The first book in the "Ivy League" series, in which Amy Haskell becomes one of the first women to be inducted into the "Rose and Grave" secret society at "Eli University" (a not-so-thinly veiled reference to the Skull and Bones society at Yale). In this book, we meet Amy and the 15 new Rose and Grave initiates (nicknamed "Diggers"), as well as the current R&G members who befriend them, tap them, and haze them. The main point of tension in this book is the controversy among the current Diggers over whether or not they should open R&G's secret tomb to women for the first time in 177 years. In the end, of course, gender equality--rather unrealisticly, in my opinion--triumphs.

Oddly enough, Secret Society Girl was my least favorite of the Ivy League series. I really liked Amy--she's a kooky and fun character in a totally not annoying way as too many contemporary female heroines are written. The other members of her Digger class are also fun, interesting characters. Diana Peterfreund has a unique way of writing--young teens could enjoy these novels, but so could adults. The only problem with SSG was that the plot wasn't exciting enough to hold me. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't particularly exciting. However, the second book in the series, Under the Rose, was far more exciting--so I would recommend that anyone interested in this series go ahead and read the first one because the sequels to follow are much better. Plus, SSG is a quick and fun read. Great for summer/bedtime reading. ( )

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Meet Amy Maureen Haskel, a junior at prestigious Eli University. As editor-in-chief of the campus literary newspaper, Amy's a shoe-in to be tapped for Quill & Ink, the literary senior society, home to writers and scribblers of any and all degree. After all, it's a part of her master plan: get tapped into Quill & Ink, do her summer internship at Horton, make it through the Russian Novel class, decide what to do with her "friend with benefits," Brandon, and, basically, enjoy a fulfilling life as a literary genius.

Except things don't quite work out that way. Amy is tapped to join a society all right, but she learns pretty quickly (all the guys in black robes hidden in shadow give her a clue) that it isn't Quill & Ink who is interested in her. No, she's been tapped by Rose & Grave, the mother of all secret societies on Eli's campus. Except that doesn't make sense either, as Rose & Grave is a society of men only.

The fact that Rose & Grave has decided to allow women into their society is just the beginning of Amy's junior year. She's heard so many rumors about the "Diggers" over the years that she doesn't know what is fact and what is fiction. Does Rose & Grave really run the country? Is every presidential candidate a member? Do they control the media? Is Rose & Grave funded with unlimited money from the world's biggest CEO's and business founders? Are you really supposed to leave the room if someone so much as utters the words Rose & Grave, and yet wear a Rose & Grave pin on your person at all times? It's all very confusing for Amy, and it only gets more so after her initiation.

Given the ultra-cool (not) name of Bugaboo, Amy is now in a secret society, which is great. Except she can't tell anyone that she's a member of Rose & Grave, never mind what she does during their meetings. There are some members of the Diggers who aren't thrilled to have women in their ranks, and that spells major trouble for not only Amy and the other members of class D177, but possibly for the entire Rose & Grace society.

SECRET SOCIETY GIRL is a blast! Fun and witty, with an engaging theme, heartfelt situations, intriguing dialogue, and a cast of characters that you'll be cheering for, it's a story you won't want to put down. Thankfully, there's another book coming in this series, so I have something to look forward to. As it is, though, I can't wait for another look into the lives of not only Bugaboo, but some of my other favorite characters--Angel, Little Demon, and Puck. Not to mention being able to catch up on the lives of the graduating class members such as Poe and Lancelot. You won't go wrong picking up a copy of this clever, imaginative story. ( )

In Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund, Amy Haskel is the typical over-achieving Ivy League student. She’s editor of the lit mag, has a prestigious summer internship lined up, and gets along just fine with her roommate. But when the secret society nominations come around, Amy doesn’t get tapped by the literary Quill&Ink as expected. Instead, she’s being courted by the infamous Rose&Grave Society, which, as far as she knew, only recruited men. Amy has to learn to navigate the shady, unfamiliar paths of secret society life and has to figure out how to balance her new circle of friends with her old.

I’m a sucker for books set in college and for books dealing with secret societies, so I sought this one out. At its heart, the book could fall under the mystery genre, as the society and its members’ true intentions are often clouded. Getting at those answers was my main reason for finishing the book. Most of the characters fell flat to me and I was hoping to get more out of Amy’s relationships, especially with her roommate and some of her society cohorts. The author introduced a lot of characters but only a few stuck with me. Perhaps there will be further exploration of these side characters in the sequels, but there wasn’t much to make me want to read more. I also found a lot of the description of the society’s rituals excessively wordy, esoteric, and uninteresting. As a result, I found Amy’s easy acceptance of such a bit of a stretch. I really wanted to like this book. There aren’t many good books set in college and I hoped this series could fill a niche. Still, maybe my expectations were too high. The story was still interesting, the main character was likable, and the story and writing style were mostly intelligent. If you’re looking for a light read with some mystery and romance, this could fit the bill. ( )

Amy is a junior, and as the editor of the college Lit magazine, she expects to be tapped into the literary secret society. So when he's called by the Rose & Thorn - the most powerful secret society in the country - and one that never accepts female members, she isn't sure if she's the victim of a hoax.
I wasn't swept away by this, none of the characters thrilled me, and it was a little overly clever with the literary jokes and one liners. The plot was predictable. But it was a fun fantasy view of college life. I'd give this to someone looking for college chick lit. ( )

I had a sneaking suspicion that I would love this book. And I did. It was fun, fast and witty, without being contrived or drawn-out. I read it in a little over a day. Can't wait for the sequel. ( )