The thing with adults who can’t get enough of YA books is that we tend to read a lot faster than we used to when we actually were of the YA ages. Well, at least I do. So when I pick up something nice like Secrets and Lies by Ella Monroe, and I like it a lot, I end up reading it in a couple of days. And then my jaw drops in silent frustration at the cliffhanger at the end of the novel. The first two chapters of the next book don’t help much, as I’m still left to deal with the carpal tunnel in my right hand from flipping the pages on my phone too quickly. Imagine my paper cuts if I had been reading a physical book.

I may be one of the few to read this second novel in the series before reading the pilot story. As such, I was confused (although “intrigued” is a more appropriate word, I think) about the storylines to which the characters refer at the beginning of the novel, and it took me a few chapters to differentiate between Jackie, Laura Beth, Whitney, and Lettie, but there are so many mysteries that Monroe (i.e. Rauber and Reingold) introduce that you just take the plunge and let the actions unfold. Some people may criticize that this book, like many other YA novels, does not present high school very realistically … that the scenarios in the story do not happen to “real” teenagers, but I find many parallels to my high-school years, and I take those comments with a grain of salt. Of course, my school was far away from the political arena, but the secrets, lies, betrayals, gossip, and heart-wrenching teenage drama in this book evoke memories of my own school years. And it is rather nice to see how kids in the District handle the highly charged (and charmed) life.

Plot & Pacing: 9
Great continuation of the first book (I’m assuming), as there are still many questions left unanswered in this book that presumably began in the first. Each chapter is short and revolves around a pivotal moment to further the plot and/or character development. I was totally left hanging when the story ended at page 299 even though there were 321 pages in the book! I can’t wait for Truth or Dare and A Dangerous Game …

Characters: 8
Although at times I’ve found the characters a little flat and whiny, I do know what it’s like to mull things over and over again. There is a nice dynamic among the three Capital Girls, and Whitney just gets under your skin, which is a great indication that she’s well written. I definitely want to get to know Andrew and Scott Price a little more.

Setting: 9
I love that the girls love Georgetown Cupcake as much as I do! (My first blog post was about those cupcakes, and as I live nowhere near DC, that tells you how mouth-watering I find them.) It’d be nice for the authors to mention some other local places so that readers can feel like they’re in the District, too.

Style: 8
Rauber and Reingold definitely remember what it’s like be in high school, and they seem to really understand how it feels to live in the spotlight with equanimity. They write with compassion for teenagers, demonstrating the empathy they have for those whose high-school years were full of drama (wanted or unwanted).

Learnability & Teachability: 7
It’s a good read just for reading’s sake.

POTENTIAL TEACHABLES:
The Washington, DC, area; Georgetown Cupcakes (identifying clientele based on different locations, researching ingredients, etc.); presidential election process; congress/senate representatives and their jobs; causes & groups lobbying for support; finding voice in different characters; journal entries. ( )