Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Debs-Susan McBride

The Debs
Susan McBride
Delacorte, Aug 2008, $8.99
ISBN: 9780385735193

In Houston four teenage upper crust girls await word that they have been invited to join the selectively elitist Glass Slipper Club. Each has reasons to expect to be chosen, but also has some nagging doubts.

Aura Delacroix Bell is a beautiful big woman who attracts hunks like the U of T super-stud in spite of being a size 14. However, she has one scandalous secret that if revealed will keep her out of the club.

Anyone who meets brilliant sarcastic Michelle “Mac” Mackenzie will conclude she does not fit the club’s typical debutante, but vies for membership out of respect for her late mom’s wish for her and to keep her stepmother Honey off her back.

Environmentalist Ginger Fore prefers wearing her grandmother’s gown rather than buy something outrageously expensive, but her entrance might be blocked by the University of Houston tree hugger she met at a Go-Green event that could lead to a jailhouse rock not a deb ball.

Former child beauty queen Jo-Lynn Bidwill believes her mission in life is to keep the “debu-trash” out of the club; that means destroying Laura Bell.

This young adult satirical look at high society is fun to read as author Susan McBride gives the audience a tour of superficiality of debutante society through her fearsome foursome. The key is that each of the candidates seems real as teens first with issues that even with all their wealth to somewhat cover personal problems, they still exist. This is an amusing yet poignant look at teenage upper crust society through for fully developed young women struggling with personal issues that money can’t help.

Harriet Klausner

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