{Synopsis} –“A girl wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school and finds herself entangled in a powerful secret society that threatens her life. Friend writes with a sure, often witty touch … .The story is both immersive and topically relevant. A promising suspense debut.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Will give the toughest of readers goose bumps. With suspenseful pacing and Gothic diction, Friend skillfully develops each character in this novel, which blends themes of romance and friendship with the glam of Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl and a sinister private-school mystery reminiscent of Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Boys”— Booklist
Perfect people aren't just born. They're made.
The first time she is blindfolded and kidnapped, star-athlete and posh boarding school newbie Sadie is terrified. She wakes up in a dark room surrounded by hushed whispers, hooded strangers, and a mysterious voice whispering not-so-sweet nothings in her ear.
But once the robes come off, she realizes it’s just an elaborate prank designed to induct her into the group that’s been pulling the strings at Keating Hall for generations. The circle has it all–incredible connections; fabulous parties; and, of course, an in with the brother society’s gorgeous pledges.
The instant popularity is enough to make Sadie forget about the unexplained marks on her body, the creepy ceremonial rituals, and the incident that befell one of her teammates the year before. So the next time Sadie is kidnapped, she isn’t scared, but she should be. The worst of Keating Hall is yet to come.
{My Thoughts} – Sadie is a lucky girl. She is a big shot in Lacrosse at her High School and she ends up winning a scholarship at an elite boarding school. She struggles with accepting the scholarship, but in the end she does and she attends the school. Sadie being able to attend Keating is a big deal because her mother had went there and up until she was given the opportunity of the scholarship it was only a school she could dream of attending.
Sometime before she arrives a young girl named Anna is found dead. She is said to have committed suicide and her body was found floating in the ocean near the school. When Sadie tries to ask questions about the girl she is usually told not right now or it’s not important or someone would inform her later. One night she is asleep in bed and she is kidnapped out of her bed and taken to this place where she is hooked up to a lie detector test, where she is nearly choked to death, where she is forced to give blood against her will and where a lot of things change for her.
They tell her that they are a secret society that is operated by many of the wealthiest people in the world. They also tell her that her mother was a member and that she’s a legacy and that helps to get her initiated into the society. The society claims to be a collective group of people in high places that want to do nothing more then help people, make a difference and change the world for the better. Eventually though with Sadie asking so many questions and sticking her nose in places that the society would rather she not she ends up getting herself into some very dangerous situations.
Eventually she learns the truth about Anna and her mom, when she learns those two truths everything in her world changes. Her point view changes when it comes to the society as a whole and not just a few of it’s messed up members. She is one girl that by the end of the book is lucky to have made the few friends that she had while attending the boarding school, because without them who knows what the outcome for her may have been. However, the outcome for Anna and her mother were set in stone and it was all based on jealousy and the belief that one family in the society was suppose to be held at a higher standard then the other based on how much more powerful one could be as opposed to the other. In the end though the feud didn’t justify the means of what had occurred and almost occurred and in the end one could only hope the the truth would come out and others would know what those who attended Keating were really forced to deal with and live though.
This is a really good book and it was difficult to put it down. It kind of made me think of a Sara Shepard style of writing which was nice, because I really enjoy reading her books. I am sure that if you like reading about high school situations, mystery and realistic fiction that this book will be right up your alley. It has the write tone and the right language and is well written to the point the second chapter has you caught hook, line and sinker!
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
