Hazing Meri Sugarman

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Author(s)

M. Apostolina

Publisher

Simon & Schuster

Genre(s)

General Fiction

Age Range

14+

Release Date

December 20, 2005

ISBN

141690610X

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Poor, dear Cindy Bixby is a total loser. Has been all her life. But now as she enters college, Cindy hopes to shed her loser ways -- get some friends and maybe even (dare she think it?) get a boyfriend. Her first move out of loserdom: pledge Alpha Beta Delta.There Cindy meets Meri Sugarman. Meri is not only beautiful, she controls the sorority, a position that gives Meri more power than...well, maybe not God, but certainly any person within a one-hundred-mile radius. (How, you ask? Think of today's technology and what you could do with it if you were so (illegally) inclined. Get the picture?;-) ) Meri teaches Cindy that she, too, can be perfect. She can be beautiful, sexy, and popular, influence teachers and politicians, and even have a boyfriend But when the new Cindy crosses into Meri-only territory (hint: where there's trouble, look for boy), new -- very scary -- Meri emerges. And Cindy realizes that behind all that beauty is an evil beast that must be stopped.

Meri teaches Cindy that she, too, can be perfect. She can be beautiful, sexy, and popular, influence teachers and politicians, and even have a boyfriend

But when the new Cindy crosses into Meri-only territory (hint: where there's trouble, look for boy), new -- very scary -- Meri emerges. And Cindy realizes that behind all that beauty is an evil beast that must be stopped.

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2 reviews

The adventures of a former loser

July 20, 2006 (Updated: June 28, 2026)

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Cindy Bixby has never been popular her entire life. All she’s been is a nobody and a loser. She does not even inherit her mother’s good looks like her little sister, Lisa, does. Poor Cindy! She ends her high school days by going to prom with the Bud Finger, an obnoxious, slightly perverted, and very immature boy. However, those were her high school days, and Cindy wants to makes some friends and get a life during her college life at Rumson River University. How will she accomplish this? Cindy plans to pledge to Alpha Beta Delta, the coolest sorority on campus. Cindy hopes that she can follow her mother’s footsteps (her mother was the former president of Alpha Beta Delta!) and maybe even snag a real boyfriend.

Moving in with her new room-mate, Patty, at RU is not exactly great, as Cindy soon finds out. Patty, a rather pudgy girl, throws her garbage everywhere, creating a dumpster of a dorm room. You can get to the door without getting your foot embedded in old nacho cheese. Despite her mess, Patty is a sweet girl, and Cindy and Patty soon become friends.

Lucky for Cindy, she meets Shanna-Francine, an Alpha Beta Delta sister, who invites her to the smoker, or first sorority meeting for possible new recruits. After having her measurements and pictures taken along with a bunch of other different items, all Cindy has left to do is to wait for an invitation to pledge to Alpha Beta Delta.

Days pass as Cindy anxiously waits—“no news is good news. Right?” Finally Cindy gets the call she’s been waiting for! Cindy is formally invited to pledge! Little does she know how hard Pledge Week really is! With dozens and dozens of rules to follow, Cindy has a long week ahead of her! Her dress code for the week has been dictated by Alpha Beta Delta and she must wear a fresh white carnation everyday—points deducted for any pinkness! Rule #32 states that pledges must carry a portfolio containing certain objects that they may be asked to hand over by any sister of the sorority at anytime during Pledge Week!

To top this all off, much to Cindy’s horror, Bud Finger is also at Rumson River University! Bud tails Cindy and tries to get her as his girl-friend, but Cindy will do anything to shake him and his gross acts off.

Poor Cindy has to endure all the craziness of Pledge Week (which included jogging with bowls of jell-o) and the Pledge Song Blast, among other unspeakable tasks. And then it’s all down to waiting again. Will Cindy get an invitation to join Alpha Beta Delta?

September 8th, 6am, Cindy gets the phone call and the rest is just a blur! Cindy has been invited to join Alpha Beta Delta! Moving in with her friend Lindsay (who was also a fellow pledge that finally got accepted!) to the new dorm and life that follows is like a dream come true! Meri Sugarman, the head of the sorority, is revered school-wide and has her quite authority. The girls of Alpha Beta Delta get whatever they want—such as a raise in their GPA is a cinch for the girls. After all, they have the Hover File—all the goods on the teachers and other important people on campus—which enables them to blackmail teachers and others to get anything and everything they want.

Cindy even gets taken by Meri to do some shopping, replacing her old ugly clothes with stylish new ones. Cindy’s new life is perfect—her grades are good, she’s now a cheerleader, and she has a brand-new gorgeous look! But the one thing Cindy has not seen is Meri’s dark side. With all the power of the Hover File and the sisters of the sorority behind her, Meri is not afraid to do anything. Unfortunately, Cindy gets a taste of Cindy’s bad side when she goes on Meri-only turf—Meri’s ex-boyfriend, super-hot Keith Ryder. When Meri catches Cindy dating Keith, Cindy’s world falls apart. To Cindy’s dismay, she soon sees the extent of Meri’s power when Cindy’s college life is doomed and Keith is shipped off to jail on false charges. Meri does not hesitate inflict damage and pain on Cindy and soon Cindy will have to leave RU for a community college because of a ruined GPA!

Can Cindy rally old friends to complete her newest goals: save Keith and haze Meri Sugarman? Read Hazing Meri Sugarman to find out!

Hazing Meri Sugarman was no doubt an enjoyable book! Fans will be yearning for a sequel once they’re done with this book! I would recommend it to chick-lit fans, but due to some strong language and mature themes, this book would be more appropriate by older teen readers.

