Book Review

Private by Kate Brian

Synopsis:

Tradition, Honor, Excellence...and secrets so dark they’re almost invisible.

Fifteen-year old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy- the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever though possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She Feels like she’s on the Outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Review:

I randomly picked this book up from the library in December, and finally began reading at the beginning of this month. The first thing I saw was the title, which intrigued me slightly. When I read the synopsis, and knowing in the back of my mind reading challenges I wanted to participate in this year, I decided to try it out. The cover isn’t that amazing, I feel like it could have been done better, like maybe if the 3 girls on the front were in some sort of conversation and then the girl that you don’t see on the back is actually on the front cover, so you get the whole picture. Just maybe, I am not creative in that way, my sister is the artist, i am the musician, so I don’t know amazing ways to make it better looking. 

So the beginning of the book was ok, just simply ok. It wasn’t so amazing that I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know more, and it wasn’t so terribly bad that I had to put it down because just the thought of finishing it made me go crazy. The book seemed to get better during the middle and the end, making me want to know more about the Billings Girls and Reed’s crush, Thomas. At some points during the book, I got really angry at the main character, Reed. She knew that the Billings girls were using him, yet she still wanted to be one of them, still thought that they were so much better than the girls on her floor. (BTW I really hope I am not saying too much) 

As for the characters themselves, I thought Kate Brian did a pretty good job describing them, at least as much as she could in the first book. I really want to know more about the Billings girls, but I know that I need to keep reading the series to find out all I can about them. Especially since the ending definitely through me for a loop concerning these girls. I gave this book an 8 for satisfaction while reading. It was an easy read, and it was enjoyable for the most part, and I really enjoy Kate Brian’s work, at least I really enjoyed a book that she wrote using her real name, Kieran Scott. I do think I will read the rest of the series in hopes to learn more about what is going on at the school. 

Cover: 7/10

Beginning: 3/5

Ending:     5/5

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 8/10

Grade:         82%= B-