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Secret Society (Secret Society #1)

by Tom Dolby (Goodreads Author)

3.31 of 5 stars 3.31 · rating details · 880 ratings · 169 reviews

"Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . ."

An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.

They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published September 29th 2009 by Katherine Tegen Books

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Aug 04, 2009 Jazz Sexton rated it 1 of 5 stars

I often wonder how some books become published. Secret Society would be torn apart (figuratively. Well, maybe literally, too.) in even an introduction to fiction class. The narration changes between four characters, often in the same scene, making the action difficult to follow.

Dolby skips crucial scenes that would let readers connect with characters. One subplot is about Lauren who meets Alejandro. A couple sentences tell us Alejandro gives Lauren an extravagant birthday present and a few chapt...more I often wonder how some books become published. Secret Society would be torn apart (figuratively. Well, maybe literally, too.) in even an introduction to fiction class. The narration changes between four characters, often in the same scene, making the action difficult to follow.

Dolby skips crucial scenes that would let readers connect with characters. One subplot is about Lauren who meets Alejandro. A couple sentences tell us Alejandro gives Lauren an extravagant birthday present and a few chapters later Lauren describes him as someone who "makes everything worth it." A few chapters beyond that she describes him as a flake, but Dolby hasn't shown us any behavior flakier than Lauren's own.

Perhaps when Lauren said "worth it" she meant the $900 skirt she bought in her introductory chapter. It's so tough buying those, right?

"She turned over the skirt's price tag: nine hundred dollars. Would her mother notice if she put it on her platinum card? No, Lauren shopped at Giroux all the time, so what was the big deal? Even if her parents' divorce had frozen her mother's love life, it had done no such thing to her bank account."

Dolby tells us how great his characters are, but he never realy shows us. Why is Phoebe good at art? Her mom being n artist isn't enough. Has she studied art all of her life? What credentials does Nick, the one who supposedly loves music, have to judge what is good and poor sounding? Music lessons, ever? And for the love of anything that makes sense, why does Patch, the poor kid, go to the rich prep school?

I had short expectations for this book. I was worried it would be about whiny rich kids. I will admit the characters aren't whiny. They're just shallow. I did have hope in the beginning when the kids vowed to obey the Society over church, school, and state. I thought Secret Society as going to be a story about standing up to corruption and oppression, and how materialism gets in the way of wisdom and righteousness.

What I got was story about kids who can't look at person without noticing their L.L. Bean boots. Kids who say 'oh, how horrible this Society is. Let's investigate!' then give in to their oppressors after a reprimand. I read somewhere that this is going to be a series, and I was so sad I almost wept. Sometimes a story is muh stronger as stand alone piece. If this story had actually been revised, which I can't imagine it was from the poor quality of the writing, it could be a wonderful tale about the dangers of being out of touch with reality that privilege brings. I suppose it needs to be series because people in the industry don't own enough $900 skirts.

At one point, an expensive shop owner tells Lauren that you have to pay for quality sometimes. It does make sense to pay for quality. Which is why it makes sense that I got this book for free.

I didn't hate Secret Society because I think Dolby was trying to make a point about corruption. There was one character who spent the book trying to infiltrate the Society so he could expose them, and the kids do see some serious damage done by the Society. Dolby just really missed the mark in regards to making his characters come alive and creatng a story that means something.(less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Samantha Clanton aka "Harlequin Twilight" for TeensReadToo.com

In SECRET SOCIETY, we follow the lives of four students from Chadwick Prep, one of the most elite prep schools in New York City. Phoebe is the eccentric new girl in town, Nick is the up-and-coming member of one of the wealthiest families in New York, Lauren is the budding socialite, and Patch is an amateur filmmaker. There is something else about these students that make them special - three of them have gained the interes...more Reviewed by Samantha Clanton aka "Harlequin Twilight" for TeensReadToo.com

In SECRET SOCIETY, we follow the lives of four students from Chadwick Prep, one of the most elite prep schools in New York City. Phoebe is the eccentric new girl in town, Nick is the up-and-coming member of one of the wealthiest families in New York, Lauren is the budding socialite, and Patch is an amateur filmmaker. There is something else about these students that make them special - three of them have gained the interest of The Society.

