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The Gifted School
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2019)A smart, juicy, compulsively readable novel of parental ambition, social pressure, and privilege. Perfect for fans of Celeste Ng, Tom Perrotta, Nick Hornby, and Liane Moriarty.
Good schools, stately houses, safe neighborhoods, all set against a beautiful landscape. What else could a family want? It was with high hopes for the future that four young couples separately chose this Colorado town as the place to raise their children over a decade ago. Finding each other as friends further buoyed them over the ensuing years, as they juggled the stresses of parenthood, careers, and marriage. Even now, as the kids head for middle school, their individual interests and abilities becoming more and more distinct, the group of families has remained tight. But when an exclusive new school is introduced into the mix - an elite new standard to meet - it represents, at long last, one pressure too many.
Gradually, throughout the community, cracks begin to form, and spread. As children are pitted against each other for coveted spots in the school, some parents shock themselves with the lengths they are secretly willing to go in the pursuit of prestige and recognition. Soon, long-buried resentments arise between friends and spouses alike, as ever more toxic instincts keep emerging. And the most shattering secret of all still lies waiting to be exposed.
The Gifted School is a knowing, wickedly entertaining novel that at once provokes, skewers, and forgives, loves and understands its keenly observed characters. A riveting tale of parenting and privilege, custom-made for our culture.
Good schools, stately houses, safe neighborhoods, all set against a beautiful landscape. What else could a family want? It was with high hopes for the future that four young couples separately chose this Colorado town as the place to raise their children over a decade ago. Finding each other as friends further buoyed them over the ensuing years, as they juggled the stresses of parenthood, careers, and marriage. Even now, as the kids head for middle school, their individual interests and abilities becoming more and more distinct, the group of families has remained tight. But when an exclusive new school is introduced into the mix - an elite new standard to meet - it represents, at long last, one pressure too many.
Gradually, throughout the community, cracks begin to form, and spread. As children are pitted against each other for coveted spots in the school, some parents shock themselves with the lengths they are secretly willing to go in the pursuit of prestige and recognition. Soon, long-buried resentments arise between friends and spouses alike, as ever more toxic instincts keep emerging. And the most shattering secret of all still lies waiting to be exposed.
The Gifted School is a knowing, wickedly entertaining novel that at once provokes, skewers, and forgives, loves and understands its keenly observed characters. A riveting tale of parenting and privilege, custom-made for our culture.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2019
3125 people are currently reading
82460 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Holsinger
15 books1,240 followersBruce Holsinger is the author of five novels, including Culpability (forthcoming from Spiegel & Grau), The Displacements and The Gifted School (both from Riverhead), and many works of nonfiction, most recently On Parchment: Animals, Archives, and the Making of Culture from Herodotus to the Digital Age (Yale University Press). His books have been recognized with the Colorado Book Award, the John Hurt Fisher Prize, the Philip Brett Award, the John Nicholas Brown Prize, the Modern Language Association's Prize for a First Book, and others. His essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and many other publications and he has been profiled on NPR's Weekend Edition, Here & Now, and Marketplace. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
He teaches in the Department of English at the University of Virginia, where he specializes in medieval literature and modern critical thought and serves as editor of the quarterly journal New Literary History. He also teaches craft classes and serves as board chairman for WriterHouse, a local nonprofit in Charlottesville.
He teaches in the Department of English at the University of Virginia, where he specializes in medieval literature and modern critical thought and serves as editor of the quarterly journal New Literary History. He also teaches craft classes and serves as board chairman for WriterHouse, a local nonprofit in Charlottesville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,953 reviews
September 9, 2019
Not as biting and sardonic as I would have liked; too much soap opera family drama and not enough black humor. This is a topic ripe for a sharp skewering for someone with a jaundiced view of over-striving helicopter parents and their smug, self-entitled children.
I might have enjoyed it more if it had been 350 pages instead of 450. It took me two weeks (!) to get through it; it felt like I was wading through quicksand. There were certainly some good, insightful points that were made and Holsinger has a good eye for telling details of human nature, but it just feels mostly like an opportunity lost. And don’t get me started on the UTTER RIDICULOUSNESS of the pivotal student portfolio project that is the “big gasp” reveal of the book.
There were good parts and pieces here and there, but as a whole, did not win me over.
I might have enjoyed it more if it had been 350 pages instead of 450. It took me two weeks (!) to get through it; it felt like I was wading through quicksand. There were certainly some good, insightful points that were made and Holsinger has a good eye for telling details of human nature, but it just feels mostly like an opportunity lost. And don’t get me started on the UTTER RIDICULOUSNESS of the pivotal student portfolio project that is the “big gasp” reveal of the book.
There were good parts and pieces here and there, but as a whole, did not win me over.
February 11, 2020
“Insidious, these false versions of superiority and ease we project onto other families: how often they blind us to the surer comforts of our own.”
― Bruce Holsinger, The Gifted School
This book makes the Varsity Blues scandal look almost G rated.
This was one wild read!
Review to follow.
So I finished this yesterday. What a wild ride! I enjoyed The Gifted School. It s much deeper then I expected it to be frankly and though it is long, the pages sort of fly. It was a great read.
So I do not have children. I mention this because I wondered if I'd be able to relate to the subject matter. I do think people who DO have kids will have a better grasp of how such things could happen.
For me, I interestingly enough related to the CHILDREN. I grew up with a gifted sibling. It was tough as he (my sibling) is absolutely brilliant. I struggled in school and had a real concentration problem. Sometimes I wondered if I'd graduate. Two things saved me. One was my wonderful mom who went to bat for me. The other was reading.
So my heart went out to all the kids..the gifted, the not so gifted. It can be tough..really truly tough..when you are young not to be affected by all the superficial crap.
Luckily I was blessed with parents who would not have given a crap about this "gifted school".
Sadly for some of the children in this book, they did not have the same experience. Some of these parents were beyond anything I could comprehend.
I mean..if this book had come out 5 or 10 years ago, I'd most likely not have liked it as much because I wouldn't have believed it could happen. But..with the Varsity Blues scandal not to mention the every day news cycle of parents behaving badly and doing crazy things, I do believe it now.
The Gifted School is written in a superb way as your feelings keep shifting. There are a huge cast of characters. Each one has a story. If I have one gripe it is that there are so many characters. I wish it had been just a few less narrators. It was tough keeping everyone straight.
