Lust

Seven Deadly Sins #1

by Robin Wasserman

Alpha girl Harper is used to getting what she wants,
and that means Adam,
Beth's all-American boytoy.
Blond, boring Beth, who Kane,
the charming playah, secretly wants too.
Miranda thinks Kane is out of her league,
but she wants him all the same.
And then there's the new girl.
Kaia. Who only wants trouble --
and he's definitely on his way.
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Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Chick Lit, Teen, Realistic Fiction

229 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2005

About the author

Robin Wasserman is the author of the novels MOTHER DAUGHTER WIDOW WIFE (June 2020) and GIRLS ON FIRE. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Tin House, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and several short story anthologies. A recent MacDowell Colony fellow, she is also the New York Times bestselling author of more than ten novels for young adults and teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University.

Reviews

[maegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt—and then, that’s when the real fun starts.”

This is quality trashy teen soap opera material.

Do you enjoy drama?

Were you addicted to Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls?



Well, if that’s the case, this is just what the doctor ordered.

I remember reading this series when I was in high school, but never actually finished it because stuff just happened and then I lost track of this story and then I went to college and blah blah I’ve been busy adulting.
I recently found this series in a thrift shop and decided to finally end what I started years ago. 2021 is all about finishing series for me.

Alpha girl Harper is friends with Miranda, who is just a bit too bland and too smart to be anyone's dream girl.
Harper is in love with her childhood best friend, Adam, the classic all-American jock, who in turn is dating Beth.
Adam is friends with Kane, a womaniser with zero scruples who Miranda has a crush on. But Kane has set his sights on Beth, blonde, innocent and the only girl who seems immune to his charms.
And then there's Kaia, the new girl at school, ready to make trouble wherever she goes.

I'm going to get straight to the point. The characters in this book are bad people. Literally the worst people you can meet out there, and they all live in the small town of Grace (CA), which makes me think that it must be the place on earth with the highest percentage of assholes per square metre.

To be honest, it's not every day you find me rooting for the villains and hoping their evil plans are successful. But it was just so so entertaining.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduces the six main characters--Kaia, Harper, Beth, Miranda, Kane, and Adam--who attend Haven High School and are out to fulfill their desires. Kaia is the new girl at school and she and Harper are each setting to top each other out as the most popular girl. Adam and Beth are dating, Harper and Miranda are best friends and Harper and Kane are kind of like partners in crime, but Kane's best friend is Adam. This book becomes really intense when everything starts to fall apart for all of these characters because of what they want, but can't have. I may be ruining too much of the story here, so don't read any further if you want to find out more!!!!! Harper wants Adam, Adam wants Kaia, Miranda wants Kane, but Kane wants Beth. Really messy relationships going on...

[Winnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be rather stupid because the plot was simply ridiculous. People in this book want things that they cant have and it's all materialistic ways of living. IN this book there is nothing but LUST, and no love. I find these problems to be really unrealistic and even if it may happen to be the problems of one's life, they shouldn't revolve their life around it. The problems that these people go through are so stupid and it makes me mad because they don't have real problems involving financial needs or health or anything significant, which is why they emphasize their small little problems and make it such a big deal. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone. It was a waste of my time and i'd be better off reading gossipgirls.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

blah. this is like Gossip Girl crossed with the hills, only with poorer, less exciting people. I just don't like to read about shallow, catty girls. Backstabbing, Bad-mouting, boy stealing- 3 very bad B words. All of the characters are the oober B-word, with the exception of Beth.
The premise of a series about the seven deadly sins seemed so promising.... This wasn't total dreaditude, but it was close. Thank God it was short. The ending makes me ill. To know what happens, I'll have to read the next and the next and probably so on and so on. So annoying. argh. I will only read the next books if they fall into my lap and I have absolutely NOTHING else to read.

This just wasn't my thing. I'm sure some of you would/do like it, it just didn't grab me in. There wasn't really anything special. I was bored.
2 stars

It's only getting 2 because I wasn't so bored I had to mark it as "can't finish".

[Maritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top alpha girl Harper always gets what she wants. She want Adam, her best friend that is dating Beth.


Kane,the player, secretly wants Beth. Miranda wants Kane, even though he's Way out of her league.

And then theres kaia. The new girl. Who only wants trouble. And knows how to find it.

