Originally reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank

*May contain some spoilers*

I truly have no idea what the meaning of this book was. Why did this story have to be told? Where is the connection, the grand scheme, the red thread? I was not able to find it. To be honest it’s still a very refreshing novel to read. Not much clichés, surprising choices and an interesting story. BUT it felt as an almost exact copy of the first book. The only difference was that this time the focus was on Queen Bee’s life instead of ordinary Gemma. And that’s not something I’m very happy with. I want a new story if I read a book, if I want the same story, I’ll reread the original one.

I also wasn’t too happy with some of Gemma’s choices. Just like Hidden Gem, Gemma wants to have both. And this time it’s 100% cheating! What happened to the girl who didn’t want to cheat? Who resisted the attraction between Lucas and her because he was with someone else? What happened to that girl? Why is she becoming exactly what she hated to be? And no, even without kissing, it’s still cheating. So don’t try to make it into something it isn’t. Gemma really disappointed me…

It’s still a lot of fun to read the rabid fan and pop articles, though. I especially like the craziness of T. who tries, in vain, to discover the real identity of Queen Bee to protect her “innocent” Tyler. Hilarious. It’s too incredible for words what she writes, time and time again. Which makes reading her parts even funnier. I also liked the addition of a rabid Honey Bee fan, who is as delusional as T. They really cracked me up every time ^^

I was less happy with the amount of alcohol that occasionally flows freely. Mainly because everyone is underage. Call me prudish, but I’m not that happy reading about drunken teenagers, time and time again. They didn’t invent the legal drinking age for nothing, it is bad for your body when you drink that much. Particularly on a young age. Not that I have a problem with ONE party and a few beers, but wasted teenagers part after party are not my kind of thing.

Conclusion

2 HEARTS. A nice copy sequel. The story was too much of the same to be original and I didn’t always like the choices Gemma made. There’s a lot of wasted teenagers in this book, which just didn’t sit right with me. There’s a reason for a minimum drinking age, and the consequences can be far-fetching. Anyhow, it’s still a compelling read and I thoroughly enjoyed the delusions of T. and other devoted fans. ( )