And it is still hard for me to believe so much emphasis is put on this stuff. I think the internet has sort of contributed, where social media abounds and people can sing the praises of their children, their friends and spouses, from behind a computer screen. But people like Rose..who was my least favorite character..I still struggle to understand.
This book is like watching a train wreck but it also has much to say and is less light and way more human then I ever expected. I often wondered, while reading it, about these people who, in my eyes, had it all and let petty envy get in the way.
But then I started thinking. Though I myself do not have kids, I have been envious before. Of family, of good friends. I have coveted things I lacked, that were not mine to covet. And I have had people envious of me. I think ALL of us have been, at one point or another, on both sides. So you do not have to be a parent to relate.
Envy is a lethal thing that can eat away at you. I have seen ordinary sane people make insane choices while in its grip. I could find good in every character in the book in one form or another. I hope, just one person may read this and realize that all the surface stuff..it is all bullshit. I think if it changes one person's actions, even just one, that will have been a great thing.
So I consider this a great read, one of the best of the year. I almost feel in my bones this will be picked up as a film or a TV series. I recommend it to everyone..the envious, the envied, the happy, the sad. We are ALL gifted in one way or another although it is easy to forget that. And we on GR, are all gifted by the joy and love and magic of books. I wouldn't have it any other way.
― Bruce Holsinger, The Gifted School
This book makes the Varsity Blues scandal look almost G rated.
This was one wild read!
Review to follow.
So I finished this yesterday. What a wild ride! I enjoyed The Gifted School. It s much deeper then I expected it to be frankly and though it is long, the pages sort of fly. It was a great read.
So I do not have children. I mention this because I wondered if I'd be able to relate to the subject matter. I do think people who DO have kids will have a better grasp of how such things could happen.
For me, I interestingly enough related to the CHILDREN. I grew up with a gifted sibling. It was tough as he (my sibling) is absolutely brilliant. I struggled in school and had a real concentration problem. Sometimes I wondered if I'd graduate. Two things saved me. One was my wonderful mom who went to bat for me. The other was reading.
So my heart went out to all the kids..the gifted, the not so gifted. It can be tough..really truly tough..when you are young not to be affected by all the superficial crap.
Luckily I was blessed with parents who would not have given a crap about this "gifted school".
Sadly for some of the children in this book, they did not have the same experience. Some of these parents were beyond anything I could comprehend.
I mean..if this book had come out 5 or 10 years ago, I'd most likely not have liked it as much because I wouldn't have believed it could happen. But..with the Varsity Blues scandal not to mention the every day news cycle of parents behaving badly and doing crazy things, I do believe it now.
The Gifted School is written in a superb way as your feelings keep shifting. There are a huge cast of characters. Each one has a story. If I have one gripe it is that there are so many characters. I wish it had been just a few less narrators. It was tough keeping everyone straight.
And it is still hard for me to believe so much emphasis is put on this stuff. I think the internet has sort of contributed, where social media abounds and people can sing the praises of their children, their friends and spouses, from behind a computer screen. But people like Rose..who was my least favorite character..I still struggle to understand.
This book is like watching a train wreck but it also has much to say and is less light and way more human then I ever expected. I often wondered, while reading it, about these people who, in my eyes, had it all and let petty envy get in the way.
But then I started thinking. Though I myself do not have kids, I have been envious before. Of family, of good friends. I have coveted things I lacked, that were not mine to covet. And I have had people envious of me. I think ALL of us have been, at one point or another, on both sides. So you do not have to be a parent to relate.
Envy is a lethal thing that can eat away at you. I have seen ordinary sane people make insane choices while in its grip. I could find good in every character in the book in one form or another. I hope, just one person may read this and realize that all the surface stuff..it is all bullshit. I think if it changes one person's actions, even just one, that will have been a great thing.
So I consider this a great read, one of the best of the year. I almost feel in my bones this will be picked up as a film or a TV series. I recommend it to everyone..the envious, the envied, the happy, the sad. We are ALL gifted in one way or another although it is easy to forget that. And we on GR, are all gifted by the joy and love and magic of books. I wouldn't have it any other way.
December 25, 2019
The Gifted School is a slow burn read, centered around friendship and family drama with a few twists to spice things up along the way.
As an educator for over 20 years I found the book very realistic in its portrayal of the behind the scenes look at the “gifted” label. It’s amazing what some people will do to try to have their child(ren) labeled as gifted when they are simply hard working, good students. So much pressure and impossible to meet expectations are put on these amazing children so they are left feeling inadequate and not good/smart enough. It’s sad.
What I enjoyed most was the varied POVs we got throughout the story. Once you get used to all the characters, it’s wonderful to have so much insight from the men, women & children. I loved how differently they saw things and processed what was going on.
The book is filled with so many characters that will have you shaking your head, thanking the stars above that this is not your family and these are not your friends. Yet, you’ll be drawn in by the drama and find yourself hoping for some redemption for these families. After spending so much time with them, I was definitely feeling invested.
This was a buddy read with some Instagram friends & it prompted some great group discussion. I think that definitely helped my overall enjoyment of the book because it was definitely long.
3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
As an educator for over 20 years I found the book very realistic in its portrayal of the behind the scenes look at the “gifted” label. It’s amazing what some people will do to try to have their child(ren) labeled as gifted when they are simply hard working, good students. So much pressure and impossible to meet expectations are put on these amazing children so they are left feeling inadequate and not good/smart enough. It’s sad.
What I enjoyed most was the varied POVs we got throughout the story. Once you get used to all the characters, it’s wonderful to have so much insight from the men, women & children. I loved how differently they saw things and processed what was going on.
The book is filled with so many characters that will have you shaking your head, thanking the stars above that this is not your family and these are not your friends. Yet, you’ll be drawn in by the drama and find yourself hoping for some redemption for these families. After spending so much time with them, I was definitely feeling invested.
This was a buddy read with some Instagram friends & it prompted some great group discussion. I think that definitely helped my overall enjoyment of the book because it was definitely long.
3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
November 10, 2018
LOVED this book. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It reminds me of BIG LITTLE LIES- parents behaving badly in believable, horrifying, yet shockingly relatable ways! So so so good.
October 12, 2019
Never has a novel about parents trying to figure out the best school for their kids left me with so much dread and kept me reading until the small hours of the morning. The Gifted School is fantastic: every character was palpably real, their flaws and kindnesses authentic, and the story has the frenetic pace of great thriller. Think Breaking Bad meets an SAT prep guide. I loved it.
