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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First off, this book is not for everyone. It's a coming-of-age story with a frustrating main character which will definitely put a lot of people off. I personally thought though that Sittenfield did a masterful job forming the character of Lee and the entire Ault environment. I think anyone who's been to a boarding school or smaller liberal arts college (🙋🏼♀️) will find a lot that's relatable in this book.
I'm still astounded this was Sittenfield's debut that she wrote at 29! I'll definitely be reading others of hers now.
I'm still astounded this was Sittenfield's debut that she wrote at 29! I'll definitely be reading others of hers now.
I don't get what all the hype was about when this book was published. I didn't connect with Lee, the narrator. I grew up outside Princeton and two prestigious prep schools; I know people who went to these prep schools. I figured I'd enjoy this, but I didn't. I hoped that I'd see Lee develop as a person, like I did when I went to a private HS, but she never seemed to. She was constantly continually emotionally closed off and rarely let anyone inside her world. I wanted to slap some sense into her.
And I'm annoyed that I paid money for this book, even though I got it at a discount.
And I'm annoyed that I paid money for this book, even though I got it at a discount.
I did not enjoy this book at all.
Lee is incredibly annoying and entirely unrelatable. In the beginning I was determined to give her a chance, but she never redeemed herself. She believes that she is the only person in the world who is self-conscious, lonely, or an outsider. She is entirely too wrapped up in the most minute details of everyday life and could not complete a single action or hold a conversation without worrying about the impression she was giving. She is obsessive about the most stupid, trivial things, moons over people she views as popular or successful, and fails to remain loyal to anyone in her life due to her own self-doubt. Her behavior towards her family was unacceptable, and in the end, she even displays negative thoughts towards Martha - who happens to be the only character I liked.
In addition, I did not appreciate Sittenfeld's writing style. Some aspects of the story were so waded down with meaningless and wordy drama surrounding Lee that I found myself zoning out. The jumps back and forth between present-Lee and future-Lee felt choppy and unnecessary. The references in Prep to race, body image, gender, and other topics were shallow and at times offensive.
It is rare that I hate a book, but Prep felt like a chore to finish. Overall, I disliked both the protagonist and the writing style of Prep and would not recommend it.
Lee is incredibly annoying and entirely unrelatable. In the beginning I was determined to give her a chance, but she never redeemed herself. She believes that she is the only person in the world who is self-conscious, lonely, or an outsider. She is entirely too wrapped up in the most minute details of everyday life and could not complete a single action or hold a conversation without worrying about the impression she was giving. She is obsessive about the most stupid, trivial things, moons over people she views as popular or successful, and fails to remain loyal to anyone in her life due to her own self-doubt. Her behavior towards her family was unacceptable, and in the end, she even displays negative thoughts towards Martha - who happens to be the only character I liked.
In addition, I did not appreciate Sittenfeld's writing style. Some aspects of the story were so waded down with meaningless and wordy drama surrounding Lee that I found myself zoning out. The jumps back and forth between present-Lee and future-Lee felt choppy and unnecessary. The references in Prep to race, body image, gender, and other topics were shallow and at times offensive.
It is rare that I hate a book, but Prep felt like a chore to finish. Overall, I disliked both the protagonist and the writing style of Prep and would not recommend it.
Captures the hyper self-consciousness that most people lose after high school...Beautiful. Especially if you still suffer from self-consciousness.
I thought people were being negative in their reviews, but the protagonist in this book is awful. Getting through the story through her eyes was so frustrating, and several times throughout the book I thought she needed to seek therapy. She is so detached from reality and has no clue what is really going on. She essentially misses her entire boarding school experience reveling in sadness that she manufactured. Even in the end, when she tell you what happened to everyone else, she doesn't even see herself as worthwhile enough to let you know what became of her after high school. I wanted to see where the story goes, but if you are debating putting the book down as I was, don't waste your time. Put the book down.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really good book - I love the setting and the main character was really well-written.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A solid coming of age story.