The Society is a secret group of people whose mission is to "preserve a way of life." I, for one, have always had a major interest in secret societies and so I was already excited about this book, and Tom Dolby has definitely done his research with this. The imagery is so vivid that I actually found myself waking up from dreams about this book and about these characters, which is a major thing for me since most books don't get in my head like that. Some people are probably thinking "Oh no, not something else about a secret society," but this is majorly different. Think Gossip Girl (the show) meets The Skulls (Paul Walker/Joshua Jackson movie from 2000).

After receiving text messages that tell them to go to a gritty downtown warehouse, the three students begin the initiation into The Society. This initiation concludes with each of them receiving an ankh shaped tattoo on the nape of their necks. Once they are entered into The Society, they start gaining everything they were promised: fame, fortune, friends in high places, parties, private town cars that deliver them to and from events. But what's the price they must pay in order to have these rewards?

Things start changing when the body of a young male is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks, aside from the ankh tattoo on this neck. Then they start to wonder - is all of this worth the risk? But questioning The Society in that way can be very dangerous to not only their careers, but also to their lives and the lives of the people they care about.

I loved this book! I mean totally loved it! Some of the characters are a bit clichéd, but I think in order to really relate to them at all, they needed to be. I also love the whole secret society thing. I find it so interesting and I have read all kinds of stuff about them, fiction and nonfiction alike. There are so many legends and depictions of these societies and I can't help but to be fascinated.

SECRET SOCIETY is a book I will read again. There are so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I can't wait to see how they pan out in the next book in the series. Definitely a must-read.(less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Stephanie Kerr rated it 3 of 5 stars

Secret Society is told from four different points of view: Nick, Pheobe, Lauren, and Patch. This book is about a secret society that helps its members get ahead in their careers, which would be great, if it weren't for the dangerous secrets and lies surrounding the society.

I recieved this book free through Goodreads First Reads. I like the idea of a book about a secret society, but I didn't like that it was told from four different points of view or that it didn't have a main protagonist. I als...more

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Sep 13, 2009 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-mt-bookpile

If it's not the Masons, it must be the Catholic Church... or perhaps it's ZOG... or, well, there has to be some secret society running things, right? Making lives smoother for members, amassing incredible wealth, etc.. Unfortunately, this book reads like Gossip Girl meets Skull and Bones, with maybe a little Frankie Landau-Banks thrown in. The references are a little too hip (by which I mean already almost out-of-date) and one character has a "headband screwed on a little too tight" (Blair, anyo...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Rosalia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, off-the-shelf-reading-challenge, young-adult, mystery

I hate it when you spend all this time working on a review and then the internet decides it hates you and you lose everything.

The Society follows four students from Chadwick Prep, Pheobe, Lauren, Nick and Patch. Phoebe, Laren and Nick are all invited to join the Society, a secret society in New York City that only the fifteen elite are invited to each year. At first the Society seems innocent enough but as time passes things become more and more sinister.

The book opens with a death and then move...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not sure it is possible for a more contrived story to exist. Nothing about this book felt natural or real. A whole ton of things didn't make sense.

The premise of the story was actually quite good: A secret society that recruits fabulously wealthy High School Juniors and then makes all their dreams come true. The teens take their place in the society and they all work together to keep the rich of the world as rich as possible.

The narrative switches between four students all of which 'sound' e...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Jackie added it

This book was intriguing in that I definitely wanted to know what happens. Yet it was also disturbing that our culture could be so controlled by societies such as this one. The author’s blog site claims that he’s in the progress of writing a sequel to it; I’ll probably read it because sometimes I feel I have OCD when it comes to reading books from front to back to give them a fair chance instead of judging them by what others say. But at the same time, I’m not sure if I’ll read it for this firs...more

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Sep 11, 2009 Samantha (Harlequin Twilight's Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Secret Society we follow the lives of four students from Chadwick Prep, one of the most elite prep schools in New York City. Phoebe is the eccentric new girl in town, Nick is the up and coming member of one of the wealthiest families in New York, Lauren is the budding socialite, and Patch is an amateur filmmaker. There is something else about these students that make them special, three of these students have gained the interest of The Society.

