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Private (Private #1)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 9,950 ratings · 683 reviews

Tradition, Honor, Excellence... and secrets so dark they’re almost invisible

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy—the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a...more

Paperback, 227 pages

Published June 27th 2006 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Nov 03, 2012 Anastasia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER AGAIN!ABSOLUTELY AWFUL! I only read this book coz I lost a bet and I swear it was the worst punishment I've ever gotten.

This book made me want to claw my eyes out within the first three pages. All she cares about is what other people think of her and what she can do to fit in. Reed basically copies everything everyone does and spends her time reassuring herself that she belongs at Easton. She moans and moans about how she has to stay at Easton because she can't go...more

13 likes · like · see review

Feb 20, 2009 Jamila rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: teens

Reading this book was mild torture.

The protagonist Reed Brennan is extremely flawed and one-dimensional. She truly has no redeeming qualities, interests or goals. Readers learn that she hates her home life and that she wants to become a Billings Girl, an elite group of 3rd and 4th year students who live in a special dorm. Her obsession with them is trite and poorly written. I kept waiting for her to grow a spine or to evolve even slightly. Apparently, this happens in book two, three, or four in...more

22 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2009 Elizabeth Wallace rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

I was mortified by Private. No, not because I looked deep into myself and saw some of the traits of the protagonist, because it was dumb. I'd heard many good things about the book until finally I cracked and got it from the library.
It was a total waste of time. Here's the plot (or my interpretation):
Poor Reed has a problem (okay, a few problems). She has a barely-mentioned druggie mom who absolutely traumatizes her, so she heads of to a private school. Sounds great, right? But she has no intere...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2010 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, young-adult, still-reading-series, chick-lit, given-up-on-series

This is by no means my kind of book. It's a blatant girly book, and it screams Gossip Girls. I got it as a present last year and just got around to picking it up- wanting a light read.

It basically features 16 year old Reed, who moves away from her dysfunctional family to a posh, private school on a partial scholarship. Naturally, she's willing to do anything to fit in there.

It really, really surprised me. I was absolutely sucked in from the beginning. I thought Reed was very likable (though she...more

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 18, 2008 Tiny Pants rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, series, young-adult

I avoided this series for a long time, and upon actually reading it, I don't know why. I read the fifth book, loved it, and immediately went to the library to check out all the others. I would definitely recommend reading them in order -- the plot is continuous through the first four and then (I'm assuming as I haven't read yet) through the second four, and there's not a lot of rehash of "the story so far" so it will all make more sense to read in order.

While this is indeed yet another mean-girl...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Page (One Book At A Time) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

Oddly enough, I both loved and hated this book. There were quite a few things that I didn’t like. For example, throughout almost the whole story Noelle calls Reed “glass-licker”, and it rubbed me the wrong way. I also disliked how Reed would do anything they asked and barely bat an eye about it. But, the events were interesting and at times suspenseful. I think Reed wanted the perfect life, and felt like The Billings Girls had it. I think there’s a lot more to her character that hasn’t been reve...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 04, 2009 Jacki rated it 3 of 5 stars

A few students recommended this series, and it's a great quick read for those interested in a murder mystery. I've read the first four, and enjoyed them, but not sure if I'll read much beyond that.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 27, 2010 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, ebook, 2010

Mindless YA fluff. While there wasn't enough substance in this book for me, I can see how it would appeal to tween girls. It was a quick read, and for the most part enjoyable, but the main character was too two-dimensional. I had no idea just WHY, for a girl who was supposed to be so smart, Reed was determined to get in with the Billings girls. The reader also gets no indication of why the Billings girls would bother with a lowly sophomore, who also happened to be the new girl. This book could e...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Katia Gonzalez added it

This is an exceptional, well thought of novel. It definitely kept me reading until I finished and it left me wanting more even when I was done. Maybe it's because I like murder mysteries, I don't know, but I was definitely hooked. I couldn't put the book down. I took it with me everywhere! Dance class, the dentist, my grandma's house...EVERYWHERE! This book also has really interesting characters and you get to see what they're all like. It is also really easy to read and has an alluring and comp...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 18, 2008 Izlinda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, teen-angst-growing-up

So Reed wins a scholarship to an elite private school, Eaton Academy. And of course, there's the group of girls who are the "most popular, pretty" and everybody from that House (Billings) go to an Ivy afterwards. Basically, the best of the best, and they're so exclusive, you don't apply to that dorm, but you're invited.

