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Secret Society Girl #1
Secret Society Girl
Fans of Cora Carmack (Losing It) and Tammara Weber ( Easy ) will devour the original New Adult Secret Society Girl, Under the Rose, Rites of Spring (Break), and Tap & Gown . At an elite university, Amy Haskel has been initiated into the country's most notorious secret society. But in this power-hungry world where new blood is at the mercy of old money, hooking up with the wrong people could be fatal.
Eli University junior Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into Rose & Grave. She isn't rich, politically connected, or . . . well, male. So when Amy is one of the first female students to receive the distinctive black-lined invitation with the Rose & Grave seal, she's blown away. Could they really mean her?
Whisked off into an elaborate initiation rite, 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.
From the Hardcover edition.
Eli University junior Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into Rose & Grave. She isn't rich, politically connected, or . . . well, male. So when Amy is one of the first female students to receive the distinctive black-lined invitation with the Rose & Grave seal, she's blown away. Could they really mean her?
Whisked off into an elaborate initiation rite, 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.
From the Hardcover edition.
293 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2006
95 people are currently reading
8554 people want to read
About the author
Diana Peterfreund
54 books2,052 followersDiana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she’s concerned, she’s just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote books about rocks. Now, this Florida girl lives with her husband and their puppy in Washington D.C., and writes books that rock
Her first novel, Secret Society Girl (2006), was described as “witty and endearing” by The New York Observer and was placed on the New York Public LIbrary’s 2007 Books for the Teen Age list. The follow-up, Under the Rose (2007) was deemed “impossible to put down” by Publisher’s Weekly, and Booklist called the third book, Rites of Spring (Break) (2008), “an ideal summer read.” The final book in the series, Tap & Gown, will be released in 2009. All titles are available from Bantam Dell.
She also contributed to the non-fiction anthologies, Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, edited by Jennifer O’Connell (Pocket Books, 2007), The World of the Golden Compass, edited by Scott Westerfeld (BenBella Books, 2007), and Through the Wardrobe, edited by Herbie Brennan (BenBella Books, 2008).
Her first young adult novel, Rampant, an adventure fantasy about killer unicorns and the virgin descendents of Alexander the Great who hunt them, will be released by Harper Collins in 2009. When she’s not writing, Diana volunteers at the National Zoo, adds movies she has no intention of watching to her Netflix queue, and plays with her puppy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Rio.
Her first novel, Secret Society Girl (2006), was described as “witty and endearing” by The New York Observer and was placed on the New York Public LIbrary’s 2007 Books for the Teen Age list. The follow-up, Under the Rose (2007) was deemed “impossible to put down” by Publisher’s Weekly, and Booklist called the third book, Rites of Spring (Break) (2008), “an ideal summer read.” The final book in the series, Tap & Gown, will be released in 2009. All titles are available from Bantam Dell.
She also contributed to the non-fiction anthologies, Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, edited by Jennifer O’Connell (Pocket Books, 2007), The World of the Golden Compass, edited by Scott Westerfeld (BenBella Books, 2007), and Through the Wardrobe, edited by Herbie Brennan (BenBella Books, 2008).
Her first young adult novel, Rampant, an adventure fantasy about killer unicorns and the virgin descendents of Alexander the Great who hunt them, will be released by Harper Collins in 2009. When she’s not writing, Diana volunteers at the National Zoo, adds movies she has no intention of watching to her Netflix queue, and plays with her puppy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Rio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
October 3, 2020
Once I stopped overanalyzing the bananas secret society worldbuilding and gave into the ridiculousness, I really liked this! It’s the type of college-set NA voice that I love.
The reasons why I’m docking a star is 1) this book was written in 2006 and some of the political discussion re: GOP/conservatism has NOT aged well (cough Malcolm cough) + 2) I struggled with the initiation/coffin/“joke” scene and I wanted consequences/apologies. I was horrified by it (and so was Amy), but the text didn’t do enough to address it.
And Poe! Argh. So clearly the endgame relationship, but the boy needs redemption because I do not like him yet. Will definitely continue the series one day. The voice, the sex-positivity, the friendships, etc are all great.
Thanks to Jess and Cait for the recommendation! The Ally Carter comp was spot on.
The reasons why I’m docking a star is 1) this book was written in 2006 and some of the political discussion re: GOP/conservatism has NOT aged well (cough Malcolm cough) + 2) I struggled with the initiation/coffin/“joke” scene and I wanted consequences/apologies. I was horrified by it (and so was Amy), but the text didn’t do enough to address it.
And Poe! Argh. So clearly the endgame relationship, but the boy needs redemption because I do not like him yet. Will definitely continue the series one day. The voice, the sex-positivity, the friendships, etc are all great.
Thanks to Jess and Cait for the recommendation! The Ally Carter comp was spot on.
April 8, 2021
Biggest surprise of those past few months! (yes, "year" sounded a bit too much because I can't recall the 80 or so books I've read at the moment)
This book probably deserves a 3 stars rating, but I enjoyed it so much that I give it a 4.
I didn't expect to like it that much because I usually don't put a lot of faith in :
a) contemporary
b) campus setting/elite crowd
c) sorority/fraternity/secret society stuff
d) a cover that doesn't make me think the book will be anymore than the epitome of contemporary on campus with secret societies amongst the elite.
On top of that, it's NA. Yes, you read it right. I said it, I used the N-word.
Or most likely, it's what NA should be, meaning it's about 20 somethings who drink alcohol and get laid but there's also a plot, characters with personalities and very fun lines.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's Voltaire or Shakespeare or whatever (and it doesn't pretend to be) : it's light and entertaining, and has some hot boys and cool girls getting through some secret-society adventures. Fun, fun and fun. Also, a page turner with some pretty cool themes like the seek of equality between boys and girls.
It has white and POC and straight and LGBT characters, rich, poor, middle class. DIVERSITY!
Also, no girl hate! The MC is brilliant in a very normal way and...she has girl friends! Plural!
I know I used the NA code word, but don't look for never-ending smut scenes, you will find none. And that doesn't mean there are no sexy times or that it's a boring book, you pervs! ;) The boys and girls are here and some specimen will please you just enough without 50 pages of dicks-in-too-tight-vaginas.
I'm already reading the third book because I can't get enough of those people.
Thanks Gelis, for letting me know about this series!
This book probably deserves a 3 stars rating, but I enjoyed it so much that I give it a 4.
I didn't expect to like it that much because I usually don't put a lot of faith in :
a) contemporary
b) campus setting/elite crowd
c) sorority/fraternity/secret society stuff
d) a cover that doesn't make me think the book will be anymore than the epitome of contemporary on campus with secret societies amongst the elite.
On top of that, it's NA. Yes, you read it right. I said it, I used the N-word.
Or most likely, it's what NA should be, meaning it's about 20 somethings who drink alcohol and get laid but there's also a plot, characters with personalities and very fun lines.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's Voltaire or Shakespeare or whatever (and it doesn't pretend to be) : it's light and entertaining, and has some hot boys and cool girls getting through some secret-society adventures. Fun, fun and fun. Also, a page turner with some pretty cool themes like the seek of equality between boys and girls.
