Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Jocelyn

PRIVATE is the first in a series about a bunch of teenagers attending a posh private school in New England. It doesnt sound like a particularly smart or original book, and that first impression would be, for the most part, correct. Its not as fun to read as I would have expected, either, but it did get me hooked on the series--enough so that Ill probably read INVITATION ONLY, book number two!

Reed Brennan is a scholarship student at Easton Academy eager to leave her dull suburban life, drug addicted mother, and complete lack of a social life behind in Croton, Pennsylvania, and Easton Academy looks like her ticket out. Reed will do anything to fit in with her overprivileged classmates, especially when the Billings Girls take notice of her. Theyre the most popular and powerful clique on campus, and, being the new girl, joining their ranks seems, to Reed, like the perfect way to finally find her place at Easton Academy.

No part of this book is exceptionally wonderful, but its all good enough to pass a few hours reading it. None of it is exceptionally bad, either. The characters are rather flat but not terribly so, and the story itself is rather unoriginal but not horrible. The writing, too, is decent but not wonderful. I expected more from Kate Brian after reading her wonderful book MEGAN MEADES GUIDE TO THE MCGOWAN BOYS, but this book serves its purpose--its enough to get readers hooked on the series!