The things Reed does, in order to get closer to the Billings girls. *shakes head* Of course there's some kind of hazing and power plays going on.

I never know if such a place or v...more

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Dec 11, 2008 Ella Perkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-ir-books-deb-sadok

This book is about a 15-year-old girl named Reed Brennan. She went to a high school in Croton, Pennsylvania. When she got a half scholarship to Easton Academy. There everyone is rich and comes from a big city, like New York. Also they all wear brand names. She has never seen any group of girls they are so rich. The group of girls is called the “Billing Girls”. She tries everything to get in the cool house with them. In order to get in you need great grades. That is her only issue. But also there...more

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May 19, 2013 Ani rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read the book Private by Kate Brian. My friend was obsessed with these books and she strongly recommended that I read them. This book is about a girl named Reed Brennan who goes to a high-class private school on a scholarship. She doesn’t fit in with all of the wealthy kids that go to Easton. However, her entire life changes as she befriends the Billings Girls, the most popular girls on campus. She meets a boy named Thomas Pearson, and they develop a relationship. The Billings Girls are hard o...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Nika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school, popular-girls, boarding-school

While this wasn't the best book out there, I really liked reading it. Both my username and my profile pic are based off of this. For those of you who have read the book or know a little about the book, my profile picture is Noelle Lange. (I'll explain who she is in the review)

The book is about Reed Brennan, an average girl from Pennsylvania who wins a scholarship to Easton Academy.

The usual high-school syndrome occurs, where she begins to pine to be popular. That's where the Billings Girls come...more While this wasn't the best book out there, I really liked reading it. Both my username and my profile pic are based off of this. For those of you who have read the book or know a little about the book, my profile picture is Noelle Lange. (I'll explain who she is in the review)

The book is about Reed Brennan, an average girl from Pennsylvania who wins a scholarship to Easton Academy.

The usual high-school syndrome occurs, where she begins to pine to be popular. That's where the Billings Girls come in. They are THE most popular, beautiful, and rich girls on campus. And predictably, they are totally bitchy.

The four main ones (in order of importance) are Noelle Lange, Ariana Osgood, Kiran Hayes, and Taylor Bell. Noelle's the leader of the whole group and the person everyone basically bows down to. Ariana is her #1 best friend and a voracious reader. Kiran is a self-centered model, and Taylor is a sweet girl who also happens to be a total genius. And I know that people might think me crazy for liking Noelle because she's the epitome of Queen Bitch...but you can't not like her. At least in my opinion.

Anyway, after getting into a normal dorm, Reed starts plotting of ways to get into Billings. This part works out for her because one day after soccer practice, she sees Ariana who asks her to sit with them at lunch. This starts off the chain of events of Reed doing whatever the Billings Girls want her to do, in hopes of becoming one of them.

The reason that I don't give this 5 stars is because of Reed. I just couldn't warm up to her. She got on my nerves or annoyed me or did something like that. And I just didn't understand her obsession with Thomas Pearson. He was a (view spoiler) and a manwhore. But I guess because he was popular and attractive Reed decided to go for it. (view spoiler) But the secondary characters (who I liked more than Reed) saved the book.

Overall, I think that people should give this book a chance. It was a good start to the series.(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Vivianle rated it 4 of 5 stars

*spoilers*

Private by Kate Brian
1. The book by Kate Brian is the first of a series and is essentially about finding yourself and who you are from your greed and the people surrounding you.

