Admission

By: Julie Buxbaum

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Lie. Cheat. Bribe. How far would you go to get into your dream school? How far would your parents go? Inspired by the recent college admissions scandal, this ripped-from-the-headlines YA novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things sees one teenage girl's privileged world shatter when her family's lies are exposed.

It's good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer--she has it all--money, privilege, and a ticket to the college of her dreams. Or at least she did until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her B list celebrity mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal, and Chloe might be the next one facing charges. The public is furious, the headlines are brutal, and the US attorney is out for blood.

As everything she's taken for granted starts to slip away, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. How much did she really know-or guess? Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat? And what does it really mean to be complicit?

Bestselling author Julie Buxbaum takes on the college admissions bribery scandal that rocked the country in this timely tale of the hyper elite and the hyper competitive, and the lengths they go to stay at the top.

Critic reviews

"Deft, page-turning, and fresh as the latest college admissions gossip." —Kirkus Reviews

"[Buxbaum's] assessment of the entitled 1% feels spot-on." —Publishers Weekly

"A gripping, thoughtful exploration of contemporary themes." —SLJ

"Whether or not readers are familiar with the real-life events that inspired the story, they’re likely to find it captivating; the novel goes behind the headlines to add humanity and complexity to a juicy national scandal." —The Horn Book

“An absorbing and topical novel.” —Booklist

Amazing

I loved this book! It was fun getting to look into the lives of those in the scandal (even though yes the main characters story isn’t based off any of the people in the scandal)
I had a few moments in the book when it blew my mind there’s actually people in this world who think like this. Who don’t fully understand how privileged they are and how hard a lot of people have to work to get somewhere in their lives. I loved all the characters and the storyline and will recommend to a lot of people!

Loved it!

This story was fantastic! Very interesting and it wasn’t fairytale-like at all. It seemed to play very well into social norms and privilege.

Shows Another Perspective, And Still Leaves Characters Flawed

This was pretty good I followed Operation Varsity Blues as much or more as the next person. We discussed it in my student affairs Law and Ethics courses. The characters ring true as flawed and selfish and ignorant and loving and complicated people.

I’ve heard a few things read by Julia Whelan, and she is very good.

Good book. I recommend this one if you are looking for something that embraces human selfishness and flaws where the characters learn a lot without maybe really “getting it” when it comes to privilege and entitlement.

Waaaaay too political and very divisive no resolution

I was looking forward to this because I really like this Author’s writing & the fact that it’s usually pretty clean. But as the plot unraveled and I kept waiting for it to resolve and get better, it doesn’t. The best friend ditched her when she needed a friend. All because she’s white, rich & “privileged”. And every person of color in the book is automatically a victim. This book feeds racist ideologies by not allowing either person to practice empathy for the other, they part ways because being white and rich is unforgivable. It doesn’t matter that she learned what she can do to be more aware. The friendship never heals. And the best friend of color stays angry, bitter, & unforgiving for something that the protagonist had no control over. How is this helpful?! It perpetuates the idea that we can’t have common ground and find commonalities for building relationships all because of our socio-economic and/or racial status. And therefore, we must be “separate, but equal.” This ideology sets us back like 100 years. I kept listening hoping for a resolution (because why else do we listen to fiction?!) but, nope. The only character who gets a happy resolution is the older brother who gets his 1 year sobriety chip at the end. Super disappointed. Will be asking for a refund.