The Upper Class

Assigned as roommates at the prestigious Wellington boarding school, brash Long Island native Nikki and Connecticut-bred Laine are as different as can be. Each girl is uniquely troubled: Nikki's mother is dead, and at Wellington, her sexy clothes and big mouth mark her as a misfit; Laine's parents are divorced, and while her highbrow background helps her fit in, she's unable to stand up to anyone, including her dorm's alpha girl, who frequently targets Nikki. The trio of authors, former boarding school chums themselves, has created a readily believable environment and characters (and of course, there is no shortage of bad behavior at Wellington.) Popular girls bet on “which new girl will leave first”—Nikki is a prime candidate—and circle other girls' body flaws with markers, adding derogatory words. Nikki must meet with the dean after she's caught with a boy out in the woods. Teens will not be surprised when Nikki and Laine eventually learn to like—and lean on—each other, though their bonding over Thanksgiving break does not feel entirely convincing. Still, the authors' often lyrical language (“Tree branches clatter in the cool autumn night. Clouds move fast over the moon, changing the shadows, and light pools on the roofs.... It's moments like these when she belongs to no one, not even herself”) breathes life into this take on a classic culture clash story. Ages 14-up. (May)