2. Because it is written in the point of view of the main character, Reed Brennan, it makes us feel sorry for her in any situations that she gets caught up in. For example, when she gets called down to the office because her grades are bad (and since she’s at the boarding school based on a scholarship), and Ms....more *spoilers*

Private by Kate Brian
1. The book by Kate Brian is the first of a series and is essentially about finding yourself and who you are from your greed and the people surrounding you.

2. Because it is written in the point of view of the main character, Reed Brennan, it makes us feel sorry for her in any situations that she gets caught up in. For example, when she gets called down to the office because her grades are bad (and since she’s at the boarding school based on a scholarship), and Ms. Naylor tells her that she wil be “put on academic probation” (124), instead of feeling like Reed had deserved it, we all wish she would pull her act together. If we were put in the point of view of a person in the Board of Directors, we would feel that it was a waste to give such a girl a scholarship, and revoke her admission right away. The resolution of the book makes one very satisfied yet also give the effect of a ciff hanger. Usually cliff hangers don’t neccessairly mean a good ending, therefore unsatisfaction, but within this book, it ends with Noelle saying that Reed is “one of [them] now” (227) finally becoming a “Billings Girl” (which is basically the point of the book). But then it’s still a cliff hanger because it makes us wonder what is going to happen wen she becomes a Billings Girl. Is she going to still be used? Will she be treated differently? Will she start to act differently, now that she’s categorized as one of them? Questions like that.

3. The user Anastasia says that Reed Brennan “spends her time wishing she could be a part of Billings and lets that distract her from her work.” Which is true. But it’s the first book out of the 14. We’ve got to give the girl a break. She’s new to the school so who doesn’t want to fit in? Who doesn’t want to be popular and have friends at a place where you know no one? Private is the first of 14 books as I mentioned, and I am pretty sure she is going to mature within the next books. This was just a starter to let everyone know who she was in the beginging and maybe throughout the serious, she finds her real dreams and goals. Everyone expects Reed to be mature from the start, but you have to realize that she is only a 15 year old girl and if she were to be mature and smart from the beginning, then what is the fun of the series?

4. Excerpt from the book:
My stomach twisted “But what about—”
“The Billings Girls?” he said. “Can someone tell me what’s so great about them?”
“I’m just trying to make friends” I said.

5. The author’s writing style is basically just dialouge. About 90% of the book is dialogue between Reed and her peers. It keeps us from zoning out because it’s consistently switching a point of view. I liked it because the book felt alive, real, and kept me awake, since I’m not that much of a reader.

6. I would definently recommend this book from anyone who likes things like “Gossip Girl” and such. It’s not a book where one can find intellectual life lessons or morals. It’s basically a really girly book and is entertaining for those who just want to triumphs of a teenage girl who wants to fit in.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Nathalie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kill-me-now, ya

Why did I even start reading this book ? I guess I wanted something very different from what I usually read so that I could have laughed about how bad it was. But this book was not pleasant. Not even ironically. It was hard. Stupid. It screamed pathetic.
The heroine is pathetic, her goals to fit in that desperately were pathetic. And most of all the Billing girls, supposed to be what everyone wanted to be were the most pathetic of the bunch !
I couldn't imagine for two seconds being at Reed's pla...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Fozzy rated it 4 of 5 stars

