The Secret Rites of Social Butterflies [Kindle Edition]

Lizabeth Zindel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Maggie Wishnick and her mother have moved to New York City, where Maggie is a senior at an elite girls' school. Each chapter opens with an observation about the habits of butterflies, those delicate and beautiful creatures known for their powers of transformation and survival. When three stylish, competitive girls invite Maggie to join their clique, the Revelers, her desire to belong helps her endure the process of initiation. Then they take her to see the Wall, their hidden scriptorium in the posh apartment of the Revelers' leader, Victoria, where they have posted stories and photographs documenting the dark secrets of other people. Maggie is a sympathetic protagonist who has secrets of her own about her parents' separation. Drama builds when she is assigned to "get the goods" on her friend, Anne Marie, only to learn that her betrayal helps Victoria to beat Anne Marie for the school's highest academic honor, the Golden Wreath. Maggie's narrative is sophisticated, with descriptive details of urban teen life and references to drinking and sex. In a rushed denouement that isn't fully convincing, the Wall is mistakenly unveiled during a teen party, and events spiral downward in the backlash. Maggie knows she must restore trust with her family, Anne Marie, and her boyfriend, and likens herself to a butterfly who will fly again. An entertaining novel that leaves readers with issues to ponder.—Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT
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From Booklist

After Maggie Wishnick’s parents separate at the beginning of her senior year, she moves with her mother to Manhattan, where she enrolls in a posh, all-girl private school. Maggie quickly falls in with three wealthy, popular senior girls, who secretly call themselves the Revelers. Their mission is to collect dirt on every member of their class, which they record on the Wall (a vertical version of a slam book) in a hidden room of head Reveler Victoria’s apartment. Soon, Maggie begins to feel guilty about dishing on her classmates and balks when Victoria demands Maggie part with some information that could seriously hurt another friend. In the end, Maggie learns a valuable lesson about honesty and respect. Despite the fancy title and butterfly facts that introduce each chapter, this is typical chick lit, complete with brand-name dropping, mean girls, and a glamorous setting. Zindel breaks no new ground with her second novel, but this is sure to be warmly received by the insatiable fans of the genre. Grades 7-10. --Jennifer Hubert

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 927 KB
• Print Length: 316 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0670062170
• Publisher: Speak (June 11, 2009)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001CUUNKO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,499 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Lizabeth resides in New York where she is currently working on her second novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a 3.5 star review, July 1, 2008

By 

Steph "www.reviewerx.blogspot.com" (Blogger Land) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Rites of Social Butterflies (Hardcover)

This novel in a word: Endearing.

It reminded me of Mean Girl in a way, especially at the end. You remember the Burn Book in which Regina George talked smack about all of her classmates? What is present here, instead of a book, is a wall where the girls who constitute the Revelers write truths--that is, deep, dark secrets--about themselves, the other girls in their class, and their teachers. When the Wall is found during a party, there's a shower of mollusks signaling the arrival of Armageddon. People get hurt, people get mad, and the Revelers get in trouble with their parents and the school officials.

I quite this one. It had a lot of layers, which is something I appreciate in any novel. Aside from the friendships she maintained with the Revelers and Anne Marie (a girl from their school), there was also a great familial subplot that deals with the deterioration of Maggie's parents' marriage. I thought this was perhaps the best part of the novel, if only because it was the most relatable.

The writing was also quite good (except for a few interjection dumps, like, ".... Crap. Shoot. Dang."), which allowed for the message to came across strongly. I especially liked this part at the end where her Philosophy professor makes me draw a line between the discovery of the Wall and Schrödinger's cat experiment. Fascinating stuff, not to mention intelligent. The ending could've probably been stronger if it drawn out more and we got to see a little bit more of the aftermath of the Revelers' social demise, but this wasn't a must, so I'm chill with it.

Recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 15, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: The Secret Rites of Social Butterflies (Hardcover)

Maggie Wishnick has moved from a small town in New Jersey to the Big Apple and is about to start as a senior at the prestigious Berkley Prep. On her first day, she meets Anne Marie, who is smart and friendly, but not one of the powerful girls of Berkley. Those girls would be Victoria, Lexi, and Sydney. But those three treat Maggie as if she is invisible.

After hearing about a secret, invitation-only party being given by Victoria on the gym bus, Maggie crashes the party. Not only does she meet Connor, a super hot boy, but she also saves the day when the cops come to trash the party and Victoria, Lexi, and Sydney need a place to hide out.

After that fateful night, the three popular girls embrace Maggie, much to her surprise. After a pledge week for Maggie, she is accepted into their tight group, that they've named the Revelers. The girls help Maggie capture Connor's attention, and learn how to be more fashionable and popular.

But the girls have secrets. And not just secrets of their own. But secrets on everyone they go to school with. And on one fateful night, all of the secrets are revealed, and Maggie is on the outside once again.

Each chapter of the book begins with interesting facts on the life cycle and migration pattern of butterflies, reminiscent of Sue Monk Kidd's THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. And for those wanting more information, the references are listed for more details.

The story of the new girl wanting to join in with the popular girls and then something bad happening has been told before, but Ms. Zindel gives the story more excitement and depth. The reader gets a hint that all is not as it seems, especially with Victoria, but Ms. Zindel keeps all the details hidden until the night of the party when the secrets are revealed to all. The story moves along quickly, keeping the reader engrossed. Though you may think that you are supposed to find Victoria, Lexi, and Sydney to be the evil ones, there really are no truly mean and evil characters that other stories seem to include. They may not be as innocent and righteous as Maggie, but they do have some good qualities.

This is the first story I've read by Ms. Zindel, but growing up, I was a fan of her father's work. I'm pleased to say that she has become an author on her own abilities, and I will definitely be checking out GIRL OF THE MOMENT next. For an entertaining read of life of the rich private school set, this is a great book to pick up!

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

4.0 out of 5 stars ~~not exactly unique but a good story/lesson none the less~~, September 2, 2011

By 

paranormal junkie - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Secret Rites of Social Butterflies (Hardcover)

This book tells a good story while also delivering a good lesson. Maggie has moved to NYC for her senior year of high school. Wanting badly to fit in with the popular girls Maggie starts doing things she wouldn't normally do. That's the basic premise. Throughout the book you can tell that she's not entirely comfortable with the things she's doing and that deep down she's a good kid who's making some bad decisions. Needless to say, bad things happen and people get hurt. The story is about Maggie's journey from beginning to end. From wanting so badly to fit in to trying to fix the mess that she's helped create. Kind of a predicable read but still a good one.