This book is filled with betrayal, determination, and jealousy. I loved it. You never know whats going to happen! This book is certainly a must read. People dont know what they're missing. by the way, whoever reads my blog, dont be afraid to recommend a book to me! Xoxo

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man was I addicted to this series! So good! And it wasn't even the sort of stuff I went for back in the day but there's something about all this high-school drama trash that has always been such a guilty pleasure.

So yes, I shamelessly loved this series. All the politics, and the relationships, and the DRAMA. SO BAD ITS GOOD.

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed & am finally donating as I need to cull bookshelves before moving. Read the whole series & have a soft spot for the movie as well.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could, I would give this 2.50 stars. For me, reading this book could be compared to watching a train wreck in a sense...the idea of it being so lusty ("Lust" is an appropriate title) I sometimes did not want to look away (stop reading it); it kept my attention. The story involves teenagers worrying about matters and being involved in what I would consider adult relationships. The writing flows and the author keeps the reader hooked, but this is the kind of story that if I had a teenage daughter or son reading it, I would be saddened and concerned about her/him making the choices that the teens in this book decide to make.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response: I personally did not like this book as much as I thought I would have. I gave the book, Lust, a three out of five stars because it was not really attention grabbing. I also could not really relate to this book in anyway. I did not find anything that interesting and the drama was not that good.

Plot: The book, Lust, started off with a bunch of really good friends starting their senior of high school. They looked innocent on the outside, but it was completely opposite on the inside. Every senior a part of this group had their own secrets. Throughout the book, those secrets were exposed and added on to. It all started with the most popular girl in school, Harper. Her name was well known around the town, and everyone envied her until Karia showed up. Karia was a party girl who traveled the world with her parents money. After being caught doing drugs, drinking alcohol, and being suspended from school she was sent to live with her dad. Karia was use to the school changing, but this school she had something different in mind. As school was starting, Harper had to show the new girl around the school not knowing what was going to happen. Karia and Harper did not like each other at first contact. It was one big jealously cat fight. Harper was scared that Karia was going to take her spot in the popular group. Karia was scared knowing that Harper was going to be her biggest competition at this school. After showing Karia around a bit, they decided to head to lunch and meet all the friends. Adam and Kane were just jaw dropped by how gorgeous Karia was, but Adam wouldn't look too much due to Beth. The friend group was confused on how they should act by seeing the looks Harper was giving all of them. Everyone decided it was best to friend Karia and make her feel right at home. The group of them were in charge of throwing the big senior party after the dance. Together,Karia let out some of her bad personality show towards Adam. Beth was too careless to notice, because she was falling for the french teacher. Mistakes happened throughout the planning part, but the party was a success for some people. Harper got her feelings crushed, because she liked Adam more than a friends. Karia got dirty with people she didn't even know. Miranda decided to tell the truth how she felt towards Kane. Beth kissed the French teacher and neither of them pulled away. A lot of mistakes happened in this book, but sadly it all ended with one big fish hook. The second book holds the solutions and also creates more problems.

Characterization: One of the main character was Harper. Harper grew up with a rich family; therefore, she got whatever she wanted. She was tall and had brown hair. She had more skin than Karia, but she didn't mind the curvy hips. Her personality was a very rude stuck up kind of attitude. The only person she was actually nice to was Adam, because she had a little crush for him.

Setting: This book took place in a small town just like Weyauwega. The number of people who lived in that town were just above thousand people. The weather was hot and school was just starting. It took place about early September. This book took place in a desert; therefore, temperatures did not change very much. This book took place about the 2000`s with the first smartphones just coming out and everyone was using myspace instead of facebook.

Theme: One of the main themes was the typical high school relationships. Everyone thought that they found the one, and they were going to get married. Beth and Adam were the main couple for this book. They seemed unbreakable but did have the typical drama. This related to me and my boyfriend. Everyone thinks we are going to be high school sweethearts, but no one knows what the future will bring. In the second book, everything changes. People can never know with a high school relationship.

Audience: I recommend this book to ages (16+), because it had a lot of swearing and sexual content within it. This book would take a mature person to read and understand what it is actually happening. With the age limit this book would be more for the high school level. Gender wise I would definitely recommend females. It held so much drama that a typical male wouldn't understand the language.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to her 2007 YA novel, Hacking Harvard, Wasserman does a better job with embracing mid 2000's YA shenanigans and develops a world you want to get immersed in. Despite the unlikeable characters, dated plotlines, and questionable content, I found myself invested. Lust moves quickly. You get a good sense of who these characters are and why they do what they do. Even if they make decisions I wouldn't if I was in high school almost twenty years ago (and even now), I think Wasserman was able to do a better job at making me want to care for them. Those who love teen dramas of the past and present will enjoy what Wasserman has in store with this series. My plan is to read the next two books, and see where it goes from there.

