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iceangel32's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know how I feel about this book. It had all the making of a great book. I really liked the beginning then I felt like it missed the mark. The story seemed to be all over the place. I was the story of a boy who was from New Jersey and went to school at Yale. The story begins and ends at Yale but the bulk of the story is in New Jersey during his spring break, while he helps his dad drive a lunch truck. There are so many story lines that are thrown together and don't really help the overall story. Not that I felt there was an overall story that had a beginning and an end.
kaceyp14's review against another edition
3.0
This started out great and by the end lost my interest. but it was an easy read and enjoyable to read and revisit my college years.
alisonjfields's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining, if slight satire of class-conscious Ivy Leaguers, Jersey Girls and Lunch Truck Mobsters, "Joe College" plays it a little safe for my taste, but it's hard to begrudge Perrotta his affection for his narrator (a schmuck, but a lovable schmuck)and apparent distrust of Whiffenpoofs and all they stand for.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
4.0
I discovered Perrotta a few months ago and I am continuing in my quest to read all of his novels. I had read some bad reviews about this one, but I liked it just as much as I liked his other books. I found it relatable and entertaining. I really liked Danny, especially since he wasn't perfect and often made bad choices. I liked that he stuck to his convictions, even if to his own detriment. The ending was a touch odd. Perrotta is great at writing ending paragraphs that make an impression.
jsisco's review against another edition
4.0
While nowhere near the level of literary heft and satirical bite as Little Children, Joe College is still an entirely enjoyable read with some probing questions into the relationship between upper and lower classes, between privileged Ivy Leaguers and the townies that serve them.
The plot tends to meander and Perotta fleshes out relationships that are irrelevant at best, but the book overall is a great read. Good on its own, but less enviable when compared to Little Children.
The plot tends to meander and Perotta fleshes out relationships that are irrelevant at best, but the book overall is a great read. Good on its own, but less enviable when compared to Little Children.
rbreade's review against another edition
Clearly told by the narrator, Danny, from a point some years past the events of the story, which concern his last year-and-a-half at Yale.
lindseysparks's review against another edition
2.0
This started off really good, with a working class narrator from Jersey attending Yale. There aren't enough books about college! But then it just got weird. The likeable narrator turned into an asshole. There was a side story about working for his father driving a lunch truck, that got weird with a mafia-fish rival lunch truck. The other characters didn't seem very well developed. It felt almost like reading a first or second draft that needed more work.
andrearbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Joe College was okay. I like Tom Perrotta’s style, but I just didn’t totally resonate and get excited about this read like others. So, I guess this was just “meh” for me.