 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Debs
- By Susan McBride
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Southern Gossip Girl has slightly more depth.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that, like the Gossip Girl books, both mean-girl antics and high-end labels are quite prevalent. In one scene, a girl is stripped naked and photographed without her knowledge. Teens engage in sex (not described in detail) and drink, smoke pot, and abuse prescription pills to party and escape stressful situations.
What's the story?
Three friends have their pick of designer clothes, but what they really want is to be picked for the coveted Glass Slipper Club. Every debutante in Houston is waiting with baited breath for their invitation. Laura, Michelle, and Ginger not only have to worry about getting their invitations, they worry about the meanest girl in school, Jo-Lynn Bidwell, ruining their chances for debutante heaven. Throw in some family issues and a couple of cute boys and you've got a life full of drama.
Is it any good?
One thing to make clear about DEBS by Susan McBride is that it isn't as vapid or damaging as the Gossip Girl series. The characters have a bit more depth. It is, still, a guilty pleasure full of high-end clothing, debutantes, lots and lots of money, and cute, but confusing boys. As usual with privilege and pretty, there are problems. The girls' struggles with body image and self-acceptance are exacerbated by the perfect deb image they all feel obliged to portray in order to make it into the Glass Slipper Club.
Fashionistas will love the endless clothing parade, and the bright spot that is Laura Bell. She makes some pretty bad decisions throughout the book, but one thing is clear -- at a size 14 she loves herself just the way she is, pushy debutante mom and taunts of "debu-tank" aside.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about wealth. This book takes place in a very wealthy community -- how does wealth affect each of the girls' behavior? Is there a difference between wealth and privilege? Families can also talk about the draw of Gossip Girl-type books. Is it just harmless escapism, or do you think it normalizes bad-girl behavior and materialistic lifestyles?
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| Author: | Susan McBride |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Publisher: | Delacorte Press |
| Publication date: | August 26, 2008 |
| Number of pages: | 272 |
| Paperback price: | $8.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 14 |
| Read aloud: | 14 |
| Read alone: | 14 |
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