Hazing Meri Sugarman
 | Hazing Meri Sugarman M. Apostolina Date: 20 December, 2005 — $8.99 — Book Rating: |
Meri Sugarman is the president of the Alpha Beta Delta sorority at Rumson River University. She is beautiful, rich and...a completely evil egomaniac. Cindy Bixby is a nice, smart girl but she's always felt plain and invisible next to her gorgeous mom (who was president of ABD back in her day) and sister. Cindy is so determined to join ABD and become popular that she survives the horrible Pledge Week ritual. Once inside, Cindy learns that Meri (with the help of her 2 followers Shanna-Francine and Gloria) runs the entire university - the sorority has extensive blackmail files on everyone, all the way up to the Dean. When Cindy accidentally makes herself an enemy to Meri, the evil one sets out to ruin Cindy's life. After worshipping Meri for months, Cindy finally sees her for what she is and enlists the help of her true friends to try and stop her.
I didn't really like this one that much. Meri was so hateful and insane, Cindy was so clueless, and the whole thing was pretty darn over-the-top. There are a few redeeming features, mostly small things like the side story of Cindy's sister Lisa aspiring to be the next Christina Aguilera by making herself even dirrrtier and Meri deciding to make the Oktoberfest Dance's theme the music of Captain and Tenille. It's obviously going to be popular (pink cover, sorority girls) and there are already 2 sequels planned. I was dismayed when I noticed that at the back of the book - if it had just ended with Meri getting her comeuppance, I might feel better about it. But no, 95% of kids' and YA books are now series. Gather the profits while ye may.
And the whole M. Apostolina thing (nowhere in the author blurb nor online does it say the author's gender) bugged me. Back in the day of the Bronte sisters needing to hide their identity in order to get published, it made sense. Now it just makes me wonder if M's a guy who likes to write about sorority girls. Not that I mind this apparent new trend to just use initials, I can see why some people would want to do it, but usually it's not quite so silly when it comes to hiding the author's gender. I don't know why it bothered me so much, but it did.