It has white and POC and straight and LGBT characters, rich, poor, middle class. DIVERSITY!
Also, no girl hate! The MC is brilliant in a very normal way and...she has girl friends! Plural!
I know I used the NA code word, but don't look for never-ending smut scenes, you will find none. And that doesn't mean there are no sexy times or that it's a boring book, you pervs! ;) The boys and girls are here and some specimen will please you just enough without 50 pages of dicks-in-too-tight-vaginas.
I'm already reading the third book because I can't get enough of those people.
Thanks Gelis, for letting me know about this series!
December 1, 2016
Estava procurando algo light para ler esses últimos dias e a Carol Andrade tinha me indicado essa série New Adult para ler. Resolvi ver qual era dela e não me arrependi nenhum um pouco!!
Vou já avisando que esse livro não tem NADA A VER com os New Adults que estamos acostumados a ver por aí. Começando pelo fato que não tem romance (tem envolvimento romântico, mas é tão inexpressivo na estória geral que nem considero). O que mais me surpreendeu mesmo foi o quão forte ele é com temáticas feministas, auto-conhecimento e ambição. Algo que quase não vemos no gênero e foi maravilhoso ler.
E o feminismo!! AAAHHHH, queria morrer de felicidade de ver mulheres juntas lutando pelo o que queriam. MELHOR parte do livro.
Adorei a Amy como personagem principal. A autora estabelece ela como uma protagonista falha, mas verdadeira e é uma delícia ler da perspectiva dela. Especialmente quando ela é honesta consigo mesma.
Dos outros personagens, definitivamente meus favoritos são o Malcon e a Clarissa. Foram os que tiveram o maior crescimento durante todo o livro e que eu quero ver mais nos próximos.
Agora sobre o enredo, eu devo confessar que demorou um pouco para eu entrar na estória. A forma como a autora "montou" os acontecimentos foram um pouco abruptos até 70% do livro e não me deixaram conectar com a situação que os personagens se encontravam. O que me carregou mesmo até ali foi a minha curiosidade em saber se tudo daria certo. Fiquei muito feliz que depois desse ponto eu não só estava curiosa, mas também torcendo para que isso acontecesse.
De qualquer forma, esse livro é completamente diferente do que eu estava esperando e essa é a sua maior qualidade. Recomendo para quem está cansado do gênero NA que só tem drama e sexo e queira ler uma estória mais sobre as pessoas e como ser parte de uma sociedade secreta afeta suas vidas. Ah, e já falei das temáticas feministas do livro? ;)
Vou já avisando que esse livro não tem NADA A VER com os New Adults que estamos acostumados a ver por aí. Começando pelo fato que não tem romance (tem envolvimento romântico, mas é tão inexpressivo na estória geral que nem considero). O que mais me surpreendeu mesmo foi o quão forte ele é com temáticas feministas, auto-conhecimento e ambição. Algo que quase não vemos no gênero e foi maravilhoso ler.
E o feminismo!! AAAHHHH, queria morrer de felicidade de ver mulheres juntas lutando pelo o que queriam. MELHOR parte do livro.
Adorei a Amy como personagem principal. A autora estabelece ela como uma protagonista falha, mas verdadeira e é uma delícia ler da perspectiva dela. Especialmente quando ela é honesta consigo mesma.
Dos outros personagens, definitivamente meus favoritos são o Malcon e a Clarissa. Foram os que tiveram o maior crescimento durante todo o livro e que eu quero ver mais nos próximos.
Agora sobre o enredo, eu devo confessar que demorou um pouco para eu entrar na estória. A forma como a autora "montou" os acontecimentos foram um pouco abruptos até 70% do livro e não me deixaram conectar com a situação que os personagens se encontravam. O que me carregou mesmo até ali foi a minha curiosidade em saber se tudo daria certo. Fiquei muito feliz que depois desse ponto eu não só estava curiosa, mas também torcendo para que isso acontecesse.
De qualquer forma, esse livro é completamente diferente do que eu estava esperando e essa é a sua maior qualidade. Recomendo para quem está cansado do gênero NA que só tem drama e sexo e queira ler uma estória mais sobre as pessoas e como ser parte de uma sociedade secreta afeta suas vidas. Ah, e já falei das temáticas feministas do livro? ;)
June 12, 2008
So I stayed up too late two nights in a row finishing this one. I found myself alternately morbidly fascinated by and completely frustrated with a world that (though "real") so utterly alien to the one I experienced at college. More to come on that further down.
Amy Haskel is your average overachieving junior at Eli University. Editor of the school's lit magazine, she's up to her elbows in a reading of War and Peace, sorting writing submissions, and negotiating a very tenuous friends-with-benefits relationship with her assistant editor. Amid all this, Amy is shocked when Rose and Grave, the most prestigious secret society on campus, taps her for their annual initiation. Btw, it's clear from the get-go that Eli is not-so-loosely based on Yale, while Rose and Grave is patterned on the infamous Skull and Bones secret society.
The notion of a secret society is so outside my realm of experience, that that alone made the book interesting. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that these groups actually exist and have persisted into the present day, albeit in altered and, one would hope, slightly more enlightened forms. In fact, the admission of women forms the backbone of this story as Amy's initiation class is the first to include a female contingent. Rather unsurprisingly, I spent a good portion of reading time railing away in my head at the archaic, misogynist, preposterous ways the men of Rose and Grave viewed the world. Don't even get me started on the so-called "patriarchs" who threaten (and come through on said threats) to make Amy's and the other girls' lives a living hell if they insist on remaining members, aka Diggers. Suffice it to say, I was ready to lose it long before Amy did. And I'm not at all sure I would have made the choice she did in the end.
That said, I sank into Peterfreund's clean, light prose. Just when the whole thing seemed too much to take, she'd include a quiet scene where Amy reminded me why I liked her so much.I finished the book still conflicted over Amy's choice and that of her fellow Diggirls. Still unsure which (if any) of her male friends can be trusted, particularly the intriguing GHP. Still supremely relieved I'm not living her life. And still satisfied in a I'll have another dish of pie, please, kind of way. I've got the sequel on my nightstand and I'm thinking I'll "dig" right in.
Amy Haskel is your average overachieving junior at Eli University. Editor of the school's lit magazine, she's up to her elbows in a reading of War and Peace, sorting writing submissions, and negotiating a very tenuous friends-with-benefits relationship with her assistant editor. Amid all this, Amy is shocked when Rose and Grave, the most prestigious secret society on campus, taps her for their annual initiation. Btw, it's clear from the get-go that Eli is not-so-loosely based on Yale, while Rose and Grave is patterned on the infamous Skull and Bones secret society.
The notion of a secret society is so outside my realm of experience, that that alone made the book interesting. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that these groups actually exist and have persisted into the present day, albeit in altered and, one would hope, slightly more enlightened forms. In fact, the admission of women forms the backbone of this story as Amy's initiation class is the first to include a female contingent. Rather unsurprisingly, I spent a good portion of reading time railing away in my head at the archaic, misogynist, preposterous ways the men of Rose and Grave viewed the world. Don't even get me started on the so-called "patriarchs" who threaten (and come through on said threats) to make Amy's and the other girls' lives a living hell if they insist on remaining members, aka Diggers. Suffice it to say, I was ready to lose it long before Amy did. And I'm not at all sure I would have made the choice she did in the end.
