"This book tries hard, but comes up short"
Secret Society Girl
Genres: Contemporary Chick Lit | Young Adult
Posted: June 7, 2007
SECRET SOCIETY GIRL was not at all what I wanted it to be. I found the character of Amy to be a bit obnoxious, annoyingly quick on her feet, and overall difficult to relate to. Amy is so busy coming up with witty comebacks for most of the book, it's difficult for her to actually listen to what other people are saying. When her quick tongue and endless sarcasm get her in trouble, she doesn't stop for a minute and think about her actions, she just continues to plunge forward, full steam ahead—which I found annoying. Furthermore, this book is so full of pop culture references and satire that you'd almost be better off catching Entertainment tonight. And it's a shame.
Diana Peterfreund is a good writer. The story that she's trying to tell is interesting, and even if the plot itself seems loosely based on her own Ivy League experiences (Yale University and its secret society Skull and Bones), she adds enough of a twist that you have to wonder how much of it is personal experience and how much is exposition. But, in my opinion, the time it took me to wade through the endless similes, flawed patriarchal society, and vocabulary list worthy of an SAT-prep course, just weren't worth it for a simple chick lit novel.
Book Summary
In a fabulous blend of the bestselling traditions of
Prep and The Devil Wears Prada, 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.
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 is a charming and
witty debut from a writer who knows her turf—and isn’t
afraid to tell all....
Ivy League #1 Dell
May 1, 2007
On Sale: April 24, 2007
Featuring: Amy Haskel
320 pages
ISBN: 0440243890
EAN: 9780440243892
Paperback (reprint)