Review: Rivals (The Ivy #3) by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Title: Rivals
Author: Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur
Series: The Ivy
Book #: 3
Pages: 384
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 4.14
Published: March 6th, 2012

Decisions, decisions . . . You've survived your first semester and captured the interest of not one but two of the hottest guys on campus.

Now who are you going to choose?

Callie Andrews returns for her second semester at Harvard determined to do better than the previous fall, where those Bs on her report card seemed pretty good compared to the state of her extracurriculars (F, as in if at first you don't succeed, you should probably stop trying), friendships (C-minus, since she and former BFF Vanessa are still on thin ice), and love life (D, as in don't even go there). But various campus rivalries soon threaten to thwart Callie's resolve. Will Callie ever be a match for--

Grace Lee 

the take-no-prisoners managing editor

Alessandra

the gorgeous transfer student

Clint

the guy who might just be too perfect

and Gregory

the guy who may never be perfect enough.

Callie will face some of the toughest choices imaginable: in friendships, in loyalties, and in love. The pressure to pick a side--and a suitor--has never been higher. But will she and her friends choose well?

Taschima's POV:

I love my guilty pleasures. The Ivy is like Gossip Girl, only far more interesting (depending on what stage in your life you are). I must say that Kunze and Onur know how to write an entertaining story with enough cat fights and drama to render you satisfied but not annoyed. Isn't that the perfect spot?

Callie Andrews has done nothing but screw up ever since she moved into the campus of Harvard. After hooking up with Gregory (Clint being non the wiser of course)...

...her unwanted sex tape secret going public, and her campus ex-bestie (Vanessa) hating the mere thought of her... well things aren't going great. Tension runs high on her dorm, with both Gregory and Vanessa. On the other hand Matt, Dana, Mimi, and OK are great! I absolutely LOVE OK and Mimi (when will that girl ever give him a break?) and I wish we had more of their private interactions. Maybe in novella style. In fact, all these characters should have their own private scenes shown, I am sure Vanessa has a lot to deliver (and wouldn't mind being the well deserved center of attention for once).

I love/hate Callie, much like I love/hate many of the characters in this story (mainly Vanessa). They can really bring out intense emotions out of me. The misunderstandings, mixed messages, hidden feelings and secrets all make for a fantastically sweet tale. Too much can make your stomach start to hurt true but I think The Ivy manages to hit the happy medium. Callie is just this girl, freshman, who is trying to make sense of the new world around her, and in that sense I strongly connect with her. Being in college myself (though I must admit not Ivy proportions) the problems of finding the place, and people, where you just fit in resonate. Not to mention the parties (sorry mom), drunken mistakes (who, me?), and exams (ugh).

Well, if you have read the previous novels then you are in for a treat! All the characters manage to surprise us. The love triangle is still waving it's flag way up high, Matt is still trying to get Grace's attention, and Alexis is still the most evil woman in the world. But what I most enjoyed about this novel perhaps was how it handled the friendships between these college students. The book isn't about the glamorous life of the Ivy league (though there is of course some of that in between the pages) or about how CRAZY college students can get when away from adult supervision (believe you me, it gets crazy), but about the relationships and most importantly the friendships you make along the way. For that I give this series my full support.

Was thoroughly frustrated at the ending, mostly because I am pretty much sure I know who the IVY Insider is. But I can't wit for the next book! I am royally pissed on Grace's and Callie's behalf.

Now excuse me while I go buy the fourth book in the series, Scandal ;)