Admission

Yup, this is going in my most anticipated teen reads of 2020.

Admission is loosely based on the college admissions scandal. You know, the one with Lori Loughlin, aka Aunt Becky (I really hope you teens know who that is). Now, I didn't totally keep up with the scandal because honestly, I had better things to do. But I was intrigued by the idea behind this book because it's a fictionalization of what happened. 

So, told from alternating timelines (past and present), we follow Chloe's story.

Chloe is the daughter of hallmark movie superstar, Joy Fields. She knows she's a privileged white kid, but she never really thinks about what that means. She never thought that meant her mother would spend HALF A MILLION DOLLARS to get her into the side door of college. Most of the book is Chloe struggling to understand what this is going to do to her life. She doesn't understand why her mother wanted her to hire a private college admissions counselor, or why she would be given extra time for her SAT's at a remote location, or why she found her face photoshopped onto a pole vaulter's body. But she never once questions aloud why these things would be allowed for her but not some of her other classmates.

Parents are willing to go to extreme measures to make sure they are doing what they believe is best for their kids, but Joy never once stopped to think about the fact that she was committing a felony and could actually face time in prison. This is a story about a family that has always been in the public eye and screwed up royally. The circumstances surrounding them felt surreal and staged. There was no way this could be their lives. They had to hit rock bottom and I mean ROCK BOTTOM before they could begin to have some semblance of family again.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an advanced copy of Admission.

Even bigger thanks to Julie Buxhaum for writing such an awesome story.

 

Looking for other books on the College Admission Scandal?

Unacceptable

Everything is #@%!ed

In the midst of the COVID-19 apocalypse, I found Everything is Fucked to be a fairly fitting read. My coworker loaned me her copies of Mark Manson's books. I didn't really expect to find anything substantial in books with curse words in the title, but honestly I kind of love it. The dry sarcasm, the hint of impending doom, the sense of hope we all need.

 

I personally enjoyed one of the last chapters in this book. It talked about algorithms and how every choice we make is based on these algorithms. We move through life thinking we know what we want, how we want it, and how fast we can get it. But have you ever stopped to wonder how you got to that point? Maybe it was a passing thought, maybe a dream even, but most likely it was a billboard you glanced at while driving, an article you quickly scrolled past, maybe a stranger mentioned it in passing. All of these things are in our lives and we've never stopped to think why or how they got there.

Another chapter I really enjoyed was one about happiness. Yes, the title says everything is fucked, but we know that isn't always the case. But based on a little survey I did via Instagram, colleagues, and friends; most people will say their happiness on a scale of 1-10 is a steady 7 (which is said in the book). What amazed me is that I have friends literally all over the world and 90% of them said they were a 7. Some made note of how lucky they are to be able to spend time with their family, some expressed concern over the rising COVID-19 numbers, some just felt bored from laying around at home. But they all believed their happiness level was a 7. It's intriguing to me that we're in a global crises right now and people can still find happiness. 

Looking for other books by Mark Manson?

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Will

Serpent & Dove

A few weeks ago my friend and I were talking about how there are no good witch books out right now. Then lo and behold, Serpent & Dove was perched on an endcap are B&N and we snatched it up.

I was skeptical because it's about an out of practice witch who ends up marrying a huntsman, a man who literally burns witches at the stake. Louise, better known as Lou, is a petty thief, a criminal, and does not care in the least what people think of her. But she knows that dressing as a man will keep her incognito for much longer than if a woman was running around the streets. 

However, things go haywire when Lou is forced to marry Chasseur, Reid Diggory, who happens to be the Chasseur Captain, leading attacks against witches. His dreams are officially stomped out when the Archbishops weds him to a heathen like Lou. But in the midst of learning about each other, they eventually decide that marriage isn't so bad. They could learn to love each other, right?

Outside of the Lou-Reid love aspect of the book, I loved Ansel. Ansel was a Chasseur in training when he was ordered to watch Lou. They soon become fast friends, and honestly their friendship was one of my favorite things about the book. However, I do wish there was more magic throughout the book instead of just towards the last 200 pages. But that definitely gives me hope for Blood & Honey, which I've already pre-ordered!

 

Looking for the rest of the series?

Blood & Honey (S&D #2)

Gods & Monsters (S&D #3)