Winner Take All

Gr 10 Up—Nell Becker always plays to win, no matter what the competition. She's determined to prove her right to attend Cedar Woods Preparatory Academy by outperforming the best and brightest, not to mention wealthiest, of the student body. If her mother wasn't headmaster, her family could never have afforded to send her to the exclusive school. Her mother is a role model who never misses an opportunity to remind Nell of her high expectations.. Trailing Nell by a tenth of a grade point is her chief competition for valedictorian, Jackson Hart. Despite his imperious attitude, Jackson's wealth and striking good looks have earned him a place as every teacher's pet. Nell could swear she's never seen him crack open a textbook. He has become an obsession for her; the ease with which he aces every test, the never-ending train of girls who fall for his lies, the way he constantly baits her with arguments she can't possibly win. There is no passion greater than her hatred for Jackson Hart—until Jackson begins to unexpectedly confide in her, and that passion takes a 180-degree turn. Devore has written her protagonist as driven, selfish, and, at times, totally despicable. Jackson, by contrast, seems the more affable character. But, a clever plot twist reveals just how quick we are to judge the behavior of girls more harshly than that of boys.