The Society is a secret group of people that’s mi...more In Secret Society we follow the lives of four students from Chadwick Prep, one of the most elite prep schools in New York City. Phoebe is the eccentric new girl in town, Nick is the up and coming member of one of the wealthiest families in New York, Lauren is the budding socialite, and Patch is an amateur filmmaker. There is something else about these students that make them special, three of these students have gained the interest of The Society.

The Society is a secret group of people that’s mission is to “preserve a way of life.” I for one, have always had a major interest in secret societies and so I was already excited about this book; and Tom Dolby has definitely done his research with this. The imagery is so vivid that I actually found myself waking up from dreams about this book and about these characters, which is a major thing for me since most books don’t get in my head like that. Some people are probably thinking “Oh no, not something else about a secret society,” but this is majorly different. Think Gossip Girl (the show) meets The Skulls (Paul Walker/Joshua Jackson movie from 2000).

After receiving text messages that tell them to go to a gritty downtown warehouse, the three students begin the initiation into The Society. This initiation concludes with each of them receiving an ankh shaped tattoo on the nape of their necks. Once they are entered into The Society, they start gaining everything they were promised: fame, fortune, friends in high places, parties, private town cars that deliver them to and from events. But what’s the price they must pay in order to have these rewards?

Things start changing when the body of a young male is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks, aside from the ankh tattoo on the nape of his neck. Then they start to wonder, is all of this worth the risk? But questioning The Society in that way can lead to be very dangerous to not only their careers, but also to their lives and the lives of the people they care about.

I loved this book! I mean totally loved it, some of the characters are a bit cliché but I think in order to really relate to these characters at all, they needed to be. I also love the whole secret society thing. I find it so interesting and I have read all kinds of stuff about them. Fiction and nonfiction alike; The Life and Death Brigade (I love love love! Gilmore Girls), The Skulls, Skull and Bones, the Illuminati, the Freemasons, Fight Club, etc. are all secret societies either in popular culture or in reality. There are so many legends and depictions of these societies and I can’t help but to be fascinated.

I so highly recommend this book, if you can’t tell already. I am so excited for the sequel, which according to Tom himself (via Twitter @TomDolby) “I am writing THE DENDUR CONSPIRACY right now, so...fall 2010. I know, too long to wait!” I think that is too long to wait and this is the issue I have with reading the first book in a series while it’s still an ARC, because that means I have longer to wait until the sequel comes out! But this is definitely a book I will read again. There are so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see how they pan out. Definitely a must read!(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Kenya Liggons rated it 5 of 5 stars

What is this secret society?? Chadwick Pep, Nick, Lauren, Patch and Phoebe are all students that society wants to follow. These people are invited to join, but then that wouldn't make sense because the society is following them. There is some type of secret society, and only the top fifteen that are qualified could be in it. Everything is good and all, but this secret society becomes more than what it was expected. It started to become threatening and unfortunate. There is a death that has happ...more

