Review: Inner Circle by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION

Reed Brennan arrived at Easton Academy expecting to find an idyllic private school experience--challenging classes, adorably preppy boys, and a chance to create a new life for herself. Instead, she discovered lies, deception, blackmail, and...murder. But, thankfully, the killers were caught and the nightmare is finally over.

The old Billings Girls are gone.

Now, with a new school year ahead of her, Reed steps back on Easton's ivy-covered campus ready to start over. So when the headmaster announces that Billings is forbidden from holding their traditional, secretive initiation, Reed is relieved. She champions the new rules and the six new girls the administration has picked to live in Billings Hall: Constance, Missy, Lorna, Kiki, Astrid, and newcomer Sabine.

But Reed's fellow Billings resident and new nemesis, Cheyenne Martin, believes the changes are a mockery of Billings history. Despite the new rules, Cheyenne vows to keep the old ways alive, no matter what--or who--stands in her way...

Another great installment in the Private series! This time around, Easton is starting with a new year, with all murderers, suspicions, and drama gone. The old headmaster has been replaced by a straitlaced one who will not tolerate any nonsense and doesn't treat the Billings Girl like the privileged, spoiled brats they are. So Cheyenne, the girl who was new last year and is apparently a bitch this year, is none too happy. And therefore, she decides that just because girls are placed in Billings, she doesn't have to treat them like girls who belong to Billings. She's going to go ahead and break every new rule because she. doesn't. like it.

I really did like this novel, but there was one flaw that stood out to me: there are so many unresolved things going on around Reed that she doesn't even take note of. For example, a girl with eyes like Ariana's stares at her. Whoa! If the girl who killed my ex-boyfriend and then tried to kill me on the roof of our dorm stared at me like that, you can bet your ass I'd be over there and shaking her by the shoulders until she spoke. But Reed doesn't do a thing.

Another thing that bothered me was this random character who just popped in, Ivy Slade. Apparently, she's some bad-chick Easton legend, but no backstory's given to me. I don't even know what the heck she's doing in this novel! Reed is terrified of her, and yet she doesn't make a single move to find out what's going on? Yep, totally authentic.

However, the drama, glamor, and suspense were outstanding, as they always are with a Private novel by Kate Brian. The fantastic ending was a real shocker, and I was pleased to find out that the random, stupid moments were compensated for by the ending which totally left me hanging. I won't give anything away, though, because then why would any devoted fan of the Private series want to read the book?

Remember, if you've been following my reviews, you know that I only have a few more books in the Private series available at the moment. I don't have the whole series, so please do not complain or wonder why I'm not posting any more Private reviews after I post the very last review of the last Private book I have, which is Ambition. However, make sure to stick around for the remaining Private reviews, 'cause Inner Circle gets four stars!