*SPOILER ALERT*
Private by Kate Brian
This book is about Reed a girl from Pennsylvania who has a pill popping mother and escapes by going to Easton Academy. Now she's basically you cookie cutter lead female in this cookie cutter book. She's a super-smart strait A student who is the best on Easton's soccer team, because you know being a star student/athlete is common and relatable. She, of course, is poor and later in the book we find out she is so poor she doesn't even have a cell phone but her f...more *SPOILER ALERT*
Private by Kate Brian
This book is about Reed a girl from Pennsylvania who has a pill popping mother and escapes by going to Easton Academy. Now she's basically you cookie cutter lead female in this cookie cutter book. She's a super-smart strait A student who is the best on Easton's soccer team, because you know being a star student/athlete is common and relatable. She, of course, is poor and later in the book we find out she is so poor she doesn't even have a cell phone but her family sends her to Easton(?) Yes she is on scholarship but still if her family was poor they would still insist that she go to a local public school. Also, on top of being intelligent and an athlete and a poor girl in the most elite school in the country she is also beautiful. On her first day she 'accidently' bumps into the hottest guy in Easton and he remarks on her beauty and of COURSE she has NEVER been called beautiful before. Well, that’s over exaggerating but she remarks that she has never been given attention and now the hottest guy she's ever seen is giving her attention. Again, a cookie cutter character.
On the other hand, one cannot help but admire this girls courageous aspect of escaping her horrible family life. She scraps herself and pushes herself which foreshadows a successful woman in the future. Also, she seems like a generally caring girl who is experiencing the world of fame which go to show that to live life is to live it to the fullest. I admire how she wants to be KNOWN she wants people to recognize her in the hall. She wants people to look at her and say, "that’s Reed Brennan." I think we can all relate to that aspect of wanting to be known. I mean if I worked my ass off to go to a Easton Academy or any prestigious institution I would want people to know me. Reed mentions this opening up to the reader saying she doesn’t want to be just another unknown face in a mass of people. We also see Constance, her FOIL character, which is basically the opposite character, she goes in school unrecognized by people she too is poor-ish and makes up notions on how rich she is. We see her mean and hard compared to Reed's cool and cal persona.
However, at the end of the day I see Reed like I see the name "EASTON ACADEMY" as a bore. Easton sounds like a Californian name of atleast 100 academies and Reed is like 100 other female characters. She is told to be mature and level-headed but she gives Thomas her virginity and chases after a group of girls who treat her like a dog. Yes, she draws the line by refusing to get a teacher fired but she doesn’t care when her own butt is on the line and steals a Physics Exam (three actually). She seems modest in her plain skinny jeans but meets Thomas for make out sessions. Its just that Reed is shown as a country girl who is smart and want to forget her past. But is she really so smart when she is chasing these people who don’t care about her? When she gives herself away to the first guy who shows an interest and turns out to be a drug dealer? Not going to read the second book.
I do like the first book and maybe recommend it for gossip-girl viewers but its not for me. The character does not change and I don’t think the story line makes much sense. Even if it did it’s a pain to read. If Reed is smart, fine let her be smart don’t layer all these perfect qualities on her because it makes her unrelatable. If your going to make her moralistic fine but don’t make her give some random guy her virginity. If you're going to make her athletic then fine do it. Its just that we don’t see REED. We don’t see who she is. Its like seeing her through a sheer sheet almost but not quite. Reed is always calm and collected only when she thinks of her mother or Thomas's betrayal do we see any emotion. I want to see Reed sweat by playing soccer. I want to see Reed be smart and hit the library when she fails her exams not chase after the Billing girls. If I failed an exam and I was an "A" student you'd see my butt in the library not making out!! I want to see Reed cry, sweat, and grow and challenge these girls who are perfect. I want to see her confront her mother and have a thought besides Thomas, her mother, or the Billing girls.

(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Blaire rated it 1 of 5 stars

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET TORTURED.

Never, EVER, EVER in my life have a read such a naive character! Reed Brennan, the main character (our point of view), is bitchy, annoying, shallow,and fucking DESPERATE.

Why? Because throughout the book ALL Reed whined about was how she wanted to be one of those plastic barbie dolls.

Someone please blow my brains out.

227 pages, 227 PAGES. Can someone kindly explain to me how this story (or SERIES) got published?

