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Book Review of Prep

Prep
Prep
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 19 more book reviews


I loved this one. Susan Cain referenced this book a few times in "Quiet: The Power of Introverts.." so I thought I'd check it out.

Lee is an introvert with an inferiority complex. On scholarship at a very wealthy New England boarding school, she manages to convince herself that she'll never match up with her peers at anything. This results in a shyness to participate in life, a keen observational style and sometimes snobbery. She can be an unlikeable character, but she is definitely one of the more honest and relateable characters in fiction today.

Some of the conversations and characters in her peer group are so spot-on, it's almost heartbreaking. There are no one-dimensional people, or situations, here. Some parts were uncomfortable to read, like her "relationship" with the only boy in class who pays any attention to her, and the way she treats a classmate and teacher, both of whom she disdains for trying too hard - but they ring true.

This is an engaging, well-written book with surprising depth. It's written from the point of view of Lee as an adult, so there's some removal from the teen angst, but it is angsty... But if you ever were a teenager, or an outsider, it comes highly recommended.