Helpful Score: 1
Secret society activity is usually pretty cool, though easily clichéd. However, Tom Dolby's debut novel just doesn't cut it. SECRET SOCIETY reads like a tired retake on a cloak-and-dagger Gossip Girl-esque world, with flat characters and a marked lack of action.
While I thought that all the characters' initial setups were quite well done, the character development in the rest of the development unfortunately doesn't follow through with it. Phoebe, Lauren, and Nick's personalities blend together into a monotonous swirl of uncertainty and fear at their new statuses. Possible romances and family troubles are toldânever shownâto us, as are many other things about the characters and plot.
These rich high school kids' lives aren't nothing you've read before. Readers may be interested in the various clubbing and society scenes generously scattered throughout the book, but the thread connecting everything together is thin. There's a lot of potential for suspenseful and exciting moments, but I found it difficult to connect with the story, and thus never felt invested in the outcomes of these characters and their involvement with the society.
Still, if you haven't read too many secret society novels in your day, you might be able to enjoy this one. Dolby paints an intriguing picture of New York rich-high-school-kid life, one that will be good for reluctant readers looking for a guilty pleasure. The more well-read reader might have trouble finding anything original or attention-holding in this book, though.
While I thought that all the characters' initial setups were quite well done, the character development in the rest of the development unfortunately doesn't follow through with it. Phoebe, Lauren, and Nick's personalities blend together into a monotonous swirl of uncertainty and fear at their new statuses. Possible romances and family troubles are toldânever shownâto us, as are many other things about the characters and plot.
These rich high school kids' lives aren't nothing you've read before. Readers may be interested in the various clubbing and society scenes generously scattered throughout the book, but the thread connecting everything together is thin. There's a lot of potential for suspenseful and exciting moments, but I found it difficult to connect with the story, and thus never felt invested in the outcomes of these characters and their involvement with the society.
Still, if you haven't read too many secret society novels in your day, you might be able to enjoy this one. Dolby paints an intriguing picture of New York rich-high-school-kid life, one that will be good for reluctant readers looking for a guilty pleasure. The more well-read reader might have trouble finding anything original or attention-holding in this book, though.
Helpful Score: 1
First of all Im already dying to read the sequel, The Trust though it wont be out until Feb 2011. The ending of this book was awesome. At times I thought the story dragged on a bit but once it got going, I could not put it down. The joining of the secret society was not as much an invitation as a command. I loved the whole concept of the "Secret Society", that these teens were participating in whether they wanted to or not. I suspect that many of the items they were given and their homes were bugged as the Society knew so many of their likes and dislikes. It was interesting to see the maneuverings of the Society as they virtually take over the lives of the privileged chosen ones.
The development of the characters was fascinating and very three dimensional as was the mystery of the Society itself. Unfortunately, (only because we have to wait till Feb 2011) by the end of the book youll have many more questions than answers. The romance in the book was so much more believable than we usually get in a YA book. It grew very slowly between Nick and Phoebe. And the confusion was so real that it was palpable. I liked that the 4 main characters questioned the success that came their way because of their elite membership in the Society rather than blithely accepting it. Ive got to admit, I thought (why, I dont know) that this secret society would have something to do with being immortal. Been reading to many paranormals, I guess. While this book may not be THE best one Ive read this year, its in the top numbers and I suspect with the next book, its standing will raise a lot for me.
The development of the characters was fascinating and very three dimensional as was the mystery of the Society itself. Unfortunately, (only because we have to wait till Feb 2011) by the end of the book youll have many more questions than answers. The romance in the book was so much more believable than we usually get in a YA book. It grew very slowly between Nick and Phoebe. And the confusion was so real that it was palpable. I liked that the 4 main characters questioned the success that came their way because of their elite membership in the Society rather than blithely accepting it. Ive got to admit, I thought (why, I dont know) that this secret society would have something to do with being immortal. Been reading to many paranormals, I guess. While this book may not be THE best one Ive read this year, its in the top numbers and I suspect with the next book, its standing will raise a lot for me.
