Published by Simon and Schuster on December 27th 2016
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary Women, Coming of Age, Literary
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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People’s Book of the Week
“The Devil Wears Prada meets Primates of Park Avenue.” —The New York Times
“Perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep.”—Booklist
Top 6 Books You Need to Read—BuzzFeed
Best Books to Give Every Book Lover on Your List—Town and CountryOne admission can change your life...forever.
When ambitious grad student Kate Pearson’s handsome French “almost fiancé” ditches her, she definitely does not roll with the punches, despite the best efforts of family and friends. It seems that nothing will get Kate out of pajamas and back into the world.
Miraculously, one cringe-worthy job interview leads to a position in the admissions department at the revered Hudson Day School. Kate’s instantly thrown into a highly competitive and occasionally absurd culture, where she interviews all types of children: suitable, wildly unsuitable, charming, loathsome, ingratiating, or spoiled beyond all measure. And then there are the Park Avenue parents who refuse to take no for an answer.
As Kate begins to learn there’s no room for self-pity or nonsense during the height of admissions season or life itself, her sister and friends find themselves keeping secrets, dropping bombshells, and arguing with each other about how to keep Kate on her feet. Meanwhile, Kate seems to be doing very nicely, thank you, and is even beginning to find out that her broken heart is very much on the mend. Welcome to the world of Small Admissions.
Amy Poeppel’s fun debut Small Admissions follows the adventures of Kate Pearson, a new member of the admissions team at a NYC private school. Kate is trying to find her footing again after experiencing heartbreak and career disappointments. Though she doesn’t have experience in the admissions field, her life experience, heart and humor make her uniquely qualified to help families through the challenging admissions process.
I was drawn to this book because of the humor and comparisons to books like The Devil Wears Prada. Plus, I’m right in the thick of the (college) admissions process with my kid and I hoped this book would give me some perspective and help ease some of the stress of this process. (It did!)
There are many humorous situations in the admissions interview process. Kate talks to children interested in attending Hudson Day, and their parents who will stop at nothing to make sure their kids are assured a coveted spot, no matter if it’s the right fit or not.
In addition to Kate’s story we also follow her friends and family members, all of whom are very invested in Kate’s well being. Kate’s had a hard time of it and I rooted for her to finally come out on top. There are zany misunderstandings and twists along the way that made this an enjoyable and unputdownable read. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Small Admissions is on sale now.
Find it: Amazon |Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Audible | Goodreads
Book Trailer
About the Author:
Amy Poeppel is a graduate of Wellesley College. She lives with her husband and three sons in New York City, where she worked in the admissions department of a prestigious independent school. She workshopped a theatrical version of Small Admissions at the Actors Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit. She later expanded it into this novel.
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small admissions Giveaway
My kids will be in college soon so this book appeals to me!
This one is new to me. It sounds so fun and I love books set in NYC. Great review, Lucy!