Private (novel series)

Infobox Novel series
name = Private
books = Private Invitation Only Untouchable Confessions Inner Circle Legacy Ambition Revelation Last Christmas Paradise Lost Suspicion
author = Kate Brian


image_caption = Covers of three "Private" saga novels:
the first book (center), the prequel (left), and the spin-off.
title_orig =
translator =
illustrator =
cover_artist = Julian Peploe
Roger Moenks
Laurent Alfieri
C. Havemeyer
Andrea C. Uva
country = United States
language = English
genre =
publisher = Simon & Schuster
pub_date = June 27, 2006–Present
english_pub_date =
media_type =
preceded_by =
followed_by =Privilege

"Private" is a series of young-adult novels by American author Kate Brian, beginning with 2006's inaugural entry of the same name. With book series about young women in posh inner-circles experiencing a rise in popularity throughout the 2000s, [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805EED9103FF933A05756C0A9629C8B63&scp=22&sq=Cecily+von+Ziegesar&st=nyt 'New York Times' Best Sellers] "nytimes.com". March 30, 2004. Retrieved on April 10, 2008] [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E2DA173FF930A15753C1A9639C8B63&scp=1&sq=INVASION+OF+THE+BOY+SNATCHERS&st=nyt 'New York Times' Best Sellers] "nytimes.com". October 23, 2005. Retrieved on April 10, 2008] Brian was hand-picked by an editor at Simon & Schuster to launch a new one for the publisher. [http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?pid=536760&tab=23&agid=39 'Private' interview from Simon & Schuster] "simonsays.com". August 16, 2007. Retrieved on October 21, 2007] This resulted in a story chronicling the rise of ambitious teenager Reed Brennan, the series' narrator, as she becomes a member of her new school's elite sorority house—composed of a glamourous yet disparate group of teens known as the Billings Girls. As the books progress, several dilemmas surrounding morality, romance, and mystery arise.

Thematically, moral relativism is a prominent feature of Brian's work. Extreme cases of loyalty and antagonism are personified in characters such as Noelle Lange and Ivy Slade—to degrees that are sometimes questioned or denounced by the narrator. [Brian, K: "Inner Circle", pg. 80. Simon Pulse, 2007.] However, it is often only after the details of another character's background have been revealed that Brennan can understand what motivates them, which will occasionally leave her conflicted in her judgments. [Brian, K: "Ambition", pg. 277. Simon Pulse, 2008.] The series has companion works which are dedicated to further exploring character, including the prequel "Last Christmas" and the spin-off series "Privilege". [http://www.simonsays.com/content/destination.cfm?tab=23&Ns=P_PUBLICATIONDATE%7c1&pid=343021 'Private' series Publication Dates] "simonsays.com". Retrieved on October 21, 2007] These subsequent projects center around Ariana Osgood, the saga's third-most prominent figure, who is eventually written out of the original story line.

To further convey the story's tone, the series' art team was composed of select individuals with backgrounds in teenage popular culture and youth-oriented fashion. [http://julianpeploestudio.com/#index Julian Peploe] "julianpeploestudio.com". Retrieved on June 23, 2008] [http://www.rogermoenks.com/index.php?c=1 Roger Moenks Photography] "rogermoenks.com". Retrieved on June 23, 2008] As a recurring visual theme, each cover from the central story depicts three young women on front, with a fourth featured a slight distance apart on the opposite side.

Debuts of "Private" novels on the "New York Times" Best Seller list have generally risen in position. The publisher has also begun converting the series and its spin-off into e-book format. As Simon & Schuster is owned by CBS Corporation [ [http://www.simonsays.com/content/feature.cfm?feature_id=1631&tab=1 "A Brief History of Simon & Schuster"] "simonsays.com". July 2006. Retrieved on September 7, 2008] and, by extension, associated with CBS and the youth-oriented CW Television Network, fans of "Private" have campaigned for the series to be adapted into a television program. This has been noted by the author on her blog. [http://www.myspace.com/katebrian Kate Brian's page at MySpace] . Retrieved on August 23, 2007]

Overview

"Private" begins with the introduction of Reed Brennan, a savvy and ambitious honors student who enters the prestigious Easton Academy private school. Coming from a shaken family and a mundane everyday life, she is eager to explore the brand new setting that awaits her in Connecticut. Unexpectedly, the center of her fascination soon becomes a famed sorority known as Billings House and the posh girls who reside there—Noelle, Ariana, Kiran, and Taylor. In time, Reed is pining to become a Billings Girl herself, and is faced with many tests and compromises along the way. As the series progresses, several additional characters and their histories are introduced and focused upon. [http://www.privatenovels.com/ privatenovels.com] "privatenovels.com". Retrieved on March 6, 2008]

Pre-production

Preparing the story

The series began with the creators intending it to run for at least four books, guaranteeing that the tale's first arc—which encompasses Reed's first year at Easton Academy—would see completion.

