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ckcolet's review
5.0
If you are an incoming freshman in college, this book is a must read. This book made me realize that you should think about the goals you set for yourself and evaluate if they are worth pursuing.
bayy245's review
1.0
I can't do it. I DNfed at 10%. She's so awful and soulless. She's really annoying and all she cares about is getting into Stanford. She looks down upon everyone else who doesn't solely focus on school work. I was in the top ten percent at my high school. I know how this works. There's no way you don't have at least one friend. Like come on. She really didn't have a soul. Like she was kind of a robot and she only did things to get ahead. She was rude to her mom and she was just flat. Like why was she going to all these lengths to write her novel in 27 days just to get into Stanford? Spoiler alert there's other Ivy Leagues. You're not entitled to Stanford because you say so. Ugh. So bad.
charmaineac's review
5.0
Oh my goodness, this book was so incredibly TWISTED. Reshma is an unlikeable anti-hero, and yet I can somehow... identify with her? I've been a study machine most of my life, although I've definitely angled to be a "perfect" time and time again. I know how much it means to WIN over everything else, although I don't see myself stooping to her levels of immorality. She winds up in a place I never would have expected (great third solution), which is almost better than anything else that could've become of her. I would still like to see where she ends up in a few years though.
The other characters were also portrayed realistically, yet somewhat ridiculously (such as Dr. Wasserman, for example). I loved George and Alex — they are flawed yet amazing characters. And don't we all know a Chelsea? Her composure is admirable.
I found the Aakash storyline hilarious, just because both of them were so researched. It's like they were performing a play!
The story also hit on a lot of racial truths. Some people might be uncomfortable whenever race is brought up where they don't see it, but racial minorities see the race aspect every time. Being a model-minority Asian means having to be 10x better to get to the same place. And yes, the rules keep changing to the point that intangibles are more important than anything else (I never realized that before!). So how do merit-based grinders succeed, when the system now allows for subtle (or blatant) racism? I also laughed at the point of there being just four acceptable jobs (lawyer, doctor, ibanker, or tech enthusiast) — in this day and age, it's so true! I like how Ms. Ratcliffe was misguided to think that Reshma's parents were the driving force behind her mania.
Overall, a lot of cynical truths from a crazy protagonist. Sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow, but always a good time to read. Huge fan!
The other characters were also portrayed realistically, yet somewhat ridiculously (such as Dr. Wasserman, for example). I loved George and Alex — they are flawed yet amazing characters. And don't we all know a Chelsea? Her composure is admirable.
I found the Aakash storyline hilarious, just because both of them were so researched. It's like they were performing a play!
The story also hit on a lot of racial truths. Some people might be uncomfortable whenever race is brought up where they don't see it, but racial minorities see the race aspect every time. Being a model-minority Asian means having to be 10x better to get to the same place. And yes, the rules keep changing to the point that intangibles are more important than anything else (I never realized that before!). So how do merit-based grinders succeed, when the system now allows for subtle (or blatant) racism? I also laughed at the point of there being just four acceptable jobs (lawyer, doctor, ibanker, or tech enthusiast) — in this day and age, it's so true! I like how Ms. Ratcliffe was misguided to think that Reshma's parents were the driving force behind her mania.
Overall, a lot of cynical truths from a crazy protagonist. Sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow, but always a good time to read. Huge fan!
healnotslay's review
5.0
i don't actually know what the plot was but it was good
i can see how people would hate the mc like she is so vile & ruthless
i can see how people would hate the mc like she is so vile & ruthless
rcaivano's review
Reshma is a high school over achiever who will stop at nothing to get what she wants - admission to Stanford. She does nothing but study. She has no friends and no social life. When she doesn't get the grades she thinks she deserves, she badgers her teachers, and even sues them, until she does. But she needs a hook for her college application essay, so she decides she will write a book, based on herself, get an agent, and that will clinch it. She decides she needs to 1) make friends 2) go to a party 3) get a boyfriend and 4) have sex. Then she'l have what she needs for her book. But she also needs to be valedictorian, and will stop at nothing, including suing her school once more, to make that happen.
