Title: Admission
Author: Julie Buxbaum
Publication: December 1, 2020
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Teens & YA Fiction
Pages: 354
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes an of-the-moment novel that peeks inside the private lives of the hypercompetitive and the hyperprivileged and takes on the college admissions bribery scandal that rocked the country.
It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She’s headed off to the college of her dreams. She’s going to prom with the boy she’s had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood.
As she loses everything she’s long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Honestly, I am surprised I have not read a Julie Buxbaum book before. Her books seem to fall into categories of novels I read regularly. While I liked this book, there were little things that bothered me about it. Overall it was quite enjoyable though.
This book follows the life of a high school senior as her life is torn apart with the arrest and investigation into her parents for bribing and scamming her college application and admission into the college of her choice.
I was hesitant to read this book because it mirrors some real life scandals going on in the world and those are still fresh in people’s minds, so I wasn’t sure this was going to read well. Julie Buxbaum has a great writing style though and makes the characters interesting. My biggest issue with this story was just the way the main character Chloe was made to be so ditzy. I do not in any way think she is not smart. I feel like everyone is smart in their own way and some people just struggle with school and testing. Chloe is really written to seem oblivious to almost everything and kind of ditzy. I suppose this could be to make you understand why her friends are so mad at her, but I found it more frustrating and slightly annoying.
Even with that said, I quite enjoyed the book towards the end. I liked the emotions that Buxbaum drew out towards the end. I think the last few chapters were beautifully written and real. It’s almost like I understood them more.
Overall, this book is enjoyable and tells a great story of growth and family and learning to overcome some incredibly hard obstacles. I loved the little lessons we learned with Chloe along the way. Check it out and you will enjoy it.
STAR RATING: 4/5
Pick up your copy of Admission by Julie Buxbaum on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and check your local bookstore. Also be sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. You can check out more from author Julie Buxbaum on her website HERE.
