Review: The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

The Innocents (The Innocents #1)
By Lili Peloquin
Published October 1th, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Hardcover, 268 pages

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.
Friends didn't.
Boys couldn't.
Their family falling apart never would.
Until they got to Serenity Point.

In a town built on secrets and lies, it's going to be hard to stay innocent.
They're sucked into a strange and seductive world—a world they can't help but hate, and can't help but love. A world that threatens to tear them apart, just when they need each other the most.
The Innocents is the first in a new series of young adult novels that weave a saga of nail-biting drama, breathless romance, and Gothic mystery. -Goodreads

Review

When I read the summary, I thought somewhere along the lines of Gossip Girl. It is, after all, set in an uber rich and posh place, Serenity Point, and you just know that you'll find out some juicy secrets about the upper class kids. Lies, secrets, and gossip? I think so.

Shortly after divorcing their father, Alice and Charlie's mom is getting remarried to a mysterious millionaire, Richard Flood the Third, and moving all of them to his house in Serenity Point. Having come from a middle class family, Alice and Charlie are flung into a situation they are not prepared for, suddenly hanging with all of the rich kids who belong to the country club. How will they fit in? Charlie seems to be just fine, making a place for herself in the social order, but Alice is very shy and draws away from them, creating her own little niche. 

However, mysteries abound, all of them surrounding their dead step sister, Camilla, who was killed in a car crash. All of their friends are somehow connected to Camilla, and even Charlie and Alice are, though they don't know it, yet. Not only that, but their new step dad is also hiding something, getting rid of all the traces of his old family and getting angry about the oddest things. With the move to Serenity Point and all of the drama that ensues, can the girls still stick together? We shall see. 

This book seemed very much like a soap opera, but not quite as complicated, almost disappointingly so. There was so much build up that when I came to the climax of the story and the secret was revealed, I was just expecting more. The secret was crazy, but not as crazy as I was led to believe. That, and the ending seemed a bit abrupt, the fight coming from almost nowhere. I think a better ending would have been the realization of the secret, and just ending it there. Nonetheless, I am still looking forward to the sequel, and maybe it will have even more drama (or so I hope). I would recommend The Innocents for anyone who likes soap operas and family drama.

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