July 25, 2019
It's always nice when fiction illuminates the worst in people, isn't it?
Rose, Samantha, Azra, and Lauren have been best friends for years, in many cases since their kids were infants. The four women and their families have weathered many crises—death, divorce, troubles with their children and their marriages, etc. While there are certainly interesting dynamics among the four of them, there doesn't seem to be anything that can keep them apart.
When word gets out that their affluent town of Crystal, Colorado is building a school for gifted children, all four women react to the news differently, especially when they learn there will be a limited number of slots available at every grade level, and decisions will be made based both on test scores and other factors.
Samantha has always believed her daughter, Emma, is practically perfect in every way, so for her it's a given that Emma will be accepted. Rose's daughter Emma, who is best friends with Samantha's daughter, may be smarter, but she isn't as driven or as competitive as the other Emma. But what would happen if one Emma got in and the other didn't? They've been inseparable since infancy.
While Azra's twin sons, Charlie and Aidan, have focused more on soccer than academics, there's no reason they shouldn't be considered for the school as well, despite the misgivings of Azra's trust-fund yet hippie-esque ex-husband. Since her husband's death, Lauren has focused most of her energy on her son, Xander, who actually is gifted, but at the expense of her older daughter, Tessa, who has dealt with challenge after challenge without the support of her mother.
"Parents always want to manage the narrative instead of letting kids write their own."
Following the perspectives of multiple characters, including several of the group's children, The Gifted School is a melodramatic yet insightful look at how competition and envy can bring out the worst in adults, laying bare secrets long kept hidden, in some cases pitting spouse against spouse and friend against friend. The book also examines the pros and cons of schools for gifted children, the biases of testing and other admission-related decisions, and the thin line between striving for equity and creating quotas for traditionally under-represented populations.
I expected the book to be a little more campy and entertaining than it was. While some twists are telegraphed early on, Bruce Holsinger did throw in one twist that upended the characters, and it really didn't feel genuine to me. I thought that Holsinger makes some interesting arguments, but the majority of his characters were so unlikable it was difficult to have any sympathy for them.
There's a lot going on in The Gifted School . There were a lot of storylines to follow, and while I understood the points Holsinger was trying to make, I could have absolutely done without the whole storyline featuring the group's cleaning lady and her family, because it kept dragging the story away from its core.
Holsinger is a talented writer, and his storytelling definitely kept me reading. Those of you who enjoy stories of people acting horribly to each other to advance their children's best interests (or perhaps their own) might enjoy The Gifted School a bit more than I did.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Rose, Samantha, Azra, and Lauren have been best friends for years, in many cases since their kids were infants. The four women and their families have weathered many crises—death, divorce, troubles with their children and their marriages, etc. While there are certainly interesting dynamics among the four of them, there doesn't seem to be anything that can keep them apart.
When word gets out that their affluent town of Crystal, Colorado is building a school for gifted children, all four women react to the news differently, especially when they learn there will be a limited number of slots available at every grade level, and decisions will be made based both on test scores and other factors.
Samantha has always believed her daughter, Emma, is practically perfect in every way, so for her it's a given that Emma will be accepted. Rose's daughter Emma, who is best friends with Samantha's daughter, may be smarter, but she isn't as driven or as competitive as the other Emma. But what would happen if one Emma got in and the other didn't? They've been inseparable since infancy.
While Azra's twin sons, Charlie and Aidan, have focused more on soccer than academics, there's no reason they shouldn't be considered for the school as well, despite the misgivings of Azra's trust-fund yet hippie-esque ex-husband. Since her husband's death, Lauren has focused most of her energy on her son, Xander, who actually is gifted, but at the expense of her older daughter, Tessa, who has dealt with challenge after challenge without the support of her mother.
"Parents always want to manage the narrative instead of letting kids write their own."
Following the perspectives of multiple characters, including several of the group's children, The Gifted School is a melodramatic yet insightful look at how competition and envy can bring out the worst in adults, laying bare secrets long kept hidden, in some cases pitting spouse against spouse and friend against friend. The book also examines the pros and cons of schools for gifted children, the biases of testing and other admission-related decisions, and the thin line between striving for equity and creating quotas for traditionally under-represented populations.
I expected the book to be a little more campy and entertaining than it was. While some twists are telegraphed early on, Bruce Holsinger did throw in one twist that upended the characters, and it really didn't feel genuine to me. I thought that Holsinger makes some interesting arguments, but the majority of his characters were so unlikable it was difficult to have any sympathy for them.
There's a lot going on in The Gifted School . There were a lot of storylines to follow, and while I understood the points Holsinger was trying to make, I could have absolutely done without the whole storyline featuring the group's cleaning lady and her family, because it kept dragging the story away from its core.
Holsinger is a talented writer, and his storytelling definitely kept me reading. Those of you who enjoy stories of people acting horribly to each other to advance their children's best interests (or perhaps their own) might enjoy The Gifted School a bit more than I did.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
February 19, 2020
I didn’t find any character in The Gifted School to be very likable though that didn’t stop me from bingeing through this entertaining story of four Colorado moms, vying to get their children into a new school next year for gifted children. The admissions process was highly competitive and the moms, while maybe deep down wanting what’s best for their kids (at least to a small extent), also want bragging rights within their social circles, and some, know no bounds. They let this new opportunity take over their lives.
The Gifted School is a dramatic, slow burn with some secrets. I was curious enough that I wanted to see how things played out for Rose, Azra, Samantha, and Lauren, plus their children, all living in an affluent Denver suburb. I know there are real schools and communities this book resembles, but I just didn’t feel very invested in it — It didn’t matter to me who got accepted. While a solid read, I could see this story making a good TV show or movie as well.
The Gifted School is a dramatic, slow burn with some secrets. I was curious enough that I wanted to see how things played out for Rose, Azra, Samantha, and Lauren, plus their children, all living in an affluent Denver suburb. I know there are real schools and communities this book resembles, but I just didn’t feel very invested in it — It didn’t matter to me who got accepted. While a solid read, I could see this story making a good TV show or movie as well.
August 6, 2019
In the right hands, this would have been a very interesting, smart story. A woman writer would have written this in a sharper, more emotionally resonant way. It's a good, timely concept but the characters felt very flat to me and by the end I felt like the male characters got strong redemptive arcs while the women (and girls) were just kind of left to flail along. I wanted so much more from this, given all the praise it has received. Oh well.
