About the Book
Perfect for fans
of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Small Admissions,
a wry and cleverly observed debut novel about the privileged bubble that is
Liston Heights High—the micro-managing parents, the overworked teachers, and
the students caught in the middle—and the fallout for each of them when the
bubble finally bursts.
When a devoted teacher comes under pressure for her
progressive curriculum and a helicopter mom goes viral on social media, two
women at odds with each other find themselves in similar predicaments, having
to battle back from certain social ruin.
Isobel Johnson has spent her career in Liston Heights
sidestepping the community’s high-powered families. But when she receives a
threatening voicemail accusing her of Anti-Americanism and a liberal agenda,
she’s in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Julia Abbott, obsessed with the casting of
the school’s winter musical, makes an error in judgment that has far-reaching
consequences for her entire family.
Brought together by the sting of public humiliation, Isobel
and Julia learn firsthand how entitlement and competition can go too far,
thanks to a secret Facebook page created as an outlet for parent grievances.
The Liston Heights High student body will need more than a strong sense of
school spirit to move past these campus dramas in an engrossing debut novel
that addresses parents behaving badly and teenagers speaking up, even against
their own families.
My Review
The synopsis definitely called to me when I was asked to review this book, and I was actually a little caught off guard when the beginning didn’t pull me in right away. I thought for sure this was going to be a winner for me, so I kept plugging along and I’m happy to say that just a few chapters in things had really turned around for me. Witty, timely, entertaining – I had a lot of fun getting tangled in the character’s crazy dramas and catastrophes. There were a few scenes toward the end that felt a little predictable but overall I had a good time reading this one and if you’re looking for a relatable escape, this would be a good choice!
4 stars