P.S. The two sophomore students had a choppy introduction, but I have the feeling Wasserman's going to have them serve an important role in the overall story.

P.P.S. The brief nod towards Reed reminds me of Yoshiharu Hisomu's introduction from the anime Kiznaiver. The last "sin" represented doesn't show up until after the other characters are established. Given Envy's synopsis, we'll be seeing more of him soon.

[Erynne Dehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I am glad that I started reading this book, I really enjoyed it. When I started reading, I thought that I would not be able to get into it at first, but I did. There was always something happening in each chapter and I was always surprised on what would happen next. I thought that this book was never a boring read and it kept me on my toes.

Plot:
The book Lust is about an Alpha girl named Harper Grace. Harper always gets what she wants, and what she wants is her best friend Adam. Adam is dating a sweet smart girl, named Beth. Everyone is jealous of their relationship. Everyone thinks that Adam, an athlete, would not be dating Beth. Beth is constantly busy either working on homework, watching her younger brothers, and working at the town's diner. She helps out her mother by helping cook dinner, washing the laundry, and cleaning up the house. Beth has two jobs which takes up most of her time after school, which makes Adam upset. Kane is Adam’s best friend and Kane really likes Beth. Adam does not know that he likes Beth because Kane flirts and talks to other girls, which makes him a player. Miranda is Harper's best friend, and has a super big crush on Kane. Kane does not think of Miranda in that kind of way. Miranda tries everything to get Kane to notice her. Miranda changes her appearance and acts not as smart, but Kane still does not notice her in the way she wants. In the beginning everything is normal. Nothing new is happening and everyone is keeping their thoughts to themselves. When a new girl, named Kaia, moves to town everything changes. Kaia's mother forced Kaia to live with her father because Kaia was acting out living with her. Kaia mother lives in a big city so when Kaia lives with her dad she was not happy. Kaia's dad lives in the small town named Grace. When the first day of school arrives, Kaia basically tries to get with every good looking guy. She really wants Adam, which makes Harper jealous. Adam and Beth take a break off their relationship and Kaia goes after Adam. Adam and Beth finally work things out and get back together. Kaia starts crushing on her French teacher. The book ends in the middle of their prom when Kaia kisses her teacher in the middle of the dance floor.

Characterization:
One of the main characters in this book is named Beth. Beth is the smartest student in her class and she is dating the most athletic guy in the school. Beth focuses a lot of time on her studies and helping her mom out by babysitting her brothers. She is determined of getting into a great college and looking ahead on everything. A lot of students think that their relationship is odd, because they did not think that an athletic jock would date a smart girl.

Setting:
This book is a modern day book, and it takes place in a small town called Grace. Everything that happens during this book could happen in this time period. During most of the book they are at their high school. They have a diner in their town which they are at some of the time. When they throw parties they have them at an abandoned motel, which is out in the middle of nowhere.

Audience:
I would rate this book four stars because I really liked it, and I would recommend this book to others. I think that anyone over the age of 16 would enjoy this book. There is some scenes in this book that anyone younger should not read. Mostly girls would like this book. Some guys might like this, but girls would like it better.

[Jaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I gave Lust, by Robin Wasserman, a five star rating. Because I was always seemed to be anxious about the next event, I didn’t dock any stars. The storyline was intriguing and thrilling. I found the language the author used to be fitting with the age of the characters. The story of six teenagers’ high school drama was anything but boring.
Plot:
Six teenagers were all going into their senior year of high school. Everything was going smoothly until Kaia moved into town. Her rich girl attitude was not suiting her well in this little town. The only thing she found manageable was the sight of Adam. His relationship with Beth had been tense, since Beth was always busy. He was often talking to Harper about life and his problems, but little did he know she was madly in love with him. Adam and Kane were “best” friends, and they always hung out. However, Kane was strung out over Beth. Kane convinced Harper to help him break up Adam and Beth, although their plan wasn’t going over well. Adan and Beth were still together. Harper was deprived, and Kane settled for the next best thing, Kaia. Little did he know Miranda was practically drooling over him, and Harper had to hear about it all the time. Although Kane and Harper wanted Beth and Adam broken up, Kaia was the one who really could break them up. She hooked up with Adam in secret, or so she thought, and she knew about Beth’s run in with their French teacher. Twisted and deceiving these friends turned every which way but the truth.
Characterization:
Harper was always looking for a good time. She was confident and always in demand, but she wanted more than her normal random hook ups. She wanted Adam, her best friend and next door neighbor. He was attractive and sensitive, and he was dating Beth. She was all around beautiful and sweet, and her schedule was always jam packed. Kane desperately wanted her. He was the gifted jock who was with Kaia. She was new to town and devious. She wanted Adam. Miranda was Harper’s best friend. Though she didn’t have the looks the other girls had, she had brains. Although, somehow she was hopelessly in love with Kane. The friends all wanted something they couldn’t have driving each other crazy.
Setting:
The story took place in the small town of Grace, California. The small town added to the story. Since there wasn’t much to do for fun and recreation, the teens were always looking for the least objectionable options. Based on the references to technology, cars, and fashion trends, I was able to tell the story was set in relatively modern times.
Theme:
The recurring theme of this story was to never give up. This was evident in many ways. Adam and Beth never gave up on each other. Kaia didn’t give up on getting what she couldn’t have. Harper never gave up on Adam. Miranda never gave up on Kane. Though the teens rarely achieved what they wanted, they never turned their backs on their goals.
Recommendation:
I recommended this book to teenage girls ages 13-18. I had an age limit of 13, because I felt at this age girls would be able to comprehend the scenes. I had an age limit set, because I felt high school drama might not be interesting to people out of high school. I didn’t recommend this book to guys, because I felt they would not enjoy reading about the drama.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading the first book in this series. I thought that it was a good way to start off the series. Some of the ways that the people acted in this book reminded me of how my school is sometimes. This reminded me of my school, because people cause drama that doesn’t need to be brought up just for attention.

Plot: The beginning of “Lust” started out in the middle of senior year. Harper, Miranda, Kane, Adam, Beth, and Kaia were all seniors. That was the year that they all have been waiting for. Harper was the most popular girl in her senior class and looked to have the best year of high school. Except now, there was a new girl coming into her class. Harper volunteered to show Kaia around the school. Miranda was trying to compete with Harper and Beth, but now she had Kaia to compete with. Kane was a ladies man. He had a line of girls that wanted to be with him. Kane had his eyes set on Beth though, but Beth and Adam were stronger than ever. As the weeks went by Kaia seduced Adam into sex with her. Adam felt guilty for what he did. When the senior class threw their fall formal, they went to an abandoned motel. During that Adam and Beth were slowly growing more apart from each other.

Characterization: Harper Grace was the most popular girl in school. She was always number one. She would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Adam Morgan was Harper’s best friend. He was the top athlete in the high school. Adam was wanted by everyone. Lucky for him he had Beth. Beth Manning was Ms. Perfect. She got good grades all throughout high school and never did anything wrong. Things seemed to be going good for her until senior year. Kaia came from a big city, so she wasn’t use to the small town, little high school life. She always seemed to get what she wanted.

Setting: This book started off in a little town called Grace. The time of this book was in modern days like today, because this book showed how much drama impacted high school life. There was a lot of drama in this high school just like there is in our school today.

Thematic Connection: A theme that I saw in this book was wanting something that they cannot have. Harper wanted Adam and Kane wanted Beth, but they knew they could not have them because they already had a boyfriend and girlfriend.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about drama and love. Anyone in high school can read this book, because I don’t think middle schoolers would understand what was going on in this book. . I think girls would enjoy reading this book more, because the book had a lot about love and drama involved in it. This book was an easy read because the kids in the book were the same age as I am right now.

[Danielle Behn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response: I liked this book a lot. I felt there was a little too much drama, but nonetheless it was pretty good. I liked how good the descriptions were. Robin Wasserman, the author, made the setting seem pretty realistic. I enjoyed that there were several things going on at once. There were no boring parts in it.

Plot: The beginning of the story started out on the last first day of high school. The kids met a new girl named Kaia, and Harper automatically didn’t like her. The lived in a small town called Grace, California. Beth and Adam had been going out for over a year, but he was starting to hang out with Kaia more often. Beth wasn’t a fan of this, which caused a lot of fighting. Adam, eventually, gave into Kaia while dating Beth still. Beth, on the other hand, was hanging out with the new French teacher a little too much, and they ended up kissing. The couple never told each other and remained together. Kaia was trying to do whatever she could to make everybody’s lives miserable, but I never understood why. She wasn’t very successful with it, though, because everyone remained the same and she was the only one who looked bad.