That said, I sank into Peterfreund's clean, light prose. Just when the whole thing seemed too much to take, she'd include a quiet scene where Amy reminded me why I liked her so much.I finished the book still conflicted over Amy's choice and that of her fellow Diggirls. Still unsure which (if any) of her male friends can be trusted, particularly the intriguing GHP. Still supremely relieved I'm not living her life. And still satisfied in a I'll have another dish of pie, please, kind of way. I've got the sequel on my nightstand and I'm thinking I'll "dig" right in.
April 28, 2013
Okay, I think there may actually be a secret handshake to join the Diana Peterfreund fan club... But no matter, I want in!
When I was younger, I went from Baby-sitters Club to Sweet Valley High to shit, I'm actually going to have to do some school reading. I would've LOVED this book then. While I was doing all this work for college, it would've been nice to read something that showed that yeah, it's worth it. I loved the depiction of college life and the futility of reading War and Peace. I love that Amy Haskel would've had a lot to say about this.
On to Book 2! I mean, after I finish this review...
When I was younger, I went from Baby-sitters Club to Sweet Valley High to shit, I'm actually going to have to do some school reading. I would've LOVED this book then. While I was doing all this work for college, it would've been nice to read something that showed that yeah, it's worth it. I loved the depiction of college life and the futility of reading War and Peace. I love that Amy Haskel would've had a lot to say about this.
On to Book 2! I mean, after I finish this review...
October 24, 2010
I'm all for book recommendations, I mean, talking about books with other people who love books is kind of like talking about sex with a nymphomaniac. there is bound to be lots of exclamation points, plenty of sqeualing and "you should try this" or "you will love this" being thrown about. It's even better being recommended a book by a blogger who you not only admire but has nearly the exact same taste in books as you do. So, when the lovely Ari from Emily and Her Little Pink Notes recommended this series to me after I admitted I TOTES LOVE Marcus Flutie from the Jessica Darling series, well you bet your ass I ran out and bought this book as fast as I possibly could. I was armed and ready.
Imagine being in an Ivy League college, a college full of rich kids who live off their inheritance aka the ones dressed in fancy clothes and the latest Chloe handbag. They all have class and are SO high on the social ladder just looking down makes them dizzy. Imagine socialising with not only the elitest of the elite, but with the future leaders and most powerful people in the nation. Well, this is all on the cards for Amy Haskel when she is tapped into the MOTHER of all secret societies, Rose & Grave. OMG, I want to join this club even though i'm not Ivy League material and have like no inheritance in the slightest.
Amy our lead girl is so NO nonsense I wanted to fist pump her throughout the whole book. She seems to not actually think before she speaks, so most of the time the things that fell out of her mouth made me giggle. She's just your average overachieving college student. You know the score right? well, she's the Editor of the schools lit magazine, she reads books like War and Peace for Russian Lit Class, she's busy preping for her summer internship which she obvs arranged way ahead of schedule, and working out a sophisticated way to handle that old "Friends With Benefits" thing. So when Amy's tapped, she is shocked. Because R&G aka The Diggers are notoriously a Boys Club, they don't let girls play in their tree house. But this year they are stepping into the 21st Century and realising girls have potential. WOW you woth think for a prestigious club they'd have clued in on that a LONG time ago, but no, as is the case with a LOT of patriarchal dickwads.
I don't even think this is classed as a Young Adult book, what with the spunky Amy being at college, but OH MY GODS, I think teenage girls getting ready to go off to college would eat this book right up. It's quite a compulsive read where you start and then you can't stop until you finish. The dialogue is fresh and witty and there are enough characters to keep you on your toes and wanting more, MORE!
The best part of the book? GIRL POWER. Amy is so badass she isn't scared to stick it to the man, plus she's in the best secret society possibly in the whole world. Secret Societies call to me like no other plot line, maybe because it's so far out of my own experiences that I just want to LICK IT ALL. And they actually exist, some colleges *actually* have these secret clubs that the members aren't allowed to talk about. I find this like brain explodingly cool. If your reading this and your like a member of one, then....I WANT IN, I mean, I know you're not allowed to disclose or divulge any information, but like, PRETTY PLEASE? I'll just like do the coffee run or whatever, just send me a damn letter with a wax stamp on.
I hear by confess if you WERE to tap me, I swear, I wouldn't tell a soul. And I wouldn't mind if you called me Bugaboo, in fact, I may demand you do so.
Imagine being in an Ivy League college, a college full of rich kids who live off their inheritance aka the ones dressed in fancy clothes and the latest Chloe handbag. They all have class and are SO high on the social ladder just looking down makes them dizzy. Imagine socialising with not only the elitest of the elite, but with the future leaders and most powerful people in the nation. Well, this is all on the cards for Amy Haskel when she is tapped into the MOTHER of all secret societies, Rose & Grave. OMG, I want to join this club even though i'm not Ivy League material and have like no inheritance in the slightest.
Amy our lead girl is so NO nonsense I wanted to fist pump her throughout the whole book. She seems to not actually think before she speaks, so most of the time the things that fell out of her mouth made me giggle. She's just your average overachieving college student. You know the score right? well, she's the Editor of the schools lit magazine, she reads books like War and Peace for Russian Lit Class, she's busy preping for her summer internship which she obvs arranged way ahead of schedule, and working out a sophisticated way to handle that old "Friends With Benefits" thing. So when Amy's tapped, she is shocked. Because R&G aka The Diggers are notoriously a Boys Club, they don't let girls play in their tree house. But this year they are stepping into the 21st Century and realising girls have potential. WOW you woth think for a prestigious club they'd have clued in on that a LONG time ago, but no, as is the case with a LOT of patriarchal dickwads.
I don't even think this is classed as a Young Adult book, what with the spunky Amy being at college, but OH MY GODS, I think teenage girls getting ready to go off to college would eat this book right up. It's quite a compulsive read where you start and then you can't stop until you finish. The dialogue is fresh and witty and there are enough characters to keep you on your toes and wanting more, MORE!
The best part of the book? GIRL POWER. Amy is so badass she isn't scared to stick it to the man, plus she's in the best secret society possibly in the whole world. Secret Societies call to me like no other plot line, maybe because it's so far out of my own experiences that I just want to LICK IT ALL. And they actually exist, some colleges *actually* have these secret clubs that the members aren't allowed to talk about. I find this like brain explodingly cool. If your reading this and your like a member of one, then....I WANT IN, I mean, I know you're not allowed to disclose or divulge any information, but like, PRETTY PLEASE? I'll just like do the coffee run or whatever, just send me a damn letter with a wax stamp on.
I hear by confess if you WERE to tap me, I swear, I wouldn't tell a soul. And I wouldn't mind if you called me Bugaboo, in fact, I may demand you do so.
