The Debs
Free Book Summary

Free Book Summary: The Debs

The "Three Amigas" as they've dubbed themselves are finishing up the summer before their Senior Year with a single thought in mind - the invitations due to go out from the Glass Slipper Club inviting ten lucky girls to become the next set of Rosebud Debutantes.

That might not be all they're thinking about!

Laura Bell is just back from "fat camp" where she didn't do anything but stay exactly the same size 14 she's always been. Her one-track mind has just enough room to dream about becoming a Rosebud and figuring out a way to win the love of her life back from the class queen Jo Lynn.

Mac is struggling with her decision to accept a Rosebud invitation if she should get one (which she knows she will of course). Her mother recently passed and her Dad has remarried a woman young enough to be her sister. Mac wants to become a Deb for her mom but wants to keep Honey off her back at the same time.

Ginger is in a "Go Green" phase and with that comes the attention of dark and mysterious Javier - mural painter and activist extraordinaire. The trouble this possible romance is causing her just might not be worth it.

All the while, Jo Lynn is trying to sabotage the Three Amigas chances for getting a Rosebud invitation. But she just might have found more than she bargained for in this trio!

Free Book Summary: The Debs Opinion

If you're looking for book club selections to start off a Young Adult Book Club, The Debs is a great choice!

Enter into McBride's world of lies, deceit, love, friendship - and debutantes! Think of the housewives on Wisteria Lane and shave 20 years off their ages and you've got Laura, Ginger, Mac, and Jo Lynn. These girls have it all - money, cars, fabulous wardrobes, and boys. What more could they want?

This book both delighted and disturbed me at the same time. The "girl wars" (as I like to think of them) are an age-old occurrence whether the situation be debutante invitations or cheerleading tryouts. Girls can be really mean to each other and certain ones, like Jo Lynn, will stop at nothing to get what they want.

The disturbing part is two-fold for me. It stems from the fact that teens now are far more mature, or tying to be, then we were at that age. It seems that most of them are playing at being adults in what I still consider to be a child's body. In this book, the girls run around buying lingerie and having hot sex like they are in an episode of Sex and the City. On top of that, they are absolutely spoiled, even the good ones who try to not to act it, which means they have no sense of responsibility or having to earn something for themselves. Their behavior reminded me of an episode of Growing up Gotti.

What I find troubling about all of this is not that McBride wrote it (because she wrote it very convincingly) but that this lifestyle is not far-fetched for some of America's teenagers. There ARE girls living like this and it makes me sad that they're so anxious to grow up. What ever happened to slumber parties where the thrill of the evening was doing each other's hair and dancing around to favorite songs? The end of innocence is upon us.

McBride really captures what it's like to be a privileged teen in today's world and still manages to give these girls a heart. I think as the series goes on we'll even see that Jo Lynn has one deep down in her chest somewhere! I can't wait to see how the Debutante season plays out and will definitely be following Laura, Mac, and Ginger through their last year of high school.

Free Book Summary: The Debs Discussion Questions

1. Should these "sugar daddies" keep paying for everything and anything their daughter's little hearts desire? What is the negative impact of this behavior?
2. Can you find it in your heart to understand how and why Jo Lynn became the way she is now?
3. Is it realistic that a size 14 girl would be accepted by such a selective group?

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