Characterization: This story is about four teenage girls and two teenage boys. The boys names are Kane and Adam. They’re both seniors in high school, and they like to drink a lot of alcohol. The girls’ names are Miranda, Harper, Beth and the new girl Kaia. Kaia is my least favorite character, and Kane is my favorite. The boys are your typical jocks of the high school while Beth is the smart, shy, bystander. Harper is the most popular in the school. She and Miranda are best friends. Kaia is the new girl who is a snot to everyone behind their backs.

Setting: I relate to this setting more than any other book I have read. They live in a small town, with nothing to do but start rumors about people. That's a lot like the town I live in. It’s in a modern day format, because they have phones. I don’t think it’s very modern, though, because the still used land lines and had school newspapers. Both of those things are sort of outdated now.

Thematic Connection: The theme that stood out to me was appearance vs. reality. Kaia really fit this theme. She appeared to be a nice, beautiful, city girl, but on the inside she was trying to break everybody's hearts. She was nice to people's faces, but behind their backs she told rumors.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone in high school. Specifically, I think girls would like this book more. Girls can relate to it better since that’s mostly what this consists of. If readers don’t like drama books, this wouldn't be for them. Younger kids might have a hard time reading it, because there is some foul language.

[Lexi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

From heart breaks to school tests, the book “Lust” is an interesting fiction book to read. The book is written by Robin Wasserman. It will always leave you wanting more! Here the ‘queen bee’ Miss Harper Grace is all about her popularity and fan club, but yet she seems to not be happy, because what she really wants is taken. Even though this book is fiction, it seems so realistic, because everyone wants what they can’t have. No one is pleased with what they already have.

There are six main characters. The book switches from each of the characters throughout every chapter. Harper is the main character. She is the most popular girl in school, and her best friend, Miranda, isn’t that popular, but Harper helps her with that. Harper is in love with her childhood neighbor, Adam. Adam is dating Beth. Adam’s best friend, Kane, wants Beth for himself, while Miranda wants Kane. Kaia comes to their small town from a big city, and she is almost more popular than Harper when she comes. She is willing to hurt anyone it takes to get to Adam and the new French teacher, Mr. Powell!

The book takes place in present day. It is in a small town called Grace. The story takes us to many places in their town. Usually the characters are in school, but after school they typically have practices or go shopping. They spend a lot of time at the Nineteen Fifties Diner, too. In the book “Lust” the place that the most events occur would have to be the Abandon Motel. The students throw their after formal party there.

The author’s reason for writing this book is to entertain her audience. She knows that people find drama in other people’s lives more interesting than their own, so she made it into a book to be read by all. She also felt a connection as she wrote the book, because she went through all the drama and high school events in the book.

Personally, I was in love with this book and I enjoyed every second I spent reading it. I felt a connection to the book and to the author. Everything that takes place in this book is all everyday teenage events.

The theme in this book is selfish desire. Everyone wants things for themselves, nobody checks others feelings first. The characters don't care who they hurt in the process of getting it either.

I would recommend this book for older kids; girls in particular, because boys may not find this book as interesting. This is definitely not a book for younger kids. I suggest it to teens or older. I also can not wait to start reading the second book in the series. It left me at a little cliffhanger at the end of the first book!

[Kate Volz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book "Lust" by Robin Wasserman. Overall, the book was extremely good; there was never a dull moment. Each chapter had something new and exciting happen, which kept me on my toes. Lust is a modern day book and it is about high school kids getting what they want. Harper is the most popular girl and getting what she wants, which is Adam, is not an easy task for her. This may not seem so bad, but Adam is dating this “angel”, Beth. Harper and Adam grew up together, which means they are really close. Everything is going well until the new girl, Kaia, comes to town to stir up some trouble. Every character has a side of them that nobody knows about.

Characterization really goes far. Beth starts off really sweet and caring until Kaia comes along. After that she gets really jealous and lets that get in the way of her relationship. Kaia acts sweet and innocent in front of everyone, but she is mischievous, and loves trouble. Adam, who is dating Beth, is the all star of the school. He is the ideal type of guy for every girl. Everyone wants to be friends with him. Overall, he is caring. Harper is the alpha girl in the school and every girl wants to be like her. She acts as if she is cold hearted, but behind the mask, she is really caring.

