Hobson Brown

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. :(… (más)

I love boarding school titles, but this one was sort of a bust. The plot lines are predictable, and you can see most changes coming a mile ahead. There is the Connecticut beauty athlete and her Long Island roommate (if this hadn’t been written before, I would have suspected that it was based on Jersey Shore) who are total mismatches, and of course have forged a sort of alliance by the end of the book. There is a lot of drug abuse and drinking throughout the book, especiall y because most of these kids are rich and have access to alcohol and drugs pretty much incessantly. There isn’t a super strong plot, but there are things about one of the characters that I would like to find out more about, so I will read the next one in the series, even though it is pretty trashy. Interestingly, for a book written by three people, there is no noticeable changes in voice, so I’d be interested to hear how they collaborated.… (más)

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.… (más)

Reviewed by The Story Siren for TeensReadToo.com

Nikki is ready to head back to Wellington, but she has one more trip to make before she heads to school. She is off to California to see Seth and is hoping to smooth over the rough spots in their relationship. One thing leads to another and the kids decide to go for it. They are going to try a long-distance relationship, exclusively. Nikki's escapade in California also introduces her to the newest student coming to Wellington, Delia Breton.

Delia and Nikki hit if off and the girls become best friends. Delia becomes part of the group, and she even starts dating Greg. Then there is Gabriel, who was often overlooked, but who lost his baby fat over the summer and is now the cutest boy on campus. Seth who?

These two girls are too hot to handle! Rumors start flying around about Delia and why she really left California. And we all know where rumors lead -- straight into drama!

I have to say that OFF CAMPUS redeemed the UPPER CLASS series for me. I was really disappointed after reading MISS EDUCATED, but I can officially say I am back on board. I actually can't wait to read the next one. I read the sneak peek at the end for CRASH TEST. Big mistake! I'll be highly anticipating its release!

OFF CAMPUS was unlike the first two books. The characters finally felt real to me. That of course may be because this is the third book, but even in the second one I found it hard to really differentiate the characters. Now, they all have their own distinct voices.

Delia's was a fresh voice among the existing cast. I really got her character. I can't say that I exactly related to her, but I could totally understand the why and how of who she was. Plot wise, this is definitely the most captivating of the three. I had to know what was going to happen, rather than just wanting to know. I was completely engrossed in the story and the characters.

I would absolutely recommend OFF CAMPUS. If you haven't read any of this series, be forewarned that there are mentions of drugs, sex, and alcohol, but the depictions aren't graphic.… (más)