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k80uva's review against another edition
4.0
A little uneven, but also ambitious, interesting, and entertaining. Hangs together better than the movie.
debi_g's review against another edition
3.0
This 477-pager could certainly have been shortened without loss, though the prose reflects the psychological stasis of the main character. Portions of the novel are masterfully tense, demanding reader attention. I found most characters --especially the Quest group-- likable and fascinating. Snippets of supposed admissions essays prefacing each chapter signal the author's skill, for they convincingly embody tone and voice commonly seen in student writing. The idiomatic errors, such as with the use of the words myriad and everyday realistically belied the students' efforts to portray themselves as erudite.
This aptly titled book appealed to me while I was traveling through the areas where it is set, and noticed the abundance of elite school decals on car windows in the region. Adding to the appeal was the fact that the main character is my age and has some facets in common with me. The narrative perspective offered in Admission is new, and the lengthy, repetitious explanations of ethics exist for a purpose.
This aptly titled book appealed to me while I was traveling through the areas where it is set, and noticed the abundance of elite school decals on car windows in the region. Adding to the appeal was the fact that the main character is my age and has some facets in common with me. The narrative perspective offered in Admission is new, and the lengthy, repetitious explanations of ethics exist for a purpose.
dcmr's review against another edition
3.0
A mixed bag -- the first half was fresh and engaging, but the second half lagged with excess and the plot twist seemed implausible. It's too bad, really, because a sharp editor could have really pruned and honed this novel to make it shine.
abikennedy's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book overall. At times it moved slow, but I was still interested in the story to kept reading. I could tell there was a twist and didn't see it coming, which was an interesting element. I have not seen the movie, but knowing who played the characters and it being portrayed as a comedy, this book surprised me. It's not a comedy/funny book. There are moments of funny, but overall it's a serious book that tackles some big issues. Overall I liked it, but it wasn't what I expected.
gailcarroll's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
finesilkflower's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
Slow-paced and predictable plot, heavy-handed and first-novely at times, but the idea of centering the POV of an admissions officer was novel enough to keep me interested and I felt the book was fairly convincing at portraying students' essays and the admissions officer's reactions to them. IDK if this was the intention but it left me feeling that colleges should all be closed for good.
kacharles's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
kandicez's review against another edition
2.0
2 and a 1/2 stars, but since that's not an option, I don't feel like bumping it to 3.
My opinion probably suffered because I went into this book expecting something completely different. I read it because my daughter loves the movie, which stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Because of them I expected it to be lighter than it was, and if not actually funny, at least amusing. It was neither. It was very, very heavy and dense. The entire book is an internal journey for Portia, the main character. There was very little that actually happened.
I don't want to spoil anything, although the "big reveal" which doesn't occur until about page 350, is so nonchalantly slipped in that I didn't feel surprised, or even have that "ah ha!" moment, where NOW things make sense. It was all too internal and personal for me to care very much.
The ending was also a let down. When Portia's life changing event is revealed, and she realizes how it has colored and made her hold eveyone at arms length since, I expected her to DO something! To be fair, she does something, but it's just not that big of a deal, and she never even goes so far as to find actual proof of her suspicions.
A definite whimper as opposed to a bang.
I also had to rate the novel low for it's shear length. There was no reason it took over 500 pages to tell this story. There were pages and pages of droning where I would read and read and realize my eyes had glazed over because what I was reading meant nothing to me or the story and wasn't even interesting besides.
Maybe if I had approached the novel with no expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but, unfortunately we can't go back. I just didn't enjoy it.
My opinion probably suffered because I went into this book expecting something completely different. I read it because my daughter loves the movie, which stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Because of them I expected it to be lighter than it was, and if not actually funny, at least amusing. It was neither. It was very, very heavy and dense. The entire book is an internal journey for Portia, the main character. There was very little that actually happened.
I don't want to spoil anything, although the "big reveal" which doesn't occur until about page 350, is so nonchalantly slipped in that I didn't feel surprised, or even have that "ah ha!" moment, where NOW things make sense. It was all too internal and personal for me to care very much.
The ending was also a let down. When Portia's life changing event is revealed, and she realizes how it has colored and made her hold eveyone at arms length since, I expected her to DO something! To be fair, she does something, but it's just not that big of a deal, and she never even goes so far as to find actual proof of her suspicions.
A definite whimper as opposed to a bang.
I also had to rate the novel low for it's shear length. There was no reason it took over 500 pages to tell this story. There were pages and pages of droning where I would read and read and realize my eyes had glazed over because what I was reading meant nothing to me or the story and wasn't even interesting besides.
Maybe if I had approached the novel with no expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but, unfortunately we can't go back. I just didn't enjoy it.
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it and couldn't get wait to get back to it every time I put it down. It was somewhat disconcerting to realize I had already seen the movie adaptation when I was about a quarter of the way through. Portia was an interesting character, and her personal drama revealed itself at a good pace. The ending was a little too neatly brought together, but I enjoyed it a lot.