The book "Lust" takes place in modern day. I say that because of the dialect and the word choice. Also, what the characters wear in the book are modern day outfits. The actual setting of the book mainly takes place at the high school; there are some other locations mentioned in the book.

Throughout the entire book there were many themes. A main theme I picked out was the theme of appearance versus reality, with Kaia. She acts innocent towards everyone, but the minute she is alone she reveals her true self. Another theme that appears is the theme of wanting what you cannot have. This applies to everyone in the book.

I recommend this book to readers that are in high school or above. The reason why I recommend it to that specific group is because there is some gruesome language. The events that happened are for a mature crowd.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more reviews here!

I saw the miniseries based on this book series on Lifetime. I liked it, but still never got around to reading the books. Eventually, I found the first book in the book store's remainder section and picked it up.

The plot of this book isn't much more than the back of the book describes. Harper is in love with Adam, but he is in love with Beth. While she constantly thinks of what she can do to get him to notice her or break up him and Beth, she doesn't actually do anything. Kane is hardly in the book and, aside from proposing that he and Harper break up Adam and Beth, he doesn't do much. Kaia is more proactive, pursuing Adam for sport. Beth and Adam fight all the time because he wants to have sex and she doesn't, leaving him open to temptation.

All the characters are pretty unlikeable if they have much of a personality. Kaia is probably the most developed of the group of characters, with Kane and Miranda being the least. Harper is just whiny. Adam and Beth seemed to have the most screen time but were still boring and cliche.

Despite the characters, the book was an easy, soapy read. There's plenty of secrets and betrayal. If the book goes in a similar direction that the miniseries did, it should pick up after this book. This one, however, was not all that eventful really. It was more like the setup before all the really good stuff happens.

I've read a few things that compare it to Gossip Girl, but I don't really think that it is. It reminds me a lot more of a soap opera teen storyline. It particularly makes me think of Days of our Lives when Belle and Shawn were teens.

Overall, this book was okay with the promise of becoming more interesting as the series progresses. I don't have any of the other books in this series and, if I can find them on clearance, I might get the rest. I don't really feel that it's good enough to buy at full price ($9.99).

[Darleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

» Review can also be found on Orchids & Amethysts.

Title: Lust (Seven Deadly Sins #01)
Author: Robin Wasserman
Rating: 3/5

My rating might seem low, but this book was actually really good. I won't compare it to any other similar series, since I'm quite of sick reading all these comments that compare this series to Gossip Girl. Seriously, teenage drama is teenage drama. All are the same, not just one that copies the other.

I was surprised that this book was "big". I mean there are seven books of it, so I'm impressed that Robin Wasserman really wrote 229 pages. Nice.

The main part of the story is that everybody wants everybody else (explains why it's called Lust) and I found myself excited about finding out who wants who and who gets who. For example: There is Adam. He is in love with his girlfriend Beth and yet he finds hiself drawn to Kaia, the new girl at school who is, by the way, my least favourite character in this book. That's just because I don't like girls like her. Harper prefers hook ups but is secretly crushing on Adam. Beth friend's think she slept with Adam long time ago and yet she is still a virgin, fearing that Adam might break up anytime soon. Miranda's got a crush on Kane, but he wants everybody but her to make out with. I'm a little sad that Miranda's story isn't such a big part here, same with Kane. The main characters are Harper and Adam and probably Beth as well.

I'd recommend this book to whoever wants to have a nice fresh read and likes teenage dramas. I liked this book, it was great and that's why I'm going to read the other six books too.

[Lesleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whew! Break out the handkerchief for this series – not to wipe away any tears, but to dab away the sweat that will break out. This is one HOT series dealing with seven teens and the seven deadly sins.

Grace, California is a dry, dusty place with little to recommend it. (The setting reminds me of my hometown.) What the town doesn't provide, the teens themselves do as they embroil themselves in complicated plots that would put a soap opera to shame.

In the first book in the series, handsome Adam is dating the sweet and dedicated blonde Beth, while his best friend, the luscious (and lascivious) Harper looks on in jealousy. Harper's best girl buddy, Miranda is her sidekick in all things, including embarrassing Beth any chance they get in the hopes that Adam will drop her for Harper. Then there's Kane, a super-sexy hunk with animal magnetism and no conscience (though he is the object of Miranda's affections). Mix in a beautiful newcomer from the big city, Kaia, and you've got fireworks. The seventh teen, Reed, is only barely mentioned in this first book, but look for him to pop up later in the series.

