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A review by ninaprime
It's a Privilege Just to Be Here by Emma Sasaki
3.0
3.5 stars - mixed feelings. Sasaki seemed aggressively critical of private schools without considering their positive impacts, including on her own life, and her perspective through Megumi in particular came out so rudely that it turned me off. Aki is a more complex character to me - I could relate to her conditioning by her parents to be respectful, value institutions and superiors, and not rock the boat but she was so weak with such pitiful relationships with her family that I couldn't respect her. And the ending was very wtf -
On the positive side, the scathing critique of the college industrial complex and rich helicopter parents was so spot on and hilarious, as was the depictions of certain school teacher/administrator stereotypes. Also reading it in the context of the current DEI backlash and recent election did make me value the point she was trying to make around what creates inclusivity and how diversity programs can be shaped effectively rather than be performative gestures.
GU Book Club selection, November 2024.
Spoiler
not only was it unclear who actually wrote the hateful graffiti and why, the characters didn't seem to have developed in any real way from the events.On the positive side, the scathing critique of the college industrial complex and rich helicopter parents was so spot on and hilarious, as was the depictions of certain school teacher/administrator stereotypes. Also reading it in the context of the current DEI backlash and recent election did make me value the point she was trying to make around what creates inclusivity and how diversity programs can be shaped effectively rather than be performative gestures.
GU Book Club selection, November 2024.