The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Published: 6 January 2011 (Corgi Children's)
Pages: 288
Amazon: paperback|KindleWaterstone's: paperback
Book Depository: paperback
Source: Bought (charity shop)
Plot Summary:
Natalie is utterly determined to cement her position at the top of the high school social ladder by becoming prom queen. When it looks like an interfering ex-boyfriend might get in her way, she devises a little prank to humiliate him. But when the prank goes devastatingly wrong, Natalie starts to lose control of her life.
My Review:
I'm still waiting for Fallen to become available from the library, so when I spotted this book in my local charity shop I decided to grab it and get my first Lauren Kate fix. Natalie Hargrove is the queen bee, and with the prestigious Palmetto ball approaching, Natalie wants nothing more than to be crowned princess alongside her boyfriend and hopeful prince Mike.
I'm going to start out by saying that this book was a total guilty pleasure. It felt like the kind of book I really shouldn't have liked as much as I did! Natalie Hargrove is a totally horrible character. She'll do whatever she can to get exactly what she wants, and holds this influence over her fellow students. After her mum's marriage got her a ticket to the nice side of town, she's determined to stay there and forget her past. Basically, she's pretty ruthless.
Despite this, I found myself completely hooked into the drama. The writing style really grabbed me and even though I knew I should hate Natalie, I just couldn't put this book down and I loved finding out what was round the corner for her. It's pretty typical high school drama for the first half of the book. Everyone's talking about the school ball and there's parties, drinking and plenty of steamy make-out sessions between Mike and Natalie. Just when I thought this was looking to turn into some kind of love triangle, the plot took a completely different turn to what I was expecting, and suddenly lives are on the line.
If you want a book where characters learn from their mistakes or go on a journey then this isn't really that book. If you like American high school drama with a massive order of bitchiness and scheming then it is. I would have liked a bit more depth to Natalie's character. It felt there could have been a lot more to her than there was in the end and I was a bit disappointed by the way it ended. What it definitely has done is tickled my tastebuds and made me want to read more by Lauren Kate.
Rating: 4*
What to read next: Fallen by Lauren Kate
Books like this: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
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