There was no sign of grow...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Sara Esmaili rated it 5 of 5 stars

Transferring schools, it's always hard. Imagine transferring to the most elite school in the country on a full scholarship. That doesn't sound too bad for Reed Brennan until she finds out ugly secrets about that school that are unheard of. Reed Brennan is a sophomore at Easton Academy. Her troubled family and otherwise placid past contribute to her high hopes and ambitions for the new school year. Since she was on full scholarship she was both gifted academically and athletically. From the momen...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Nessag rated it 5 of 5 stars

The PRIVATE
By: Kate Brian

In the book The PRIVATE the main topics in this book is a teenage girl going to a new school far from home out of her element. Easton High is a serious school which she has no idea how to handle, so she has to learn and do the things she needs to do.

This girl name, Reed Brennan, she is all original teenage girl having to go to another school on scholarship. In her appearance at the new school she has met several girls, some whom are suspicious and devious and some wh...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Ëtheka rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Shallow girls, girls with no interest in their life except for boys

There's a problem with the Goodreads grading system. A 3 is an 'I liked it'.
They should also put the quality of the book from zero (yes zero) to five, and I'll obviously put a zero.
So why did I 'like' this book? Like (no pun intended) all the other teen chick-books, it's addicting. God is it ADDICTING! It's like a drug(although I've never taken drugs before). You are loving it when you're reading it, but when you wake up from it, you feel like you didn't gain anything from it.

That's what I thi...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Abby added it

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction

The book Private by Kate Brian, the first book in the series, is about a fifteen year old girl named Reed and she gets a scholarship to a school that is excited about. She can’t wait to go to the Easton school because she wants to get away from her parents and become more responsible. When she gets to the school she finds that the school is not what she expects. She finds that the school is out of her league. She meets her roommate and becomes good friends with her. Reed ends up meeting this re...more The book Private by Kate Brian, the first book in the series, is about a fifteen year old girl named Reed and she gets a scholarship to a school that is excited about. She can’t wait to go to the Easton school because she wants to get away from her parents and become more responsible. When she gets to the school she finds that the school is not what she expects. She finds that the school is out of her league. She meets her roommate and becomes good friends with her. Reed ends up meeting this really cute guy named Tomas and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. But it doesn’t last forever. When she finds out about the Billings Girls and how popular they are, she wants to be one of them. She will do anything to be apart of their group, like; steal test answers and even get their lunch for them. Reed doesn’t realize that the girls are just using her until she goes to a party that Tomas invites her to in the woods. Reed stands up for herself when the last thing she was told to do by the Billings Girls could get someone hurt or fired. When she sticks up for herself the girls aren't to happy with her. Read the book to see if Reed becomes one of the Billings Girls and if she stays with Tomas in the end.
I liked this book very much but I didn’t like some parts when they dragged on about the same thing. It seemed like they would repeat the same parts. I did like the whole idea of the story though and the different settings made me feel like I was there just watching this all happen. I give this book a 8.5 out of 10 just because I got bored reading some of the same things over. I also like how the chapters where short, so if I needed to stop reading I could finish a chapter fast. When I was reading this book I had forgotten how old Reed really was, and that surprised me because when I was reading the book it didn’t really seem like a book about a fifteen year old, more of a 16 or 17 year old. Overall I did like the book but Some of the writing could have been changed to make it seem like it wasn’t always repeating the same topics.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes books about school, drama, and some romance. This book is nothing like I have read before. This book is just the first one in the series so reading them all is my next step. (less)

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Aug 16, 2011 Sheyla rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reed Brennan has won a scholarship outside of her PA home. She is to start at Easton Academy. A private school with rich and beautiful people.
She is escaping her home and a pill-popping cruel mother.

Reed has been a loner but soon realizes that she doesn't fit in and after witnessing through her dorm's window four girls having fun, she decides she wants that for herself too.

