cover image Capital Girls

Capital Girls

Ella Monroe. St. Martin's Griffin, $9.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-312-62303-6

Writing under a pseudonym, Marilyn Rauber and Amy Reingold borrow heavily from the conventions of the Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars series in their glitzy, farfetched debut. Set against the backdrop of the White House and D.C. high society, the frenetic story takes place during the aftermath of thrill-seeking Taylor Cane's death. She was one of the Capital Girls: a group of best friends who supposedly had each other's backs in their scandal- and politics-immersed environment. Other members of the group include socialite Jackie, who is cheating on her boyfriend, the president's son; Southern belle Laura Beth; and Lettie, from Paraguay, the only Capital Girl whose family isn't privileged. With Taylor dead, secrets come out, and new girl Whitney, daughter of a prominent gossip columnist, steps in. The third-person narration%E2%80%94with first-person snippets%E2%80%94chops up the otherwise breakneck pace as the girls indulge in drugs, sex, and alcohol, all under the gaze of the media spotlight. Readers may feel that they're reading a rerun, but those seeking cocktail-soaked gossip, hypocrisy, and backstabbing won't likely mind. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. (Aug.)