Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m rereading The Secret History and loving it, but it‘s slow going. Hope I can still get to many on this board! #bookspinbingo

I would have been impressed with this if it was written pre college admissions scandal of 2019. But this is basically “torn from the headlines” and full of regurgitated stories of what happened in real life. Unfortunately the lack of originality and spin on a true story made me feel like I was just rereading about the scandal.

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#arc #netgalley #youngadult

Found a #pantone2022 match for my latest completed read!

I enjoyed this YA novel, which I‘m guessing is based on the Lori Loughlin college admissions scandal. The privilege and entitlement made me roll my eyes quite a bit, but I like that this is told from the POV of the daughter, Chloe, whose parents paid/lied to get her into the college of her dreams. Chloe‘s mom, a Hollywood B-list actress, becomes the public face of the scandal, and Chloe has to face some hard truths-about herself and her mother.

While I enjoyed Tell Me Three Things more, I love the character development and other details Buxbaum uses in her novels. Many of the characters should not be likable as they are involved in a scandal they themselves created based on white privilege, but the author's writing conjures empathy, which to me, is a sign of excellent writing.

I work in Higher Ed so I have been fascinated by the Varsity Blues scandal, especially the celebrities involved. This is a fictional YA take on that story and while it kept my interest I think it was a little too sympathetic to those involved. Especially the parents. Maybe I need to read the true crime version instead. This is my #BookSpin for April.

What I loved about this is how Buxbaum slowly shifted the tension from the Now chapters to the Then chapters over the course of the novel, it kept me glued to the book. Buxbaum spins a great story out of the college admissions scandal, it‘s got a depth and growth I didn‘t expect but quite enjoyed.

Book 2/5 for #MarvellousMarch

This book was amazing! I love that it explores so much about privilege and just what a person can do just to get ahead... It felt jarring and I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook! #ya

I wasn't expecting much from this but entertainment; it was more thought provoking than I anticipated and I liked that aspect a lot.

This was a ripped from the headlines book. Based off the college admissions scandal. For me this was between a pick and a so-so. Buxbaum‘s previous books were different from this one. They were ones that for me pulled on my heart strings. I preferred her other books to this one.

#bookspinbingo

4⭐ This was much more of a compelling page-turner than I expected! I really liked this one. #ya

A ripped from the headlines novel from the perspective of a kid whose parents were a part of the college admissions scandal, this was well written but I just didn‘t really connect to any of the characters enough to make me happy to have read it. I still gave it to my daughter for Christmas though. 😂 Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-admission-by-julie-buxbaum.html

I did like this book due to it being a quick read with great writing, but YA is generally not for me. I dislike teen angst and bad decisions that tend to come with being a teenager. Also, I felt so angry watching the news throughout the Varsity Blues scandal due to the privilege these families had and their general self entitlement. I tried to relate to the main character but it was difficult.

Daughter Christmas present number two on deck.

Has anyone else been watching or participating in the #yallstayhome virtual book festival? Going on yesterday and today. A lot of these YA authors I‘m not familiar with, but I‘m finding myself sucked in and enjoying it quite a lot.

I have to admit, the #SweetValley vibes oozing off this cover is what originally caught my eye- though I enjoyed Buxbaum‘s previous novel set at Wood Valley High School. The plot here is ripped right from the headlines of the celebrity college admission scandal. 17 year old Chloe narrates this behind-the-scenes look in alternating “then” & “now” sections detailing the buildup & aftermath of the scandal. Addictive & fast, I couldn‘t put it down!

#ARC #NetGalley I really enjoyed this YA story which is clearly based on Lori Loughlin & The College Admissions Scandal. The novel is written from the POV of the daughter caught up in the transgressions perpetrated by her parents. Is “knowing without knowing” a crime? And what type of culpability does one have? Maybe a little glossy and lite but a timely tale for both kids and their parents.

#ARC #NetGalley This is a ripped right from the headlines story surrounding the college admissions scandal and boy is it scintillating!!Told from the POV of the daughter, who‘s famous mom paid to get her into the college of her choice. It‘s a real page turner so far 👍🏽