The next day she learns these girls are an elite group. All great students, popular, smart and beautiful too. They are the B...more

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May 14, 2011 Claudia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Why did I not stop reading? I don't know. It was train wreck syndrome, I guess. I just had to keep going, fascinated by the badfic-ness of it. First of all, it was a free download from Sony e-book. Second, it was the kind of young adult book that is irritating on a multitude of levels. New girl is a scholarship student at rich-kid boarding school doesn't fit in but really really wants to. But all of this I could take.

But suddenly there was no real character motivations that I could understand....more

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Apr 07, 2011 Marieme rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-books-11th-grade

Private

By Kate Brian
240pp. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN-13: 9781416918738
ISBN: 1416918736

Reed leaves her drug-addicted mother, and broken home back in Pennsylvania to attend the super exclusive private school, Easton Academy. As soon as Reed gets there, one of the cutest guys in school, Thomas Pearson (a senior) notices her. Then there are the popular girls in school, also known as the "Billing Girls". These are the girls who can make you if you're on their good side, and break...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Private is an interesting book that tells the story of Reed Brennan and her desperate desire to be a Billings girl. The Billings girls are rich, snobby, and sophisticated and for many reasons I cannot stand them. On page 77 it says, ‘ “You know, this apple is a little sour. I’d like a new one,” she said, looking directly into my eyes. “What?” “She said she’d like a new apple,” Noelle said. “And while you’re up you can get me a coffee, too.” I looked around at them, my cheeks burning. Were they s...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Jessica Lawlor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

I was excited to get my hands on this little novel. Private by Kate Brian is the first in the Private series about Reed Brennan, a small town girl from Pennsylvania who wins a scholarship to Easton Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut.

Reed will do ANYTHING to fit in. When she learns about the fabulous Billings girls- girls who live in the Billings dorms on campus who are the brightest, most beautiful and best on campus, Reed is determined to become one of them.

After scoring an invite to sit...more

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May 31, 2010 Bree rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Bree by: friends

Private is your classic, trashy, YA gossip girl esc novel. The story centers around Reed, a teenage girl attending a renowned prep school on a scholarship, and her attempt to become accepted to the most popular clique on campus, called "The Billings Girls". My friends have all been obsessing over this series for awhile, and I finally decided to see what the fuss was about. Since my friends and I had planned on going to the beach together, I decided to read it yesterday while working on my tan. P...more

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Apr 03, 2010 Noa Meshorer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 8th-grade-ir-books-chris-mc-cloud

Private, is the first book of this series. It is about a girl named Reed Brennan who receives a scholarship to enter the private high school "Easton Academy". She comes from a suburban town and it gives her the opportunity to experience a new and better educational life. It also enables her to get away from an addict unloving mother. At the beginning she feels as an outsider but then she becomes friend with a group of girls named "the Billings", who are a rich and powerful clique. In order to be...more

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Jan 30, 2010 Emily added it

Dear Glass-Licker,
Oh Reed Brennan, what am I going to do with you? Why are you so delicate and oblivious? Still, I've got to give you props for sticking to your goal of fitting in at the ever-so prestigious Easton Academy. But what's with all the self-demeaning stunts you've pulled this semester? That is so not cool Reed. I know that you are ashamed of what you used to be (and pretty much still are), but that is no excuse. You have the potential of being much, much more.

XOXO,
Emily

So if all yo...more

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May 06, 2009 Shonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009

Warning: Review may contain spoilers!

Reed Brennan desperately wants to escape her hometown of Crofton, PA. Her mother suffered a tragic accident and now pops pills and drinks away her pain. She takes most of her suffering out on Reed. Meanwhile Reed’s father tries to hold the family together, but Reed knows this is a burden for her dad. When she’s offered a scholarship to Easton Academy, she knows this is her opportunity to leave and live the life she’s always dreamed about.

The first day she ste...more Warning: Review may contain spoilers!