April 6, 2008
Blech. The plot of this sounded good - a girl joins a secret society on campus and gets in over her head - so I checked it out of the library. I am sooo glad I did not waste money on this! It is poorly written, for starters, and the pacing is absolutely horrible. I did not once feel excited about anything going on, just bored. Lots of characters are introduced briefly, and then the reader is supposed to remember them and care about them. Riiiight. The characters are really self-centered and are so incredibly into the whole "I am in a secret society! But oops, I shouldn't really be talking about it, even though I am!" Like it's the biggest deal ever. Then, the big "problem" that occurs with the secret society she's in is that it used to be all-male and the older members don't want females in. Lame. And predictable. I made it about halfway through this book before deciding to set it aside because it was just that bad.
December 10, 2010
This book - this series - was recommended to me by a blogger in reply to a comment of mine on how much i had loved the Jessica Darling series. She told me i would love this series just as much and not to stop at the first installment 'cause the other ones are better.
I think she might be right.
This book is not an unputdownable but the premises and potential to be a great series are there.
I like Amy, she a strong, singleminded, witty character. She is the editor of a Lit Mag and has that tendency to overobserve and overanalyze that i like so much in my female characters.
It was really interesting for me to get a glimpse of the life of students in Ivy league Uni and the existence of secret societies - no such thing here, that i know of. Also, all hints and references to pop culture are most welcome, they make the stories so real.
Moreover i like this series because i am not really sure where it is heading to, romanticallywise in particular.
*spoiler alert*
Unfortunately one star had to go towards the end of the book, to be specific in the scene when the taps go to secret society headquarters and Amy makes her speech that saves the day. Uh... not really feasible i am sorry, i suddedly had a vision of a Hollywood b-list movie where the hero speech does change it all.
So, since i was told, i'll be looking forward to the next installments. So dear Amazon do me a big favor and please restock!
I think she might be right.
This book is not an unputdownable but the premises and potential to be a great series are there.
I like Amy, she a strong, singleminded, witty character. She is the editor of a Lit Mag and has that tendency to overobserve and overanalyze that i like so much in my female characters.
It was really interesting for me to get a glimpse of the life of students in Ivy league Uni and the existence of secret societies - no such thing here, that i know of. Also, all hints and references to pop culture are most welcome, they make the stories so real.
Moreover i like this series because i am not really sure where it is heading to, romanticallywise in particular.
*spoiler alert*
Unfortunately one star had to go towards the end of the book, to be specific in the scene when the taps go to secret society headquarters and Amy makes her speech that saves the day. Uh... not really feasible i am sorry, i suddedly had a vision of a Hollywood b-list movie where the hero speech does change it all.
So, since i was told, i'll be looking forward to the next installments. So dear Amazon do me a big favor and please restock!
February 25, 2010
Hard to get through this one. Writing was awkward; contained super long paragraphs and unrealistic dialogue. The main character wasn't fleshed out enough and I just didn't care for her--she's unlikable and unrelatable (not to mention the other characters, who were flat, stereotypical, and forgettable).
I also didn't like how the author had to throw in every SAT word she ever learned as if to prove that she graduated from an ivy league school (which she did. Yale, apparently). It was very annoying.
The story is terribly boring! I expected mystery, intrigue, and excitement. The most interesting part of the book was the initiation. After that, it was all politics and feminism. The relationships and friendships didn't develop, and the author skimmed over them as if they were afterthoughts. The main character didn't grow, didn't learn anything, and was two-dimensional.
So much for a so-called secret society. This was a disappointment and doesn't even set-up for the second novel very well--there's nothing to look forward to. I couldn't wait to finish it just so I could be done with it. Skip this one and go watch 'The Skulls'.
I also didn't like how the author had to throw in every SAT word she ever learned as if to prove that she graduated from an ivy league school (which she did. Yale, apparently). It was very annoying.
The story is terribly boring! I expected mystery, intrigue, and excitement. The most interesting part of the book was the initiation. After that, it was all politics and feminism. The relationships and friendships didn't develop, and the author skimmed over them as if they were afterthoughts. The main character didn't grow, didn't learn anything, and was two-dimensional.
So much for a so-called secret society. This was a disappointment and doesn't even set-up for the second novel very well--there's nothing to look forward to. I couldn't wait to finish it just so I could be done with it. Skip this one and go watch 'The Skulls'.
November 29, 2012
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Meet Amy Maureen Haskel, a junior at prestigious Eli University. As editor-in-chief of the campus literary newspaper, Amy's a shoe-in to be tapped for Quill & Ink, the literary senior society, home to writers and scribblers of any and all degree. After all, it's a part of her master plan: get tapped into Quill & Ink, do her summer internship at Horton, make it through the Russian Novel class, decide what to do with her "friend with benefits," Brandon, and, basically, enjoy a fulfilling life as a literary genius.
Except things don't quite work out that way. Amy is tapped to join a society all right, but she learns pretty quickly (all the guys in black robes hidden in shadow give her a clue) that it isn't Quill & Ink who is interested in her. No, she's been tapped by Rose & Grave, the mother of all secret societies on Eli's campus. Except that doesn't make sense either, as Rose & Grave is a society of men only.
The fact that Rose & Grave has decided to allow women into their society is just the beginning of Amy's junior year. She's heard so many rumors about the "Diggers" over the years that she doesn't know what is fact and what is fiction. Does Rose & Grave really run the country? Is every presidential candidate a member? Do they control the media? Is Rose & Grave funded with unlimited money from the world's biggest CEO's and business founders? Are you really supposed to leave the room if someone so much as utters the words Rose & Grave, and yet wear a Rose & Grave pin on your person at all times? It's all very confusing for Amy, and it only gets more so after her initiation.
Given the ultra-cool (not) name of Bugaboo, Amy is now in a secret society, which is great. Except she can't tell anyone that she's a member of Rose & Grave, never mind what she does during their meetings. There are some members of the Diggers who aren't thrilled to have women in their ranks, and that spells major trouble for not only Amy and the other members of class D177, but possibly for the entire Rose & Grace society.
SECRET SOCIETY GIRL is a blast! Fun and witty, with an engaging theme, heartfelt situations, intriguing dialogue, and a cast of characters that you'll be cheering for, it's a story you won't want to put down. Thankfully, there's another book coming in this series, so I have something to look forward to. As it is, though, I can't wait for another look into the lives of not only Bugaboo, but some of my other favorite characters--Angel, Little Demon, and Puck. Not to mention being able to catch up on the lives of the graduating class members such as Poe and Lancelot. You won't go wrong picking up a copy of this clever, imaginative story.
Meet Amy Maureen Haskel, a junior at prestigious Eli University. As editor-in-chief of the campus literary newspaper, Amy's a shoe-in to be tapped for Quill & Ink, the literary senior society, home to writers and scribblers of any and all degree. After all, it's a part of her master plan: get tapped into Quill & Ink, do her summer internship at Horton, make it through the Russian Novel class, decide what to do with her "friend with benefits," Brandon, and, basically, enjoy a fulfilling life as a literary genius.
