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Rites of Spring (Break) by Diana Peterfreund

So Real Life intervened last week in the form of the plague, and Villa Angie was torn asunder. We are just now managing to square our shoulders and shake off the gloom. In my plague-ridden state, I still had the presence of mind to send DH out for my copy of Rites of Spring (Break) the day it came out, and reading it got me through. That and the phenergan shot. Ouch! Unfortunately, it's taken till now to review it. So this comes after much grinning, applauding, and re-reading of the most favorite of parts (of which there were several).

In this third installment of the Ivy League Novels, Our Girl Amy finds herself sludging through the gloom that is New Haven in late winter/early spring, wondering who named her whipping girl in the latest intercollegiate secret society rumble. Meanwhile, her ex-friend-with-benefits makes a sudden reappearance in her life and the already nigh unto crippling confusion factor gets ratcheted up a dozen or so notches. Fortunately, the annual Rose & Grave spring break excursion to Cavador Key looms on the horizon and Amy is given a chance to escape and recoup. Her only problem now is avoiding getting in the water while living on an island for an entire week. Natch.

This book...how I loved this book. I loved the increasingly mature way Amy deals with her friends. Her experiences with Jenny in the previous volume have made her more sensitive, I think, to the delicate emotions and motivations at work among her fellow Diggers. Despite their rank, wealth, brains, looks, or attitude. I loved how the class of D177 coalesces in this book. They stand up for each other. They notice things. They're not so quick to judge. And I loved that Poe takes it upon himself to give Amy swimming lessons. Because the swimming lessons? They are top notch. And the sneak peak at the first chapter of the fourth and final Ivy League Novel? It is tinglingly good. If only it wasn't a year till it comes out. Ah, well. Either way, Diana Peterfreund is now on my automatic buy list.

I hereby confess: I find myself with a sudden craving for Life Savers.

Links
Book Daze Review
Darque Review
Love, Finny Review
Teen Book Review
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Comments

  1. Anonymous4:37 PM

    OMG. Wasn't it fantastic?!! I'm so with you, especially on the re-reads. I loooved the swimming lessons. And the shower scene ;-)

    LOL @ lifesavers. I can't believe it'll be a whole year until the next one comes out, but having the first chapter of the next book meant I closed the book on a high. Josh is so funny!

    Okay, I'll have to stop squealing and generally behaving like a fangirl now - it's almost midnight, I'm off for a four-day training course tmrw, and still have to pack!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Angiegirl4:57 PM

    Utterly fantastic, Li. Shower scene=bliss. I'm so bummed we have to wait so long for the last book. And I hope everything ends the way it should. ;-) Good luck with your training!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kimberly Swan8:48 PM

    Hi Angie - It was well worth the wait, right? :) I was so happy that it ended the way it did, and of course I can't wait for the next one either! (the year will fly by...lol) Thanks for the DR mention. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Angiegirl4:29 PM

    Perfect ending, Kimberly. Although, I was particularly pleased to have that sneak peak into chapter one of the fourth book. Just to, you know, cement things.

    ReplyDelete

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