The Upper Class

Upper Class #1

by Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne, Caroline Says

Welcome to Wellington Boarding school for society's elite, overachievers, and rich screwups. No matter who you are, Wellington can be the deepest and most beautiful time of your life, or the loneliest and most difficult. And two new girls are about to find out which it will be for them . . . Laine Hunt is a Wellington girl by She lives the country club life in Greenwich, Connecticut, she's a field hockey star, and her turquoise eyes and blond hair turn heads wherever she goes. But Laine has a mortal fear of failure that wakes her in the middle of the night with a fever, and she'll do anything to avoid it. She also wants to avoid her roommate, fellow new girl Nikki Olivetti. Nikki is not Wellington material—she comes from a new-money Long Island family who have sent her away to save her from the bad influence of her friends back home. Nikki's a tease, a loudmouth, and an absolute sweetheart—and she just doesn't belong. The girls couldn't have less in common. Except, of course, they both have to learn to survive in their new world—a world with no parents, no safety net, and no limit to how much trouble they can get into. No one ever thinks they'll crash and burn, but someone always does. Will the new girls make it to the upper class?

Genres: Young Adult, Boarding School, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2007

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not usually the type of person that likes reading about drama and catty people. Which is probably why I’ve never picked up a book of Gossip Girl or an It Girl Novel, but I always like to expand my reading horizon, so when Caroline asked if I would like to read her series, I quickly accepted. Now that I’m finished with the book, I have to say I’m truly impressed. Not only with the collaboration by three authors, Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne, and of course Caroline Says, but also the intense tale of two completely different girls thrown into the same world. Wellington isn’t a watered down version of a private school, it is real and raw, with drugs, sexual suggestions, alcohol, and of course drama. So, if you find that kind of thing offense, I wouldn’t suggest picking up this book. But if you are one of those people that find those elements can make a story that much more real, than this is your kind of novel. I enjoyed the insight from two different perspectives of these very different, yet original characters. I had a hard time putting this book down! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! You can count on my reviews for Miss Educated and Off Campus soon!!

[Lindsay Heller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really have high hopes for this book. I do like this sort of thing at times, the 'Gossip Girl's and 'A Lists' and the like, but I have to be in the right sort of mood. The mood I was in when I started was not of that ilk. Still, I wanted something that would be quick while I waited for my holds from the library to come in and I picked this up so that I could clear a space on my shelf. I figured it would follow the same formula as other teen fiction series; hot girl meets hot boy, other hot people interfere, they eventually get together in the end. The location doesn't usually matter that much. Except with this it did. I found myself comparing this to the likes of Curtis Sittenfeld's 'Prep' than the boarding school set Gossip Girl spin-off 'It Girl'. This wasn't a book about teenagers and their relationships, this was a book about boarding school. I didn't attend boarding school myself, I went to an all girls private school, but there are similarities. Growing up with this sort of experience instead of the traditional sort is an experience and I thought this book captured it pretty well.

'The Upper Class' is about two girls new to Wellington, a boarding school in rural Connecticut. Laine is everything Wellington could want, she's lovely, demure, wears the right clothes, keeps up her grades, and is a star at field hockey. Nikki is... not so much. The daughter of a self made man, Nikki grew up on Long Island with anything she could have ever asked for, but none of the finesse that seems to rule the other students at Wellington. They couldn't be more different and when they're thrown together as roommates it seems like the combination might be explosive.

For the first chapter where Nikki took center stage I was convinced I was going to hate her. She was brash, spoke in improper English, and walked around smacking her ass in a thong. But once she got to school she was immediately a character you couldn't help feeling sorry for. She was definitely a fish out of water, and a good bridge between what's popular today and what's popular in this world. Laine was okay, at times, but her bland personality (intentional) did nothing to endear me. When she finally started to loosen up towards the end I was relieved, wanting her to feel at home in Nikki's world, and you'd be far more likely to find me reading a book on the Cape wearing Nantucket red capris than at a kegger.

