The Rise and Fall of a 10th-Grade Social Climber

June 1, 2005
Gr 9 Up -Mimi Schulman, 15, relocates from Houston to Manhattan the summer before her sophomore year. She rekindles an old relationship with her childhood friend, Sam, and bets him that she will infiltrate the -Coolie - group and win their favor. She promises to keep a diary of this endeavor. Chaos ensues when Mimi betrays her friends new and old and she must ultimately seek redemption from her peers. Though the theme of finding acceptance and fitting in is catchy and contemporary, the characters behave more like stereotypical wealthy people at least twice their age with no consciences. The plot also lacks a key element -Mimi's journal is essentially her undoing, but readers are privy to only very select portions of it. Too little time is spent on revealing some of its secrets and too much concentration is given to vapid details of early-morning cocktails and Hamptons excursions. Fans of Cecily von Ziegesar's -Gossip Girl - series (Little, Brown) who are looking for an edgier read may enjoy this book, but, laced as it is with excessive drinking and adult language, it would most likely appeal to older teens." -Jennifer Feigelman, Plattekill Public Library, Modena, NY"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2005
Gr. 9-12. After her parents separate, Mimi Shulman, a former New Yorker transplanted to Texas, returns to the Big Apple to live with her sweet, clueless dad. Enrolled at the exclusive, trendy Baldwin School, she makes a bet with a longtime friend that she will get the coolest girls in tenth grade to accept her. Much to everyone's surprise, the Coolies take Mimi in, and she records their secrets and her true feelings for them in a diary. Over time, she begins to grow fond of them, and so when the diary (which contains unflattering pictures) is leaked on the Internet, she suffers not only the humiliation of being exposed but also genuine regret for her actions. Readers who have seen the movie " Mean Girls "will notice the strong similarities in the descriptions of high-school girls' cliques. It's the detail, though, that makes this an irresistible read: clothing, parties, music, trends are all captured to perfection, although these specifics will date quickly. Get this on your shelves now, while it's sure to please.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)