Want to read
February 18, 2019i got this ARC.
i am on the fence about it.
convince me - pros/cons, impassioned speeches in either camp.
i am on the fence about it.
convince me - pros/cons, impassioned speeches in either camp.
August 25, 2019
Set in fictitious Crystal, Colorado. Rose, Stephanie, Azra and Lauren met when their children were babies, and have remained close friends ever since. When a new charter school for gifted and exceptional middle and high school students is announced, the competition is on, and it gets ugly. As each parent and child evaluate their actions, some are shocked by the lengths they will go to get their children in the school.
Told through multiple voices, those of the parents and those of the children, a whimsical look at privilege, prestige, ambitions, helicopter parents, competitiveness and pushing children to be over achievers.
Whitty, satirical and a timely look at parenting in today's society.
Told through multiple voices, those of the parents and those of the children, a whimsical look at privilege, prestige, ambitions, helicopter parents, competitiveness and pushing children to be over achievers.
Whitty, satirical and a timely look at parenting in today's society.
January 2, 2022
It’s a real shame. It’s just not about the kids anymore.A new public magnet school is opening in the idyllic, privileged city of Crystal, Colorado. And like the bag of cash in The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, the temptation is too much for the parents of the local gifted kids who soon lie, cheat, and steal to try to get their little precious perfects to the front of the line.
I had significant problems with The Gifted School. First, it did not help that the acts of these characters are rather small potatoes after seeing the real-life FBI sting on Aunt Becky, Felicity Huffman, etc. Generally speaking, the adults in this story were just the worst. Obnoxiously privileged and unappreciative of it, unhappily married, lying to spouses, best friends, and even their own children about matters large and small, and that’s before they start actively undercutting each other to compete for admission. Many of their actions are so dumb that it is immediately obvious how they will get caught. Indeed, it’s not terribly difficult to know which kids will and won’t get into the school. Worst of all, these adults—who believe that their kids’ achievements are really a reflection of their own glory—are blind long past a credible point to the myriad ways they are warping their children into bullies and/or shredding their self-esteem. Frankly, most of these adults get a much happier ending than they deserve.
All that said, the Goodreads summary is not lying when it called The Gifted School “compulsively readable.” One character hatches a plan about halfway through that sets the wheels in motion for the final scenes, and that plan is completely unexpected, completely bonkers, and completely hypnotizing to watch unfold.
The Gifted School poses as a commentary about a certain type of overzealous 21st century American parenting. But it’s really more of a trashy telenovela masquerading as literary fiction. It is unintentionally hilarious, in a way that screams “Ryan Murphy Netflix adaptation.” I don’t normally recommend three-star books, but if you’re in the right frame of mind—especially if you’re looking for a hate-read— The Gifted School might just be the right book to read next.
September 1, 2019
Exceptional? Oh yes! This, my friends, was just about the best inside look at privileged parenting I've ever read. What a great idea for a book!
This novel takes place in a fictitious town of Crystal, Colorado. Being a Coloradan myself, it could have easily compared to Boulder, but I digress. There are four families here, all of them have kids, all very close knit. Things begin to heat up when a new school for gifted and talented children grades 6-12 is scheduled to open, and there's a crazy multi-layered testing and enrollment strategy put in place to secure a coveted spot in the school.
We see here first hand how parents (some of them) will go to any length to "help" their children get ahead in school, in sports, socially, and in other aspects. I have two teenage boys, and believe me, I've seen it ALL. I just am so impressed how well the author was able to convey "it all" using words.
I laughed, I rolled my eyes, I gasped out loud, I cried. This was effing brilliant.
This novel takes place in a fictitious town of Crystal, Colorado. Being a Coloradan myself, it could have easily compared to Boulder, but I digress. There are four families here, all of them have kids, all very close knit. Things begin to heat up when a new school for gifted and talented children grades 6-12 is scheduled to open, and there's a crazy multi-layered testing and enrollment strategy put in place to secure a coveted spot in the school.
We see here first hand how parents (some of them) will go to any length to "help" their children get ahead in school, in sports, socially, and in other aspects. I have two teenage boys, and believe me, I've seen it ALL. I just am so impressed how well the author was able to convey "it all" using words.
I laughed, I rolled my eyes, I gasped out loud, I cried. This was effing brilliant.
April 13, 2019
This book! I did all I could to escape being an adult in the world and just disappear into this story. I had to find out what was going to happen, and I knew it would not go well (which was as I wanted, truth be told).
And how prescient that the ARC I’m reading came out just before the headline grabbing story of parental interference in elite college admissions. This novel is about younger/late elementary age kids and their obsessed parents. Set in a recognizable, but renamed, Boulder. Compulsively readable (as my family will attest these last few days). And so well written. I loved the various points of view and the occasional “vlog” chapters from the teenager perspective.
Bruce Holsinger’s previous novels set in Chaucer’s London were fantastic. I couldn’t wait to see what he would do with something so completely different.
Put this one on your TBR for a summer read. Out in July. Highly recommend!
And how prescient that the ARC I’m reading came out just before the headline grabbing story of parental interference in elite college admissions. This novel is about younger/late elementary age kids and their obsessed parents. Set in a recognizable, but renamed, Boulder. Compulsively readable (as my family will attest these last few days). And so well written. I loved the various points of view and the occasional “vlog” chapters from the teenager perspective.
Bruce Holsinger’s previous novels set in Chaucer’s London were fantastic. I couldn’t wait to see what he would do with something so completely different.
Put this one on your TBR for a summer read. Out in July. Highly recommend!
August 27, 2019
I wanted to love this one, but I had to force myself to get through it. It was spot on with how parent's act at these pretentious schools based on my own experience of having my own kids at a gifted magnet school and teaching for almost twenty years (believe it or not, parents to college-age kids can be worse). Yet this book seemed to drag on forever and ever and the cast of characters was just horrible. I hated them all. I honestly didn't care what happened to them even the kids and finished this one just to see what would happen. For this one, the hype didn't live up to my expectations, but that seems to be happening lately.
