Review Detail

In western Philadelphia, there's a wealthy area of suburbs called the Main Line in which the posh and the pretty play by day and party by night. Now, readers can journey there, thanks to The Bradford Novels by Micol Ostow. Set an a private school, these books are filled with blog entries brimming with gossip, secrets, and lies. Characters post entries in their private journals as well as their school blog.

The first book, GoldenGirl, introduces readers to Spencer Kelly. Rich, respected, and athletic, Spencer is fierce and poised on the field and off. Her best friends are Paige Andrews (aka FrontPaige) and Madison Takahashi (Madison_Ave). Popular Paige is hiding something that happened to her the previous summer, while Madison is busy designing clothes and playing the violin. Then a new girl named Regan and Spencer's old boyfriend Jeremy enroll, and things get really messy. Spencer finds herself drawn to Jeremy and considers breaking up with her current boyfriend Tyler. Meanwhile, Spencer befriends Regan, even though the California girl's rehab rep precedes her.

When Spencer writes in her personal online blog, All That Glitters, she tells all - but not for all to see. Each chapter is an entry marked with a privacy setting, so you know if it's public (for anyone to read), restricted (only her BFFs have access to posts marked "VIPs" - and they leave plenty of comments!) or private (posts marked "the vault" are for Spencer's eyes only).

With all of the frienemies and romantic entanglements, this series will definitely appeal to fans of Gossip Girl. It will also attract those who read the Pretty Little Liars books by Sara Shepard, which also take place on Philadelphia's Main Line.