Except things don't quite work out that way. Amy is tapped to join a society all right, but she learns pretty quickly (all the guys in black robes hidden in shadow give her a clue) that it isn't Quill & Ink who is interested in her. No, she's been tapped by Rose & Grave, the mother of all secret societies on Eli's campus. Except that doesn't make sense either, as Rose & Grave is a society of men only.
The fact that Rose & Grave has decided to allow women into their society is just the beginning of Amy's junior year. She's heard so many rumors about the "Diggers" over the years that she doesn't know what is fact and what is fiction. Does Rose & Grave really run the country? Is every presidential candidate a member? Do they control the media? Is Rose & Grave funded with unlimited money from the world's biggest CEO's and business founders? Are you really supposed to leave the room if someone so much as utters the words Rose & Grave, and yet wear a Rose & Grave pin on your person at all times? It's all very confusing for Amy, and it only gets more so after her initiation.
Given the ultra-cool (not) name of Bugaboo, Amy is now in a secret society, which is great. Except she can't tell anyone that she's a member of Rose & Grave, never mind what she does during their meetings. There are some members of the Diggers who aren't thrilled to have women in their ranks, and that spells major trouble for not only Amy and the other members of class D177, but possibly for the entire Rose & Grace society.
SECRET SOCIETY GIRL is a blast! Fun and witty, with an engaging theme, heartfelt situations, intriguing dialogue, and a cast of characters that you'll be cheering for, it's a story you won't want to put down. Thankfully, there's another book coming in this series, so I have something to look forward to. As it is, though, I can't wait for another look into the lives of not only Bugaboo, but some of my other favorite characters--Angel, Little Demon, and Puck. Not to mention being able to catch up on the lives of the graduating class members such as Poe and Lancelot. You won't go wrong picking up a copy of this clever, imaginative story.
May 2, 2015
4.25 stars. Reread. This time around, I noticed more clunky passages, and the beginning is more drawn out than I remembered, but once I got into it, I was sucked in just like the first time. The feminist take is great, Amy is both frustrating and spirited, and I love the Diggirls like I loved them the first time. Well-worth the reread.
February 17, 2021
Reread February 2021
10 years later and I still love this book so much. This series is really just the best and is a world I'm always happy to revisit.
Reread in September 2015
I loved this book as much the 2nd time as I did the first.
10 years later and I still love this book so much. This series is really just the best and is a world I'm always happy to revisit.
Reread in September 2015
I loved this book as much the 2nd time as I did the first.
February 11, 2009
Amy Haskel is a junior at the esteemed Eli University, editor of the college literary magazine…and not much else. Which is why she is utterly surprised when she is “tapped” by one of the famed Eli secret societies—in fact, by THE most notorious secret society of all, Rose & Grave, for which admittance promises eternal job security, prime networking, and lifelong happiness, more or less.
Encouraged by her friend-with-benefits Brandon Weare to stop overthinking for once, Amy accepts Rose & Grave’s tap, and soon finds herself swept up in the strange new world of initiation and the company of people she would never have associated with if it weren’t for the common bond of their society: sons of governors and bitchy girls who did her wrong, for example. Surrounded by the rich, beautiful, accomplished, and famous, Amy feels extremely out of place, and wonders if she had been mistakenly tapped.
All of a sudden, a crisis descends that threatens to tear apart the whole society. Until Amy’s tap class, Rose & Grave had been exclusively a male-only society, and many of the old-fashioned patriarchs want to keep it that way. Amy and her new society siblings must scramble to come up with a plan that will keep Rose & Grave intact…and their futures out of the gutter.
SECRET SOCIETY GIRL marks the beginning of a series that is unlike most female-protagonist, secret-society books in that it is actually intelligent and funny. I found myself laughing out loud at many spots, and Amy is a wonderful protagonist, a girl with a backbone. Of course, there are still plenty of romantic entanglements to satisfy our natural desire for, well, desire. I’m excited to pick up the next book in the series and devour it like I did this one!
Encouraged by her friend-with-benefits Brandon Weare to stop overthinking for once, Amy accepts Rose & Grave’s tap, and soon finds herself swept up in the strange new world of initiation and the company of people she would never have associated with if it weren’t for the common bond of their society: sons of governors and bitchy girls who did her wrong, for example. Surrounded by the rich, beautiful, accomplished, and famous, Amy feels extremely out of place, and wonders if she had been mistakenly tapped.
All of a sudden, a crisis descends that threatens to tear apart the whole society. Until Amy’s tap class, Rose & Grave had been exclusively a male-only society, and many of the old-fashioned patriarchs want to keep it that way. Amy and her new society siblings must scramble to come up with a plan that will keep Rose & Grave intact…and their futures out of the gutter.
SECRET SOCIETY GIRL marks the beginning of a series that is unlike most female-protagonist, secret-society books in that it is actually intelligent and funny. I found myself laughing out loud at many spots, and Amy is a wonderful protagonist, a girl with a backbone. Of course, there are still plenty of romantic entanglements to satisfy our natural desire for, well, desire. I’m excited to pick up the next book in the series and devour it like I did this one!
August 19, 2010
Amy Haskell is a junior at elite Eli University. She is not a campus standout; rather, she is the flirty editor of the school’s literary magazine. What she lacks in family wealth and connections, she makes up for in hard work and pluck.
And that’s why she is so surprised when she is tapped by the school’s most secret of secret societies, Rose & Grave. Why her? Why now? If this is, indeed, not a hoax, she will be one of the first women tapped by the society.
The reasons for her inclusion are not nearly as important as the issue of women being tapped. The “diggers” have tapped their first coed class, and the society’s board is most displeased.
Okay, so I’ve now revealed the entire plot of this novel, which shows you how thinly plotted this novel really is. You won’t find any greatly drawn characters or snappy dialogue. Heck, you won’t even experience a good sense of setting, which is quite disappointing.
Clearly, our Ivy League author has some major publishing connections. Why else would this mediocre novel have ever been published?
And that’s why she is so surprised when she is tapped by the school’s most secret of secret societies, Rose & Grave. Why her? Why now? If this is, indeed, not a hoax, she will be one of the first women tapped by the society.
The reasons for her inclusion are not nearly as important as the issue of women being tapped. The “diggers” have tapped their first coed class, and the society’s board is most displeased.
Okay, so I’ve now revealed the entire plot of this novel, which shows you how thinly plotted this novel really is. You won’t find any greatly drawn characters or snappy dialogue. Heck, you won’t even experience a good sense of setting, which is quite disappointing.
Clearly, our Ivy League author has some major publishing connections. Why else would this mediocre novel have ever been published?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2015
I read this book not only for Popsugar Challenge in the Book with a Female Author category but also for the Fibonacci Sequence Challenge.
This book had it's ups and downs but over-all it was not a terrible book.
My favorite part was the more pro-feminist narration. It was really refreshing. It wasn't perfect, but it's a start in the right direction.
This book was pretty fluffy, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
A lot of the male characters were problematic but they were mostly written to be shown that this is not appropriate behavior.
I loathed Brandon. He felt so entitled. Ugh.
Was it realistic? Not really, but again, that is not always a bad thing.
I'm planning on reading more of this series in the future.
