lumos_libros's review
4.0
So I must talk about the cover first. Pretty eye catching but maybe too much huh? I'm here to tell you that main character does have fuzzy slippers and a pink rug in her room but of course this is not what the book is about. Well the main character does sort of scuffle around in those slippers, but I didn't read the book because of the cover but the premise.
Cecily is a normal smart girl and is set to go to college. She has spent all summer preparing, buying, and packing to set herself up for this chapter in her life. She and her dad drive together to the college and they are at her dorm room door, but she just can't do it. Cecily does something that nobody can fathom; she has decided not to go to college, at least for now.
I'm not sure why I kind of responded well to this book. For some reason I thought it was going to be more fun and light-hearted but it wasn't. I think what I appreciated was that it was realistic. Cecily can be kind of infuriating because there is no clear cut reason she gives for why she just decides not to go school and have a gap year. She doesn't do anything particularly special either, but again this was okay for me. I think as a society we are kind of obsessed with having so much going on and though it’s important to be productive, people shouldn’t do something for the sake of looking busy. I think that may have been the appeal for me because not everybody has epiphanies and great things planned for themselves. Real life is not that well planned out. Then there is the dynamic of the family, which is not ideal but definitely realistic. Cecily is the youngest of three. She has a brother away at college and an older sister who lives at home and has already graduated and is looking for a job. Then there is her dad, who is a college professor, so you can imagine that being surrounded by so many college people can make her decision to have a free year inconceivable.
The novel also explores how people can drift apart and by the same token come back together. Even though this not a "college" book per say, there is a lot of college talk so it feels like the reader is experiencing some of the college feel without having the character be in the actual environment. There was so many topics touched at but not fully answered and I think this may frustrate some readers.
With that in mind I can't highly recommend it to everyone because it really won't be for everybody. People going away to college or thinking about going to college may get something positive out of the book. This is the first book that I have encountered that even breaches the topic of a gap year so it gets brownie points for that alone, and I'm interested to see what else this author has to offer.
Side note: Now this point is irrelevant to the actually writing of the book, but I can’t let this slide. Cecily has an old friend who goes to Harvard but then transfers to the University of Kansas. When they talk about the school together they talk about the chant the school has: Rock Chalk Jayhawk UK! WRONG! It's KU not UK. UK is the University of Kentucky. I live in a town where people follow Kansas college basketball religiously, so I easily caught that. What makes it worse is that it's mentioned more than once, and they even talk about the guy's shirt saying UK. *puts head in hands in disbelief* It shows a lack of research on the author's part. Again I know it's not a big deal, but my gosh it bothered me to pieces.
Cecily is a normal smart girl and is set to go to college. She has spent all summer preparing, buying, and packing to set herself up for this chapter in her life. She and her dad drive together to the college and they are at her dorm room door, but she just can't do it. Cecily does something that nobody can fathom; she has decided not to go to college, at least for now.
I'm not sure why I kind of responded well to this book. For some reason I thought it was going to be more fun and light-hearted but it wasn't. I think what I appreciated was that it was realistic. Cecily can be kind of infuriating because there is no clear cut reason she gives for why she just decides not to go school and have a gap year. She doesn't do anything particularly special either, but again this was okay for me. I think as a society we are kind of obsessed with having so much going on and though it’s important to be productive, people shouldn’t do something for the sake of looking busy. I think that may have been the appeal for me because not everybody has epiphanies and great things planned for themselves. Real life is not that well planned out. Then there is the dynamic of the family, which is not ideal but definitely realistic. Cecily is the youngest of three. She has a brother away at college and an older sister who lives at home and has already graduated and is looking for a job. Then there is her dad, who is a college professor, so you can imagine that being surrounded by so many college people can make her decision to have a free year inconceivable.
The novel also explores how people can drift apart and by the same token come back together. Even though this not a "college" book per say, there is a lot of college talk so it feels like the reader is experiencing some of the college feel without having the character be in the actual environment. There was so many topics touched at but not fully answered and I think this may frustrate some readers.
With that in mind I can't highly recommend it to everyone because it really won't be for everybody. People going away to college or thinking about going to college may get something positive out of the book. This is the first book that I have encountered that even breaches the topic of a gap year so it gets brownie points for that alone, and I'm interested to see what else this author has to offer.
Side note: Now this point is irrelevant to the actually writing of the book, but I can’t let this slide. Cecily has an old friend who goes to Harvard but then transfers to the University of Kansas. When they talk about the school together they talk about the chant the school has: Rock Chalk Jayhawk UK! WRONG! It's KU not UK. UK is the University of Kentucky. I live in a town where people follow Kansas college basketball religiously, so I easily caught that. What makes it worse is that it's mentioned more than once, and they even talk about the guy's shirt saying UK. *puts head in hands in disbelief* It shows a lack of research on the author's part. Again I know it's not a big deal, but my gosh it bothered me to pieces.
kasiabrenna's review
1.0
I had high hopes for this, because I have enjoyed Zulkey's writing in web-based form (AV Club, blog, etc). However, this one was so boring, I couldn't even finish it. It's not that I require an action-packed plot, but I found the character so uninteresting that I didn't care to find out what she ended up doing after her boring year off.
aldersons's review
2.0
Actual page count was 213.
Anyway, this book was just okay. I wasn't all that fond of any of the characters, with a small exception for Josh and maybe Mike.
