Beautiful Disaster discussion

Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I kept having to double check they weren't in high school. Just wanted to know some people's thoughts! Also is this really considered a Young Adult book? Thanks!

I thought it seemed ok. I remember eating breakfast and lunch in the cafe, and people gossip everywhere. It seemed typical freshman/sorority behavior to me!

Leslie wrote: "Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I kept having to d..."

It's not just you. I thought it so, too. The college that I went to was large. Way too big for the "everybody knows everybody's business" gossip mills that were portrayed in this book.

Mochaspresso wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I k..."

Nowhere is to big to know Travis Maddox

It was definitely more like a high school.

Vanessa wrote: "It was definitely more like a high school."

wouldnt know didnt go to high school but im heading to collage in september

Mochaspresso wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I k..."

Yeah maybe it's just that my college was way large.

Thanks everyone for the input! I suppose no where is to big to know Travis 'mad dog' Maddox! ;) Has anyone has gone to a small college that was like that? Just curious!

Seemed like a high school to me too. And it was like high school musical all over again when Travis sang in front of everyone.

Its a real College, my niece goes there. And there is a Red door like in the book she's been there!

Leslie wrote: "Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I kept having to d..."

I thought so, too and had to remind myself that they weren't.

ummm wrong. every college is different. especially depending on state. we have some HUGE party schools here and they act that way. so, again, i think the author nailed it.

OMG! I am so happy someone brought this up! I loved the love story but the University did seem more HSish. Like the entire football team had their table, the frat guys etc. it was like popular table, student council all that over again. Like when everyone was staring at them and he started singing 'I can't get no satisfaction' and everyone started to join in?! I was like WTF? Is this a performance high school? Were they suddenly in Glee? I was thinking they must have went to A super small school (>2000).

I go to an extremely small school and it's not even like that!

AGAIN PEOPLE its about size AND location. Every school has a different mood and feel. Theirs might have been a smidge diff. Like, come on. Is it that big of a fucking deal?

Vie wrote: "AGAIN PEOPLE its about size AND location. Every school has a different mood and feel. Theirs might have been a smidge diff. Like, come on. Is it that big of a fucking deal?"
Can I put everyone at rest about Eastern as my niece goes there and I've driven up there so many times. Its not a large school first of all!!! Its a Division III school so its small so yeah it may sound like a HSish, but technically the kids that are going there are just turning 18 and just out of HS.

Megan wrote: "OMG! I am so happy someone brought this up! I loved the love story but the University did seem more HSish. Like the entire football team had their table, the frat guys etc. it was like popular tabl..."

Ha ha ha that scene was very much like Glee lol ha ha and you for your rant! I enjoyed it!

Vie wrote: "AGAIN PEOPLE its about size AND location. Every school has a different mood and feel. Theirs might have been a smidge diff. Like, come on. Is it that big of a fucking deal?"

No I don't think it's that big of a deal, I still loved the story..it's just a discussion to see if others we're of the same mind set. Just people talking about a story :)

Vie wrote: "AGAIN PEOPLE its about size AND location. Every school has a different mood and feel. Theirs might have been a smidge diff. Like, come on. Is it that big of a fucking deal?"

I don't think anyone is making it such a big deal they hated the story. The school is not getting in anyone's way of not liking the story they are just asking what did you think of the school's personality. Location and size are a factor but come on. I go to a school where it's 15-20 in an average classroom and it's still not like that. There are countless POSITIVE reviews about the story.

Even when discussing the novel with friends the school's cafeteria and high school like chatter never came up.

Okay so I read some of the sample for Walking Disaster and this women said the BELL RANG?!?! Okay, if the mini food fights and sing alongs wasn't bad enough a BELL?! I have never heard in the history of education a BELL ringing in COLLEGE! To the lady who said he niece went to Eastern, uh... do they have bells like middle school? Also I know "location and size" play a big part but uh... A BELL?!

I never mention a bell, we call our door bell a buzzer, so to each his own..... You guys are getting carried away! I have a personal motto: "So what, who cares?!"

Lisa wrote: "I never mention a bell, we call our door bell a buzzer, so to each his own..... You guys are getting carried away! I have a personal motto: "So what, who cares?!""

People are just discussing what they notice. Some people think that these details are trivial and others don't. I will speak for me and say that while I did enjoy reading the novel, there were some aspects that didn't seem authentic to me and I suspect to some other people as well. Hence, we have this topic thread.

Like the original poster, I thought the behavior of some of the characters seemed extremely juvenile considering the fact that the story is supposed to be set in college.

Vie wrote: "AGAIN PEOPLE its about size AND location. Every school has a different mood and feel. Theirs might have been a smidge diff. Like, come on. Is it that big of a fucking deal?"

THANK YOU! I hate when people pick books apart over such tiny details. I personally enjoyed this book.