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May 06, 2012 Spark740 rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is a broken pencil book and the only thing I've ever read where a sofa was more interesting than the characters.
Prepare yourself, my friends.
The writing quality is good, the concept of the Society makes sense, but if you clipped out and pinned up all the good parts, you'd have the author's notes from his history of art degree. He thinks he's writing teen fiction, but I doubt many teens know what "Palladian windows" are. As for plot, I already said this is a broken pencil book. It has NO...more This is a broken pencil book and the only thing I've ever read where a sofa was more interesting than the characters.
Prepare yourself, my friends.
The writing quality is good, the concept of the Society makes sense, but if you clipped out and pinned up all the good parts, you'd have the author's notes from his history of art degree. He thinks he's writing teen fiction, but I doubt many teens know what "Palladian windows" are. As for plot, I already said this is a broken pencil book. It has NO point. It's worse than a carbon-copy chic-lit. There is no clear protagonist or antagonist 80% of the time and when there is it's so illogical there may as well not be. The story is basically about four stereotypical teenagers who are as 2D as the picture on the front cover. They binge drink, party, get exhausted, drink some more, lead the social lives you expect from them after the very first page of their entry into the perpetually non-existent story. They stop drinking (slightly) at halfway through book III, which is 3/4 of the way through, which is when it looks like an antagonist or protagonist might finally appear, but they all go to a conference and one of the main characters doesn't die, joins the Society, all good. The end.
Excuse me?
It actually kept me up at night because of how bad it was. The thing that's supposed to be exciting is when one girl's hot, druggie of a boyfriend dies (and this makes me so mad, that these sorts of people are worthy of obsession in YA fiction), and her two friends Nick and Phoebe are all concerned whereas when they first met the druggie they ignored him. The whole 'climax' of Nick and Phoebe (who, yes, are your 'nice guy' and 'newbie-girl-who-makes-it')who shouldn't care at all searching as to why he died, then, makes no sense. The end of the book concludes with the two guy characters, Nick and Patch, who have an on-and-mostly-off relationship, being reunited in a big bro hug. But it also makes no sense. Patch ruined Nick's career with secret video footage (a good thing, maybe, since he was in the party business). They have a fist fight, swear at each other, and then after Nick discovers that the druggie's death was a good thing because it makes him, as part of the Society, more powerful, Patch who wrecked his career replaces the druggie and Nick's all, "I'm never letting you go again." It really makes no sense.
Also, there is an appalling and startling lack of good adult authority in this book. The teens are all-powerful; the adults who are portrayed anywhere near to good tell them that they know best and should do what they want. At the end the son of the Society's leader has this big angst hate-thing with his dad, blaming him for being a self-centered jerk when the kid is maybe more of one himself. These teens don't do a single thing to stand up for themselves and never do: they drink, party and make out and joining the Society who lets them have more, more, more of what they want. The book is so limited because the main characters know that the Society can take their affluence away, but they're too dependent on making themselves happy - they sit there decked out in cowardice and submit.
The huge revelation made by the supposedly evil father is that the main characters were the ones who killed the druggie, because if they had not held parties and invited him than he wouldn't have OD'd and died. Um, DUH! DUH!! DUH!!! And of course the kids just think, he's right I guess, but we'd better not rebel against the Society so we can keep on drinking and partying, while still being geniuses and go to good colleges, where we'll keep on partying. This book extols materialism and consumerism in the best possible way, because it's so disgustingly illogically put together, I don't know how anyone could not notice.

The WORST book I have ever read.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Deidra (Simply Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

I didn't love it. That being said, I didn't hate it. I guess I could say that the book was ok. I had checked it out from the library a while ago, and the book was due soon so I thought I would spend Thursday reading it. I had almost finished it when I went to bed... and then my body decided that it's on a weird sleeping schedule and woke up me up at 3:30. When I finally decided I wasn't going to get anymore sleep, I finished the book.

I guess my main problem with the book was the lack of credible...more I didn't love it. That being said, I didn't hate it. I guess I could say that the book was ok. I had checked it out from the library a while ago, and the book was due soon so I thought I would spend Thursday reading it. I had almost finished it when I went to bed... and then my body decided that it's on a weird sleeping schedule and woke up me up at 3:30. When I finally decided I wasn't going to get anymore sleep, I finished the book.

I guess my main problem with the book was the lack of credible detail. There were certain parts when I knew the characters were afraid, but I didn't feel afraid with them. There were also moments when I thought, if this "Society" is truly that intense, they wouldn't have gotten by with that. After the murder happens in the book (it's first shown in the prologue), it didn't seem like someone had been murdered. I kept asking my book, where's the emotion? Why aren't you making me feel this supposed fear that the characters are feeling. I guess it didn't help that the book was divided among four different points of view. I've seen that work in books, but this was not one of those. I felt like I was missing important parts of the story line. Secret Society was one of those time-filler reads where it will entertain you, but you don't have too much of an opinion about it afterwards.

Though I wasn't crazy about the book, there were certain parts that I really liked. Dolby did a great job at portraying success the way teens see it. There were clear pressures and intensities that every teen feels with a extra dose of crazy since the book takes place in the Upper East Side among private schools. I have a guilty pleasure for all things uptown New York City which is why I picked up the book in the first place. I also have a "slight" crazy for Ancient Egypt so that was a bonus for me.

