Hazing Meri Sugarman Bk. 3:
Dark Cindy
by M. Apostolina

    DARK CINDY by M. Apostolina
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  12/06
    Publisher:  Simon Pulse
    Reviewed by:  Amber Gibson
    Rating:  5 Stars


    DARK CINDY is the perfect conclusion to the battle between Meri and Cindy. Sort of like a delicious chocolate
    éclair after a scrumptious twelve-course meal at some fancy gourmet restaurant. I just couldn't get enough! HAZING
    MERI SUGARMAN, MERI STRIKES BACK, and DARK CINDY are easily the best collection of teen chick-lit
    I've ever read!

    In the latest installment of this sorority girl good vs. evil battle, Cindy decides that she's done playing nice. It's time to
    roll up her sleeves and play dirty. Buh-bye Cindy Bixby…hello Dark Cindy. After all of the pain that Meri has caused
    Cindy, the girl has got it coming. Meri just doesn't know what's hit her when suddenly her sweet little bow-wow
    transforms into a leather-wearing, skateboard-riding, bad girl. Dark Cindy doesn't mess around. She's going to get
    her way, and she's not going to feel bad about it.

    In so many books, the protagonist decides that they need to "take the high road" and not fight back. It's so refreshing
    and satisfying to see Cindy stand up to that standard and really stick it to her enemy. It's not that Cindy abandons all
    of her morals, but she realizes that you have to fight fire with fire. It's not going to be pretty, but sometimes there are
    no alternatives. Cindy's a tough girl and she comes up with some wildly clever schemes to defeat Meri. But all the
    while, she maintains a vulnerable side in her diary entries that makes her a lovable character.

    What really separates M. Apostolina's writing from average teen chick-lit is the depth of the supporting characters.
    All of the characters, from Cindy's friends to Meri's henchwomen, come to life and play an important role in the plot.
    Cindy's little sister, Lissa, provides comic relief throughout the story, with her wannabe ghetto rockstar antics. Overall,
    this is a fabulous book that I would recommend to girls and guys of all ages.