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karenmaloney's review against another edition
2.0
A lot of verbal diarrhea. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it, but I really felt like we beat the dead horse, otherwise known as the admissions process, A LOT. I have not seen the movie, but I was really questioning why someone would read this and think it would make a good movie. they must have really beefed up the relationship and interactions between Portia and John...
audimka's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
holly_117's review
2.0
2.5 stars I feel like this book should have been 150-200 pages shorter. Parts of this book were really interesting, but other parts really dragged. Portia is not an entirely likeable character - she's paralyzed by the smallest upsets in her life, so when some really huge life changes happen, she totally melts down. This is where the book kind of fell apart for me. There's way too much description of Portia's depression, how she doesn't eat, barely sleeps, doesn't shower or wear clean clothes, etc.
The parts of the book talking about the college admissions process and the other characters were more interesting. It's a fairly fast read even though it's over 600 pages in paperback.
The parts of the book talking about the college admissions process and the other characters were more interesting. It's a fairly fast read even though it's over 600 pages in paperback.
marcies_8's review against another edition
4.0
Halfway through I realized I'd watched the movie a few years ago and had a hard time from that point onward not picturing Tina Fey as the main character. Very wordy. I know more about university admissions than I ever needed to know, if it was all based on fact. I loved the idea of the book but the lack of dialogue throughout made reading pages and pages of description very tedious.
gaderianne's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a bit surprising...I'll ad,it that I was expecting a fluffy kind of read. But this wasn't fluffy. Sure, there was a romance storyline, but most of this book had more depth than that. It had a lot of introspection and I appreciated that.
kristenzucht's review against another edition
2.0
overlong. i seriously thought it would never end. a great story is in there somewhere, but the storytelling left a lot to be desired.
marie_gg's review against another edition
3.0
Although I imagine the author wrote this as an affectionate tribute to ivy league universities and colleges and the stress and trauma of the admissions process in general, I found myself relieved not to have attended an ivy league university and hoping that none of my sons have that desire. I don't think I could handle the stress...or the other parents!
In the early 80s when I took the SAT, I took it ONCE. I did not study beforehand or take any SAT preparation classes. Things are so different nowadays...yet the average scores appear not to have risen by much. However, the SAT scores for Ivy League university admittees have.
The author did not seem to recognize that lower-key, private universities can provide excellent alternatives for students who are seeking a smaller, more focused environment than major state systems can give. On a couple of occasions, the main character (Portia) thinks about the other options a rejected Princeton applicant might have, and she doesn't consider this highly viable option. I was able to get the close-knit, intimate attention from my professors at a small private university...which was not nearly as cut-throat or competitive as the Ivy Leagues.
I had a hard time feeling empathy for Portia (which I'm sure was the point) until I was over halfway through the book. I suppose I find it difficult to understand people (even imaginary characters) who have sad, depressing, emotionless lives and who are not able to make the necessary choices to improve their lots. Life is too short to not be happy...or at least attempt to be happy.
The last quarter of the book was an improvement, as I started caring more about what would happen to the main character.
If you are interested in the ivy leagues or the college admissions process in general, I would definitely recommend this book. Overall, I enjoyed it.
In the early 80s when I took the SAT, I took it ONCE. I did not study beforehand or take any SAT preparation classes. Things are so different nowadays...yet the average scores appear not to have risen by much. However, the SAT scores for Ivy League university admittees have.
The author did not seem to recognize that lower-key, private universities can provide excellent alternatives for students who are seeking a smaller, more focused environment than major state systems can give. On a couple of occasions, the main character (Portia) thinks about the other options a rejected Princeton applicant might have, and she doesn't consider this highly viable option. I was able to get the close-knit, intimate attention from my professors at a small private university...which was not nearly as cut-throat or competitive as the Ivy Leagues.
I had a hard time feeling empathy for Portia (which I'm sure was the point) until I was over halfway through the book. I suppose I find it difficult to understand people (even imaginary characters) who have sad, depressing, emotionless lives and who are not able to make the necessary choices to improve their lots. Life is too short to not be happy...or at least attempt to be happy.
The last quarter of the book was an improvement, as I started caring more about what would happen to the main character.
If you are interested in the ivy leagues or the college admissions process in general, I would definitely recommend this book. Overall, I enjoyed it.
19paws's review against another edition
4.0
A great story with tons of interesting details about the college admission process among the Ivy Leagues. Actually that detail was more interesting to me than the actual plot of the book. I loved the snippets of college application essays at the start of each chapter.
The author has a major bug up her butt about vegans which was most annoying, but other than that, it was a great book!
The author has a major bug up her butt about vegans which was most annoying, but other than that, it was a great book!
alireadsandknits's review against another edition
3.0
Was surprised by this book. Purchased it for $1.00 after the movie came out and thought it was a comedy. Not so. Much better than I anticipated.
marthagal's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this. Interesting insight into the life of an admissions counselor - it made me wonder what they had to say about me back in the day.