Anyway, this book was just okay. I wasn't all that fond of any of the characters, with a small exception for Josh and maybe Mike.
lumbermouth's review
2.0
IDK, Zulkey. If you're going to write a book about a girl doing nothing but having the same anxiety about growing up we all have, for a year, it needs to be a pretty compelling story. Think I finished this because of inertia, and because I hoped there would be payoff. Spoiler alert: she decides to go to school like everyone else. On the one hand, it's kind of nice to read a book articulating a phase you went through. OTOH, EVERYONE GOES THROUGH THIS. You are not nearly as unique as you think you are. Okay, I think I talked myself down to 2 stars from 3.
heykellyjensen's review
3.0
Reading this made me feel like Cecily -- I couldn't decide whether I wanted to keep reading it or not or whether I liked it or not or what the heck I was doing, so I just kept doing it. I'm glad I did. This was a refreshing book because, well, nothing really happens and that's reality. I liked Cecily and her quirky relationship with her family. I liked the concept and felt she was pretty well drawn. I won't say this was a totally realistic book because it's not, but it reminds me of a dirtied up Maureen Johnson. John Green AND Melissa Walker got shout outs from Zulkey which is fun, too. I think she'll mature a lot as a writer if she keeps writing, and I think this is a book a lot of people making massive life decisions will appreciate. Don't be prepared to be blown away but be prepared to find something just a bit different. And good.
Zulkey's a local writer, too, which gives her even more props in my book.
Zulkey's a local writer, too, which gives her even more props in my book.
mckinlay's review
5.0
the main character reminds me SO MUCH of my best friend which is probably why i liked it so much.
lauriereadsrom1's review
2.0
I should preface this by saying that I am far from the target demographic for this book, but one of my favorite humor writers recommended it, so I figured I'd give it a try. There were a few good one-liners, but overall I just didn't care for this book. The only likeable character was Cecily's dad, though he was far from perfect. He really came across as a pushover in the beginning. He started to assert himself and act more like an authority figure later in the book, but it felt like too little, too late to me.
It would have been really nice to see Cecily actually do something with her year off, aside from sitting around watching trash TV and walking the dog. I kept expecting her to have some kind of an epiphany and realize why she had suddenly decided not to start college, but it never happened. She ended up going back to school in the end basically because she didn't have a better idea of what to do.
I'm not sure what lesson teenagers are supposed to take away from reading this book. Cecily didn't really seem to learn anything at all, nor did she suffer any major consequences. Sure, the transition from high school to college can be scary for anyone, but sometimes in life we all have to do things that scare us in order to grow. That's a lesson I wish Cecily had learned.
It would have been really nice to see Cecily actually do something with her year off, aside from sitting around watching trash TV and walking the dog. I kept expecting her to have some kind of an epiphany and realize why she had suddenly decided not to start college, but it never happened. She ended up going back to school in the end basically because she didn't have a better idea of what to do.
I'm not sure what lesson teenagers are supposed to take away from reading this book. Cecily didn't really seem to learn anything at all, nor did she suffer any major consequences. Sure, the transition from high school to college can be scary for anyone, but sometimes in life we all have to do things that scare us in order to grow. That's a lesson I wish Cecily had learned.
taylornowandthen's review
3.0
A year goes by fast. I can also say from experience that it's not enough time to clear your head necessarily for preparation of a new life ahead. Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone to really live; something I'm still trying to learn. I enjoyed this book mainly because it was exactly what I had unconsciously been looking for. And that's amazing.
xoczarina's review
4.0
i admit, i intentionally delayed finishing this book, albeit how short it was, because i didn't want it to end. i was a college drop-out and like cecily, i mostly just stayed at home doing nothing & having no idea what to do in life. it was probably the lowest point in my life up to date, and i would've needed this book then, but it also means a lot to me now, because i'm also going through a tough time. and maybe that's why i didn't want this to end, because i wanted to be confused & do nothing with cecily. but turns out, i have to finish this, i just have to find out how this ended, because life goes on, and i just need something to make me feel hopeful again.
this book isn't plot-driven, but character-driven, and cecily changing & trying to figure things out has kept me until the end. i mean, it's not that stellar eye-of-the-tiger-playing-in-the-background kind of inspirational, but it has helped me think about what i've been doing with my life. a tiny wake-up call, if you will. and granted, cecily was privileged & was mostly pushed by her dad, but i get it. sometimes, it's not so bad when adults point you to the direction where you should be headed, because everything is too overwhelming when you're a confused & clueless teenager. hell, i'm 23 and i'm still confused & clueless. but what i really wanted to get out of this book is that you have to GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. COMFORT. ZONE. and it's going to be scary & you'll feel stupid at first, and that's okay. you'll eventually get the hang of it, and you'll be fine. also, there's nothing wrong with starting out later than your friends. it's your life, take as much time as you need to figure things out. worry about yourself first instead of what other people are saying about you.
so this has gone on a long affirmation post for myself instead of being an actual book review. sorry. but just so you know, this book has a special place in my heart. and if you're feeling confused & unmotivated about life, i suggest you read this, too.
this book isn't plot-driven, but character-driven, and cecily changing & trying to figure things out has kept me until the end. i mean, it's not that stellar eye-of-the-tiger-playing-in-the-background kind of inspirational, but it has helped me think about what i've been doing with my life. a tiny wake-up call, if you will. and granted, cecily was privileged & was mostly pushed by her dad, but i get it. sometimes, it's not so bad when adults point you to the direction where you should be headed, because everything is too overwhelming when you're a confused & clueless teenager. hell, i'm 23 and i'm still confused & clueless. but what i really wanted to get out of this book is that you have to GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. COMFORT. ZONE. and it's going to be scary & you'll feel stupid at first, and that's okay. you'll eventually get the hang of it, and you'll be fine. also, there's nothing wrong with starting out later than your friends. it's your life, take as much time as you need to figure things out. worry about yourself first instead of what other people are saying about you.
so this has gone on a long affirmation post for myself instead of being an actual book review. sorry. but just so you know, this book has a special place in my heart. and if you're feeling confused & unmotivated about life, i suggest you read this, too.