michellehshen's review
1.0
Too much metafiction and the narrator's voice was extremely unpleasant
Did not like Reshma as the antihero, and there was a lack of plot and characterization
Did not like Reshma as the antihero, and there was a lack of plot and characterization
alexisgracev's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carry_on_ames's review
3.0
I don't know what to say. This was a very meh book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. Reshma was a bit of a spoiled brat, but overall I didn't mind her. It was a good book, it just wasn't anything special.
azagee's review
3.0
I had no idea what to expect going into this book and, honestly, I was just as confused coming out of it.
Reshma Kapoor is the kind of character I live to adore. Unreliable narrators always hold a special place in my heart, and Reshma had the added bonus of reminding me of a personal favourite flawed heroine-- Emma Woodhouse.
The similarities to Jane Austen's Emma were what drew me in, I'll admit. The idea of a modern Emma, one who takes herself and her talents seriously, was endlessly appealing. And, in that respect, I wasn't disappointed. There were definitely parallels, right down to the misguided quest for a friend and the love interest with a level head and a healthy outlook on life.
He was even named George.
As I read, though, I stopped thinking of Reshma as a the newest iteration of my old love, and instead, she became a person in her own right. Everything about her screamed to be given its due, and with every chapter she became more and more real to me. Slowly, I was even finding pieces of myself in a character who had once seemed my opposite in every way.
No matter what I have to say about the book, I will always love Reshma.
Sadly, though, the story didn't live up to its leading lady.
While the plot definitely had potential, the execution was severely lacking. The pacing was clunky and uneven, the secondary characters were flat and unappealing, and the interpersonal relationships didn't develop so much as they suddenly pivoted in a new direction with no forewarning. While some of this might have been intentional. as this is the diary of a girl who is both self-centered and deep in denial, it made for a wholly unpleasant reading experience. Most of it was tolerable (and, honestly, par for the course for a YA contemporary), the way the plots and subplots are handled left the book a tangled, unorganized mess.
The most egregious example is Reshma's therapy plotline: While the author manages to 'slip in' the fact that Reshma has bipolar disorder, it's really only recognizable to those already familiar with the disorder. The only other purpose the subplot seems to serve (and, indeed, perhaps its chief function) is hamfistedly dishing out both meta and comic relief in ways that made me deeply uncomfortable. In a novel that otherwise presented its characters with the utmost seriousness, having mental illness be represented by a caricature was actually kind of shocking... in the worst way. This couldn't even be explained away as an examination of thing that are actually wrong with the treatment of the neurodivergent, it was just awkward and, honestly, a chore to read.
However, the book handled the subjects of addiction and White Saviour racism so well, I could almost forgive it--
And that is precisely the problem. Enter Title Here offers the wonderful and the terrible in equal measures. The result is something hard to describe and a mess of emotions you won't know what to do with. Would I recommend it? I honestly don't know. Maybe on a case by case basis, depending on what the reader found important and wanted from their next read.
But in general, I'm still just as lost as everyone who hasn't read it.
Reshma Kapoor is the kind of character I live to adore. Unreliable narrators always hold a special place in my heart, and Reshma had the added bonus of reminding me of a personal favourite flawed heroine-- Emma Woodhouse.
The similarities to Jane Austen's Emma were what drew me in, I'll admit. The idea of a modern Emma, one who takes herself and her talents seriously, was endlessly appealing. And, in that respect, I wasn't disappointed. There were definitely parallels, right down to the misguided quest for a friend and the love interest with a level head and a healthy outlook on life.
He was even named George.
As I read, though, I stopped thinking of Reshma as a the newest iteration of my old love, and instead, she became a person in her own right. Everything about her screamed to be given its due, and with every chapter she became more and more real to me. Slowly, I was even finding pieces of myself in a character who had once seemed my opposite in every way.
No matter what I have to say about the book, I will always love Reshma.
Sadly, though, the story didn't live up to its leading lady.
While the plot definitely had potential, the execution was severely lacking. The pacing was clunky and uneven, the secondary characters were flat and unappealing, and the interpersonal relationships didn't develop so much as they suddenly pivoted in a new direction with no forewarning. While some of this might have been intentional. as this is the diary of a girl who is both self-centered and deep in denial, it made for a wholly unpleasant reading experience. Most of it was tolerable (and, honestly, par for the course for a YA contemporary), the way the plots and subplots are handled left the book a tangled, unorganized mess.
The most egregious example is Reshma's therapy plotline: While the author manages to 'slip in' the fact that Reshma has bipolar disorder, it's really only recognizable to those already familiar with the disorder. The only other purpose the subplot seems to serve (and, indeed, perhaps its chief function) is hamfistedly dishing out both meta and comic relief in ways that made me deeply uncomfortable. In a novel that otherwise presented its characters with the utmost seriousness, having mental illness be represented by a caricature was actually kind of shocking... in the worst way. This couldn't even be explained away as an examination of thing that are actually wrong with the treatment of the neurodivergent, it was just awkward and, honestly, a chore to read.
However, the book handled the subjects of addiction and White Saviour racism so well, I could almost forgive it--
And that is precisely the problem. Enter Title Here offers the wonderful and the terrible in equal measures. The result is something hard to describe and a mess of emotions you won't know what to do with. Would I recommend it? I honestly don't know. Maybe on a case by case basis, depending on what the reader found important and wanted from their next read.
But in general, I'm still just as lost as everyone who hasn't read it.
isabelkitarj's review
2.0
It has the metafictional elements of [b:The Basic Eight|10997|The Basic Eight|Daniel Handler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442649478l/10997._SY75_.jpg|518224], and the unlikeable, slightly-queasy-making protagonist of both The Basic Eight and [b:Prep|9844|Prep|Curtis Sittenfeld|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925666l/9844._SY75_.jpg|2317177]. Reshma is also a bit like a more off-putting but equally intense version of the girls in Booksmart (though at least they had each other!).
Some of Reshma's qualities, like her intense focus on excelling according to a set of metrics, her super-high-stakes view of the college admissions project, and her experience trading fun in high school for good grades, are familiar and remind me either of myself or of my high school as a whole. It's fun and also cringe-y to read this exaggerated version of the very real experience that is attending a pressure-cooker high school. (And, even though Palo Alto is renamed Las Vacas, the high school in this novel is quite literally described as being located on the street corner where Palo Alto High is.)
The writing isn't that strong, most of the characters beyond Reshma are drawn only with broad, impressionistic strokes, and the metafictional conceit drags quite a bit. Some of the characters, like Ms. Ratcliffe, never really felt real to me. The plot is fairly predictable, but sort of tries to excuse its predictability with a claim to parody. At the same time, it was a quick and engaging read.
Some of Reshma's qualities, like her intense focus on excelling according to a set of metrics, her super-high-stakes view of the college admissions project, and her experience trading fun in high school for good grades, are familiar and remind me either of myself or of my high school as a whole. It's fun and also cringe-y to read this exaggerated version of the very real experience that is attending a pressure-cooker high school. (And, even though Palo Alto is renamed Las Vacas, the high school in this novel is quite literally described as being located on the street corner where Palo Alto High is.)
The writing isn't that strong, most of the characters beyond Reshma are drawn only with broad, impressionistic strokes, and the metafictional conceit drags quite a bit. Some of the characters, like Ms. Ratcliffe, never really felt real to me. The plot is fairly predictable, but sort of tries to excuse its predictability with a claim to parody. At the same time, it was a quick and engaging read.