It's clear that the writers (three of them, sigh) knew their material and that they actually know how to write. They didn't dumb down the language, which was greatly appreciated. Of course, the prose could run towards the purple side, but that's only to be expected with this sort of literature. If you want to even call it that.

This book's not great. But it's really not as bad as it's other reviews might say. The user reviews for 'Prep' aren't that great either, but I enjoyed that one and this is just in the same vein. Don't read this for scandal and sex and scheming, read this for a portrayal of a way of life.

[Charlee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the most annoying books EVER. It has three authors and you can TELL. It's written in the present tense, but third person which can be annoying enough, but isn't a reason to hate the book in itself. Then the authors will randomly jump to first person or switch narrators with no warning or transition, just partway through the chapter they'll go from "Nikki sees" to "Laine thinks" and the two aren't even in the same scene.

The confusing writing might not be so bad if the authors were trying to write a proper story, but there's not really a plot. It's one of those books where the characters run around and sometimes something happens and then the book is over and you're just like "wow, there's a part of my life gone I'll never get back."

They imply that Laine has either an eating disorder or she's on drugs or both, but they never really say, even though maybe that's what the book could possibly be about? All I know is at the end Laine says to Nikki "I need to tell you something" and then after that, the book is in the future tense, but they never say what Laine needs to tell Nikki, they never even imply what she maybe might have said...this book is so bad that there's no need to hide this review because of spoilers since there's nothing to spoil.

Over all, this book is a literary mess and I can't tell if its because it has too many authors, too many authors that can't write, or just three authors who can't agree on anything. The only way I'll ever pick up the next book (this mess is supposed to be the first book in a SERIES) is to glance through and see if they ever mention anything that might clear up some of the confusion in the first book.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Educated is the sequal to The Upper Class. It continues with most of the characters from the first in the series with few new additions, but this time, the main characters are Parker Cole and Chase Dobbs.

There is a classic love triangle between Parker, Chase, and Laine, who is only able to communicate with Chase through email. I would've liked to see Parker and Chase's friendship develop into something more, but I was disappointed.

There is plenty of room at the end of this book for another book in the series, which is a good thing becuase another is planned to be published. It's titled Off Campus, and a sample chapter can be read at the end of Miss Educated.

I would recommend this book for fans of the Gossip Girl, A-List, and It Girl series.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[r. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm usually very lenient when it comes to reviewing books, but this one really did nothing for me. I'd been excited about it too; the plot seemed intriguing. And it possibly might have been so if the book had centered around Nikki. She's the only character who seemed real to me. Laine was annoying and snotty, and her friends were caricatures. I didn't care for the style of writing either, but that's a personal preference, and hey, these folks are published and I'm not, so maybe they know something I don't.

Just not my cup of tea, though. :(

[Janelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be quite frank, I really didn't like this book. The writing style wasn't all that good, and what really bugged me was the not putting an 'and' after the last comma. I think I would have liked the book better if it was centered around Nikki, because Laine didn't seem real to me. She was just a little stuck up bitch, who was only actually a 'real' human with feelings when she was drunk in the very last chapter. The only reason why I finished reading this book was so I could start a new one. To be honest, I don't even really remember what the book was about, except for the last chapter.

[Jordin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think this book was all that great. I mean, Laine was impossible for me to like. I had no sympathy for her ever. I didn't connect to the reading either because the writing was so sporadic. It would jump from one person's point of view to someone else without so much as a page break. Just a new paragraph. Lame. I couldn't understand a lot of stuff because you could clearly tell that there were three authors. I forced myself to read through it. And it was a pretty boring book.

[Becca]

So trashy. Why did every single character have to be involved in drugs and sex? Since when is that realistic? While those are issues that teens have to deal with, not every single teen gets involved. Give teens some credit, they're not so stupid that they have to fall into peer pressure just because it's there!

[Kayleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't have too high of hopes for this book but I was disappointed when I discovered how slow it moved. I forced myself to hang in there until the end, thinking maybe it got better but when I finished, the book still hadn't moved much. Nothing happened and it was painful to read. Don't read this book, it's a waste of time.

[afshh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished reading it.

What about this book that annoyed me:

1.) the characters (they were all shallow stereotypes that did teenagers all over the world injustice)
2.) the writing style (it was just annoying)
3.) the way the story flowed (it didn't)
4.) how much sense it made sometimes (none)

but other than that... meh.

i just did not enjoy this book.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was literally awful. It didn't flow what so ever, and there was no point. This is the second time I tried reading the book (I only made it to the first chapter the first time), because I figured I would give it another shot. However, after 125 pages, I just couldn't do it anymore. It was just awful.

[Rebecca Bridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not planning on reading this, but my boyfriend's friend wrote it so he wanted me to bump up the star level. I think it's like a riskier Sweet Valley High only at private school. Uh, nice summer read if you're really drunk and twelve.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got like one chapter in and couldn't do it anymore.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the absolute WORST book I've EVER read. The word choice is terrible, the plot line is non-existing, and it just doesnt flow!

[Lacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very challenging. The stereotypes are pretty funny, and the dialogue is probably spot on.

[Lianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this. I lost interest and the characters didn't seem fleshed out or anything. I just didn't get this.

[Noura Otaibi · Rating 2 out of 5]

too much slang and i think it's boring novel . It took me 20 days to finish reading it . I tried my best to read but it was too boring for me .

[an_sunie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly thought this book would be better since the blurb on the back reminded me of the Clique books which I really like. Sadly I was disappointed. I felt that the writing was not as interesting as I hoped for, it didn't have a nice flow and the constant switching of points of view confused me. I feel that it should have been made more clear from who's point of view the story is occurring.
Laine was a pretty unlikable character for me. She never really stood up for Nikki most of the story and went with what the popular girl wanted even though it looked like she was uncomfortable at times. I feel that I liked her more towards the end.
I honestly liked Nikki a lot more. I felt that she was keeping it more 'real'. Although she did things that I personally wouldn't do, I would rather be friends with her than Laine.

[Bear · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book and characters were trash to me

[Julie S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cliched premise with random conflict and awkward characterization. The writing style had me laughing aloud due to its cheesy weirdness. The last 4 or 5 chapters seemed random and forced with all of that drama. I kept note of some of my favorite quotes that were so bad they were good:

"The sisters used to look so similar they freaked people out. They were variations in B flat, or three sketches someone did of the same girl. Identical sky blue eyes staring without expression from complacent faces. Laine remembers baths together when the three of them, covered in bubbles, were one entity, existing as one soul in warm water."

"Greg says things he can't unsay, and often does so with as many people around to overhear as possible. But those two always mend it, their tie made stronger by the process, whatever it takes."

"And Laine kind of does feel dreamy in the green velvet dress. The dress has more dimensions than seems possible; it has metaphysical folds. When she's lean, it's voluptuous. Where she's shy, it's brave. Somewhere along the road in her life, she'd designated green velvet as a rite of passage. Maybe it was from a tale of her grandmother's life in Stockholm, or from a storybook.

[Jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I enjoyed this book way more than I should have. I was going through a rough patch at the time, and it was so hilariously bad I couldn't help but love it. I was reading it while sitting with a bunch of my juniorlings in the library, and I couldn't help but read some of the more awful sections out loud. A now inside joke is the line, "The room snickered". It's a very odd mixture of bad fifth grade writing style and every combination of bad teenager behavior imaginable in an effort to mitigate the horrible writing.

I absolutely hated Laine. She was bland, one-dimensional, and a complete bitch. Nikki was much more interesting, and I would love a novel devoted to her and Parker. I just try to ignore Laine every time she's on the page, and she returns the favor. The end was especially confusing, and I wasn't quite sure what happened to Laine. It was choppy and fragmented, and the author didn't seem to think it mattered.

