Friends to Die For (Novel) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Sughrue Giberga (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999 | Age Level: 7 and up | Series: Novel

Crissy and her friends are strictly A List. They live in a fabulous Manhattan apartments, attend the best schools, and live fast, beautiful lives. Until the night that a wild party spins out of control. One of them ends up dead, the killer is on the loose--and Crissy has a terrible secret to keep. Fleet pacing, dead-on dialogue, and twists and turns galore make this a must-read for mystery fans.

"A page-turner...[with] depth and style."--Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Beverly Hills, 90210? Nope. This is Upper East Side, New York, 10028, and these teens might have even more money than those famous West Coasters. Sixteen-year-old Cristina moves with a sophisticated crowd of friends--many of whom live on their own due to jet-setting parents. When one of their many parties turns ugly and another teen is brutally murdered in its aftermath, Cristina begins to reevaluate friendships and her own beliefs. It is extremely difficult to write about privileged teens without turning the novel into a screenplay for (yet another) prime-time soap. Author Jane Giberga pulls this off, though, giving teens an exciting, but emotionally honest look at how it feels to be on the A-list. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

After the murder of an Upper East Side prep-school classmate, narrator Chrissy is plagued by the media. PW said of this debut novel, "Giberga's taut writing adds depth and style." Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140385991
• ISBN-13: 978-0140385991
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,377,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Proof of the fact that money does not buy everything!!, June 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Friends to Die For (Hardcover)

This book appealed to me because I have always been fascinated with the high-society lives of teenagers my age, especially those livng in Manhattan. Crissy, the main charcter, is smart, talented, and witty. She learns that things aren't always what they may seem, and that money and being "on the A list" doesn't necessarily bring one happiness. Read this book if you are interested in the upper-class lifestyle....it will teach you a lot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book review for McIntyre 4th per., May 30, 2001

By 

Tracy Larson (Longview, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Friends to Die For (Hardcover)

I think this is a slightly realistic story on how it compares with teens lives today. i like the scandalous twists that exaggerates societies bad sides. it's one of my faveorite books to read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 30, 2006

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Friends to Die For (Novel) (Mass Market Paperback)

Sixteen-year-old Cristina Garcia-Vasquez and her friends live in fancy apartments, attend super-expensive private schools, and do and have everything else you'd associate with A-List teens in New York City. And that's got to include parties in these huge apartments when parents are away for weeks at a time, right?

When a girl is murdered in a subway station, and Cristina was at the party where this girl was last seen alive, life changes drastically for Cristina, her family, and her friends. Matters are not helped by the segment on TV about the Garcia-Vasquez family, focusing on Janine Billings, the murdered girl, and Cristina's stay-at-home mom.

This book has a lot of interesting elements: The funny hate messages from feminists about Cristina's mom, the mystery of Janine Billings' murder, the press stalking Cristina, her friends, and her family...

This book is interesting and amusing at times. It is not, however, a book that will stick with you forever. It'll keep you entertained, though, and that's good enough.

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce