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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
If you’re looking for a character study on socially anxious teens, on the impact of money and class in boarding schools, this one may be for you. You’ll likely want to reach through the pages and shake the protagonist, because Sittenfeld pulls you right into the world of Lee Fiora’s Ault School.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was intrigued by this concept but I hated the protagonist so much it was difficult to make it through this. IMO, this could not possibly be an accurate representation of anyone’s high school experience; even an anxious over-thinker doesn’t think nearly THIS much. She shot herself in the foot a way-more-than-acceptable amount of times to the point that I didn’t have much sympathy left for her by the end.
Her descriptions of class difference are spot-on. Unfortunately, the narrative falters with no underlying drive beyond her observations. A thoroughly unsympathetic protagonist drags it down further. Great potential here, and I look forward to seeing how the author develops.
This is a frightfully good book, about a girl's experience through 4 years of boarding school. Well written, complex, detailed, rich. An ambitious first novel that succeeds.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Lee was unlikable but so very relatable. Prep school sounds horrible. Martha could have been a more complex character. Even still I like Curtis’ writing too much to not rate this at least 4 stars
I don't believe this book can be called chick-lit, strictly speaking, if only because it is certainly not written for teenagers, and the reason only women are likely to read the entire thing is because adult men would not possibly put up with the internal agonizing going on in protagonist Lee Fiora's head throughout. I did not enjoy the experience of reading the book, per se, but was unable to stop, largely because I, like some other reviewers, thought 'It must get better,' and also because I was strangely fascinated with Lee's anxious process of making friends or avoiding making them. Some parts did ring true, although I did not feel happier for having identified with this character. In fact, the book made me feel anxious myself! Not one I'd necessarily recommend, although I'm still inclined to give Curtis Sittenfeld another chance, someday.
File under: true to life, but not to a part I'd choose to relive.
File under: true to life, but not to a part I'd choose to relive.
2.5/5 rounded up. Interesting insight to life at a prep school but parts of it dragged for me.