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ANYONE UP FOR A BLOOD MERI?

November 22, 2007 (Updated: June 28, 2026)

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Reader reviewed by Val

Mix together: 1 1/2 ounces total loser
1/2 cup psycho sorority president
2 teaspoons fresh drama
1 dash of handsome boy
1 wedge of revenge

And you have yourself the recipe for Hazing Meri Sugarman by: M. Apostolina.

Cindy Bixby is what most people like to call a social ghost. Shes one of those girls who dont even register as a blip on the popularity radar. Her body type isnt considered fat but she is far from being skinny. She isnt hideous to look at either but her features give her, as her sister Lisa likes to call it, a plain look. What makes her situation even more unbearable but all too relatable is that she is the outcast of her family. Cindy cant compare to her gorgeous mother, who in her college days was a cheerleader and the president of her sorority. She cant match up to to her 14 year old sister Lisa who inherited her mothers beauty and air headedness. Even her father was the handsome star quarterback in college.

So whats an ordinary girl like Cindy to do?

The answer is obvious of course! Cindy plans on going to Rumson River University her mother and fathers alma mater and pledging Alpha-Beta-Delta (her mothers sorority). Cindy hopes that by pledging she will finally be able to rid herself of her loser-ish ways and who knows perhaps even find a boyfriend.

Cindy is sure in for a shock when she comes to RU and meets her new roommate Patty. Patty is a pudgy girl who isnt afraid to admit it because according to her, recognizing her excessive weight is the first step to recovery. Her hygiene leaves a lot to be desired and when I say its bad, its pretty bad. Lets just say that in a short amount of time Cindy and Pattys room becomes comparable to a landfill complete with Twinkies littering the floor and water bugs crawling out of Pattys stash of bacon grease. Although Patty is slightly eccentric and a slob, her outgoingness and relaxed manner become endearing to Cindy and they become friends.

Lucky for Cindy she comes across Shanna-Francine one day tangled up in cable wires. Shanna-Francine is a bit clueless but she is also one of the senior members of Alpha-Beta-Delta and she invites Cindy to the smoker, which is the introduction party for pledging.

The smoker is filled with surprises when Cindy realizes the meaning of doing anything for a sister and the sorority. The first test involves getting naked, being weighed and having pictures taken. Not exactly what she had in mind for a party but she doesnt complain because deep down she knows that it will all be worth it when she can say that shes a proud member of Alpha-Beta-Delta.

As each day passes Cindy grows more and more depressed by the thought of not being chosen to pledge. Just when shes given up all hope of ever becoming a sister at Alpha-Beta-Delta Cindy gets a phone call telling her that she passed the test and is invited to pledge. Little does Cindy know that pledge week really is a week of hell. Phrases like handies kneesies become burned in her brain and never will she look at green jello the same way again. All the tough work pays off when she gets a phone call at 6 am saying that she made the cut and is now a sister.

Cindy feels like the world is now her dream come true. She moves in with her new best friend Lindsay, also a new sister to Alpha-Beta-Delta. As a sister, she is suddenly exempt from all exams and yet her GPA still remains high, which is all thanks to the Hoover file
(A bunch of incriminating evidence against the administrators and professors of the RU). The life of an Alpha-Beta-Delta sister is intoxicating and it doesnt take long for Cindy to lose sight of her true self and ignore her friends, like Patty.

Meri Sugarman the president of Alpha-Beta-Delta is the epitome of perfection. She is Cindys idol because her hair is gorgeous, her features flawless, her clothes impeccably stylish and her speeches are thought provoking and clever. It doesnt take long for Meri to take Cindy underneath her Prada covered wing and make her over. Suddenly plain Cindy Bixby is a person who never existed; in her place is a sophisticated, pretty, well-dressed girl who resembles a mini-Meri. Anything that Cindy wants she can get, like a spot on the cheerleading squad.

Of course, this story wouldnt be a story if it ended there right? Because after all, we all know that happy ever afters are reserved for fairy tales alone. Cindys dream bubble gets popped abruptly when she falls for Meris ex-boyfriend the dashing Keith Ryder. The problem only worsens when it becomes all too apparent that Keith likes Cindy too. Meri soon finds out about Cindys feelings and the beast within the princess is revealed. The kind and sweet Meri is replaced by a cruel and merciless girl who punishes Cindy by blackmailing her and revoking all of her special sister privileges (her GPA is lowered to a failing mark and she is kicked off the cheerleading squad).

Cindy realizes all too late that Meri is evil and wont stop at anything to hurt others if it means benefiting herself. Together Cindy, Patty, Lindsay, Keith and an old high school friend named Bud Finger band together, secretly of course, to stop Meri Sugarman once and for all. And so commences operation: Haze Meri Sugarman.

Hazing Meri Sugarman is a cleverly written novel that is filled with action and just the right amount of cattiness. The ending will leave you on the edge of your seat or driving to the nearest Barnes and Noble to buy its sequel Meri Strikes Back and the third novel in the series Dark Cindy. Due to its frequent reference to adult situations and language I would recommend this series to the older young adult crowd. If you liked the film Mean Girls and books like Celebrity Skin by: Liane Bonin than Hazing Meri Sugarman is just the novel for you.

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Ha!

June 23, 2006 (Updated: June 28, 2026)

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Reader reviewed by Valerie

Slow to start, but one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. I literally laughed out loud. And I finiserd it in one night!

One of the best partswas the little sister, Lisa, who becomes a big star with a dirty pop song, which follows the heroine, Cindy, wherever she goes - on radios, at clubs. Too funny.

Cann't wait for the sequel!!

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