Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel -- Review

Title: Small Admissions 
Author: Amy Poeppel 
Pages: 368
Publishing: December 27th 2016 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books
ISBN: 1501122525

Summary: 

For fans of The Nanny Diaries and Sophie Kinsella comes a whip-smart and deliciously funny debut novel about Kate, a young woman unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions as she attempts to understand city life, human nature, and falling in love.

Despite her innate ambition and Summa Cum Laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being unceremoniously dumped by her handsome, French “almost fiancé,” she abandons her grad school plans and instead spends her days lolling on the couch, watching reruns of Sex and the City, and leaving her apartment only when a dog-walking gig demands it. Her friends don’t know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback, while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews.

Miraculously, and for reasons no one (least of all Kate) understands, she manages to land a job in the admissions department at the prestigious Hudson Day School. In her new position, Kate learns there’s no time for self-pity or nonsense during the height of the admissions season, or what her colleagues refer to as “the dark time.” As the process revs up, Kate meets smart kids who are unlikable, likeable kids who aren’t very smart, and Park Avenue parents who refuse to take no for an answer.

Meanwhile, Kate’s sister and her closest friends find themselves keeping secrets, hiding boyfriends, dropping bombshells, and fighting each other on how to keep Kate on her feet. On top of it all, her cranky, oddly charming, and irritatingly handsome downstairs neighbor is more than he seems. Through every dishy, page-turning twist, it seems that one person’s happiness leads to another’s misfortune, and suddenly everyone, including Kate, is looking for a way to turn rejection on its head, using any means necessary—including the truly unexpected.

Review: 

I typically love a good chick lit book while on vacation and I rarely read them other than that, but Small Admissions had such an interesting synopsis, I felt like I had to read it right away. The beginning of the story starts in third person, and the character introduction is a little bit confusing, but after the first few chapters I started to get in the groove and really enjoyed it. 

Kate begins as a character you just truly feel bad for. She doesn't know when to quit talking, she constantly feels bad for herself, and she makes a lot of bad choices (that left me rolling on the floor laughing), but with all of that being said... she is totally likable and I found myself unable to put the book down in hopes that Kate would do something else hilarious. 

Unlike other chick lit books, Small Admissions isn't centered around a romance. There definitely is some romance mixed in, but I liked that it was more of a comedy than a romance story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and hope to read more from Amy Poeppel soon! I would highly recommend this book to friends. 

Rating 4/5