Thank you Edelweiss and Riverhead Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you Edelweiss and Riverhead Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Read
July 1, 2019"Why I love it"
by Brianna Goodman
Great books are about a lot of things: love, loss, transformation… But you know what else they’re about? Badly behaved parents. We’ve got law-breaking parents, like the aspiring murderers in For Better and Worse. We’ve got dishonest parents, like the ones caught up in the trial portrayed in Miracle Creek. And now we’ve got the parents of The Gifted School, a story of lying, cheating, and often downright dirty parents who will do whatever it takes to make their kids succeed.
You may find these characters unlikable, but know that they act with (mostly) good intentions. The Gifted School follows five families whose lives are upended when the mysterious Crystal Academy opens in their yuppie Colorado town. Despite knowing little about the curriculum—or teachers, or administration—these families vie to send their children to the highly selective school. Soon friends turn against friends, siblings against siblings, and the once-peaceful community becomes a hotbed of lies and cutthroat competition.
This book has the gossipy, nosy-neighbor feel of Desperate Housewives or Big Little Lies, only these parents are keeping secrets about test scores (not murder). It’s a fun summer read about the absurd world of elite grade-school education that also hits at a deeper truth. After all, it was only a few months ago that a host of real-life parents were caught cheating their kids’ ways into college. The Gifted School will make you snicker. You might find it absurd. But you might also be left to wonder: If this were my reality, would I behave any better?
Read more at: https://bookofthemonth.com/the-gifted...
by Brianna Goodman
Great books are about a lot of things: love, loss, transformation… But you know what else they’re about? Badly behaved parents. We’ve got law-breaking parents, like the aspiring murderers in For Better and Worse. We’ve got dishonest parents, like the ones caught up in the trial portrayed in Miracle Creek. And now we’ve got the parents of The Gifted School, a story of lying, cheating, and often downright dirty parents who will do whatever it takes to make their kids succeed.
You may find these characters unlikable, but know that they act with (mostly) good intentions. The Gifted School follows five families whose lives are upended when the mysterious Crystal Academy opens in their yuppie Colorado town. Despite knowing little about the curriculum—or teachers, or administration—these families vie to send their children to the highly selective school. Soon friends turn against friends, siblings against siblings, and the once-peaceful community becomes a hotbed of lies and cutthroat competition.
This book has the gossipy, nosy-neighbor feel of Desperate Housewives or Big Little Lies, only these parents are keeping secrets about test scores (not murder). It’s a fun summer read about the absurd world of elite grade-school education that also hits at a deeper truth. After all, it was only a few months ago that a host of real-life parents were caught cheating their kids’ ways into college. The Gifted School will make you snicker. You might find it absurd. But you might also be left to wonder: If this were my reality, would I behave any better?
Read more at: https://bookofthemonth.com/the-gifted...
August 3, 2019
This is a book that, if a woman had written it, would be called "women's fiction" or "chick lit." But since a man wrote it, it's called literary fiction with sharp social commentary. I was drawn to it because it's about education, class, and parent-child relationships, all of which are themes that interest me. However, the families portrayed in this community (a thinly veiled Boulder, CO) are all stereotypes of unpleasant, pushy parents living through their children's accomplishments: the driven doctor wife married to the emasculated failed novelist dad, the gung-ho sports dad who ran off with his kids' Austrian nanny, the rich couple with the perfect house, and of course, the obligatory poor Hispanic kid who's the only one who's truly talented. Not only are the parents unpleasant, but the kids are all obnoxious too (except for the poor kid--he's an angel, naturally). I don't mind books with unlikable characters, but I prefer for them to be unlikable in interesting ways, not stereotypes. The plot about about ruthless competition to get the kids into a selective public school for the so-called "gifted and talented" devolves into romance when almost everyone realizes the error of their ways and gives up on their stupid dream in the HEA end. This had the potential to be much better than it was.
September 15, 2019
This is what happens when parenting becomes a competitive sport?
When best friends – Rose, Samantha, Azra, and Lauren – all with children the same age, are informed that a school for the exceptionally gifted is opening in their neighborhood of Crystal, Colorado, they are determined to secure their child/children a placement.
But at what cost?
The Gifted School has been marketed as Big Little Lies meets the College Admissions Scandal, and even though I understand where the comparison to the latter came from, I think Big Little Lies crossed with Desperate Housewives is a more apt description.
Aside from the obvious themes of competition and parental pressure, feelings of failure, judgement, sibling rivalry, aggression, discrimination, rejection, mob and mass mentality, and the spread of social media were prevalent issues. I felt so much empathy towards the poor children in this book. They were under constant and enormous pressure to succeed, some academically, others at sport. No parent should have the right to place such high expectations on their offspring, at the expense of their well-being, social development, and physical and mental health. It was evident that these parents loved their children but they needed a swift wake-up call.
The four women at the core of the novel certainly had an inconsistent rollercoaster friendship, where companionship, warmth, and understanding went hand in hand with ruthlessness, jealously and backstabbing. I was appalled by the way they related to one another, and if anyone in my life treated me that way I wouldn't have put up with it, but admit that it worked for these characters. Yes they made some terrible life choices, but when it really counted they had each other backs. Hats off to the author for choosing to show some pretty unique relationships, that weren't as toxic as they first appeared.
Instead of selecting the four mothers to narrate, we were given only one, along with a father from another, siblings from the third, and a child from the fourth. This worked well, a wormhole into each of the family's dynamics. The final perspective was that of a young boy from a different socioeconomic group, applying to Crystal Academy, which added another dimension to the novel.
Even though it was a provocative read, the promised secrets and lies just weren't scandalous enough for my liking, I craved more bad behaviour and wished the characters had of spiraled more out of control than they did. The ending had its pluses and minuses – I liked it, yet at the same time it was abrupt and inconsistent.
I buddy read this with Mandy, and we were both a little disappointed that it wasn't more shocking and dramatic. Overall it held our attention and kept us entertained, therefore we settled on a 4 star rating.
When best friends – Rose, Samantha, Azra, and Lauren – all with children the same age, are informed that a school for the exceptionally gifted is opening in their neighborhood of Crystal, Colorado, they are determined to secure their child/children a placement.
But at what cost?
The Gifted School has been marketed as Big Little Lies meets the College Admissions Scandal, and even though I understand where the comparison to the latter came from, I think Big Little Lies crossed with Desperate Housewives is a more apt description.