Unless you are reading this like I was (because your brother got you the second one for Christmas one times and you have a compulsion about finishing series), I don't recommend.

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another book I purchased during the college years of zero fun reading time. I started reading it one summer while driving back home from uni. (I think it drew me in because it looked like it might be similar to the Pretty Little Liars books, which I maintain to this day are fantastic.) I have a distinct memory of being in the brown bedroom in my grandmother's house (the midpoint in my drive home), and reading it, and it being probably the first time in my life that I realized that a published book that I had purchased was Not Good. All my reading experiences up to that point had been either well-written books I liked, or books I didn't like, but could still grant were well-written or had some sort of other merit. This one was just. So. BAD. Poor, naive me did not yet know that it was possible for a badly written book to get published! And I remember just being so confused... Like, "It's here, in my hands. Someone got paid to write this. Someone printed it and sold it to people to read. But it's...bad? How...?" Oof. Could not finish it, try as I might.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Two girls who are polar opposites become roommates at boarding school.

Laine, a field hockey jock, a perfect match for the school, looks down upon her new roommate for a number of reasons, including her look-at-me attitude. Nikki's loud, loves the attention of the spotlight, and doesn't understand the rules and society of old money -- and thus the school.

How can they survive a year together, especially when the older girls are rooting for one of them to fail miserably and make it their goal to see her withdraw from campus?

THE UPPER CLASS takes two social worlds, blends them together, and shakes things up a bit. The authors make you feel the torment of both characters and you'll want to see how the year will end.

You might pick this book up if you like the PRIVATE series by Kate Brian.

[Anna Hardesty · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Laine, a field hockey jock, a perfect match for the school, looks down upon her new roommate for a number of reasons, including her look-at-me attitude. Nikki's loud, loves the attention of the spotlight, and doesn't understand the rules and society of old money -- and thus the school."


Laine is the little innocent field hockey player, who got involved in something she shouldn't have. Nikki, on the other hand, is a obnoxious girl who does whatever she wants. I deff. did NOT like the second chapter. It got perverted and it was random, and I didn't like how in the middle of the chapter it went from Chase, to Nikki, then back to Laine's point of view.

It was confusing. But, all in all, it was a good book & I'm looking forward for the next one.

[Jessica Krall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay girls, there's some intense drama ahead. . . .

Nikki and Laine are two mismatched room mates who are different as can be. Nikki is at boarding school because her parents do not like her friends' influences at home. Laine of course is considered Wellington-material.
But there's a problem. Schuyler is proctor of the dorm. While she may act all sweet and stuff, she has a book known as the Crash Test, a college full of girls that some believe will not make it at Wellington. Now near the end of the book, things will happen and not in the way in which I first assumed. And the end may just surprise you.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't let the cover fool you, this collaborative YA effort is remarkably well written. One of the best depictions of modern boarding school I have read. The authors do not resort your standard stereotype of rich prep school kids, but instead create a cast of characters that is true to boarding school--kids from different backgrounds with different levels of ambition, placed under a snowglobe together. Unlikely relationships spring up as the characters navigate the rocky teenage emotional landscape.

[Kricket · Rating 3 out of 5]

i expected something very similar to "the it-girl" books but found a bit more. the two main characters, at least, were believably multi-faceted. the writing style, though somber and humorless, is a few levels up from series such as the clique and dating game, and there was only a little name-dropping. a solid pick for those looking for a new series about intrigue and filthy rich teens.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the books really gets the idea of rich kids who were, as the book states, "screw ups". It really shows just how sneeky rich kids in good schools are. The book talks about how they snuck alcohal and drugs into their school. It also has those scandalous moments that are jaw dropping!

[Biz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm totally biased regarding this book, and for obvious reasons could NOT put it down.

[Teagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing jumps between characters. Drawn out. Confusing ending.