Lie. Cheat. Bribe. How far would you go to get into your dream school? How far would your parents go? Inspired by the recent college admissions scandal, this ripped-from-the-headlines YA novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things sees one teenage girl’s privileged world shatter when her family’s lies are exposed.It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–she has it … Chloe Wynn Berringer–she has it all–money, privilege, and a ticket to the college of her dreams. Or at least she did until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her B list celebrity mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal, and Chloe might be the next one facing charges. The public is furious, the headlines are brutal, and the US attorney is out for blood.
As everything she’s taken for granted starts to slip away, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. How much did she really know-or guess? Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat? And what does it really mean to be complicit?
Bestselling author Julie Buxbaum takes on the college admissions bribery scandal that rocked the country in this timely tale of the hyper elite and the hyper competitive, and the lengths they go to stay at the top.
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I love all of Julie’s books and this one is no exception. An inside look at the college admissions scandal that will have you eagerly turning the pages. Recommend.
Julie Buxbaum’s novel is a lot more than fun, which it is, totally. ADMISSION is smart, insightful, witty, and painful. Highly recommend for a mother and daughter to read together and discuss.
4.5 stars to this amazing take on the college admission scandal! After hearing about this book, I knew I had to have it. It was one of my most anticipated of the year, and it truly lived up to my expectations.
Chloe has everything going for her. Her mom is a TV star, her dad is in finance. She lives in a great house, with a pool, and has everything she could ever want. If only she could get into her dream college, SCC.
This book shows two timelines – then and now. ‘Then’ was interesting, and I understand why it needed to be told for the story. However, I couldn’t wait to get to the ‘now’ sections. They were so riveting. I had to see what was going to happen to Chloe and her parents. Who would go to jail? Who would be charged? How much – if anything – did Chloe really know???
I loved all the characters in this book. Yes, Chloe was flawed, but she was still real and likable. She went through things all teens go through. I loved the way her relationship with Isla, her sister, grew. I loved both her parents, even though they did bad things. Shola, her best friend, was probably my favorite though. She was so sassy and I loved it.
There were a couple of references that made me squee! When she talked about listening to podcasts and wanting to free Adnan Syed, I was like YES!! #FreeAdnan Kid is innocent.
Also, she talked about hating the patriots. Same, girl. Same.
If you want a good family drama, with teen angst, set around a college scandal, read this! It was so intriguing. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars, was because about 30-40% it started dragging, but it picked up and I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really like this writer’s style. In Admission, she tells the story of Chloe and how her life turned upside down after her mother was accused of buying Chloe’s entrance to the college of her dreams.
Alternating past and present, she presents how everything happened and the motivations, showing her and her friends and the famous family. Chloe is a normal girl with longings and desires who knows that it will be very difficult to enter the college she wants because of her average grades.
What I liked most is that Julie Buxbaum shows how people are able to criticize and judge but it is these people who also use other subterfuges that are apparently legal but that also privilege their children.
I also liked that in a light way, Julie shows all the interactions of the family during the whole process, I thought it was fantastic how it all ends and I believe that this book should be a mandatory reading for every teenager and their parents.
5/5 stars
If you’re looking for pure junk-food-for-the-brain, then this is the book for you! I normally despise the term ‘beach-read’, as I feel it cheapens a book and writes it off as frivolous, but this book is 100% a frivolous beach-read.
While the Authors’ Note at the end says the characters in this book are complete fiction and not based on real people, the Berringer family is absolutely based on Lori Loughlin and her family.
I have not been following the college scandal with any real interest. I’ve read snippets here and there on the Daily Mail, and I think she’s just the WORST type of person, but I’ve always felt a smidgen bad for her daughters. I have no idea how much they knew or didn’t know, but to have their lives ruined at such a young age has got to be tough. Sure, they’re spoiled, entitled, vapid Hollywood children, but that’s hardly THEIR fault. That’s how they were raised, and that’s all they’ve ever known!
This book, while fiction, does shine a realistic light into that world. These celebrities become so obsessed with keeping up with each other that they start to lose sight of the real world around them. They’re so secluded in these private enclaves of wealth and privilege that I honestly believe it doesn’t even occur to them how out-of-touch they are.
Lori Loughlin is the very definition of a B-List actress. Wealthy enough to be able to afford the house, cars, private schools, and designer clothes, but not wealthy enough to donate a new building to the college of her daughter’s dreams. The only option for people like her is to go in through the shady ‘side door’, and tell themselves it’s not illegal if they’re only trying to do what’s best for their children (>>eyeroll<<). Overall, I found this an interesting read. No, this book isn't going to make you smarter, nor will you learn anything new from reading it, but it's not a bad way to pass a few afternoons. Take it to the beach, read it by the pool, or just read it to think about something (ANYTHING) other than f-ing Covid! .'
Admission by Julie Buxbaum is not a bad book, but it is hard to relate to these characters and the story.
This novel follows Chloe, a high school senior with a rich and famous mother, a great dad, and a great life. She has finally been accepted into the college of her dreams, or so she thought. Chloe soon discovers that her mother bribed and lied her way into her college and Chloe did not get in on her own merit.
On the one hand, the reader has some sympathy for Chloe because she does try to do things the right way. She studies for hours for the SAT, works hard on her college essay, and tries her hardest. That is true, but she is still a mediocre student and does not fight her parents when they try to label her with ADHD.
Quite simply, her parents love her, but they do not believe in her.
Admission is a story ripped from the headlines which is part of what draws the reader in. However, in the end, the reader does not have much empathy for the characters, primarily when a majority of the readers probably worked their stuff off to get into college. This reader sure did.
It is not a poorly written story; it just is not a topic that is captivating. It sucks for Chloe, who was unaware of what was going on, but on some level, she knew something was wrong. Chloe simply chose to ignore everything obvious.
It does have extensive character growth as it goes back and forth from the past to the present. Chloe’s eyes begin to widen as she sees everything her parents did to help her get into college, and it opens her eyes to all the privilege she says.
Admission is an eye-opening story about white privilege and how money and power should be used responsibly. Buxbaum deserves credit for highlighting the unfairness of the system. Furthermore, while it is well-written, it just does not have a relatable plot to capture the reader’s empathy.