abikennedy's review
3.0
Interesting book overall. At times it moved slow, but I was still interested in the story to kept reading. I could tell there was a twist and didn't see it coming, which was an interesting element. I have not seen the movie, but knowing who played the characters and it being portrayed as a comedy, this book surprised me. It's not a comedy/funny book. There are moments of funny, but overall it's a serious book that tackles some big issues. Overall I liked it, but it wasn't what I expected.
gailcarroll's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
finesilkflower's review
slow-paced
3.0
Slow-paced and predictable plot, heavy-handed and first-novely at times, but the idea of centering the POV of an admissions officer was novel enough to keep me interested and I felt the book was fairly convincing at portraying students' essays and the admissions officer's reactions to them. IDK if this was the intention but it left me feeling that colleges should all be closed for good.
kacharles's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
kandicez's review
2.0
2 and a 1/2 stars, but since that's not an option, I don't feel like bumping it to 3.
My opinion probably suffered because I went into this book expecting something completely different. I read it because my daughter loves the movie, which stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Because of them I expected it to be lighter than it was, and if not actually funny, at least amusing. It was neither. It was very, very heavy and dense. The entire book is an internal journey for Portia, the main character. There was very little that actually happened.
I don't want to spoil anything, although the "big reveal" which doesn't occur until about page 350, is so nonchalantly slipped in that I didn't feel surprised, or even have that "ah ha!" moment, where NOW things make sense. It was all too internal and personal for me to care very much.
The ending was also a let down. When Portia's life changing event is revealed, and she realizes how it has colored and made her hold eveyone at arms length since, I expected her to DO something! To be fair, she does something, but it's just not that big of a deal, and she never even goes so far as to find actual proof of her suspicions.
A definite whimper as opposed to a bang.
I also had to rate the novel low for it's shear length. There was no reason it took over 500 pages to tell this story. There were pages and pages of droning where I would read and read and realize my eyes had glazed over because what I was reading meant nothing to me or the story and wasn't even interesting besides.
Maybe if I had approached the novel with no expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but, unfortunately we can't go back. I just didn't enjoy it.
My opinion probably suffered because I went into this book expecting something completely different. I read it because my daughter loves the movie, which stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Because of them I expected it to be lighter than it was, and if not actually funny, at least amusing. It was neither. It was very, very heavy and dense. The entire book is an internal journey for Portia, the main character. There was very little that actually happened.
I don't want to spoil anything, although the "big reveal" which doesn't occur until about page 350, is so nonchalantly slipped in that I didn't feel surprised, or even have that "ah ha!" moment, where NOW things make sense. It was all too internal and personal for me to care very much.
The ending was also a let down. When Portia's life changing event is revealed, and she realizes how it has colored and made her hold eveyone at arms length since, I expected her to DO something! To be fair, she does something, but it's just not that big of a deal, and she never even goes so far as to find actual proof of her suspicions.
A definite whimper as opposed to a bang.
I also had to rate the novel low for it's shear length. There was no reason it took over 500 pages to tell this story. There were pages and pages of droning where I would read and read and realize my eyes had glazed over because what I was reading meant nothing to me or the story and wasn't even interesting besides.
Maybe if I had approached the novel with no expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but, unfortunately we can't go back. I just didn't enjoy it.
kittykornerlibrarian's review
4.0
I liked it and couldn't get wait to get back to it every time I put it down. It was somewhat disconcerting to realize I had already seen the movie adaptation when I was about a quarter of the way through. Portia was an interesting character, and her personal drama revealed itself at a good pace. The ending was a little too neatly brought together, but I enjoyed it a lot.
corrinpierce's review
2.0
Too many words. Not enough action or character development. Way too many words.
andrearbooks's review
3.0
Admission was good - a little long at times, but good. There was a movie based on this book starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd a few years back, and I admittedly spent a lot of the time imagining them in these roles.
cynicalworm's review
3.0
A protagonist so emotionally closed off that it makes her scenes of vulnerability suspicious. We never get to know why John?