Book Review - The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove

Title: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove
Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Release Date: 6 Jan 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0552563727

Synopsis
All it takes is one fatal mistake . . .

High-school beauty Natalie Hargrove has spent years plotting to become prom queen. She's got just what it takes: popularity, glamour and ruthless ambition. When someone threatens to overturn her perfect plan, Natalie needs to take control. But a critical error plunges her into a sea of secrets, shame and scandal. Because it turns out there's one thing even Natalie Hargrove can't command - and that's fate. 


My Review
I have had this in my locker at work for quite a while but never got round to it. As I read the other Lauren Kate books this week and I wanted a nice short book I decided to bring it home and read it. 
At approx 235 pages, it is really short and it didn't take me that long to read, but in some places it felt like it was taking a long time. I found it wuite hard to really get into the story.
Natalie has spent years working towards being crowned Princess at school, she has a boyfriend of 3 years and things seem to be going right, but she is hiding secrets from her past and she works harder at everything than anyone can imagine, But when a prank goes wrong and someone ends up dead she gets involved in Blackmail, lies and more and more trouble. Her past also starts to catch up with her.
To be honest I couldn't make myself care about Natalie, she was a nasty piece of work really and I had no sympathy for her at all, she never stops to think about other people, everything she does is for her own gain and she doesn't care who she hurts. There were a couple places where I think you were supposed to sympathise with her, bits that showed more of her situation and make you re-think, but it didn't happen for me, I just wanted to tell her to grow up.
As for her boyfriend, what is he a man or a mouse, he literally jumps through hoops for her, not 'My goodness woman you've killed someone, who on earth are you?', but 'sure, we should hide it all, nothing should stop you from being a princess, come on i'll help you frame someone else." I mean seriously? would that ever happen? I just don't know.

Saying that it wasn't all bad, the whole High school set up was god and I liked the descriptions of the 'Bambi's' and the way the cliques worked. Also Darla Duke was a nice little character, you weren't ever sure when she was going to pop up or why.
The writing is as usual descriptive and easy flowing which creates a clear image in your head of the scene and parts of the plot were quite good, I just didn't believe that she wouldn't be challenged more.
Also there is quite a lot of sex talk in this book, as I said it's quite a small book but the amount of references in it was shocking. Didn't think it was particularly needed either. Don't get me wrong, I don't completely object to a reference here or there if it is necessary to the story and isn't too detailed, but with this I was shocked by how much was in it. I'm quite innocent minded and these bits made me feel a little bit uncomfortable.

This review makes it sound like i totally hated the book, well I didn't. I wouldn't say it was amazing and I was glad I got it out of the library but there were bits I really enjoyed and there were some twists in the story that got me interested, so overall this book was a bit of a 'on the fence' book. Not great but not really bad. 

My Rating