories were written in the first person and Kyle's was written in the second person. I found this was like running into a brick wall every time I came across one of his chapters. This style was used for Kyle as he himself does not want to admit how much he is suffering, but for me the change in perspective was off putting.

It is very difficult to talk about this book without giving away too many of the plot points as they are littered through the book and spring upon you like they were laying in wait for you to get over the previous shock. I can however talk about the characters in this book. I disliked Katie at the start of the book finding her shallow, superficial and oblivious to her sister's pain. However as Katie evolved through the book and her pain she became a tragic character who became consumed with her own problems. On the other side of this we have poor ignored Julia who just wants her mother's love and approval. However as Julia starts to get some attention she becomes a cold and heartless person I had no time for.

Another character I had no time for during the whole book was Alex. I hated the way he spoke about women. He was full of hate and this pored onto the page making his chapters uncomfortable to read. We also can see that the hate that is in Alex waiting to explode manages to seep out of him every so often in sadistic ways. I could find nothing redeeming within Alex and nothing that made me think I would ever want to spend any time with him. Again Kyle for me was on the other side of this, as much as I hated how his chapters were written, he was possibly the character that I liked the most. He was broken even at the start of the book but there was a sweetness and a naivety to him that made him seem younger than he was.

I did not enjoy reading this book as the subject matter to me was very raw and brutal. Where I can see that this book tackles these issues with a sense of purpose and delivers them up with some style and grace, it was not my cup of tea. I found it a disturbing book and personally I like a little less reality and pain with my reading.

Review: Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: Tris and Izzie
Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Published: 11th October 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: eARC (thanks to Netgalley and Egmount USA)

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school. - From Goodreads

I feel that often retellings can be very hit or miss. I am vaguely familiar with Tristan and Isolde, but I have never actually read it. Unfortunately after reading this book I have no desire to read the original. I wanted to like this book so much, I mean look at that cover, it is stunning, but for me the story did not live up to my expectations.

Izzie has the perfect life, a best friend, a hot superstar boyfriend, Mark, and a witch mother. So when Tris turns up as the new boy at school he throws Izzie into a spin. Izzie tries to help her best friend fall for Tris by trying to give them both a love potion, but she accidentally eds up drinking it herself with Tris. This starts the beginning for Izzie's inner war between staying with Mark or following her heart and going with Tris. After she is attacked by a two headed dog at a football game Izzie finds out that not only is she also magic, but she is only one who can save the magical community from a giant snake who eats magic.

I found a lot of things about this book rather annoying. Firstly the dialogue felt very immature and one dimensional. Tris's speech felt very stiff. I understand that it is intended to show that he is from a different society where modern day has little influence, but I am sure that he would still revert to don't, won't and can't. The magic love potion in this novel is referred to as a love philtre throughout, and was spoken about quite a bit which left me wanting to shout "just call it a love potion"!!

As I say I have not read the original text, so I am not sure if there is magic in the original story, but it all felt a little thin for me. It is just assumed that some people are magic and some are not, and that few non-magical people know about magic. I thought that this could have used a little more back story, like have they always lived in their own community, and have the fairies, dragons, giant butterflies or any other creatures ever been seen in the real world, and if so how was it covered up? I thought it could have used a little more depth.

I thought Izzie was also a little annoying. She was constantly moaning about how awful it was that she had taken the love potion and was going to forever love Tris, but she was going to do this to her "best friend" in the first place! The other characters also seemed to be quite happy about swapping relationships, all with no hard feelings.

This book was a bit of a struggle for me to finish as I didn't particularly care what was going to happen and the battle at the end all seemed to be quite easy for Izzie, I didn't feel her struggle or pain the way I have with other characters. I am interested to find out how close this is to Tristian and Isolde, but after reading this I realise there are other stories out there I want to read more.

Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title: Hunting Lila
Author: Sarah Alderson
Published: 4th August 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Series: Hunting Lila #1
Source: Own Copy

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them... - From Goodreads

I had been so excited to read this book ever since I saw it. The cover is stunning and the synopsis on the back of the book sucked me in. In comparison to some other books I have read recently I think the cover to Hunting Lila sets the tone for this books from the get go. This book is a fun action packed read with a lead character that I can relate to and found to be really fun and quirky!

Super powers? Check! Sweet protective brother? Check! Super hot guy? Check. Action and mystery? Check. This book had everything I wanted. I liked that Lila had this awesome super power to be able to move things with her mind, but she didn't flaunt it and when she uses it in public she freaks out and puts herself on a power ban. For me Lila was the 17 year old I was. She can be quite on the ball and clever at times, but is also a bit lazy when it comes to personal safety and gets distracted thinking about hot boys (or one specific hot boy) every 5 minutes; this is the main reason I didn't get round to finishing much as a teenager!!