Aside from the obvious themes of competition and parental pressure, feelings of failure, judgement, sibling rivalry, aggression, discrimination, rejection, mob and mass mentality, and the spread of social media were prevalent issues. I felt so much empathy towards the poor children in this book. They were under constant and enormous pressure to succeed, some academically, others at sport. No parent should have the right to place such high expectations on their offspring, at the expense of their well-being, social development, and physical and mental health. It was evident that these parents loved their children but they needed a swift wake-up call.
The four women at the core of the novel certainly had an inconsistent rollercoaster friendship, where companionship, warmth, and understanding went hand in hand with ruthlessness, jealously and backstabbing. I was appalled by the way they related to one another, and if anyone in my life treated me that way I wouldn't have put up with it, but admit that it worked for these characters. Yes they made some terrible life choices, but when it really counted they had each other backs. Hats off to the author for choosing to show some pretty unique relationships, that weren't as toxic as they first appeared.
Instead of selecting the four mothers to narrate, we were given only one, along with a father from another, siblings from the third, and a child from the fourth. This worked well, a wormhole into each of the family's dynamics. The final perspective was that of a young boy from a different socioeconomic group, applying to Crystal Academy, which added another dimension to the novel.
Even though it was a provocative read, the promised secrets and lies just weren't scandalous enough for my liking, I craved more bad behaviour and wished the characters had of spiraled more out of control than they did. The ending had its pluses and minuses – I liked it, yet at the same time it was abrupt and inconsistent.
I buddy read this with Mandy, and we were both a little disappointed that it wasn't more shocking and dramatic. Overall it held our attention and kept us entertained, therefore we settled on a 4 star rating.
July 17, 2019
Four months after that sensational news story about the college admissions scandal comes this hefty novel by Bruce Holsinger about a group of wealthy parents who cheat, lie and bribe to get their kids into an exclusive school. One wants to say that “The Gifted School” is preternaturally timely, but it feels, instead, like a faint imitation: a story dripped from the headlines.
But there’s plenty of wry humor in Holsinger’s portrayal of this dysfunction group of friends, especially the moral gymnastics that liberal parents perform to preserve the purity of their ideals. Everybody loves diversity -- until it comes to school admissions; then accusations of elitism, affirmative action, privilege hoarding and political correctness start flying around like vampire bats. . . .
To read the rest of this novel, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
But there’s plenty of wry humor in Holsinger’s portrayal of this dysfunction group of friends, especially the moral gymnastics that liberal parents perform to preserve the purity of their ideals. Everybody loves diversity -- until it comes to school admissions; then accusations of elitism, affirmative action, privilege hoarding and political correctness start flying around like vampire bats. . . .
To read the rest of this novel, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
July 1, 2019
This book is solidly on my 'best of 2019' book list. The novel starts out at a decent clip, but looking back, that was the steady climb up the first big hill of one heck of a roller coaster. GET THIS BOOK NOW, Y'ALL. It comes out tomorrow (big thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy), so order it, pick it up at your local indie book shop, put it on your library holds list...just get your hands on it.
Although this novel is being constantly compared to Big Little Lies (I myself called it a mashup between BLL and Little Fires Everywhere in the beginning), this book is better. Yes, I said that. IT'S BETTER.
The characters are brilliantly written - flawed, dimensional, incredibly relatable, authentic - and the story is absolutely propulsive. I literally could not rip my eyeballs away from it.
Highly, highly recommended. All the stars!!!
Although this novel is being constantly compared to Big Little Lies (I myself called it a mashup between BLL and Little Fires Everywhere in the beginning), this book is better. Yes, I said that. IT'S BETTER.
The characters are brilliantly written - flawed, dimensional, incredibly relatable, authentic - and the story is absolutely propulsive. I literally could not rip my eyeballs away from it.
Highly, highly recommended. All the stars!!!
September 7, 2019
At least a hundred pages too long and the big reveal was hinted at so much I guessed it way too early. All the characters are the worst and I’m not sure any of them found resolve or learned anything from what happened.
October 21, 2025
3.5 Stars.
Written as fiction, but very real.
Holsinger's The Gifted School is essentially about a group of highly educated and ferociously competitive parents who spend all their free time living vicariously through their young (elementary age) children.
Nice kids find themselves pitted against each other, and all in the quest of receiving parental accolades for outshining their peers.
It seems playtime for many children has been replaced with what can be best described as parental boot camp. From the crack of dawn to lights out, life is a rigid schedule of art, music, language lessons, travel teams, academic tutoring, etcetera.
My heart broke for the children in this novel as I listened to the parents obsessively micromanage their little lives. And without a second thought for their needs, wants or feelings.
Narrator January LaVoy brings this emotional - and often infuriating - book to life without missing a beat.
Written as fiction, but very real.
Holsinger's The Gifted School is essentially about a group of highly educated and ferociously competitive parents who spend all their free time living vicariously through their young (elementary age) children.
Nice kids find themselves pitted against each other, and all in the quest of receiving parental accolades for outshining their peers.
It seems playtime for many children has been replaced with what can be best described as parental boot camp. From the crack of dawn to lights out, life is a rigid schedule of art, music, language lessons, travel teams, academic tutoring, etcetera.
My heart broke for the children in this novel as I listened to the parents obsessively micromanage their little lives. And without a second thought for their needs, wants or feelings.
Narrator January LaVoy brings this emotional - and often infuriating - book to life without missing a beat.
October 21, 2020
Five wonderful, did not want it to end, amazing stars!!
Four women who have been friends for over a decade encounter new challenges when a cutting edge school for gifted children opens in their hometown. The new school creates a divide among the friends and in their children and brings out the worst in human nature. As relationships are tested and truths exposed, the women have to decide what is really important to them and if they truly have their children’s best interests at heart.
I loved the writing, format and pace of the novel, characters, and relationships. The novel was filled with lots of drama, real life issues, some laughs, and a wonderful story of friendship.
This is an absolute must read and one of my favorite books of 2019!
Four women who have been friends for over a decade encounter new challenges when a cutting edge school for gifted children opens in their hometown. The new school creates a divide among the friends and in their children and brings out the worst in human nature. As relationships are tested and truths exposed, the women have to decide what is really important to them and if they truly have their children’s best interests at heart.
I loved the writing, format and pace of the novel, characters, and relationships. The novel was filled with lots of drama, real life issues, some laughs, and a wonderful story of friendship.
This is an absolute must read and one of my favorite books of 2019!
September 8, 2019
What would you do to ensure your child got a place in a special school for gifted and exceptional learners?