Simon & Schuster backed "Private" with book displays in Barnes & Noble outlets and a promotional contest through "CosmoGIRL!" magazine, in which 20 winners would receive free copies of book #1. Though it was officially released on June 27, 2006, the author reported that, to her surprise, several editions of the first book were shipped ahead of schedule by the publisher, which would also become a somewhat regular event with subsequent entries.

Brian has stated that the setting of the series was conceived by her editor at Simon & Schuster, while she herself was given free rein to choose a central focus. After a certain amount of consideration, the author decided that mystery would be the ideal center of her characters' environment.

Assembling an art team

The series' cover team—befitting the general tone of "Private"—was composed of professionals who have worked with teen idols and socialites.

Graphic designer Julian Peploe—who'd previously worked on CD covers for the Pussycat Dolls, The Veronicas, and Brandy—is largely credited for the signature cover image depicting supposed antipathy between one girl and three others. Series photographer Roger Moenks had worked with Joss Stone prior to his being chosen to photograph the "Private" models. In addition, Mr. Moenks and co-photographer Laurent Alfieri had collaborated before working on "Private", at some points taking glamourous photos of young businesswomen from around the world to illustrate a series of portraits written by David Benaym for "L'Officiel". [ [http://www.benaym.com/articles/parisiennes.htm "Officiel"] "benaym.com". October 2004. Retrieved on June 23, 2008]

Stylist Christina Havemeyer has stated that when deciding what the models will wear, "I look for obviously what I think is going to be something that a teenage girl is going to gravitate toward," also noting the significance of color and variety. "Mixing and matching is very important. . .you can buy something from the store that's brand new and you can mix it with your grandma's necklace from 1959. So it creates kind of a luxe, but young, youthful look." [ [http://www.alloy.com/entertainment/videos 'Private' videos] "alloy.com". June 2008. Retrieved on June 23, 2008]

Since premiering, the series has been worked on by other noted artists, including Alloy Entertainment's visual director, Andrea C. Uva.

Assembling the models

One of the most frequently asked questions among readers surrounds the cover models, specifically with regard to who they each represent. The young women appearing on the first book—who grace the next three installments as well—portray the following characters according to Kate Brian: Noelle (center), Ariana (left), Taylor (right), and Kiran (back cover). The identites of other characters to appear have largely been left unverified.

Characters

"Private" has an expansive cast and a regularly changing hierarchy. As various conflicts ensue, the series is marked by gradual exits, new arrivals, and social ascensions. Consequently, characters who are on supporting status reach new heights, and characters who hold prominent positions are faced with a variety of descents, ranging from quiet to scandalous.

Reed Brennan

:The collected, curious protagonist, Reed is a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl from Pennsylvania who enters Easton Academy on a scholarship at the beginning of the first book. Her troubled family background and otherwise placid past makes her overly ambitious and docile when presented with exciting opportunities. Though gifted both academically and athletically, her first major aspiration at Easton is to get into Billings House, which holds the allure of great social privileges and respect. She manages to get the attention of the Billings Girls, and a series of initiations to test her credibility follows.

Noelle Lange

:Noelle is a brown-haired, dark-eyed young woman who initially serves as 'leader' of the girls in Billings House. Fiercely loyal to her friends, she is the implied counterpart of Reed, being similarly skilled in lacrosse and soccer, and apparently coming from a shaken family of her own. However, her privileged upbringing tends to make her blunt and sometimes insensitive, as she enjoys intimidating other students as well as the Easton staff. According to some classmates, she can't live without drama in her life. She tends to know everything about everyone, even the things no one else knows. Noelle possesses a mysterious long, red scar along her stomach, just above her hipbone. She has an unstable longtime romantic relationship with another senior named Dash McCafferty.

Ariana Osgood

:The series' muse, Ariana is the quietest member of the group, possessing blue eyes, ethereal white-blond hair, and a penetrating stare. She is known for always having her nose in a book, and is considered to be Reed's first friend in Billings, as it was Ariana who introduced Reed to the others. Beneath her exterior, Ariana is eventually revealed to have darker issues as the series progresses. There is also some curiosity as to her involvement in planning the second Legacy party of the series.

Kiran Hayes

:The most beautiful Billings Girl, Kiran is a model with green eyes and dark-brown hair. She has extremely good sense in fashion, and is capable of turning people into superstar lookalikes. She is also known to be shallow and 'bratty' to others. Beneath the surface, Kiran is troubled by alcoholism, which can lead to repercussions for herself and the others. Kiran is also known for her talents of mixing alcoholic drinks.

