For the girls of Houston’s high society, nothing is more important than to secure an invitation to become a debutante.  A high school senior’s debut is her entry into the power elite of Houston’s society women: an old girls network that can be used for anything from attracting the right husband to ensuring support for a political or social cause.  Only ten girls debut each year, and for Laura Bell, it has meant a summer “fat camp” (her mom’s idea) trying unsuccessfully to whittle her size fourteen frame down from “debu-tank” to debutante.  Not that Laura cares about her size- she’s beautiful, confident, and attracts some of the hottest guys, much to the dismay of the queen of mean Jo Lynn Bidwell.  Jo Lynn is willing to go to any lengths to prevent Laura from becoming a deb, but with her two best friends to support her, Laura may be able to beat Jo Lynn at her own backstabbing game.

The Debs is a fast and amusing read.  Laura and the rest of the girls live in a luxurious world ruled on the surface by old-fashioned Southern morality, while privately risking their “good girl” status on wild parties and acts that could lead to blackmail and catfights.  If you like this, you will also like the sequel: The Debs: Love, Lies and Texas Dips.