Meet Gillian Cormier-Brandenburg: a virginal, narcoleptic, atheistic Harvard Divinity School student struggling to finish her Ph.D. thesis. When he...
read full description
reviews
Jan 31, 2012
Jen
rated it: 
It has been some time since I read this particular book but I remember the book cover reaching out and calling to me at the library. Since I couldn't silence the voice I gave up and took it home with me.
The main character is a little mentally bent out of shape and is plagued by an obsessive interior life at the sacrifice of an exterior one. Under threat of losing a plum fellowship her brilliant interior self finally kicks her exterior self out of hiding and into the wide world. More...
The main character is a little mentally bent out of shape and is plagued by an obsessive interior life at the sacrifice of an exterior one. Under threat of losing a plum fellowship her brilliant interior self finally kicks her exterior self out of hiding and into the wide world. More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Dec 30, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I enjoyed this farcical take on cut-throat academia and a struggling grad student's fall from grace and eventual redemption. Her dissertation topic on secular conversion experiences gets repeatedly rejected by her graduate advisor and her funding is jeopardized. She applies to work at a halfway house for recovering addicts in hopes of getting the research material she needs to complete her PhD. The culture clash between her and the residents is stark and the writer really succeeds in capturing t
More...
Aug 18, 2011
Linore
rated it: 
I got hooked quickly by this book and read straight through to the end. There is off-color language, women of a certain sexual persuasion, and an agnostic protagonist--in short, lots of stuff Christian readers may have problems with. Honestly, if I'd read the back cover blurb before opening up the book I'm not sure I would have opened it; having said that, I'm glad I did.
I found SAVE YOUR OWN laugh-out-loud funny, smart, and page-turning. The main character is someone you have to like More...
I found SAVE YOUR OWN laugh-out-loud funny, smart, and page-turning. The main character is someone you have to like More...
Mar 18, 2009
Jill
rated it:
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book! Ok, so maybe I can. The protagonist is so endearing. I am very impressed that this is the author's first novel. I like quirky, off-center characters and this book has quite a few. The only thing I didn't like were the footnotes. I skipped over them, and I don't think it hindered my reading at all.
My favorite quote from the book: "Doubt is the flip side of faith. There is no journey without doubt. I choose faith over doubt. That's w More...
My favorite quote from the book: "Doubt is the flip side of faith. There is no journey without doubt. I choose faith over doubt. That's w More...
Mar 03, 2009
Courtney
rated it: 
This was one I had to warm up to. At the beginning of the novel, the main character is too smart for her own good, which translates into unlikeable. As a grad student, she constantly over-analyzes, which drove me crazy. Eventually, I got involved with the story and stuck with it to find out what happens, even though it was difficult at times.
May 02, 2010
Miko
rated it: 
I'm unimpressed. It's about a neurotic grad student trying to get her dissertation approved while working at a halfway house. Hi-jinks don't ensue and it's not sweet and/or tender either.
Apr 17, 2009
Badcat
rated it:
This book is wise, witty, and a joy to read. The characters are endearing and memorable and the development is really engaging. I enjoyed it very much and would read it again!!
Sep 03, 2008
Faith
rated it:
Funny! A fast read. A novel with ironic academic footnotes is worth the price of admission. The author's bio suggests that she's writing partly or largely from her own experience. She nails the inadequacies of "treatment." She also writes honestly and insightfully about a gulf between people of different classes, from the perspective of a highly privileged person. Too bad the story (and the narrator) didn't go farther with Janet the Harley-riding tough girl, but she avoids becoming a s
More...
Jan 05, 2009
Katie
rated it: 
I just felt like the characters were caricatures, to the extreme. So much so that they just weren't believable.
Jan 22, 2008
Stella
rated it:
Strange and interesting little book. At first I was dubious because I didn't care for the main character all that much, but, by the end, I was rooting for her to survive and succeed. One of those books that I grabbed off the library shelf and was pleasantly surprised by. Not a 5-starrer by any means, but ok.
Dec 17, 2009
Caitie
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. Its not your typical story, and the main character is not your usualy heroine, but she is lovable and funny. Good story line with good character development, I think I am also partial to it because it takes place in Boston! :)
Aug 22, 2007
Lisa
rated it:
If you're looking for an easy read with a couple of great lines, this might be a book you would like. The story is good with no real predictable parts, and the main character is delightful.
Oct 02, 2008
Mary
rated it:
I didn't like it enough to keep reading, so I checked out the reviews on goodreads and decided they just weren't compelling enough.
May 04, 2007
Heather
rated it:
It was a fun read and made me think a bit, but not great, and I felt like it kind of flopped at the end.
Mar 07, 2008
Laurel
rated it:
Thoughtful, funny read - and it makes one think about why "the rules" ARE "the rules."
Aug 23, 2008
Emily
rated it:
Told from the POV of a pretty strange main character, but also a fun quick read.
Jan 31, 2012
Jan 08, 2012
Jan 03, 2012
Dec 07, 2011
Nov 27, 2011
Oct 25, 2011
Oct 07, 2011
