Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Rich Girl-Carol Culver

Rich Girl
Carol Culver
Berkley, Jan 2008, $9.99
ISBN: 9780425219157

Victoria Lee grew up in Hong Kong, but currently the teen lives in her family’s Mcmansion in San Francisco sans parents. She attends the exclusive Manderley Prep, but though her family is wealthy she feels like an outsider. Whereas most teens would love to be on their own, Victoria feels lonely as she has no friends at school and nothing at home. Worse than the fact that her parents want her to go Ivy while she wants to attend fashion school, she likes student Steve Heller, but he ignores her.

Gabe Thomas is confused as he has no scholarship yet his single mom a housekeeper pays his tuition to attend Manderley Prep. He wants to know how with his theory being that his unknown father is connected to the school. He likes Victoria as he sees her as a fellow outsider, but frowns on her efforts to join the in crowd since she was nominated to run for class treasurer as she plans the teen party of the century at her Mcmansion.

The second BFF teen tale (see MANDERLEY PREP) is an entertaining tale of a depressed lonely RICH GIRL trying to become popular at all cost. Victoria’s efforts to be in is compared to that of Gabe, who flaunts being out. Young adult readers will appreciate this fine character study of how far someone will go to satisfy the psychological need to belong.

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