Secrets

September 6, 2010
Just because a novel is set at Harvard doesn't mean it has to be smart. Freshman Callie Andrews, a California transplant, feels out of place alongside her three
archetypal roommates: religious Dana, worldly Mimi, and edgy Vanessa. After her high school boyfriend, Evan, breaks up with her via e-mail, he reveals a past indiscretion, which Callie is certain would ruin her should anyone find out. The roommates rally around Callie, bringing her to parties and offering shoulders to lean on, but misplaced crushes lead to further betrayals. Interspersed are dispatches from Alexis Thorndike, a snarky columnist for a university magazine Callie desperately wants to write for. First-time novelists Kunze and Onur, who themselves met at Harvard, ratchet up the tension when Callie begins dating Alexis's ex, making her a target for Alexis; a cliffhanger ending sets up the next installment of a planned four-book series. Entertaining but predictable, the authors' portrait of Crimson life is full of benders, hookups, and scandals, making this a guilty pleasure, but also an empty one. Ages 14–up.

May 15, 2011

Callie and her friends are trying to survive their freshman year at Harvard while juggling studies with romance and, in Callie's case, blackmail.

This second installment in a planned four-book series stands alone well, without a reiteration of the previous plot. Callie's major dilemma involves a sex video starring herself and taped by an old boyfriend without her knowledge that has fallen into the hands of Alexis, her manipulative boss on the campus magazine Callie tries to join. Callie also has roommate problems. Vanessa, her former BFF, flies into destructive rages at imagined slights. Meanwhile, she's attracted to two handsome boys: Gregory, with whom she had a one-night stand but who misinterprets her welcoming message to him, and Clint, Alexis' old boyfriend. Kunze and Onur spend some time on Callie's studies as well as on her social difficulties, diving into literature, economics, justice theory and biochemistry. The authors leave no doubt that these students are at school to learn, a more important activity than even romance. The protagonists take their writing seriously and work overtime to win places as school journalists. Callie's blackmail problem adds an element of suspense. The book's hang-fire ending should prompt readers to buy the next sequel. Plenty of visits to businesses in the Harvard neighborhood add local color.

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September 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-After Thanksgiving break, Callie returns to Harvard to face her problems. She not only hooked up with her ex-best friend's crush, but she also cheated on her perfect boyfriend, Clint. To make matters worse, her nemesis, Alexis, somehow got her hands on a copy of the sex tape Callie's loser high school boyfriend made unbeknownst to her. Now Alexis is making Callie's life a living hell, threatening to publish it if Callie doesn't stay away from Clint and complete a never-ending list of errands. As the teen tries to sort out her personal life, she works to make sure her darkest secret isn't revealed, all while managing to study and pass finals. Witty, realistic dialogue and characters who are quirky yet completely believable make for an enjoyable read. The best part is that Callie, who dislikes herself for cheating and realizes that she is not always likable, is intelligent and aware, and the roadblocks to her finding happiness and love are logical. Secrets is guaranteed to make readers want to get their hands on The Ivy (Greenwillow, 2010 )-Jessie Spalding, Tempe Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.