Overview
Suzy Green used to be one of the coolest nonconformist “almost-Goth” party girls in Australia. That was before her older sister Rosie died and her family moved to a new town. Not even her best friend would recognize her now. Gone are the Doc Martens and the attitude. All she wants is to be like Rosie—perfect. The new Suzy Green makes straight As, hangs with the in-crowd at her new school, and dates the hottest guy around. And since all her new friends belong to a virginity club, she joins, too. So what if she’s not technically qualified? Nobody in town knows . . . until Ryan, Suzy’s ex, turns up.
As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.
Synopsis
Suzy Green used to be one of the coolest nonconformist "almost—Goth" party girls in Australia. That was before her older sister Rosie died and her family moved to a new town. Not even her best friend would recognize her now. Gone are the Doc Martens and the attitude. All she wants is to be like Rosie—perfect. The new Suzy Green makes straight As, hangs with the in—crowd at her new school, and dates the hottest guy around. And since all her new friends belong to a virginity club, she joins, too. So what if she's not technically qualified? Nobody in town knows . . . until Ryan, Suzy's ex, turns up.
As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.
VOYA
After the death of her older sister, Rosie, Suzy and her parents move to a new town with a fresh start for all of them. At St. Paul's, Suzy wants to be a model student instead of the slacker she had been. She makes some "in-crowd" friends who are all in the Virginity Club. Suzy does not qualify for the VC or for the in-crowd, but Rosie would have, and if Suzi can be like Rosie, then maybe her family can move on. She joins the club and keeps her status a secret, works hard in her classes, and nearly says good-bye to her old ways until Ryan shows up, and he knows everything because he was there when she lost her virginity. In this fairly predictable, coming-of-age story, the VC is an added element. The VC is presented fairly objectively, but members seem to be only from the wealthy crowd. The standard lessons are here-do not try to be something you are not, the worst things that happen are not always your fault, and lying never makes anything simpler. The mystery of Rosie's death is sparse in detail, and Suzy's guilt is pretty casual. There is not much realness in this book, and even with the tragedy of Rosie's death, it reads like a light soap opera. The two cherries on the cover and at the beginning of each chapter support that attitude; however, the title will hook some girl readers.
Editorials
VOYA -
After the death of her older sister, Rosie, Suzy and her parents move to a new town with a fresh start for all of them. At St. Paul's, Suzy wants to be a model student instead of the slacker she had been. She makes some "in-crowd" friends who are all in the Virginity Club. Suzy does not qualify for the VC or for the in-crowd, but Rosie would have, and if Suzi can be like Rosie, then maybe her family can move on. She joins the club and keeps her status a secret, works hard in her classes, and nearly says good-bye to her old ways until Ryan shows up, and he knows everything because he was there when she lost her virginity. In this fairly predictable, coming-of-age story, the VC is an added element. The VC is presented fairly objectively, but members seem to be only from the wealthy crowd. The standard lessons are here-do not try to be something you are not, the worst things that happen are not always your fault, and lying never makes anything simpler. The mystery of Rosie's death is sparse in detail, and Suzy's guilt is pretty casual. There is not much realness in this book, and even with the tragedy of Rosie's death, it reads like a light soap opera. The two cherries on the cover and at the beginning of each chapter support that attitude; however, the title will hook some girl readers.School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up
Following her sister's death in an accident and an unfortunate incident involving alcohol and the police, Suzy, 17, is getting a fresh start in a new town, Adelaide. Her life as a uniform-wearing honor student at a private school is a far cry from her nearly Goth, troublemaking days in Sydney. All of her new, popular friends belong to a local Virginity Club and assume that she will want to join as well. There's just one catch: Suzy isn't a virgin. Her deception would go over without a hitch except that her ex-boyfriend has recently moved to Adelaide, too. The narrative depth with which Hantz attempts to imbue the story falls flat. Readers neither feel the mourning of Suzy and her family nor connect with her guilt and her own subsequent actions. Her relationship with her new friends has little foundation and is lightly explored, so it is difficult to worry when Suzy almost loses them. However, the author handles the sexuality well, without being preachy; readers are left with the impression that abstinence is fine, but that sex is acceptable and should be treated seriously and responsibly. As an amusing romp, this is a good addition, but for a similar book without the Australian slang, try Kate Brian's The V Club (S & S, 2004).
—Cara von Wrangel KinseyCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.