Reviews

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

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kimthroughbooks's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

#3 Prep - Curtis Sittenfield.

This book was on recommendation from my AM. Now, I think my hopes were too high. I'm not sure. But, I can safely say that I did not enjoy this book, and that felt wrong. I haven't not enjoyed a novel for a very long while, and this reminded me how much I can feel disappointed, let-down and just....betrayed by a book. I couldn't wait to finish it, and not in the good way.

It follows the time of a young girl at boarding school. I would like to say her frolics, her adventues, her feelings, her progression and development. She's so....so......wet! Ergh. If I knew her, I'd slap her. It's quite a slow read, and I guess in some ways you can see what the authors getting at; that someimes, some people don't change, don't grow and don't develop due to their experiences. The characters are quite real, I guess, given the private education background (I feel I can say that given I was...although I'm not sure if it's right) but it's still...infuriating!

Maybe I'm in the wrong mindset for it. It does have hope, and I can understand why it's a good novel, really. Deep down. I feel like I need to give it a second chance, a bit like a relationship you're so sure you can make work. But then again, they always say that you break up for a reason.

lucyismyname's review

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5.0

The realism of this book is incredible. I have never identified with another character more than with the protagonist (Lee) - which is incredibly unfortunate, because I then went on to read blog posts and reviews about this book and found out that, for most readers, Lee was the most unlikable protagonist they have even been in the head of; for example, “the main character is a self-involved, miserable, jealous, personification of every negative stereotype that men say about women”.

There were some aspects of the character that I didn’t identify with, particularly around how she approached relationships - but even the thought patterns and behaviours that had never rung true for me, I knew would for other people.

baley's review

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1.0

I hated this book. I was counting down the minutes until I finished it. The book had no plot, and the characters were dry and boring.

ncat999's review

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4.0

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. A great portrayal of an awkward adolescent at a boarding school, complete with over-analyzed thoughts and agonizing depictions of a thousand small humiliations. Sometimes the awkwardness of it all made it hard to read. This isn't to be confused with a light YA book with a perky teen voice; it's quite the opposite. I thought it was very realistic, but because it was, the protagonist wasn't very likeable. I empathized with her, though. She lacked personality to me, but even that rings true in a way -- I think many teenagers, especially lost ones like the main character here, have somewhat flat personalities (other than their neuroses) until they grow up a bit and figure out who they really are (and quit trying so hard to fit in).

caitlin27's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

nickscoby's review

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5.0

Let me get the things that I don't like out of the way first: 1) Martha is not a fully developed character. We don't really know much about her inner workings and she seems more like a Mary Sue roommate than a fully formed person. (How cool would it have been if she was a Tyler Durden character? Alas) 2) Sittenfeld over-writes. I mean, some of these sentences are just over-done with writer's flourishes and aren't all that necessary.

But these are minor quibbles. Overall, I think this novel is positively fascinating. Not much happens, although I kept expecting a major death or plot twist. Nope. We mostly sit with the reflective musings of a flawed major character who, at least in high school, suffered from social anxiety and also had low self-esteem. She is not particularly admirable or even likable at times. The novel's gift is how well it details the complexities of social class in the U.S. And race--particularly blackness--is handled in a nuanced way, as well.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading Prep, but I am blown away by what I found here. I really hope that it is NOT made it into a tv show or movie because I fear that the major themes would be watered down and, ultimately, not as impactful.