As usual, I'll say more closer to the release! I got to read an early incarnation of The Rivals a while back and it was exciting. What it has become since that early read is even more exciting. It takes a bold, daring writer to establish all the ground rules in Book One (which was The Mockingbirds, which I also loved) and then proceed to DECONSTRUCT EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM in the second book. Daisy Whitney is a bold, daring writing. This book is an unraveling of everything you thought you knew about the group, the rules, and the places you might have assumed the original characters were coming from. The way The Mockingbirds and The Rivals complement and yet oppose each other is fascinating from a craft standpoint and brilliant from a storytelling one. You can read The Rivals as a standalone but I would definitely suggest reading them together for the full benefit of the experience.

Another thing I absolutely loved, something that gave additional power to the narrative, was the way Alex dealt with the aftermath of her date rape. I never for a second expected a thoughtful writer like Whitney to brush that aside, but I just wanted to say here the way it was explored and the way it motivated Alex and how she struggled and came to terms with her identity in the wake of something so horrible was handled with such grace. That alone would make the book a must read for me (I'd love to see this in classrooms everywhere). That, plus the themes of vigilante justice, what is right and what is wrong when the victims aren't as clear cut, the shades of grey and double dealing makes me think there's something here for everyone here to chew on and discuss. And this is a book you discuss. And admire. I will be doing both. Loved it. Add it to my best of 2011 book list. I hope it gets lots of attention when it comes out early next year.

(Also, Martin! Also, fire-eating!)