SECRET SOCIETY GIRL

By::Diana Peterfreund

Delacorte Press/Random House , 2006

Reviewed by :: Lisa Bradley

Chick Lit

Ivy League student Amy Haskell expects to be drafted into one of the school's not-so-secret societies. But when she's tapped by Rose & Grave, the most mysterious and powerful secret society, she can't figure out why. She doesn't possess any of the usual requirements: money, connections, and frankly, testosterone. Rose & Grave has never before initiated a woman into their exclusive circle.

After going through the bizarre initiation rites and discovering who her fellow members are, she's even more perplexed, and she realizes her life as she knows it may have to change for ever. Is she willing to give up her friends-including her pseudo boyfriend-for her new ‘friends'? Will Rose & Grave even give her any choice in the matter now that she's been exposed to all of their secrets? Or has she? The deeper she gets, the more she understands certain details are being withheld from her. Possibly dangerous details.

This is a very smart story. I don't mean in the sense that it's written with thirteen syllable words hardly anyone understands, but the story is exceptionally well-structured. The heroine is down-to-earth and likeable, someone with whom you can imagine going out for a drink, or to get a pedicure. The moments of tension and drama had me on the edge of my seat, and the brief moments of sexual tension between Amy and—well, I'm not telling who!—are wonderfully sensual. The author obviously knows her material, and I was fascinated by this peek into a universe I'm unfamiliar with.

As a huge fan of the chick lit genre, I found this story to be a refreshing change from the standard fashionista lit. Witty and suspenseful, Secret Society Girl is an original concept expertly executed, a thoroughly entertaining read! I look forward to more from this author.

Created for Romance Divas :: www.romancedivas.com :: © 2006