Reed Brennan desperately wants to escape her hometown of Crofton, PA. Her mother suffered a tragic accident and now pops pills and drinks away her pain. She takes most of her suffering out on Reed. Meanwhile Reed’s father tries to hold the family together, but Reed knows this is a burden for her dad. When she’s offered a scholarship to Easton Academy, she knows this is her opportunity to leave and live the life she’s always dreamed about.

The first day she stepped foot on campus, she felt she was out of her league. The other students were different than her peers at her former high school. Suddenly doubts fill her mind and she begins to wonder if Croton, PA is her fate after all.

While walking back to her dorm, she meets Thomas Pearson, the most popular (and gorgeous) senior on campus. Reed is immediately attracted to him and secretly wishes she’ll run into him again.

It’s not until her chance glimpse of the “mysterious girls” that things start to turn around for Reed. She learns their true identities during a meal in the cafeteria: Noelle, Ariana, Kiran and Taylor AKA the Billings Girls.

Billings House is the dorm on campus. If you’re fortunate to live there, then you are set for life. All the girls want to be a Billings Girls. Much to Reed’s amazement, she wants to befriend them as well. These girls represent everything that Reed doesn’t have: wealth, beauty, power, confidence and loyalty. Due to her home life, Reed isolated herself from her peers and did not have social relationships. Now that she’s at Easton, she’s realizing she has missed out on a major part of being a teenage girl.

The Billings Girls take an interest in Reed as well, and before Reed knows it, she has become part of their group (well on the peripheral). There is a price to be one of them. These girls begin to ask Reed to steal an exam, break up with a guy and any other demeaning task they can think of. As Reed struggles to belong to their group and do what’s right, she begins to wonder if their friendship (if indeed it is friendship) is worth it.

Meanwhile, her relationship with Thomas develops and soon they become a couple. Things are going well with them, until Reed learns Thomas’s secret. Devastated that he lied to her, she ends their relationship, but isn’t sure if she did the right thing. He attempts to explain to her why he did not confide in her and wants to get back together. The Billings Girls tell her she’s better off without him and makes her promise to have nothing to do with him. Reed finds herself torn between these new feelings for Thomas and wanting to secure her place with the Billing Girls.

Just as Reed makes her decision, Thomas goes missing and one of the Billings Girls is expelled from Easton for cheating. Which means there’s a spot open. . . in the Billings House. Will Reed be the next Billings Girl?

I really liked this book! I was immediately hooked with Reed’s humble background versus the entitlement of the Billings Girls. Although I didn’t agree with the decisions that Reed made, it was hard not to empathize with her. Reed is so desparate to be a “normal” girl and leave her past behind, that this often clouded her judgment. Following her conscience repeatedly conflicted with the goal of becoming the next Billings Girl.

I liked that the book ended with a cliff hanger. So where is Thomas? Will Reed fill the open spot in the house? What was the real reason behind the expulsion of the former Billings Girl? To be continued in. . . Invitation Only.(less)

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Private is Amazing!	31	60	May 28, 2013 03:34pm
Reed and ???	6	35	May 28, 2013 03:31pm
what happen to ivy	2	13	Apr 12, 2013 06:15pm
Best book ever	1	7	Feb 11, 2013 07:05pm
Private Movie	12	30	Sep 18, 2012 06:23pm
Have Reed & Josh done it any point in the book?	2	29	Nov 23, 2011 05:54pm

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About Kate Brian

Kate Brian is the prolific author of many books for teens including the Private series, the new Privilege series, and Sweet 16. She lives with her husband in New Jersey. She writes under the pseudonym Kate Brian, instead of using her real name: Kieran Scott.

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Quotes from Private

“I half hoped Mr. Pearson would waLk out holding Thomas by the scruff of his neck, still wearing his boxers or pajama pants or whatever the hell a guy like him slept in. But seconds later, when Mr. Pearson emerged, he was red with rage and completely alone.
Thomas was gone.” — 10 people liked it

“Leanne, would you kindly remove your nose from my ass? It's starting to chafe." - Noelle” — 4 people liked it

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