The hot boy that Lila is obsessing over is the one she thinks she can never have... the brother's best friend! For me Alex is so worth daydreaming over, and in the story it actually go to the point that I just found it funny. Lila would be in some life threatening situation and would be worrying about dying, until she catches Alex's eye, then it's all about the precise shade and getting lost in them. All this time you are thinking "come on move you are going to die!!" Don't get me wrong I absolutely get it. Alex is described perfectly in a way that makes you swoon and wish he was real. I say day dream away Lila.

The characters in this were just right with the protective brother, the hesitant-because-he-is-older love interest and the super-sweet potential sister-in-law. Not to mention a whole cast of characters introduced towards the end of the book who were fascinating. They all added to the story to make it rich and exciting.

My one issue with this book was that I found it very difficult to put down! The story was exciting and it made me wish that I didn't have to get up for work in the morning, because then I could just keep reading through the night. The ending to this book left me gobsmacked and wishing that I could read the next book right away. I can't wait to get a copy of this one and I will be pre-ordering it as soon as it is available.

Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Title: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
Published: 1st May 2011
Series: Dead Beautiful #1
Source: Own Copy

At Gottfried Academy, just one kiss will take your breath away. After Renee discovers her parents dead in what appears to be a strange double murder, she is sent to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious high school dedicated to philosophy, 'crude sciences', and Latin: the Language of the Dead. Here she meets Dante, a dark and elusive student who harbors a deadly secret, but to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. Despite himself, Dante cannot control his attraction to Renee either and their desires gradually deepen into a complex and dangerous romance. But Dante's not the only one with secrets...Gottfried Academy has a few of its own. When Renee begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a former student, she begins to realize just how deadly these secrets are...Dark romance meets haunting murder mystery in this captivating tale of love, death and destiny. - From Goodreads

I think it took me about a month to read the first chapter of this book. I always seemed to pick it up when I was in the wrong mood to read, when I was so tired I could barely finish a page or I would start to read and then get distracted by something else. Once I finally sat down to properly read this book it found it really easy to involved in the story and I managed to finish in a couple of days.

The story begins with Renee finding her parents dead and having to move to the other side of the country to live with her grandfather to promptly sends her to Gottfried Academy. This is a school where no electricity is used, only candles after dark and Latin is the main language studied. Soon after starting the school year she meets Dante. Dante is beautiful, aloof and super cool.

I found the story in this book to be really slow to start. To me it felt like the first half of the book was spent getting to know Renee and her friends; Dante, Eleanor and Nathan, and describing the surroundings. I also felt like the descriptions of Dante only happened a tiny bit at a time. Now I know this was as Renee got to know him, we would get to know him, but to me there were somethings that could have been mentioned earlier.

So once we got into the story and finding out about what is really going on at the school, who is who and what they are doing, I really enjoyed it. I thought the supernatural angle (I'm not going to ruin any surprises) was really interesting, well thought out and has loads going for it. I think if I had to summarise the last half of the book it would take me a while as lots happened. the story had me guessing as I was reading, and trying to predict what would happen, not only in the rest of the book, but the rest of the series.

I can see this being a series I really enjoy as long as the next few books can get right to the action and don't linger too long on reminding us what happened previously. I will defiantly be picking up a copy Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2) as soon as it comes out.

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: 4th January 2011
Series: Unearthly #1
Source: Own Copy

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. - From Goodreads

I am fascinated by angels. Some of them are pure and as we have seen in a number of other Angel based books there are also "bad" angels waiting to corrupt our main characters. Part angels or Nephilim are just as fascinating, have you ever seen the Paul Wesley mini series The Fallen? I thought was awesome! (If you have not seen this yet then check it out!!) With the popularity of angels being the main supernatural  increasing at the moment I was surprised to find that Unearthly felt really fresh and new to me. It was not what I was expecting, in a really good way.

For a start the main character is Clara who is struggling to come to terms with the fact she is part angel and has a destiny or purpose to fulfill. Before Clara began to get her visions all she really had to worry about was not being too good at school as being an angel-blood means she is faster, stronger and smarter than a teenage girl should be. Clara's visions start with a handsome boy standing in the woods. From this vision her family (Mum and Brother) move across the country to live where Clara has to be for her vision to take place.