Mochaspresso wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I never mention a bell, we call our door bell a buzzer, so to each his own..... You guys are getting carried away! I have a personal motto: "So what, who cares?!""

People are just dis..."
You haven't met my niece who goes there and is a Junior. Physically she looks her age, but mentally you would question???

My college experience was NOTHING like how the book was, so I think you're right. The college I attend is really small as well, but not everybody knows everybody and all of their business. It definitely had a high school vibe or a hollywood (tv) college vibe.

It was very high school like. And I believe the bell she is referring to is in Walking Disaster Travis says something about her making it to her seat right before the bell rang. People are already too busy in college to worry about what other "cliques" are up to unless they are in the same clique. I also found it really weird that every girl was still wooing over a wooless guy. DId they not hear about his rep? Or did they think they could be the girl who would "change" him?

Maybe Eastern is like that, I now realize that is a school I would never want to go to.

Blythe I hear you there! Get a bunch of females together, sometimes it's like high school all over again, very clique like :) thanks for your input in the discussion as well ans Shannon and Mary-Sarah

I went to a small all women's college, so I'm basing my experiences on that. To a certain point, everyone sort of knew everybody else, but through that vague description of "You know that girl who loved ceramics and always had chopsticks in her hair?" kind of way, not so much the always knowing names and personal business.
Though, as many have mentioned, different colleges, different atmospheres. Also, we could usually only seat about a max of six people at the tables in our dining hall, so all of the lunch scenes seemed a lot more like high school scenes to me.
Now that I think of it, I experienced a heck of a lot more drama in college than in high school, so the amount of drama that came up, while I think it was overboard at times, could be somewhat accurate.

Thanks Sarah Lu for your input! Great book though, right?

The author went to Northern Oklahoma College, where I currently go. Her comp teacher is my teacher. I met McGuire this past semester and Eastern University is based off NOC. :D The teachers are actual teachers here and the campus is just how it is in the book! It's amazing

I think it's kinda funny how everyone is talking about this school and the cafeteria and the HS atmosphere. I felt that too...but took it as part of the story. What amazed me...is they could have these fights...other college students came and NO one knew about it in administration?? Every fight they did..I kept thinking..NO one knows about this?? So when the disaster hit..(trying not to spoil anything)...I thought..well, this was bound to happen!!

^^lol I never thought of that.

My favorite "get real Jamie" moment was when Abby and Travis went to go see the goons and Travis is fighting Benny's body guards and this college kid beats the ass of two grown men accustomed to this. My favorite part is how the other did not jump in when the first one was getting his ass kicked. I was thinking I'm no gang/mob expert but I'm pretty sure they're not courteous or fair when fighting, where was the double teaming? I've been meaning to make a post about that.

We called the "cafeteria" the Dining Hall. The Student Union was the general and central meeting area. A place where you could hold meetings and socialize and grab quick snacks between classes. We didn't have bells either. It wouldn't have been feasible. The lengths of the classes were different based on how many credits they were.

We called the eating place whatever the school called it. East College Cafeteria (EC or East College for short), Bruff, and Student Center, because there was a caf in there. We didn't have trays though but my cousin's private university did. The student union is what we call student center.

Also there were no bells. I only heard a bell ONCE in all my college career and that was when they were testing out the new building's emergency sound. Each class has different timing and it would be quite annoying and rude for the "bell" to ring every half hour.

But hey as Lisa and Vee said It's a "real school" and "place and size" play a big part. Maybe every class is an hour 30 and since students aren't all there in the head they have to have the structure of bells as to not stir their fragile minds. lol

I went to a relatively large college. I remember that during my first semester, I did hear bells ringing to signal the beginning of classes. I found it very strange. But, soon after, they went away. I never heard a bell again for the rest of my college career.

It didn't surprise me that it was like HS. With a relatively small student body, and with a reputation like Travis's, their notoriety would probably travel through out all the departments. Usually, within departments and fraternities/sororities, HS drama tends to happen. Geez, you even have HS drama portrayed in office and corporate settings.

What bothered me the most about all the gossip was that who else told everyone about finding Travis and Abby in bed together if not other than Hayes? Why did that not bother anyone at all?

Leslie wrote: "Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I kept having to d..."
ikr

Leslie wrote: "Isn't just me or did anyone think that the university they attended was really more like a high school? From the way everyone gossiped to lunch tables....when they were at school I kept having to d..."

yes! yes! Yes!! I attended a small state college in the State of Washington, and my university was nothing like this. And on campuses where there was a Greek System, they would NEVER have eaten in the school's dining hall, they all ate in their own houses, that was the point of having the houses in the first place. Plus a Freshman who has joined a Frat/Sorority usually has to Live in the HOUSE once they are pledged. There was so much wrong with that whole description.