Oh, and I almost forget the mysterious and sexy Mr. Powell, the new French teacher who's almost as out of place in tiny little Grace as Kaia is. He's got his own agenda, and tries to woo Beth, but it's Kaia that's got his number.

Fans of the Gossip Girl books looking for a new sizzling read will snap up this series. Just remember that handkerchief. You might need it.

[Caitlin Trepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got past the annoying lamp-shading (no writer needs to write "such a cliche" that much - I wasn't thinking it, but I am now), I became really absorbed in this book. Sure, in the beginning, the teenagers' attitudes are obnoxious, unhelpful, pitiful, and unflattering. This book feels like an after-school special, and while I was reading it, I thought, if this book takes a different direction (than an after school special typically ends) then it could be pretty awesome. I was happy to discover that there weren't any life-changing epiphanies (although in some parts I was really wishing for one, preferably immediately). I started to identify with these characters when their motivations and smaller desires were revealed. It didn't excuse their behavior, but I felt at that point the plot definitely thickened. This story almost feels like a (really well done) Mary Sue but with unexpected results. What if you did something that you knew you shouldn't? I felt really intrigued by this somewhat simple premise throughout this book. Robin Wasserman, although perhaps lacking confidence in the beginning, wrote a story that takes an old, old, concept and makes it interesting. I am super excited to read the next, and the next and the next and the next!

[Jaime · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I was reading this, I was thinking "if teenagers are reading this book and thinking it is an accurate portrayal of high school, no wonder they are so confused". I kept hoping that maybe the author would turn this around and send a good message by the end but was disapointed. It's nothing but gossip, drama and trash. Entertaining at times but still a horrible message for impressional teenagers.

[Geli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somehow not what i expected it to be yet at the same time exactly what I expected, if that at all makes since. Reading it became very tiresome. Seemed to be just like the other teen novels out today about popularity, sex, and drugs. If you liked all the other books with that subject line then this is the book for you but other than that dont waste your time.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So let's get this straight:
Harper loves Adam, but Adam's with Beth. Kane wants Beth too, and Miranda wants Kane. Beth likes the new teacher, Adam likes Kaia, and Kaia will hook up with just about anyone for her own perverse pleasure.

IT'S HICKTOWN GOSSIP GIRL. I LOVE IT.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this series!!!! It is all the juicy backstabbing gossip that I live for (when its not my own!) I haven't read the last book because it's not on kindle but I think I'm just gonna have to go out and by the paperback so I can find out what happens.

[Brooke Benton]

There are seven of these books Lust,Envy,Pride,Wrath,Gluttony,Sloth and Greed they are great and I watched the lifetime made mvoie based ont he books great also

[Shacoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book series back in 11th grade. I only vaguely remember them, but I know that I really liked them a lot. Sloth & Gluttony were my least favorite books in the series, according to my diary entries about this book series in October 2009. I read Sloth (#5) & Gluttony (#6) before reading Wrath (#4) apparently, so I was a little bit confused by them and that may have been why I liked them a little less. I really liked Lust (#1), Envy (#2), and Pride (#3) a lot though.

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this was such a soap opera/teen drama novel but I'm kinda glad I read it. I may pick up book two if I ever find it anywhere just to see how everything continues. All I can say is I really want to deck Kaia across the face so hard and also do everything I can to make her life hell. She was such a crude manipulative and cold person throughout this story and if she wasn't apart of it, I would have probably enjoyed it more than I did.

[The Academic Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I read this years ago, but I'd never finished the series... I found the entire 7-book series at a used book store for a very Generous price and decided to start the year off re-reading them! I love it just as much as the first time! Well written and dramatic, it feels like the gossip girl before gossip girl!!!

[Arzu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harpe Adam’ı. Beth’in yakışıklı erkek arkadaşını ve hocasınu. Beth’i, çekici ve çapkın Kane de gizliden gizliye istiyor. Miranda, Kane’i arzuluyor. Kaia… Kaia’nın tek istediği ortalığı karıştırmak ve tüm erkeklerle eğlenmek. Öğretmen ise Beth'i. Çok karışık çok. Demem o ki beyniniz yanabilir. Benim yandı

[Pin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I'm too old for this kind of school scandal. Though, it wasn't too bad as I'm pretty interested to read the next one. I can't tell if I like Harper but I feel sorry for her in a way. Poor Beth.