I know that this was Dolby's first attempt at YA literature so I might read the next book in the series (The Trust) if I come across it really cheap somewhere, and I'm out of things to read.(less)

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Aug 22, 2011 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I originally bought this book, I saw it on a discount shelf for $4.99 and I was drawn by the cheesiness of the cover. I think I exclaimed to my best friend "This is going to be the best worst book I'm going to read!" And sure enough... I was bang on.
It's not that this was a terrible book to read. I managed to devour it in less than 24hrs, and you will note that I did give it a three-star rating. All things considered, this book lived entirely up to my expectations. I knew that it was going...more When I originally bought this book, I saw it on a discount shelf for $4.99 and I was drawn by the cheesiness of the cover. I think I exclaimed to my best friend "This is going to be the best worst book I'm going to read!" And sure enough... I was bang on.
It's not that this was a terrible book to read. I managed to devour it in less than 24hrs, and you will note that I did give it a three-star rating. All things considered, this book lived entirely up to my expectations. I knew that it was going to be cheesy and simplistic and a good, light read. I don't want to discredit any author's writing (except maybe Bushnell's in The Carrie Diaries, but that's another story...), so I don't say any of this to offend Dolby. It was good. That's about it.
This book basically revolves around the idea that kids at a private school in Manhattan are chosen to be a part of a secret society, that basically controls all of the privilege. If you are a member, any one of your dreams will come true. That is, as long as you live by their rules. I don't know what it is about Manhattan, but there always seems to be some sort of secret membership to get in on (and scandal. Lots and lots of scandal). As I was reading this book, I was reminded of the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, in which there is a secret "club" that only the privileged few belong to, but once they do, it opens doors. Big doors that lead to fancy ballrooms full of magic and dreams. Unfortunately, Dolby does not entrance the same way that de la Cruz manages. I found that the character development was minimal, the chapters too small, and NONE of my questions were answered. At the end of the novel, there are certain revelations, but I didn't find any of them remotely... important? It just felt like a lot of build-up for nothing. Though I do hear there is another book in the series...
Overall, I think that Dolby was trying to achieve what Blue Bloods and Gossip Girl managed before him, but did not quite capture the intrigue of those rich and lavish worlds. Though, if you're looking for a book to pick up on a rainy Sunday before having to go in for a twelve-hour night shift, I recommend it. It satisfied a need within me for a simple, no-nonsense kind of teenage fiction.(less)

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Nov 08, 2009 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Phoebe Dowling and her mother have just moved to Manhattan. She came from LA. Phoebe is used to being around privileged, rich kids but nothing like the ones at her new school, Chadwick.

Nicholas “Nick” Bell comes from money. His parents are always reminding him that there is a certain image he has to maintain. Nick doesn’t care about that. He is actually bored of hanging with the rich kids. In fact he throws parties just so he has something to do, which in turns makes everything thing he is the...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

From my blog, The Writer Diaries.

Tom Dolby makes his YA debut with this novel about a dangerous, elite society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.

You’re in it. For life.

I recently became very antiquated with Books A Millions aisle of everything on sale, and picked this up for a meager three buckeroos.

Secret Society follows four students from the elite Chadwick Prep - Lauren, Phoebe, Nick, and Patch. Phoebe, Lauren, and Nick are all invited to join the Society, a secret society...more

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Aug 23, 2009 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: won-on-goodreads, i-heart-you

One of the best pieces of fiction I have read all year! From start to finish the anticipation that I felt throughout the novel made this a quick page turner. The world of the Upper East Side and a historical evil secret collide in a dramatic telling that left me on the edge of my seat. Think Gossip Girl meets The Davinci Code! I can only hope this is the first installment of a new, upcoming and might I add, best selling series! Get Initiated!!

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Finally I finished! It took way to long to find time to read this one in my opinion!