Taylor Bell

:A brainy, sensitive member of the group who possesses curly dirty-blond hair and blue eyes; Reed's first impression of her is of a "cherub." She is especially smart, and possesses a sweeter and more innocent nature than that of her three friends, as she is often visibly sensitive to others' feelings.

Cheyenne Martin

:A series antagonist, Cheyenne is a controlling girl whose ambition is more aggressive than Reed's. She has a public feud with Noelle, and seeks to take her spot as leader of Billings House. Despite being on opposing 'sides,' Cheyenne and Reed tolerate each other at first, but they are thrown into conflict during the events of the fifth book, "Inner Circle", when the new year at Easton begins. Cheyenne's passion for Easton and Billings tradition eventually turns into a problem, resulting in her expulsion from Easton Academy and eventual death.

Thomas Pearson

:Reed's first boyfriend at Easton, Thomas is a good-looking, mysterious senior with anger management and alcoholism issues. Reed looses her virginity to him. He carries a sense of recklessness and danger, which automatically attracts Reed and several other girls at Easton. In "Private", Reed discovers that Thomas is a drug dealer and that he comes from a wealthy yet dysfunctional family. He disappears at the end of the first book, a development that Reed does not take kindly. It is later discovered that Ariana Osgood, his former girlfriend, killed him.

Josh Hollis

:Reed's primary source of temptation, Joshua (often called Josh by his fellow schoolmates and friends) is a blond-curled, green-eyed roommate and best friend of Thomas Pearson in "Private," and later becomes Reed's boyfriend in "Untouchable." However, the Billings Girls try to convince Reed that Josh is the guilty party in a school mystery. He is eventually exonerated, but not before enduring an incarceration. In the sixth installment "Legacy", Josh and Reed break up after he catches Reed cheating on him with Dash at the Legacy party, although she was intoxicated (and had estacy slipped into her drinks by Sabine who also put it in Dash's drinks) and thought that they had already broken up at the time. Later in "Ambition," Reed catches Josh kissing Ivy Slade. In "Revelation", Josh and Reed grow to be friends. Deep inside Josh still adores her but he won't admit it because Reed hurt him too much.

Constance Talbot

:Reed's talky, informative roommate during her stay in Bradwell House, possessing emerald-green eyes, curly red hair and freckles. She becomes a Billings Girl in the fifth book. She also dates Walt Whittaker.

abine Dulac

:A newcomer in the fifth book. She comes from Martinique and has a French accent. Like most of the Billings Girls, Sabine possesses physical beauty. She becomes Reed's roommate, and the two of them form a friendship. Sabine is Cheyenne's murderer and supposedly shoots Reed at the end of "Revelation".

Dash McCafferty

:Described as having Abercrombie & Fitch good-looks, Dash is Noelle's on-again off-again boyfriend. He and Reed flirt over e-mail. In "Legacy", Dash and Reed make out and almost have sex, but are interrupted by Josh Hollis. Dash has had an unsteady relationship with Noelle Lange for three years.

Ivy Slade

:The primary antagonist as of book #7, Ivy Slade harbors a widespread vendetta throughout the series—mainly directed at Cheyenne Martin, Reed Brennan, and all things associated with Billings House. In "Ambition", it is explained that she is driven in part by a personal, family-related grudge. Unlike Cheyenne, whose antagonism was more open and aggressive, Ivy employs quiet, calculating tactics. As part of a psychological attack on Reed, she takes a video of her in a revealing situation, tries to thwart an attempt to preserve Billings, and dates Josh Hollis after he and Reed have broken up. It later turns out, in "Revelation", that it was actually Sabine who took the video and stalked Reed.

Gage Coolidge

:Gage is the resident pervert of the series. Though handsome, he is rather shallow and only cares about partying or hooking-up. He loves picking on Reed, due to her middle-class upbringing, and is known for his former "sexcapades" with Ivy all over campus.

Halls of residence

Easton Academy is unofficially distinguished by a caste-like environment, socially divided by lower-, middle-, and upper-class dormitories.

Billings House

An upperclassmen dorm for girls, recognized as the most prestigious of all houses in the series. Acceptance into Billings is granted by invitation only. The building carries a mixed reputation throughout the books; members are typically depicted as being socially and academically privileged, but almost all of the Billings Girls are also shown to engage in varying illicit and snobbish practices. Furthermore, some are not above resorting to methods such as bribery, blackmail, and treachery. Initiations on prospective newcomers are a Billings tradition. However, this practice is banned—and violated—in the fifth book, "Inner Circle".

Among the notable inhabitants of Billings House are Reed Brennan, Noelle Lange, Ariana Osgood, Kiran Hayes, Taylor Bell, and Natasha Crenshaw.

Bradwell Hall

Bradwell is a dorm for sophomore girls. In the first book, it is where Reed Brennan lives before being admitted into Billings Hall. It is also where Missy Thurber, Kiki Rosen, Lorna Gross, and Constance Talbot reside before their eventual move.

