Review: The Debs by Susan McBride

Title: The Debs
Author: Susan McBride
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date Published: 2008
Genre: Young Adult
Main Themes: Debutantes, Love, Friendship, Family, Wealth
Pages: 246
Plot:
From back cover: "The heat is on down South!
Debutante season in Houston is under way, and four ultraprivileed girls await their invitations from the illustrious Glass Slipper Club.

Laura Delacroix Bell: This trust-rund baby's size-fourteen figure doesn't stop her from attracting hot boys or the admiring eye of the GSC selection committee. But a salacious secret could take her out of the running faster than you can say "Rosebud."

Michelle "Mac" Mackenzie: She'd rather bury her nose in a book than embrace her deb destiny. But Mac's debut is her late mother's dream and her stepmother's obsession. If Mac doesn't bow out now, she may become the crankiest deb in Texas.

Ginger Fore: She hopes to wear her grandmother's vintage ball gown on her big presentation day. But when a mysterious college guy puts Giger's deb eligibility in jeopardy, she may end up wearing an unflattering orange jumpsuit instead.

Jo Lynn Bidwill: A former beauty queen, she makes it her mission in life to take out the debu-trash. For now, Jo Lynn's sights are set on Laura Bell, and what she has in store for her bitter rival is anything but ladylike.

The Debs... high society doesn't get any lower than this."

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! When I first saw it I was expected something pretty shallow and kind of like a southern version of Gossip Girl. While it was still primarily a light read, it had some depth as well and I found the characters easy to relate to, despite the reader's first impressions.

I really liked how Susan McBride started off describing the girls in term of appearances, then delved deeper into who they are - their hopes, fear, and insecurities. I really enjoyed having four main characters and four points of view. I found that I related to each girl in some way or another.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the quotes at the beginning of the chapters. They were really funny and fit perfectly with the chapters!

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Romance: 10
Writing Style: 10
Originality: 10

Total: 50/50 (A)

I recommend this novel! It was fun and humorous, with just the right amount of high society intrigue and gossip.