SUMMARY
THE GIFTED SCHOOL is set in Crystal, Colorado, a perfect little fictional town filled with wealthy, high performing families. It’s just been announce that a new public magnet school for exceptional learners will be opening next year, and students in sixth through twelfth grades in the four surrounding counties are welcome to apply. The applicant pool is huge and the selection criteria focuses on difference, diversity and overall excellence. The admission process starts with an admission test which students must score well on to make the first cut. The second cut is determined by a student project exhibiting the student’s strength. The strength may be anything; athletics, science, math, fashion design, leadership or even origami.
Rose, Samantha, Azra and Lauren all met at a baby swim class ten years ago, now they are the best of friends. All four believe their child is gifted and all are are seeking admission to Crystal Academy. These women who have always had each other backs are now competing against each other for a limited number of slots. The gloves have come off!
“Insidious, these false versions of superiority and ease we project on to other families. How often they blind us to the surer comforts of our own.”
REVIEW
THE GIFTED SCHOOL is similar to a story that has been in the news earlier this year. Remember the FBI sting Operation Varsity Blues, where rich and connected parents were cheating on tests or buying their student’s way into colleges. This is more of the same, but at a middle and high school level. Ambitious parents are lying, cheating and bribing to win a prestigious seat for their child in Crystal Academy. The novel addresses issues of class, race, and privilege.
The story starts a little slow as we are introduced to a multitude of characters, all the members of the four families in the story. Once the story gets going, however, it grabs you. We all know these families, the soccer dad, the controlling and high achieving mom, the family with the money and contacts, and the single mom just trying to keep it all together. But it’s not just the parents feeling intense pressure. The children, the siblings, the marriages and careers are all affected. The characters were definitely believable and the writing was both entertaining and engaging.
Author Bruce Holsinger Is a professor of English language and literature at the University of Virginia. This is his third novel. I listened to this book on Audible and really enjoyed the narration by January LaVoy.
Publisher Penguin Random House/ Riverhead
Published July 2, 219
Narrated January LaVoy
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
THE GIFTED SCHOOL is set in Crystal, Colorado, a perfect little fictional town filled with wealthy, high performing families. It’s just been announce that a new public magnet school for exceptional learners will be opening next year, and students in sixth through twelfth grades in the four surrounding counties are welcome to apply. The applicant pool is huge and the selection criteria focuses on difference, diversity and overall excellence. The admission process starts with an admission test which students must score well on to make the first cut. The second cut is determined by a student project exhibiting the student’s strength. The strength may be anything; athletics, science, math, fashion design, leadership or even origami.
Rose, Samantha, Azra and Lauren all met at a baby swim class ten years ago, now they are the best of friends. All four believe their child is gifted and all are are seeking admission to Crystal Academy. These women who have always had each other backs are now competing against each other for a limited number of slots. The gloves have come off!
“Insidious, these false versions of superiority and ease we project on to other families. How often they blind us to the surer comforts of our own.”
REVIEW
THE GIFTED SCHOOL is similar to a story that has been in the news earlier this year. Remember the FBI sting Operation Varsity Blues, where rich and connected parents were cheating on tests or buying their student’s way into colleges. This is more of the same, but at a middle and high school level. Ambitious parents are lying, cheating and bribing to win a prestigious seat for their child in Crystal Academy. The novel addresses issues of class, race, and privilege.
The story starts a little slow as we are introduced to a multitude of characters, all the members of the four families in the story. Once the story gets going, however, it grabs you. We all know these families, the soccer dad, the controlling and high achieving mom, the family with the money and contacts, and the single mom just trying to keep it all together. But it’s not just the parents feeling intense pressure. The children, the siblings, the marriages and careers are all affected. The characters were definitely believable and the writing was both entertaining and engaging.
Author Bruce Holsinger Is a professor of English language and literature at the University of Virginia. This is his third novel. I listened to this book on Audible and really enjoyed the narration by January LaVoy.
Publisher Penguin Random House/ Riverhead
Published July 2, 219
Narrated January LaVoy
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
August 21, 2019
This was not a winner for me, womp-womp. I think this is actually a case where I would have enjoyed this more as a television series or movie more than a 400+ page book. I’m not sure I’ve ever made that claim before. Guess there is a first time for everything.
.
The characters were very hard to keep straight. Like, why in the world do we need two girls named Emma? 🙄 I spent most of my time reminding myself who belonged to who and what connection they each had to one another. This was not enjoyable to me at all and distracted me from the plot. I also felt like this could have been wrapped up in 300 pages. It was unnecessarily drawn out and for a conclusion I felt was forced and not all that exciting.
.
The characters were very hard to keep straight. Like, why in the world do we need two girls named Emma? 🙄 I spent most of my time reminding myself who belonged to who and what connection they each had to one another. This was not enjoyable to me at all and distracted me from the plot. I also felt like this could have been wrapped up in 300 pages. It was unnecessarily drawn out and for a conclusion I felt was forced and not all that exciting.
September 23, 2019
The Gifted School was a book with a lot of hype and talk around it. I was really looking forward to it and it was my first buddy read with Lisa and it was lots of fun.
This book was a spotlight on the parents and students of a new school opening in town, Crystal Academy. Friends for years start to get incredibly competitive and nasty as they will do anything to get their kids into this school. Their actions have an effect on the kids and the whole thing gets ugly.
While I did enjoy this book I was hoping for a bit more action. The ending seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up after the actions of the 4 families throughout the book. It does make you think about how far you would go. Lisa and I had some great chats talking about this.
This book was a spotlight on the parents and students of a new school opening in town, Crystal Academy. Friends for years start to get incredibly competitive and nasty as they will do anything to get their kids into this school. Their actions have an effect on the kids and the whole thing gets ugly.
While I did enjoy this book I was hoping for a bit more action. The ending seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up after the actions of the 4 families throughout the book. It does make you think about how far you would go. Lisa and I had some great chats talking about this.
November 14, 2019
I’ll always love a school drama, and this one didn’t disappoint. The Gifted School is on the surface, easy, middle class social drama. At its heart though, this is a novel about the ugliness of human competitiveness, our willingness to hurt others when faced with our own limits, cruelty in the face of threat, self-preservation, and above all the curation of our external lives. This part of the novel was almost too real. I loved it.