So my thoughts on this book, I loved the plot line except for the part where the new girl meets hot guy and falls in love and they get together... For me thats just to over done. Other than the fact that I read something similar in the from bad to cursed novel I still found myself intrigued by the concept of this book. I liked that the Society was a secret but that people kind of knew about it just not what happ...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Audrey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Title: Secret Society
Author: Tom Dolby
Genre: YA mystery
Publishing Information: October 1, 2009 by HarperTeen
Series: First book in Secret Society series, followed by The Trust

Where I got it: E-book from the library

One sentence: Four wealthy young people from New York- Phoebe, Lauren, Nick and Patch- are invited to join the Society: a organization that seems innocent, but as time passes becomes more and more sinister.

Themes: Secret societies, New York City, prep-school, mystery

Main characters: 3/5...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Katelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Tom Dolby knows how to write for all audiences. Throughout the book readers get to hear from multiple points of view. Guys and girls and I've got to say, he pulled it all off. He talked about NYC nightlife, fashion and the boutiques to hit up that have the best vintage finds, politics, etc... It was a good mixture for all audiences. I enjoyed the descriptions and throughout the experience I felt as though I was taking a unique tour of NYC and all it has to offer from a local's perspective.

When c...more

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Aug 21, 2009 Leslie (That Chick That Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, signed-copy

So I was one of the lucky few to have received an ARC of this novel. It’s Tom Dolby’s Young Adult Series debut. It was okie, not all that great. I loved the concept about the “Secret Society” these teens were participating in. It reminded me of that movie called “The Skulls”, from the initiation to the first death. Oh and then the Egyptian hieroglyphic ankh-shaped tattoo is beyond awesome! I totally want it now! It’s symbolized to mean “eternal life”, but the one thing that bothered me the most...more

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Feb 19, 2010 Ziaria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read. I liked the mystery surrounding the Society and all their members. In general I really loved the premise of the book. It was a refreshing change of pace from some of the books I normally read. I mean who doesn't ever wonder if clubs like this really exist. I know I have a time or two in my life.

I liked how Tom had characters from all walks of life and not just socialites. It made them seem more believable that way. I would love to learn m...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Jake Rideout rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first of Tom Dolby's books that I'd read, and I liked it. I imagine it's a little like Gossip Girl in its theme, which is upper class Manhattan prep school drama, but there's an added element of mystery that I really enjoyed. Three students are conscripted into a secret society that promises to make all their dreams come true. Something isn't right, however, and when one member of their class of Initiates disappears, the three begin to wonder what price they will have to pay for thei...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11-20

The story switches from Phoebe, Lauren, to Nick. These three teenagers are mysteriously invited to join the Society. You can't just refuse the Society and everyone that has ever joined has had all of their secret dreams and ambitions come true. As they get deeper into the Society, they begin to question if it is really a good thing to be a part of.
This book was not as good as I would have been hoping but there is a lot of mystery that makes you want to keep reading. The Society almost seems too...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Blake rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the novel, Secret Society, written by Tom Dolby, we follow the lives of four privileged students who attend Chadwick Prep, one of Manhattan’s most elite schools. In the novel, we are introduced to Phoebe, the new girl in town who likes to create artwork; Lauren, the popular socialite who has a passion for fashion; Nick, the club promoter who belongs to one of New York’s wealthiest families; and Patch, the amateur filmmaker who isn’t as well-off as the rest. In one way or another, these four t...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Sab H. (YA Bliss) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

You'll be desperate for a sequel! The book was good, but the ending was awesome! What is it with these new books and incredible endings? I kept thinking in the middle of the book that it was kind of boring, but at some point it got me and I enjoyed the final parts where you finally understand what the book is about.