Also it was thinly veiled based on actual ivy league secret societies.Skull and Bones in particular. :P
This book had it's ups and downs but over-all it was not a terrible book.
My favorite part was the more pro-feminist narration. It was really refreshing. It wasn't perfect, but it's a start in the right direction.
This book was pretty fluffy, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
A lot of the male characters were problematic but they were mostly written to be shown that this is not appropriate behavior.
I loathed Brandon. He felt so entitled. Ugh.
Was it realistic? Not really, but again, that is not always a bad thing.
I'm planning on reading more of this series in the future.
Also it was thinly veiled based on actual ivy league secret societies.
December 27, 2018
I feel like I need to preface this review with the fact that my background information about college secret societies is limited to seeing The Skulls once when it was first released in theaters decades ago because I was (in retrospect, wrongly) team Pacey re. Dawson's Creek. The blurb sounded fun, though, and I like reading stories set in expensive, exclusive schools and universities that I've never seen in real life. The book was, indeed fun, even if I have no idea if there are any accuracies or inaccuracies- I liked the narrator/protagonist, who seemed down to earth, intelligent and realistically flawed. It wasn't necessarily a nail biter, but the writing was decent, and it was a fun, quick read. I will probably give the rest of the series a try. 3 stars.
March 15, 2015
it was fun, and i must admit that if it was not pushed (!!) i would never have read it. i would love to avoid new series as trying to find the next and the next and .... just is too stressful :) but this was good, as it also finished while left you wanting to read more of bugaboo's adventures. lovely just because of that and also it was fun, really fun, and you could like the people there. thanks, t, it was a good recommendation
August 21, 2011
It's kind of ridiculous how much I liked this book, but I also love all things Ivy League. I found Amy to be a hoot and totally relatable. I may or may not have a crush on Malcolm. I want to keep reading the rest of the series... especially because I want to see if/how they flesh out the other characters.
September 24, 2019
I am bumping this up to four stars on my current reread, because I'd forgotten how much good stuff there is in this one.
September 2019 reread: I like these characters and this world building SO MUCH. It's everything I want, and I will forever want so much more of it.
September 2019 reread: I like these characters and this world building SO MUCH. It's everything I want, and I will forever want so much more of it.
May 23, 2017
I don't think I am the target audience for this book. While I occasionally liked the main character - she's snarky. I am well beyond reading about college students at Ivy league schools and their secret societies.
What I did like - the bits of girl power
What I didn't like - the way men used the women, lied to the women, degraded the women. One character is verbally abused, publicly by her father. During the initiation ritual they threaten another with rape.
This is a book practically devoid of likeable characters.
What I did like - the bits of girl power
What I didn't like - the way men used the women, lied to the women, degraded the women. One character is verbally abused, publicly by her father. During the initiation ritual they threaten another with rape.
This is a book practically devoid of likeable characters.
April 2, 2018
That was fun. I really liked the characters and the story. It also reminded me of the movie The Skulls. Definitely looking forward to reading the others in the series.
September 28, 2022
Slay I guess
May 6, 2019
Ah, the curse of the first book...lots of info that sometimes makes it tedious to go on and endless introductions to characters that sometimes are not even there enough time for you to know if you like them or not. But I will say this for this book: they were great characters, and once the story got going it was brilliant. Amy is an excellent MC, all sass and snark, and so very unlike almost any other NA female MC I've encountered before that I hesitate to put her in this category. The supporting characters are interesting, intriguing and organically diverse, and I cannot wait to read about them again. So you were right Sarah, it really is a much better book than the hideous cover suggests 😛
February 4, 2015
Real rating : 4.5
Oh my God...well,I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a long while.Secret societies,awesome main character and girl power? What else can I ask for? The main character Amy is so funny and smart but the supporting characters are entertaining as well.Once I started reading this book I just couldn't stop,I wanted to find out will Bugaboo and her sisters fight for their rights and show those idiots that they deserve to be in Rose & Grave as much as them...or even more.Overall,a very captivating book with a lot of twists and humorous dialogues.
Things I really liked:
1.) Amy,of course.She's a good student and ambitious girl,but there are times when she thinks she's not good or smart enough for her secret society and these parts of the book were really relatable because there is always a time when we question our actions and doubt in ourselves.But in the end,Amy will realize that she is capable of doing great and brave things if she admits to herself that her place is in her society.
2.) Clarissa Cuthbert. I loved her from the very beginning because it seemed to me that she really wanted to be friends with Amy.And I was right,she's awesome:
Things I didn't like:
1.) Okay,what's up with Lydia? She was really getting on my nerves. Every scene with her got me like:
Favourite quotes:
"Because I can tell that I’m different from the others. And they can tell, too. The rest of the taps look at me and ask themselves what I’m doing here. I know they do.''
“I don’t do drugs, I’ve never been arrested, and from what I hear, I’m not too shabby in bed. Not that any of you people will ever have the opportunity to discover that first-hand!”
“It’s not a boys’ club,” I said. Not anymore. “It’s one of the most powerful secret societies in the world.” I should know. I’m a member.''
''Good riddance. After all, it’s not as if the jerk had done me any favors recently. Well, he’d washed my clothes and bought me two breakfasts (like a Hobbit). There was that. But he’d also dragged me into a Battle of the Sexes that should have been over and done with a good thirty years ago, all because he needed a warm body to fill a slot.''
“Hello?” Hello, Mom. No, of course you didn’t wake me. Don’t you know? I often engage in Monday morning orgies. In fact, as you called, I was just enjoying an especially thorough rogering from two men named Paolo and Butch. (That would throw her for a loop.)''
''I’d hoped being tapped meant they were willing to listen to someone like me. Apparently, what it really meant is that they hoped they could make someone like me listen to them.”
Oh my God...well,I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a long while.Secret societies,awesome main character and girl power? What else can I ask for? The main character Amy is so funny and smart but the supporting characters are entertaining as well.Once I started reading this book I just couldn't stop,I wanted to find out will Bugaboo and her sisters fight for their rights and show those idiots that they deserve to be in Rose & Grave as much as them...or even more.Overall,a very captivating book with a lot of twists and humorous dialogues.
Things I really liked:
1.) Amy,of course.She's a good student and ambitious girl,but there are times when she thinks she's not good or smart enough for her secret society and these parts of the book were really relatable because there is always a time when we question our actions and doubt in ourselves.But in the end,Amy will realize that she is capable of doing great and brave things if she admits to herself that her place is in her society.
2.) Clarissa Cuthbert. I loved her from the very beginning because it seemed to me that she really wanted to be friends with Amy.And I was right,she's awesome:
Things I didn't like:
1.) Okay,what's up with Lydia? She was really getting on my nerves. Every scene with her got me like:
Favourite quotes:
"Because I can tell that I’m different from the others. And they can tell, too. The rest of the taps look at me and ask themselves what I’m doing here. I know they do.''
“I don’t do drugs, I’ve never been arrested, and from what I hear, I’m not too shabby in bed. Not that any of you people will ever have the opportunity to discover that first-hand!”
