Secret Society Girl - Diana Peterfreund

Secret Society Girl
An Ivy League Novel
Diana Peterfreund
Delacourte Press

Chick Lit

As a junior at prestigious Eli University, Amy Haskel figures her life path is mapped out quite nicely for the next couple of years. She’s editor of the campus literary magazine, which makes her a sure thing to be tapped for the “secret” society for writers, Quill & Ink. That, along with being editor, will look great on the old resume. So, when Amy gets the cloak & dagger invitation to show up for an interview, she’s not too worried. But when the people in the darkened room start asking her about her third grade teacher and claim to have her FBI file, Amy quickly figures out that this is not the innocuous Quill & Ink.

Figuring she’s blown her chance at joining whatever society tapped her, Amy mopes until she gets the invitation. Then she goes straight from bummed to shocked. The invitation is to join the super-elite society of Rose & Dagger. This is the society, rumor has it, that has launched Presidents, CEOs and the rest of the people on those “World’s Richest” lists. One point of confusion, though: Rose & Grave only takes men. So why Amy?

Amy is pretty much the quintessential college junior. She simultaneously thinks she knows everything, and is terrified that she doesn’t. This manifests in her cracking one-liners at virtually every situation. If she’d stop talking and pay attention, she’d have an easier time of it. This is sometimes very annoying but also has the effect of making her a sympathetic and realistic character. The author writes with a breezy style that makes the pages seem to turn themselves. No matter how long you’ve been out of college, you’ll recognize a lot here. And the author leaves a few loose ends dangling, to be picked up in a sequel. I’m looking forward to it.

Rating: 7
July 2006
ISBN# 0-385-34002-8 (hardcover)