The writing was great, the story was told from four different points of view. But, it could be kind of confusing sometimes. The characters were not the best, hard to relate. The plot...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the first installment of The Secret Society Chronicles, new girl Phoebe Dowling doesn’t care about fitting in at the Chadwick school. As an artist, she just wants to experience the city (New York City that is). Phoebe never expected that a single night at a party, one of Nick Bell’s notorious parties, of course, would make all the difference. First, socialite Lauren Mortimer takes Phoebe under her wings (who wouldn’t? Phoebe’s silver ballet flats were too cute). Then Phoebe receives a myster...more In the first installment of The Secret Society Chronicles, new girl Phoebe Dowling doesn’t care about fitting in at the Chadwick school. As an artist, she just wants to experience the city (New York City that is). Phoebe never expected that a single night at a party, one of Nick Bell’s notorious parties, of course, would make all the difference. First, socialite Lauren Mortimer takes Phoebe under her wings (who wouldn’t? Phoebe’s silver ballet flats were too cute). Then Phoebe receives a mysterious text message, along with Lauren and Nick, and wakes up the next morning as an initiate of the Society. Having been promised success thanks to the network of Society members, the three don’t bother questioning the unusual meetings and secrecy. Things seem to be going well, until a dead body is found in Central Park with only a tiny ankh-shaped tattoo as identification.
At its surface, Secret Society by Tom Dolby has a stunning cover. The cover’s sleek, seductive look only makes the book more intriguing. Secret Society complete sucks you in, drawing you into the lives of the elite networks of secret societies in NYC. Tom Dolby’s book is absolutely entrancing and the danger is exciting. The reader is drawn into the secrets and all the complications, in a way that’s almost disturbing, but is approached so thoughtfully that the reader can hardly look away. Secret Society is full of complexities, and this certainly does not exclude the characters. By rotating through Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch, this book expertly offers multiple perceptions of NYC, the Society, and more, each one uniquely contributing to the development of the novel.
Tom Dolby’s B.A. in the history of art definitely shows, particularly with the symbolism of the ankh, but really through all of the art and history that is brought into the story. As a whole, Secret Society is a captivating novel, full of mystery and romance. With today’s fascination surrounding boarding schools (think Gossip Girl, Private, etc.) and secret societies, this book is sure to draw attention. Plus, compared to these, Secret Society isn’t wholly predictable or superficial, but rather complex and thrilling. With its cliffhanger ending, I simply cannot wait for a sequel. 9 out of 10.(less)

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Oct 01, 2009 Rachel Bussel rated it 5 of 5 stars

n Tom Dolby's Secret Society, the elite high school students we've seen in such YA fare as Gossip Girl get treated to a twist: murder. Dolby works in modern technology, including vlogging, and much more sinister things, like branding and blackmail. The Society sends mysterious text messages to high school students, and then they attend events where they don't quite know what's going on, but feel compelled to obey. And then, like magic, things happen, like one girl receives a free designer handba...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was just what I needed...New York City...yet one more private elite school and sort of ordinary students...no vampires involved!!!

The premise is that if you are lucky enough to get an invitation to this society...which you are not allowed to talk about or even ask questions about...your life will be perfection. Formerly closed doors will open, success, fame and fortune are yours for the asking.

Now enter Patch...a very inquisitive investigative friend of one of the members. He will no...more

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Dec 29, 2009 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

The plot revovles around a New York private school and of course a secret soctiety that promises to make you successful. I know I have read stories like this in the past and this one did a good job of suspense and building the story, but I just couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu.

I really liked most of the characters, even the ones that were borderline redeemed themselves, although the whole thing seemed a little flat towards the end. There is enough alcohol in the book to make a frat boy win...more

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Sep 08, 2009 Shiraz rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a review from a advance copy I won. This was a fairly entertaining suspense/thriller novel from what I understand is a new author Tom Dolby. It is written in a fairly easy to read style which will appeal to the adolescent crowd it's aiming it. Since I have a lot of interest in secret societies and such it had more appeal to me. The book seems like an episode of a teenage thriller/drama TV show you would probably see on TV. A peek into the teenage life of the 2000's. There is nothing too...more

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Jul 28, 2009 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tom Dolby's young adult debut, was good but not great. When I first read the summary and was captured by the cover, I was super excited to read this novel. I loved the concept of a Secret Society that initiated their members by giving them an Egyptian hieroglyphic ankh-shaped tattoo which symbolized "eternal life." The secret society seemed amazing since their wildest dreams would come true once they joined, but their is always a price to pay, it's never that easy. Of course I loved that it took...more

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About Tom Dolby

Tom Dolby's new series from HarperCollins, Secret Society, debuted in October 2009, and includes the novels Secret Society and The Trust. Tom is the author of the bestselling novel The Trouble Boy and the boarding school novel The Sixth Form. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Tom was born in London and raised in San Francisco, and i...more

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