“It’s not a boys’ club,” I said. Not anymore. “It’s one of the most powerful secret societies in the world.” I should know. I’m a member.''
''Good riddance. After all, it’s not as if the jerk had done me any favors recently. Well, he’d washed my clothes and bought me two breakfasts (like a Hobbit). There was that. But he’d also dragged me into a Battle of the Sexes that should have been over and done with a good thirty years ago, all because he needed a warm body to fill a slot.''
“Hello?” Hello, Mom. No, of course you didn’t wake me. Don’t you know? I often engage in Monday morning orgies. In fact, as you called, I was just enjoying an especially thorough rogering from two men named Paolo and Butch. (That would throw her for a loop.)''
''I’d hoped being tapped meant they were willing to listen to someone like me. Apparently, what it really meant is that they hoped they could make someone like me listen to them.”
April 1, 2018
É bem provável que todo mundo tenha conhecido essa série através da Pam Gonçalves, que espalhou para os quatro ventos o quão maravilhosa era. E por meio desta, eu confesso: é tudo verdade!
Primeiro volume de uma série de 4 livros, em “Rosa e Túmulo” vamos ver como Amy Haskell, nossa divertida protagonista, lida quando entra para uma das mais prestigiosas e poderosas sociedades secretas e como isso vai afetar sua vida amorosa e suas amizades, assim como mostrar os novos laços que cria com os outros integrantes.
Num mundo onde o NA é praticamente associado a uma trama repleta de sexo/tensão sexual, “Rosa e Túmulo” veio quebrar esse padrão, nos mostrando que o romance é só uma das partes da vida de uma jovem, valorizando muito mais o desenvolvimento da personagem e como é sua vida universitária e o ingresso numa sociedade secreta.
Amy é uma personagem super engraçada, de personalidade forte, que ás vezes se deixa levar por seu temperamento e fala mais do que devia (#representada). As listas que ela faz foram divertidas e relacionáveis, assim como seus problemas e dilemas amorosos.
Com temáticas feministas, o livro traz fortes personagens femininas que tentam lutar contra o sistema patriarcal de sua sociedade, um problema que deverá permanecer durante os próximos volumes.
Como eu havia dito, o romance não sobrepuja a história do livro, mas está presente e se desenvolve de maneira realista. Os personagens secundários são diversos e conquistam por suas personalidades tão distintas, destacando-se cada qual a sua maneira (Malcolm meu mozão). Um ponto extremamente divertido foi ver os nomes que cada integrante recebe quando é admitido na sociedade, sempre referente a uma característica marcante dele (a).
A própria sociedade Rosa e Túmulo, um dos grandes personagens da trama, nos mostrou somente uma parte de sua história e do que é capaz, deixando-nos curiosos a respeito sobre o que mais pode se esconder atrás de suas paredes.
Definitivamente continuarei a série e tentarei adquirir as edições físicas (por mais caras e difíceis de achar que sejam).
Primeiro volume de uma série de 4 livros, em “Rosa e Túmulo” vamos ver como Amy Haskell, nossa divertida protagonista, lida quando entra para uma das mais prestigiosas e poderosas sociedades secretas e como isso vai afetar sua vida amorosa e suas amizades, assim como mostrar os novos laços que cria com os outros integrantes.
Num mundo onde o NA é praticamente associado a uma trama repleta de sexo/tensão sexual, “Rosa e Túmulo” veio quebrar esse padrão, nos mostrando que o romance é só uma das partes da vida de uma jovem, valorizando muito mais o desenvolvimento da personagem e como é sua vida universitária e o ingresso numa sociedade secreta.
Amy é uma personagem super engraçada, de personalidade forte, que ás vezes se deixa levar por seu temperamento e fala mais do que devia (#representada). As listas que ela faz foram divertidas e relacionáveis, assim como seus problemas e dilemas amorosos.
Com temáticas feministas, o livro traz fortes personagens femininas que tentam lutar contra o sistema patriarcal de sua sociedade, um problema que deverá permanecer durante os próximos volumes.
Como eu havia dito, o romance não sobrepuja a história do livro, mas está presente e se desenvolve de maneira realista. Os personagens secundários são diversos e conquistam por suas personalidades tão distintas, destacando-se cada qual a sua maneira (Malcolm meu mozão). Um ponto extremamente divertido foi ver os nomes que cada integrante recebe quando é admitido na sociedade, sempre referente a uma característica marcante dele (a).
A própria sociedade Rosa e Túmulo, um dos grandes personagens da trama, nos mostrou somente uma parte de sua história e do que é capaz, deixando-nos curiosos a respeito sobre o que mais pode se esconder atrás de suas paredes.
Definitivamente continuarei a série e tentarei adquirir as edições físicas (por mais caras e difíceis de achar que sejam).
Read
March 24, 2008Secret Society Girlby Diana Peterfreund
Deltacore Press 2006,291pp., $10.00
ISBN:978-0-440-24389-2
When I first picked up the book, I thought from the cover and the title that it would be something like the series of cliques and the life of a rich girl in an Ivy League school, with the money and the beauty, glamorous and rich. As I open the book to chapter 1, it was different from what I anticipated. I knew that there will be something more to the book than what is expected.
In the story, Amy Haskel, an average, middle-classed girl who goes to an Ivy League school surrounded by wealthy peers. As she was finishing the year of junior year with the same routine, something extraordinary jumps out at her- the most famous, Rose and Grave all-boys secret society had tapped her into their society which flipped everything into chaos when they began tapping girls in after having the society being an all boys group for many centuries. Stressed, with all the pressure of being in a hectic society with some of her peers not even wanting her to be in there and also the commitment of maintaining her promises with the society and reality, her life gets turned around as she struggles to get everything back in order.
Secret Society Girl was a huge page-turner for me because of the huge amount of suspense and the interesting events made me want to read on to the very end and I am still anxious for the next book of the series to come out. The book shows the courage of a teenager that stands up from a sexist environment; this book is filled with imagery and morals to learn from. Satisfied, at the end of the book, I did not regret cracking open the front cover and I am positive that when I reread it for the second time. I would definitely recommend this book to people that likes to read journals and diaries of someone’s life, deep and dramatic; there’s always a conflict.
Deltacore Press 2006,291pp., $10.00
ISBN:978-0-440-24389-2
When I first picked up the book, I thought from the cover and the title that it would be something like the series of cliques and the life of a rich girl in an Ivy League school, with the money and the beauty, glamorous and rich. As I open the book to chapter 1, it was different from what I anticipated. I knew that there will be something more to the book than what is expected.
In the story, Amy Haskel, an average, middle-classed girl who goes to an Ivy League school surrounded by wealthy peers. As she was finishing the year of junior year with the same routine, something extraordinary jumps out at her- the most famous, Rose and Grave all-boys secret society had tapped her into their society which flipped everything into chaos when they began tapping girls in after having the society being an all boys group for many centuries. Stressed, with all the pressure of being in a hectic society with some of her peers not even wanting her to be in there and also the commitment of maintaining her promises with the society and reality, her life gets turned around as she struggles to get everything back in order.
