2008 book 40

Nina de Gramont's Gossip of the Starlings
I haven't quite decided what to think about this book. It's about two rich girls at a prep school in the 80s and apparently is inspired by a true story about a drug best at a prep school in the 80s. It starts off with an epigraph from A Separate Peace, which was a bad sign (we had to read it in middle school, and it inspired endless jokes and stories borne of hatred for Eugene). So I opened the book to find the overwrought styling of a Serious Writer and sighed--but by page ten, I was totally immersed in the story! Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to its strong start and I totally disliked both girls, which made sympathizing with their weaknesses hard. It's also very heavy-handed with the foreshadowing and has a totally lame and depressing ending. Oh, I guess I actually didn't like it that much. I'm going to reread Prep now to cleanse my brain. B-.