GOSSIP OF THE STARLINGS

GOSSIP OF THE STARLINGS

By Nina De Gramont

2008

276 pages

From Back Cover:

When Catherine Morrow is admitted to Esther Percy School for Girls, it's on the condition that she reform her ways. But that's before the beautiful and charismatic Skye Butterfield chooses Catherine for her best friend. Skye is in love with the thrill of taking risks, breaking rules, and crossing boundaries, no matter the stakes. But the stakes keep getting higher in this chilling portrait of adolescent temptations.

My thoughts:

Nina De Gramont is an amazing writer. Gossip of the Starlings is pure poetry. This story is so beautifully written that I found myself rereading pages so I could take it all in.

Skye and Catherine are two wealthy teens attending a prep school in New England. Catherine longs to walk to straight and narrow but her friendship with Skye keeps pulling her into dangerous situations. Not that Catherine isn't a willing participate of drunken nights and cocaine binges-in fact Catherine is the one who introduces Skye to their drug of choice.

But while Catherine decides to put her time and energy into her horse and shows we see Skye spiral out of control. Skye's behavior becomes more destructive-drug abuse, stealing and an affair with a teacher push Catherine further away. Friendship and loyalty are tested again and again. Although the reader is given clues at the beginning as to how the story will end I still found myself shocked.

As I said before I loved the writing of this story, my only regret is that I didn't care more deeply for the characters. I was surprised by the ending but not really moved. Catherine and Skye are forgettable.

This is the second book that I have read by Nina De Gramont and will without a doubt pick up her next one.

I recommend this story for readers 14 and older. It contains language, drug use and sex.