Great
Gr 9 Up—A reimagined, gender-bending The Great Gatsby set in modern times. Narrator Naomi Rye lives in Chicago with her dad but spends every summer with her mother, a Food Network star, in East Hampton. Usually, Naomi's summer social life is limited to a few parties that she attends with her mom. This time, the teen arrives to find that a new neighbor, Jacinta Trimalchio, has moved in by herself next door. Jacinta is known among rich Hamptons denizens as an infamous fashion blogger. She hopes to reconnect with Delilah Fairweather through her new friendship with Naomi. The fashionista hosts fabulous parties and eventually ignites a close relationship with Delilah. This is a story of indulgence, with teenagers consuming alcohol and drugs and driving while under the influence. A car accident in the climax scene closely parallels the original. Lies, gossip, and intrigue figure prominently in the plot. No new ground has been forged in this work, so stick with F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA