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4 January 2025
At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival—her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb—by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one. [from the publisher]
All too quickly, I was bored by Sadie's repetitive whining. That might have been improved by writing from dual point of view with Seb.
The good: campus activism; Sadie and Seb pushing each other to perform well; Sadie finally asserting herself with her sisters (though this relates to Sadie's likely misperception of their parents' expectations).
The bad: excessive whining; Sadie being terribly dense about her mutual attraction with Seb.
The neutral: college kids finding their independence, even as they're a bit homesick [I'm not sure I ever knew anyone who was].
By far, my favorite characters were Daisy—writer/sunshine wife—and Betty—a pancake restaurateur/grumpy wife. I wish they played much bigger roles in the story, and that I could share a quote from Daisy. If you read it, please let me know when you get to Daisy and whether you are similarly amused by her.
The audiobook is narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, whom I like.
This unbiased review is based on an audio ARC supplied by the publisher—Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners. Publication is expected January 21
About
I got my first library card at age 4, at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library, and have been a regular user of public and university libraries ever since. I am a trustee of the Palatine [Illinois] Public Library District in my second term, currently serving as board president.
I read books for all age groups, from all time periods, and from practically all genres, though my all-time favorite genre is mystery. I love to talk about books with others, so please join me in conversation about a book we both read or tell me about a book you think I'd like.
I'm never not reading.
