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Nov 28, 2009

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove CoverDo not get between a princess and her tiara. Natalie Hargrove is a goal-oriented person and she has her sights set on Palmetto Princess. As a senior at Palmetto High in South Carolina, she can be voted on by her classmates to receive this distinguished title. It's what she has been planning on ever since she started dating one of the town's royalty, Mike King. Three years into their relationship, their time has finally come.

Lamentably, Mike is not nearly as worried about his title as his girlfriend. He's not really concerned at all about Justin Balmer (J.B.), but Natalie can't even stand the thought of Mike losing his crown; especially not to someone like J.B. Their history is a secret that Natalie wants desperately to forget, just like a lot of her past.

So in her attempt to guarantee Mike's crown, Natalie convinces Mike to help her play a harmless prank on dear J.B. After a double keg stand at a packed Mardi Gras party, J.B. is blitzed out of his mind and prime for the advantage-taking duo. They take the cross-dressed J.B. to the church for the world to see when they arrive the next morning. What the early morning church-goers observe the next day though is not what was originally planned.

Now trying to hide their involvement in J.B.'s death, Mike and Natalie begin a downward spiral that can only result in a crash. Who will be left standing to view the fallout?

I was hesitant to read this one, as I was not fond of her other novel Fallen. Let me assure you, it was well worth the try. I was hooked from the very beginning and didn't want the roller coaster ride to end. This book was like Dawson's Creek meets a Lifetime made-for-tv-movie. The situations and responses of the characters were spot on for what it really can be like in a competitive high school. Having the book set in Dixieland just helped the storyline along as it provided a perfect backdrop for the larger theme of the "haves versus the have-nots." A truly mesmerizing read, despite the catty nature of the main character. The ending is one that truly surprises and is impeccable. Fantastic!

6 comments:

Ellz said...

Good review. I just saw this the other day, it barely got any attention compared to Fallen.

loreleimarsh said...

I know! I'm kind of glad that I liked this one since I wasn't a big fan of the other. Funny how that worked out. :)

Kapri (Book Fanatics) said...

I can't wait to read this one!

Unknown said...

Good review. The concept seems really interesting. I'm excited to read this!

taraSG said...

I gave you the Kick @ss Blog Award :)

Tara SG
25 Hour Books

Unknown said...

Wow, we had totally different reactions to this book! I'm glad you liked it.