We only find out small details about the vision at a time and the boy who has a starring role in it, Christian. He is not the only handsome man though; there is also the twin brother of Clara's best friend, Tucker. Now to me I felt that the character of Christian was a bit distant and a bit flat and Tucker was definitely the star of the show for me, I am Team Tucker all the way (although I do admit I have a thing for the rugged cowboy)! I think if Christian had been a bit more rounded as a character I would have felt more like there was anguish between the 2 boys.

I liked that a lot of this story was Clara's internal struggle of doing what feels right and what others perceive to be right. There is also a good number of issues left hanging at the end of the book which I am looking forward to finding out about in further books but none of them left me feeling cheated. Too often with books in a series I feel like parts of the story are just left to make you come back, but in this case it felt like there was just so much to know and we would find out in time when it was needed for the story.

I can't wait for the next book in this series, it promises to be amazing.

Review: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Orchard Books
Published: 6th May 2010
Series: The Gallagher Girls #1
Source: Own Copy

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, while the Gallagher Academy might say it's a school for geniuses what they really mean is spies. But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn't have a code name?

Cammie Morgan may be fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti), but the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's doing something riskier than ever—she's falling in love. - From Goodreads

So in my head if James Bond had a daughter with another super spy, said daughter would go to school at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. With classes in covert ops and days where you can only speak a specified language at the Gallagher Academy you learn all you need to become a world class spy. If we get past the all girls aspect of the school (I went to an all girls school and it was super bitchy!) this is exactly the school I dreamed of.

Cammie Morgan is a pupil at the Gallagher Academy, but she is not just any pupil she is the headmistresses daughter. Having grown up in the school Cammie knows all of the hidden passages (oh and there are loads) and has 2 bffs she lives with. During a practical covert ops lesson (which is run by Mr Hot-Spy-Teacher) Cammie is practicing her skills following and tracking, unseen. This is Cammie's skill and earned her the nickname Cammie the Chameleon. So when one of the local boys from the local town starts talking to her and noticing her Cammie has no idea what it means and launches her own investigation.

I really liked this book. All of the main characters were really likable and so were the secondary characters (I was a little sceptical about the "new girl" but I liked her in the end). I found Cammie's complete lack of "boy knowledge" to be familiar (I am a spaz when it comes to boys) and very amusing. This was a really easy and quick read and I found there to be no slow parts at all. Gallagher Girls is quickly becoming a series I love.

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Published: 14th June 2011
Series: Hourglass #1
Source: Own Copy

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut. - From Goodreads

This book begins with a beautiful cover and then the writing and the story pulls you in and walks you along right to the end. In my mind this was a short book due to the fact that I could not put it down so it took me just over a day to read.

Emerson Cole lives with her older brother and his wife after returning from boarding school and, before that, a stint in a psychiatric hospital. Emerson has a special gift, which is what landed her in hospital in the first place, she can see visions of people from the past. Enter the dashing Michael!!

Michael is from the Hourglass organisation. I feel in this book we only touch on Hourglass and what it is but we are given enough to keep us gagging for more. More details, more Em, more Michael, more Hourglass!! I think that the writing in this book is very graceful. It does not feel like you get bogged down in anything. All the characters are well written and rounded and you quickly get a feel for what the characters are all about.

I loved this book. A wonderful debut from Myra McEntire and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Review: The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Baswell

Title: The Nine Lives of Chloe King
Author: Liz Braswell
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 7th June 2011
Series: Chloe King # 1 - 3

Chloe King is a normal girl. She goes to class (most of the time), fights with her mom, and crushes on a boy…or two. But around her sixteenth birthday, Chloe finds that perhaps she isn’t so normal after all. There’s the heightened night vision, the super fast reflexes – oh, and the claws.
As she discovers who she is – and where she comes from – it is clear she is not alone. And someone is trying to get her.
Chloe has nine lives. But will nine be enough? - From Goodreads

I was desperate to read this book as I love the TV show and I felt it was not moving fast enough for me so I decided to find out the ending as soon as possible (OK so I have very little patience!!). This was a fine book. I did not have any major problems with any specific parts of this book, more just niggly annoyances. I think having seen most of season 1 before reading this gave me a better understanding of the vision and the concept.

So if you know absolutely nothing about Chloe King here are the top 5 things you need to know about Chloe King (the book character!) -

1. Chloe King is Mai. Descended from the Egyptian cat goddesses on her 16th birthday she develops crazy balancing skills, claws and generally becomes half human half cat!

2. Chloe is a special Mai and has 9 lives. After falling off the top of that tall tower in San Fransisco (hey I'm from the UK I can't remember everything!!) she dies and comes back to life.

3. I find Chloe's 2 best friends ridiculously annoying and wish she would just walk away from them. I thought the characters of Amy and Paul were weak and most of the time moaning about how bad a friend Chloe is.

