Anyone who read Diana Peterfreund's brilliant defence of chick lit would surely want to read her novel and I was no exception.
Secret Society Girl is the first in a series (the second book, Under the Rose, is out next year) featuring Amy Haskel who is unexpectedly 'tapped' into her university's most prestigious (and, of course, secret) society, Rose & Grave. The members of Rose & Grave allegedly control all aspects of the media (including the winners of American Idol), the police, even the government. Getting tapped by them is a pretty big deal, in other words. The only trouble is, Amy doesn't seem to fit the profile and can't understand what they want with her.
Amy's best friend and roommate Lydia has also been tapped, but we don't find out who by (not in this book at least). Her 'friend with benefits' Brandon isn't interested in all the secret society business, but he is interested in becoming more serious with Amy. The trouble is, once Amy's initiated into the society she forgets about everything else, including her studies (though that doesn't matter because Rose & Grave has an archive of past papers). And when Amy finds out why she was chosen, things get even more out of control.
I really loved this book. Diana Peterfreund has a chatty, witty, intelligent writing style and a brilliant way with cliffhanger chapter endings. I don't think I finished a single chapter without at least reading a couple of pages of the following one. There are a couple of problems: Amy's decision on whether or not to keep schtum about the society seems to shift depending on the requirements of the plot and Brandon's not exactly consistent either, but they're small issues. Secret Society Girl is a fast, funny, original read and I'm looking forward to the next book.
Rating: 4 out of 5
If you like this, try Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
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