Tap & Gown by Diana Peterfreund

I hereby confess: It has taken me waaaay too long to finally read this book.

Amy and the Diggers have been through some truly rough spots in the past year. When her previous class decided to include girls in their age-old Boys Only club, they knew it was gonna be a bumpy road, but I don't think they ever imagined the sheer chaos in store. So you can imagine my glee when I (finally) picked up Tap & Gown - I never know what's going to happen next with Amy but heavens above, I completely trust Diana Peterfreund to get me there.

Graduation is looming hard and fast for Ivy Leaguer Amy Haskell and unfortunately for her, whereas most of her fellow Rose & Grave brothers have already nailed down their education/career plans, Amy's future couldn't be more hazy. As in trying to find a ray of sunshine in a hurricane hazy. Though of course our heroine doesn't necessarily have time to sit around and worry about what's in store seeing as she still has to submit one senior thesis and help choose the next class of Diggers. Both of which seem a lot easier to accomplish on paper. On top of her academic and society worries, Amy is trying to figure out just where her newly-established (yet truly goofy-grin inspiring) relationship with a certain fella will go. Not to mention that's she's stressed and still a little traumatized from the events of Spring Break (having someone try to kidnap you will do that to a girl), but Amy is determined to continue full steam ahead in true Bugaboo fashion. Though of course no Digger event or ceremony can ever be complete without a healthy dose of secrets, drama, and sometimes even a hint of danger...so why should Tap night be any different?

Finishing off this last book in Diana Peterfreund's Secret Society Girl series was a touch bittersweet. Fully awesome and everything and nothing I expected, but bittersweet none the less. I've been meaning to finish this series for months now and then Angie posted such a slpendiferous account of the books during Literary Love that I finally broke down, bought the thing, read it and then proceeded to pass it on to everyone I know. Knowing of course, that it was my last glimpse at Amy and her time at Eli.

Even though I did miss the less-society-centric drama of Rites of Spring (Break), I could not help but sink right back into Amy and the Drama Diggers. It must go without saying that the most anticipated part of this novel was Amy's time with the men-folk. Because, frankly, Diana Peterfreund has done such a bang up job of making me love, nay adore, each and every one of Amy's love interests in their time. First there was Brandon - the uber-smart, yet totally chill boy-next-door that I couldn't stop sighing over. Then came George Harrison Prescott with his sexy smile and bad boy persona: let's just go ahead and say that George is too delicious. And finally we moved onto Poe... *sigh* Poe of the lifesavers, Poe who signs his notes 'Pajamie,' and Poe who has more loyalty in his little finger than anyone in the entire Rose & Grave society combined. sigh And he has nice shoulders. I love the man. I do.

Another little reason I wholeheartedly recommend this series is because Diana Peterfreund is forever dropping little references to things that happened in the previous books. Things that usually meant a great deal when they initally happened, but then will only get a slight mention later on (none of this going back and explaining in full detail why X is so dang important stuff). So unless you are privileged enough to know the whole story,  you would miss out on all that added depth and meaning to many a scene. I'm a big fan of when authors do that. It makes me feel like I'm part of a secret club and I want to run around and ask everyone "did you notice this teeny-tiny part? did ya?" to see if they too caught on. Genius.

I hereby confess: I didn't want it to end.

series reading order:
~ Secret Society Girl - my review
~ Under the Rose - my review
~ Rites of Spring (Break) - my review
~ Tap & Gown

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review 
Me & My Books review 
Not Enough Bookshelves review
Reading and Ruminations review

book source: purchased

4 comments:

Angiegirl said...

*satisfied sigh* You finished it. I am happy.

And yes to everything you said about Poe and his shoulders.

Michelle said...

Angie - Yep. A good finish for sure. I'm just wishing there were more...

vvb32 reads said...

ooo, i'm so interested now. you know the cover just didn't appeal, but your review does the trick. ok, ok, got get book 1 ;-D

Michelle said...

Velvet - you must!! I know what you mean about the cover, but start in immediately - you won't regret it.