Twisted Sisters

Senior year is over and Aspen and her beau, Rand, are off to State for freshman year. After a kidnapping plot in high school, college is going to be a vacation. But before Aspen and Rand pull out of Aspen's driveway, local cop Harry (who Aspen helped solve the kidnapping plot with) comes to tell her goodbye. He makes her promise to not pledge the Zeta house at State because his niece was a sister there and went missing the previous semester. Of course, telling Aspen NOT to do something is like giving her free reign to do it. Aspen was the cream of the crop at Comfort High, but things aren't looking so great for her upon arriving at State. The elevators in the dorm only stop on every fifth floor. And of course it's not the floor Aspen's room is on. Entering her dorm room, she is horrified to find out that her new roommate is none other than her arch-rival from high school, Angel Ives. The one bright spot is that Rand's dorm room is literally right below hers. So the first night on campus, Rand and Aspen rush the Greek organizations. Aspen would much rather be pledging Beta, which is a better fit for her, but in order to find out what happened to Harry's niece, she follows through on her plan to pledge Zeta. Except for Rand, Aspen can't tell anyone what she's about to do. So as the first semester unfolds, Aspen moves into the Zeta house and tries to uncover the mystery of the disappearing Mitzi. She uncovers various secrets, but none of them seem to bring her any closer to what happened in the spring. Add that to the frustration of Rand's wild antics pledging the Nu house and his psychotically obsessed roommate, and Aspen's freshman year is really shaping up to be everything she didn't imagine. Ms. Hale writes a fun continuation to Aspen's story. Though Aspen seems almost too good to be true, her heart is in the right place and everything she does is done selflessly for others. I can only imagine what Aspen will end up being involved with in the future! Reviewed by: Jaglvr

I stayed up late last night, finishing TWISTED SISTERS, the sequel to REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN. Once again, Aspen Brooks is LOL funny in her perceptions of herself and others, and finds herself embroiled in a mystery that not only kept me guessing, but delivered a twist I did not see coming. I recommend this book to all who loved REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN, and both books to those who haven't yet had the pleasure of discovering the very talented Stephanie Hale.

As a senior in high school Aspen Brooks spent part of the year being stalked and kidnapped (see REVENGE of the HOMECOMING QUEEN). Thus when Detective Harry Malone offers to pay her college tuition, she is elated to get away from home and its reminders of her ordeal. As a freshman attending Comfort Community College (instead of State U thanks to mom being a shopaholic), Aspen is elated that her boyfriend Rand Bachrach is also at the school. Although no longer the pompous coed who thought the Homecoming Queen was preordained as her, Aspen joins the in-crowd sorority, Zeta House. However Aspen has no time to enjoy the fruits of going Greek as she owes Harry not just for his rescue, but because of their agreement. He pays if she investigates the failed suicide of his niece, Mitzi as he believes there is more to what happened. As she makes inquiries, Rand is upset that his GF seems to spend more time with the sisterhood than she does with him; he turns to another babe who wants him as her BF while his roommate stalks Aspen. TWISTED SISTERS is a fun undercover teen thriller. Aspen has two problems to deal with: the Greeks and the Geek with neither going right. Rand is terrific as he dumps the woman he loves due to her total neglect of him; forcing Aspen to chase after him. Fans will enjoy her latest teen chick lit sleuthing escapades as smart chicks not only rock they stay in school. Harriet Klausner

Aspen Brooks reigns again in another new catty and fun novel, Twisted Sisters. Right before she and her boyfriend Rand take off to college, Harry Malone warns Aspen of the dangers of life on college campuses, and to drive in his point, mentions his niece, Mitzy, a sorority girl who disappeared the previous spring. Aspen decides instantly to join Mitzy's sorority to see what she can find about that puzzling night, despite Rand's concerns. But college will bring more problems than a dead end mystery, and if Aspen doesn't watch herself, she may wind up a cold case herself... Twisted Sisters is gripping and outstanding, and it's made even more enjoyable due to Aspen's maturity and the lack of negative drama found in Revenge of the he Homecoming Queen. Readers will delve into Aspen's college experience told in her witty and practical voice, and in between the confusing mystery of Mitzi's whereabouts, empathize with her as she and Rand, previously the king and queen of the social scene, struggle to fit in. The book mainly focuses on the social highlights of Aspen's new life, making it a quick and easy read. Though slightly anachronistic at the end, the result is fun filled and memorable ending of what hopes to be a very promising series.