Ketlar House

The dormitory for senior and junior boys where Josh Hollis and Gage Coolidge reside, where Thomas Pearson lived in "Private", and also where Dash McCafferty lived in the first four books. This is the dorm that houses all of the most coveted boys on campus.

Drake House

Drake is a dormitory for upperclassmen boys, nicknamed "Dreck" because it is supposedly where all the unsavory boys at Easton live.

Pemberly Hall

Junior/Senior girls who fall short of reaching Billings reside in Pemberly. When Noelle kicks Reed out of Billings in Revelation, she gets a single in Pemberly, right next to her former nemesis Ivy Slade.

Hull Hall

Hull Hall is where members of staff reside. It is nicknamed "Hell Hall" by the students .

Themes

The central themes in the "Private" series revolve around sociological matters such as conformity and elitism—particularly as they pertain to an outsider during the coming of age period. As Reed strives to become a Billings Girl, she enters a world of moral relativism that raises questions concerning how far the young women will go regarding matters of sexuality, mortality, and loyalty.

Book releases

The series has maintained a steady release schedule since 2006, with its first arc being re-released in a collected edition during September 2007. With the exception of the first book, which debuted in Canada on June 27, 2006, releases of the US and Canadian editions have been simultaneous, followed by releases in the United Kingdom.

Since its inception, the saga has expanded to include a forthcoming prequel and a spin-off. In addition to release dates, the tables below account for "New York Times" Best Seller list peak numbers.

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Reception

The series has been mostly well-received among Brian's fanbase, while critical response has generally ranged from positive to mixed. After covering the first book, a review for "Publishers Weekly" stated that readers would "no doubt eagerly await the next installment," but also cited issues with characterization in the series opening. Comments in this regard have normally claimed that Reed is the only character who is initially well-developed, with "Publishers Weekly" remarking that "the Billings Girls themselves are stereotypical, but Reed is more complex than most of this genre's narrators."'Publishers Weekly', [http://www.powells.com/biblio/1416918736 'Private' Reviews] "powells.com". July 24, 2006. Retrieved on August 23, 2007] This matter remained under scrutiny as the series moved on, with a review from "School Library Journal" being generally neutral, claiming that the continued series includes "characters and situations that are interesting yet familiar." [Davidson, S. [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6404361.html?q=Invitation+Only 'School Library Journal' Review] "schoollibraryjournal.com". January 1, 2007. Retrieved on August 23, 2007] "Children's Literature" praised Brian's writing style for presenting "a very easy read, broken up into small chapters that allow the quick pace to carry the reader through."

In a survey conducted via the Website polldaddy.com, [ [http://www.behindthepulse.com/privatefun/ 'Private' poll] "behindthepulse.com"] readers of the "Private" series voted Reed Brennan their favorite Billings Girl. Conversely, a more critical review from "School Library Journal" claimed that in the first book, several elements of her personality were left underdeveloped, including her apparent lack of ability to "empathize at all with her mother's pain-killer addiction." [Riley, S. [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6358982.html 'School Library Journal' Review] "schoollibraryjournal.com". August 8, 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2008]

On January 15, 2008, Kate Brian posted an excerpt from "Legacy" on her MySpace blog, which was met with generally positive feedback.

There has been controversy regarding Brian’s grasp of the characters’ names and physical appearance. Throughout the beginning of the series, when the character of Kiki is first introduced, her last name is Rosen. However, as the series progresses, her name switched to Kiki Thorpe. Also, one of the secondary characters, Joshua Hollis, possesses green eyes in "Private", "Invitation Only", and "Inner Circle", but has blue eyes in the other installments. A critic stated in a review for "Amazon.com" that the appearances of many of the secondary characters, with the exception of a few, changes "with each new installment." [ [http://www.amazon.com/Ambition-Private-Book-Kate-Brian/dp/1416958827/ref=pd_sim_b_1 'Amazon.com'] "amazon.com". May 8, 2008. Retrieved on September 27, 2008]

"Private", multi-media

Trailer

To promote the release of "Inner Circle", Simon & Schuster teamed with the New York Film Academy in 2007 to produce an Internet-released live-action trailer for the novel. Written, produced, and directed by John Paschall, the short film is included in "Amazon.com"'s "Reel Reads."

Fan campaign

Fans of "Private" are currently campaigning for the series to be adapted into a television program or feature-length film. This appeal is bolstered by the fact that the series' publisher, Simon & Schuster, is owned by CBS Corporation, and thereby associated with CBS and the CW Television Network. On June 10, 2008, Kate Brian posted a link on her MySpace blog directing readers to a fan-organized petition regarding a proposed TV series or motion picture. Following this author referral, activity on the petition saw a fast and drastic increase.

Notes