4. Chloe has 2 hot guys chasing after her. Alec is Mai, Russian and cocky, you would think that this would make Chloe go all weak at the knees, but there is also Brian. The problem is Brian is human and Mai and humans cannot mix. In fact Mai are deadly for humans. This makes the whole Brian relationship doomed.

5. Lastly I think Chloe's attitude at the beginning of the book stinks!! In my day I would get a 4 hour lecture and grounded if I refused to talk to my mother, skipped school for a day to hang out with my buddies and snuck out most nights (damn, I didn't get away with anything.) Towards the end of the book she does seem to grow up a bit and take a bit more responsibility which is better.

There are some similarities between the books and the TV series, especially the first book, but the story seems to have diverged onto a different path in the TV show. I enjoyed the book and found it very easy and quick to get into and finish.

 

ABC Family

Rating: 3 / 5

Review: Vampire Academy (VA1) by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: 16th August 2007
Series: Vampire Academy 1
Source: Own Copy

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever. - From Goodreads

I have been sitting on this review for a while, so long in fact, that I have reviewed book 2 of this series before reviewing this one!! The reason it has taken me so long to write this is that it took me a little while to figure out if I liked the book or not. I was on the fence between thinking I really enjoyed it or it annoyed me. The story stayed with me even after finishing the book, and while I was reading other books.

Richelle Mead has created a world where there are two types of vampires (Moroi and Strigoi) and the Moroi are looked after by Guardians who are half breeds of Moroi and humans called damphirs. The story follows Lissa Dragomir (a Moroi princess from a royal bloodline) and Rose her Guardian. Rose and Lissa share a special connection where Rose can share Lissa's feelings.

The story begins with Rose and Lissa being found and brought back to their school, which is a boarding school for vampires and guardians to learn to fight (the guardians) and use their magic (the vampires). Rose has to catch up on the Guardian training she has missed and has to train every day with the sexy Dimitri (even his name is hot!!). There are some great additional characters including Mia and Christian which make this book great.

Ok so I think it is obvious that I really do like this book. I am currently on the 4th of the series and love being engulfed in this world.

Review: Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

Title: Secret Society Girl
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Publisher: Dell
Published: 1st May 2007
Series: Secret Society Girl #1
Source: Own Copy

In a fabulous blend of the bestselling traditions of Prep and The Devil Wears Prada, Secret Society Girl.
Elite Eli University junior Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into Rose & Grave, the country’s most powerful—and notorious—secret society. She isn’t rich, politically connected, or…well, male.
So when Amy receives the distinctive black-lined invitation with the Rose & Grave seal, she’s blown away. Could they really mean her?
Whisked off into an initiation rite that’s a blend of Harry Potter and Alfred Hitchcock, Amy awakens the next day to a new reality and a whole new set of “friends”—from the gorgeous son of a conservative governor to an Afrocentric lesbian activist whose society name is Thorndike. And that’s when Amy starts to discover the truth about getting what you wish for. Because Rose & Grave is quickly taking her away from her familiar world of classes and keggers, fueling a feud, and undermining a very promising friendship with benefits. And that’s before Amy finds out that her first duty as a member of Rose & Grave is to take on a conspiracy of money and power that could, quite possibly, ruin her whole life.
 A smart, sexy introduction to the life and times of a young woman in way over her head, Secret Society Girl takes us into the heart of the Ivy League’s ultraexclusive secret societies when a young woman is invited to join as one of their first female members. is a charming and witty debut from a writer who knows her turf—and isn’t afraid to tell all.... - From Goodreads

From the moment I read the blurb about this book I knew I had to read it. As far as I knew there were no secret societies at my university. I'm not entirely sure there were any non secret societies (Scottish universities are mostly about drinking!). Bearing all this in mind I have a fascination with all things Ivy League and Secret, I especially love the film The Skulls. So after starting this book it did not take me long to zip through it and get online to order the rest!

Amy is currently attending Eli University and she thinks she is going to be tapped to the totally non secret literary society. However it turns out the uber selective and secret boys only society called Rose & Grave have decided this year to accept girls and Amy's name is on the list. There is everything I was looking for in this book, from crazy initiations to a slightly slutty leading lady!

I related to Amy from the first page. She was a completely real character who makes mistakes in her relationships with her friends and the men in her life. The supporting characters are also well rounded and written each with there own personal troubles. I found keeping some of the society characters straight often confusing as they go by 2 names, however it did not diminish my enjoyment.

I am ready to pick up the next book in the series and find out what Amy's challenge will be this time.