Secret Society Girl was a huge page-turner for me because of the huge amount of suspense and the interesting events made me want to read on to the very end and I am still anxious for the next book of the series to come out. The book shows the courage of a teenager that stands up from a sexist environment; this book is filled with imagery and morals to learn from. Satisfied, at the end of the book, I did not regret cracking open the front cover and I am positive that when I reread it for the second time. I would definitely recommend this book to people that likes to read journals and diaries of someone’s life, deep and dramatic; there’s always a conflict.
March 19, 2009
The unpretentious editor of the school's lit magazine, Amy Haskel is an overachieving junior at Eli University. She spends her time drowning in War and Peace (she calls it WAP - not an acronym, but onomatopoeia - for the sound it makes when she drops it on her desk,) finalizing her plans for a summer internship, and working out a sophisticated friends-with-benefits relationship with her assistant editor. When she's "tapped" by the most elite and mysterious society on campus, Rose & Grave, Amy is shocked to say the least.
For the first time in the history of Rose & Grave, the archaic "boy's club" is stepping in to the 21st century, and allowing women to become members (perish the thought!) The idea is not a popular one among many of the patriarchs of the society, who then use their considerable power and clout in the real world to try to blackball those who support the women.
Secret Society Girl is just the kind of "brain-candy-read" that I needed after finishing Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter earlier this week. The characters were quirky and the plot full of delicious twists and turns. The storyline was extremely engaging, making it virtually impossible for me to put it down. It was such a quick, fun read - perfect for a beach or poolside book.
Secret Society Girl is pure escapism at its best - a fun, flirty, frivolous read. The writing was witty and clever - chick-lit with a dash of mystery/intrigue and romance thrown in for flair. Diana Peterfreund's titillating look at college life is the juiciest thing I've read all year! I can't wait to start the second book in the series: Under the Rose.
For the first time in the history of Rose & Grave, the archaic "boy's club" is stepping in to the 21st century, and allowing women to become members (perish the thought!) The idea is not a popular one among many of the patriarchs of the society, who then use their considerable power and clout in the real world to try to blackball those who support the women.
Secret Society Girl is just the kind of "brain-candy-read" that I needed after finishing Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter earlier this week. The characters were quirky and the plot full of delicious twists and turns. The storyline was extremely engaging, making it virtually impossible for me to put it down. It was such a quick, fun read - perfect for a beach or poolside book.
Secret Society Girl is pure escapism at its best - a fun, flirty, frivolous read. The writing was witty and clever - chick-lit with a dash of mystery/intrigue and romance thrown in for flair. Diana Peterfreund's titillating look at college life is the juiciest thing I've read all year! I can't wait to start the second book in the series: Under the Rose.
November 19, 2015
Yes.
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.
This is basically my guilty pleasure daydream come alive in bookform, ugh SO MUCH YES!
(Also, there are numerous mentions of the word "ugh" in this novel, which makes it just so much better.)
-> Secret societies: YES PLEASE. GIVE ME ALL THE SECRET SOCIETY BOOKS!
-> College life, especially studying and bookish courses etc.: I'm not so secretly a studyblr fan...ALLLL THE MOTIVATION!(For all of you uninformed barbarians (hint: read the book if you feel insulted by the word barbarians...Also, yay for brackets in brackets. What's the world coming to...) there are certain tumblr blogs all about studying and study aesthetics which include a shitload of coffee and cute stationary, so what's not to love..they genuinely inspire me to get stuff done!)
-> My favourite sort of humour: Snarky, sassy, funny, brilliant. Shall I throw more descriptions your way, or do you get the gist? Also, it was still an intelligent narration and managed to use polysyllabic words, yay (Or shall I say: superkalifragilisticexpialidocious...).
-> Relatable, imperfect MCs: YES! Loved dear wee Amy Maureen Haskel, ugh!
-> More of this: It's a series...How fantastic is that?!
I'm simply so glad I got to read this yeaaaars after first adding it on goodreads.
Ugh yes.
I don't regret giving this 5 stars, even though I have in fact become stricter with my ratings, but this deserves it.
A fun ride from page 1 to 291.
Pre-reading notes
Hoping to get this soon as secret societies and the whole frat/sorority topics really intrigue me
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.
This is basically my guilty pleasure daydream come alive in bookform, ugh SO MUCH YES!
(Also, there are numerous mentions of the word "ugh" in this novel, which makes it just so much better.)
-> Secret societies: YES PLEASE. GIVE ME ALL THE SECRET SOCIETY BOOKS!
-> College life, especially studying and bookish courses etc.: I'm not so secretly a studyblr fan...ALLLL THE MOTIVATION!(For all of you uninformed barbarians (hint: read the book if you feel insulted by the word barbarians...Also, yay for brackets in brackets. What's the world coming to...) there are certain tumblr blogs all about studying and study aesthetics which include a shitload of coffee and cute stationary, so what's not to love..they genuinely inspire me to get stuff done!)
-> My favourite sort of humour: Snarky, sassy, funny, brilliant. Shall I throw more descriptions your way, or do you get the gist? Also, it was still an intelligent narration and managed to use polysyllabic words, yay (Or shall I say: superkalifragilisticexpialidocious...).
-> Relatable, imperfect MCs: YES! Loved dear wee Amy Maureen Haskel, ugh!
-> More of this: It's a series...How fantastic is that?!
I'm simply so glad I got to read this yeaaaars after first adding it on goodreads.
Ugh yes.
I don't regret giving this 5 stars, even though I have in fact become stricter with my ratings, but this deserves it.
A fun ride from page 1 to 291.
Pre-reading notes
Hoping to get this soon as secret societies and the whole frat/sorority topics really intrigue me
June 6, 2009
This is a classic case of "don't judge a book by its cover". Yes, the head/eyes cropped off thing is a little reminiscent of Gossip Girl and has gotten a little old.
But read it and your doubts will be vanquished of a whir of wit, intrigue, snarky humor and allusions.
This is one of those rare books that belongs on two (debatably) opposite shelves: Academia( A Separate Peace, Erich Segal, etc.) and chicklit(Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, Perfect Fifths etc.). Not one to miss for a smart girl that wants to go between the two, or just wants a college novel with a girl's POV.
I am so glad I read this now instead of earlier. I hate reading the debut of a series and then waiting and waiting for the sequel...and the sequel to the sequel...
But it looks like Peterfreund has made a few more, so I can read them all in a row, all in the space of a few days/weeks, depending on how well I'm doing on studying for finals...hurrah!
But read it and your doubts will be vanquished of a whir of wit, intrigue, snarky humor and allusions.
This is one of those rare books that belongs on two (debatably) opposite shelves: Academia( A Separate Peace, Erich Segal, etc.) and chicklit(Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, Perfect Fifths etc.). Not one to miss for a smart girl that wants to go between the two, or just wants a college novel with a girl's POV.
I am so glad I read this now instead of earlier. I hate reading the debut of a series and then waiting and waiting for the sequel...and the sequel to the sequel...
But it looks like Peterfreund has made a few more, so I can read them all in a row, all in the space of a few days/weeks, depending on how well I'm doing on studying for finals...hurrah!
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