The Upper Class (Paperback)

by Hobson Brown (Author), Taylor Materne (Author), Caroline Says (Author)
Key Phrases: Miss Hartford, Long Island, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Lyrical language breathes life into this take on a classic culture clash story." -- Publishers Weekly

"Sharp and clever… There is little that is left unexplored in this poignant and evocative coming-of-age novel." -- Alyson Richman, author of The Last Van Gogh

"The Upper Class is a surprise. My 16-year-old daughter gulped it in one day with delicious familiarity." -- Raghida Dergham, NBC Political Correspondent

"The Upper Class is not just a book—it is a wild and original reading adventure." -- Leslie Marshall, author of A Girl Could Stand Up

"This book is fabulous! The Upper Class has substance and style, and it just screams, READ ME!" -- Richie Rich, Fashion Designer, Heatherette

"Lyrical language breathes life into this take on a classic culture clash story." -- Publishers Weekly

"Sharp and clever... There is little that is left unexplored in this poignant and evocative coming-of-age novel." -- Alyson Richman, author of The Last Van Gogh

"The Upper Class is a surprise. My 16-year-old daughter gulped it in one day with delicious familiarity." -- Raghida Dergham, NBC Political Correspondent

"The Upper Class is not just a book--it is a wild and original reading adventure." -- Leslie Marshall, author of A Girl Could Stand Up

"This book is fabulous! The Upper Class has substance and style, and it just screams, READ ME!" -- Richie Rich, Fashion Designer, Heatherette

Review
"The Upper Class is not just a book-it is a wild and original reading adventure." (Leslie Marshall, author of A Girl Could Stand Up )

"Sharp and clever. There is little that is left unexplored in this poignant and evocative coming-of-age novel." (Alyson Richman, author of The Last Van Gogh )

"Lyrical language breathes life into this take on a classic culture clash story." (Publishers Weekly )

"This book is fabulous! The Upper Class has substance and style, and it just screams, READ ME!" (Richie Rich, Fashion Designer, Heatherette )

"The Upper Class is a surprise. My 16-year-old daughter gulped it in one day with delicious familiarity." (Raghida Dergham, NBC Political Correspondent )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060850825
• ISBN-13: 978-0060850821
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #136,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catty, chic, and oh-so charming - I can't wait to read the sequel!, January 17, 2008

By	Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Many may think that being a part of the privileged, wealthy, upper class set is a piece of cake, filled with shopping sprees, non-stop parties, gorgeous guys, glamorous girls, and anything else you might happen to think up. For the select few who live this lifestyle, they'd be happy to set you straight. Sure, they have access to daddy's credit card, can vacation and party at a handful of luxury homes around the world, and drink themselves to sleep, but it's not always fun and games. Especially when you're forced to contend with being shipped off to boarding school.

Laine Hunt was bred for Wellington. Being born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Laine has taken on the role of a proper Greenwich girl. Not only does she spend much of her time at the local country club, surrounded by other rich and privileged teens like herself - along with an assortment of stuffy adults who leer at her like she's some sort of lobster special - but she's also a field hockey star who is destined for stardom. Not that she wants it. Laine may be gorgeous, with pale blonde hair, never-ending legs, and turquoise eyes; but she's also plagued by one very paralyzing fear: failure. Laine has been raised to please everyone around her - from her mother to her stepfather, and even her neighbors. But with so much pressure riding on her, she can't help but feel that heading off to Wellington may just set her up for her biggest fear, and leave her disappointing everyone.

Long Island-bred Nikki Olivetti, on the other hand, couldn't stick out more as a Wellington girl. First, Nikki is new-money, so no one knows her name, or cares to learn more about her. Second, she's a loudmouth tease who likes to spend her time flirting with every boy in sight; but, underneath it all, Nikki has the biggest heart, and is interested in getting to know everyone around her. Too bad the feelings aren't reciprocated. As Laine's roommate, the pairing couldn't be more inaccurate. The only thing these two newbies have in common, is the fact that they're both reluctant to enjoy the whole boarding school experiment. They'd better figure out how to survive, however; otherwise they'll never live to see graduation day.

I am a huge fan of Cecily von Ziegesar's GOSSIP GIRL and IT GIRL series; as well as Kate Brian's PRIVATE series, so I knew that I would instantly love THE UPPER CLASS. Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne, and Caroline Says have done an enchanting job of intertwining the lives of two very different girls, along with many of their popular classmates, to create an enthralling story that is, to put it bluntly, impossible to put down. What's so interesting about THE UPPER CLASS, is that, as it's written by three individual people, you can actually see the writing change from one to another throughout the novel, which actually lends a unique twist to the tale. It's also quite fun to view the world of private school, through the eyes of two very different, yet original characters - such as Nikki and Laine. Catty, chic, and oh-so charming - I can't wait to read the sequel!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not just for young adults, June 11, 2007

By	Hostess with the Mostest (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Read a review of this book in the NY Times' style section yesterday, got a copy and couldn't put it down!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, June 8, 2007

By	A. Corbett "The Puppeteer" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Really liked it. Can't wait to see how the characters develop. They should make this into a movie!