Reviews

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

sofiaf10's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jillyjpeg's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lee’s character is so over the top dramatic sometimes, but in a way that i think the majority of teenagers feel. especially teenagers who don’t experience a lick of social interaction throughout high school. everything is the end of the world when the context of your world is encompassed in 15 years. it is also heartbreaking at times - the cringe of parents not understanding your generation’s social codes, the disgusting lengths we go to for our crushes to notice or care about us, the paranoia of someone always hating you or making fun of you. what the book did pretty well for its time was diving into the class and racial divides that white rich people think they can ignore and poc are forced to pretend doesn’t exist for survival. what the book does not do well is succinctly explain any of lee’s various observations of other people; i had to skip entire paragraphs sometimes because i don’t care about nick chaffee’s glances at other girls and what that means. another reviewer wrote that this author overwrites - yes, this book could’ve been 150-200 pages less. i also appreciated the perspective of lee as an adult, it created a lot more meaning to lee’s difficult experiences.

erinastin's review against another edition

5.0

As a boarding school girlie, I have never resonated with anything so deeply in my life. A new all-time favorite for sure

maggiesasha's review against another edition

4.0

I loved Lee’s voice but I felt that nothing really happened until the last 60 ish pages.

nerdalert219's review against another edition

DNF @ of 74. Just not getting into the story.

laelm10's review against another edition

5.0

the first book I ever felt throat punched by (in a good way)

flippyphippy's review against another edition

5.0

Definitely one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a lot of books.

This book and Catcher in the Rye are my two favorites. For many who loved catcher in the rye, you will enjoy this book.

kimthroughbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kippersandjam's review against another edition

1.0

#3 Prep - Curtis Sittenfield.


This book was on recommendation from my AM. Now, I think my hopes were too high. I'm not sure. But, I can safely say that I did not enjoy this book, and that felt wrong. I haven't not enjoyed a novel for a very long while, and this reminded me how much I can feel disappointed, let-down and just....betrayed by a book. I couldn't wait to finish it, and not in the good way.


It follows the time of a young girl at boarding school. I would like to say her frolics, her adventues, her feelings, her progression and development. She's so....so......wet! Ergh. If I knew her, I'd slap her. It's quite a slow read, and I guess in some ways you can see what the authors getting at; that someimes, some people don't change, don't grow and don't develop due to their experiences. The characters are quite real, I guess, given the private education background (I feel I can say that given I was...although I'm not sure if it's right) but it's still...infuriating!

Maybe I'm in the wrong mindset for it. It does have hope, and I can understand why it's a good novel, really. Deep down. I feel like I need to give it a second chance, a bit like a relationship you're so sure you can make work. But then again, they always say that you break up for a reason.

lucyismyname's review against another edition

5.0

The realism of this book is incredible. I have never identified with another character more than with the protagonist (Lee) - which is incredibly unfortunate, because I then went on to read blog posts and reviews about this book and found out that, for most readers, Lee was the most unlikable protagonist they have even been in the head of; for example, “the main character is a self-involved, miserable, jealous, personification of every negative stereotype that men say about women”.

There were some aspects of the character that I didn’t identify with, particularly around how she approached relationships - but even the thought patterns and behaviours that had never rung true for me, I knew would for other people.