July 21, 2019
-Description-
In an affluent Colorado town, they are opening up a magnet school for the gifted & talented students in the surrounding 4 counties. Four mothers (four best friends) are all vying for the coveted spots in the school....and all hell breaks loose.
-Thoughts-
1. When I first heard of this book, it was described as Big Little Lies with standardized tests...and I was like, “Hell Yes!” To be honest, that description couldn’t be more accurate!
2. The four main families that this book concentrates on are just perfection....in the worst sense of the word! They are sneaky and conniving and kind and nuts and deceiving and spoiled and pathetic. But what else do you become when desperation and competition are drowning you??
3. The story is told from various perspectives...which I love in a book. I think the author chose the right characters in this way. A mother, a father, a grandmother, and two children. I liked that it just wasn’t from the four mothers’ viewpoints.
4. The ending was, not necessarily disappointing, but for me slightly unrealistic. A little too “wrapped up in a nice bow” kind of ending. But really, I didn’t mind that. The book was a page turner! And I needed a page turner kind of book.
-Rating-
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Similar Recommended Reads-
Big Little Lies (duh!)
Little Fires Everywhere
Ask Again, Yes
The Husband’s Secret
In an affluent Colorado town, they are opening up a magnet school for the gifted & talented students in the surrounding 4 counties. Four mothers (four best friends) are all vying for the coveted spots in the school....and all hell breaks loose.
-Thoughts-
1. When I first heard of this book, it was described as Big Little Lies with standardized tests...and I was like, “Hell Yes!” To be honest, that description couldn’t be more accurate!
2. The four main families that this book concentrates on are just perfection....in the worst sense of the word! They are sneaky and conniving and kind and nuts and deceiving and spoiled and pathetic. But what else do you become when desperation and competition are drowning you??
3. The story is told from various perspectives...which I love in a book. I think the author chose the right characters in this way. A mother, a father, a grandmother, and two children. I liked that it just wasn’t from the four mothers’ viewpoints.
4. The ending was, not necessarily disappointing, but for me slightly unrealistic. A little too “wrapped up in a nice bow” kind of ending. But really, I didn’t mind that. The book was a page turner! And I needed a page turner kind of book.
-Rating-
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Similar Recommended Reads-
Big Little Lies (duh!)
Little Fires Everywhere
Ask Again, Yes
The Husband’s Secret
July 22, 2019
Wow wow wow! I prefer to start books somewhat blindly so that I go into them without too many predispositions. I had read a few reviews of The Gifted School that peaked my interest, and thought it was rather relevant given the times, but that was the extent of my knowledge. When I saw that it was a BOTM choice for July, I decided to give it a try - so glad I did! I found myself inhaling this book and read the 400+ pages in less than two days. This was one of those stories that I thought about long after I read the last page and wished it hadn't ended so soon.
Initially, I thought it was a story about a group of pretentious, rich parents with spoiled, unlikable kids - and it was, sort of, but it was also so much more. It had a memorizing theme, a well-executed plot, a fast-paced narrative, a fitting expose on suburban parents' competitiveness and their children's anxiety resulting from the pressure, and even a great twist at the end. The book subtly ridicules the idea of "giftedness" and of schools for "gifted children." I really got into the characterization in this book. The relationships between the husbands and wives, as well as the relationships between the four women, were very convincing and true to life.
All in all, this was one of the most gripping books I've read for a while. I knew from the beginning that it was not going to end well, but truth be told, it was somewhat satisfying and then thought-provoking, and by the end, I couldn't believe I was cheering these people on to succeed. Put this one on your summer TBR list! 5 stars.
Initially, I thought it was a story about a group of pretentious, rich parents with spoiled, unlikable kids - and it was, sort of, but it was also so much more. It had a memorizing theme, a well-executed plot, a fast-paced narrative, a fitting expose on suburban parents' competitiveness and their children's anxiety resulting from the pressure, and even a great twist at the end. The book subtly ridicules the idea of "giftedness" and of schools for "gifted children." I really got into the characterization in this book. The relationships between the husbands and wives, as well as the relationships between the four women, were very convincing and true to life.
All in all, this was one of the most gripping books I've read for a while. I knew from the beginning that it was not going to end well, but truth be told, it was somewhat satisfying and then thought-provoking, and by the end, I couldn't believe I was cheering these people on to succeed. Put this one on your summer TBR list! 5 stars.
August 10, 2019
At 450 pages, it just felt too long for what I got out of it. The plot moved very slowly. There were so many characters that the book tried to follow, but I never felt like I got to really know any of them. I also didn't get a sense of any of them having much in the way of character development. There was some closure and new revelations at the end, but it wasn't very satisfying.
Even at the end, I still struggled to remember which people were which.
I think the book intends for it to be a bit of schadenfreude, and that can be fun sometimes...but here it just kinda fell apart for me. The characters were all awful and ridiculous (on purpose), but they bored me and I didn't really care what happened with any of them -- good or bad.
As for a big twist near the end:
I'll give it 2 stars on here, but it probably is closer to a 1.5/5 or a 3/10 for me. Chose this as a BOTM pick for July.
Even at the end, I still struggled to remember which people were which.
I think the book intends for it to be a bit of schadenfreude, and that can be fun sometimes...but here it just kinda fell apart for me. The characters were all awful and ridiculous (on purpose), but they bored me and I didn't really care what happened with any of them -- good or bad.
As for a big twist near the end:
I'll give it 2 stars on here, but it probably is closer to a 1.5/5 or a 3/10 for me. Chose this as a BOTM pick for July.
May 28, 2019
Take 4 competitive mothers. Stir in a cutthroat community of affluent individuals. Add a new public school geared toward the gifted with stringent cutoff requirements. What do you get? Combustion! Incredibly prescient, this novel follows 4 mothers and fathers as they savagely vie for spots in a new gifted magnet school for middle and upper schools to be opened in the fall. Parents end up lying, cheating, bribing and destroying their lives and the lives of their children as they fall prey to the belief that this school will bring their children superior advantages in life. It is an examination of parenting, false beliefs, and the lengths that parents will succumb to achieve success for their kids. This book has been labeled as entertaining but I despised the characters so much that I had a hard time mustering any sympathy for them. Indeed that is the power of Holsinger's work, but I could not find anything socially redeemable even with the climax of the story when lessons are learned the hard way. My bet is that it will be really uncomfortable for some parents to read this and recognize a bit of themselves in these characters.
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