THE V CLUB

There’s an eyebrow-raising new college-scholarship fund at Ardsmore High, and only virgins need apply. Shy, never-been-kissed Eva seems a shoo-in, thanks to her spotless reputation and GPA. But her best friends need the $160,000 to chase their dreams too. Athletic Kai is a Cornell wannabe with a mysterious past; brainy, boy-crazy Debbie secretly hopes to attend a fashion institute against her rigid father’s wishes; and rich Mandy suddenly finds herself in the poorhouse, crying on the shoulder of a sexy boyfriend who’s becoming too hard to say “no” to. The “V Club” applicants find their wills, nerves, and friendships strained by the competition, especially when an alluring boy also joins the club. Romance-author Brian is at the top of her game here, smartly inventing a rich cast of memorable characters, and tightly knitting their individual storylines in a page-turning, smile-inducing daisy chain of events. If her The Princess & the Pauper (2003) was unabashedly The Princess Diaries redux, this is her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with a much more intriguing and plausible bonding device. Quick pacing, snappy dialogue, clever plotting, authentic characters, and lots of good, clean fun make this truly exceptional chick lit. (Fiction. YA)