I started to write this review and was pretty much failing hard core, so I’m just going with a list, mkay?Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she’s ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn’t go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn’t thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates’ Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls’ lives forever.
Liked
-Two-point perspective: You get to see things from both Mira and Izzy’s point of view, which ends up making both characters pretty likeable. If the book had been from just one point of view or the other, I think the other girl (especially Mira) would’ve ended up being the bad guy, but hearing both girls’ perspectives helps you understand why each is acting the way they are and why there’s conflict between them.
-Lifestyles of the rich and the famous: Mira’s family is RICH, and everyone at the school is the same, so I was totally and completely fascinated, as I always am in these Gossip Girl type situations. Plus, Mira’s dad is a politician, so it made for even more intrigue and drama.
-Girls with hobbies: Izzy swims and Mira paints, and I can definitely get onboard with girls who actually have interests outside of boys.
-Savannah: I just love to hate her. She’s such a mean person. Seriously. But I think her character is written really well, and she makes a great antagonist.
Disliked
-The secret: The big family secret is SO obvious from the very beginning. I would’ve appreciated a little more subtlety.
-The ending: Mira doesn’t get any resolution to her storyline—probably because this is the first in a series, but still, I wanted her to have some closure too.
-The series: Seriously, I don’t know why this is going to be series. It could’ve been perfectly wrapped up in one book, so I have no idea why the author is stretching the story out more than it needs to be.
Rating 3.5 / 5
"-Girls with hobbies: Izzy swims and Mira paints, and I can definitely get onboard with girls who actually have interests outside of boys" YES you are so right. Why is this so rare in YA fiction?
ReplyDeleteI like your review, I have a soft spot for southern things (which is inexplicable since I am a born and bred New Englander). If this is at my library I might snag it.