The Ivy (The Ivy, #1)

Jun 15, 2013 Anushka rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Chick-lit fans.

Shelves: would-you-look-at-that-cover, chick-lit, wishlist, bitchin, awesome-heroines, dreamy-guys, ebook, not-my-types, me-likey, surprisingly-good, ugh-a-love-triangle, reviewed

This book was mentioned in an episode of Gossip Girl and when I saw the cover..damn. I was sold. I knew I just had to read this book. It’s not that gorgeous but I don’t know, this book just called to me. Finally I got a chance to read this and I’m glad I wasn’t too disappointed either.

This is the most chick-lit-ish book I’ve ever read, given the fact that only chick-lit I’ve read is Pretty Little Liars and Private series, which had more suspense than drama.
The Ivy , in my opinion, was a...more This book was mentioned in an episode of Gossip Girl and when I saw the cover..damn. I was sold. I knew I just had to read this book. It’s not that gorgeous but I don’t know, this book just called to me. Finally I got a chance to read this and I’m glad I wasn’t too disappointed either.

This is the most chick-lit-ish book I’ve ever read, given the fact that only chick-lit I’ve read is Pretty Little Liars and Private series, which had more suspense than drama.
The Ivy , in my opinion, was a lot like Private excluding the murder- mystery part and the infamous Billings House, other than that they both had a very similar protag, group of friends and setting.

I’ve no intention to do a detailed review of this book. I’d just like to mention a couple of things.

First, I do NOT enjoy stories with a Queen Mean who is capable of doing the evilest things you can imagine (But Mean Girls is one of my favourite movies ever, go figure) and a lot of backstabbing, plotting, cheating and two-timing. This is the reason I didn’t watch Gossip Girl Season 4 either and was about to leave this book in-between. I am very weak when it comes to this and with the way this book ended we all know what the first thing is going to be in the sequel so I’m thinking about dropping it. I cannot digest all this cruelty.

Then, I didn’t like Callie much. She was ‘okay’ for me in the beginning but became downright insufferable when she did something she shouldn’t have towards the end. She pretended to be the nice girl who cares about her friends throughout the book but the truth is, she did some pretty awful things but liked to show that she didn’t intend on doing it.
Except her, all the characters were tolerable, Mimi, Gregory, Clint, OK, Vanessa – all of them made quite an awesome gang and not to forget they were incredibly funny!
Alex’s character was over-hyped, though. She was described as the evil incarnation of Regina George but she didn’t do anything except insulting Callie once or twice. I guess that’s because she didn’t have much role in this book… but who am I kidding, she is gonna be the star of next one! So, I think, in this her character was only meant for introduction, she’ll do the real damage in the following book.

I’m not sure if I should read the next one because of my very low affinity for stories involving Girls Being Bitches. Although, this one ended on a cliff-hanger and I am a bit curious to know what’s on the other side.
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Aug 24, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

I loved The Ivy. Honestly, by page 4, I already knew I was going to read this book in one sitting. The Ivy is college life, ivy league style - everyone rich, famous and geniuses, or some mix of the three, or at least it seems that way. Can an average girl survive and find her way at an above average school?

I adored everything about The Ivy, from the secret societies (or Finals Clubs as they are called at Harvard), to the choosing of classes, to the parties (with authentic sounding drunken hookup...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Val rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don’t even know where to start. This series is giving me serious chills and I am more than obsessed with it. Most of the books I have been reading are now becoming series. It’s hard to tell which you should start or shouldn’t especially with all the waiting in between. However, I can tell you The Ivy is going to be a HIT. No Joke. First off, we all want to know what the life of a Harvard Elite is like. Right? Or maybe just me. This new series gives you a sneak peak into the life of those “Elit...more I don’t even know where to start. This series is giving me serious chills and I am more than obsessed with it. Most of the books I have been reading are now becoming series. It’s hard to tell which you should start or shouldn’t especially with all the waiting in between. However, I can tell you The Ivy is going to be a HIT. No Joke. First off, we all want to know what the life of a Harvard Elite is like. Right? Or maybe just me. This new series gives you a sneak peak into the life of those “Elite” students.

First off, let me tell you I am obsessed with the Gossip Girl TV Series. I don’t really enjoy the books as much. This is everything I wish the GG Series would have been. The Ivy is a mix of Gossip Girl Drama with some Gilmore Girls “Find Yourself” style.

I really enjoy when chapters start off with a little tidbit of some sort. Each of the chapters in this novel start off with an article. Typically it’s from the Harvard Fifteen Minutes Magazine. I think the addition of these articles draws the reader into the novel. It places you in the mind of a freshman at Harvard. I also enjoyed seeing the Twitter pages, emails, chat boxes and year book signatures!

The Ivy is also the first collaboration novel I have read. I think it was well blended to perfection. There is no distinction of one author or another. The two were able to work together to bring forth a stunning new novel.

This novel isn’t only happy go lucky. It can be saddening watching the struggles Callie was going through. Struggling to forget things that happen, struggling to fit in, but also struggling to maintain who she is. Have no fear though, this girl will not let others keep her down!

I think The Ivy is going to be a hit among teens, young adult and even adults! This has the perfect blend of drama, romance, humor and truth. Everyone in college will want to relate to the experiences in The Ivy, adults will want to reminisce and teens will want to be prepared.

I was really fond of the fact that this novel explores some of the other Characters’ way of thinking. Every so often you are led into their minds and it really helps you get an idea of what is going on in the story.

I give The Ivy a 5. This new series has everything you could want and more. Addicting. Intoxicating. Compelling. A MUST Read!(less)

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Dec 16, 2010 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Rating: 4.5

Lauren and Rina's The Ivy, initiated a sensational glimpse into the esteemed reputation of Harvard University. With a glamorous outside and an underlying element of cunning behavior, this debut knocked my socks off. The intensity and raw depth behind the story was an immensely pleasurable experience. The characters eccentricity was evident from the first introductions, thus, helping me build connections on different levels. Callie, a naturally beautiful girl from California was an...more My Rating: 4.5

Lauren and Rina's The Ivy, initiated a sensational glimpse into the esteemed reputation of Harvard University. With a glamorous outside and an underlying element of cunning behavior, this debut knocked my socks off. The intensity and raw depth behind the story was an immensely pleasurable experience. The characters eccentricity was evident from the first introductions, thus, helping me build connections on different levels. Callie, a naturally beautiful girl from California was an easy individual to understand. The students there supplied an affluent appearance, while Callie expressed herself as simple and low maintenance. My favorite aspect of the novel, were her roommates. Each and every one of them brought something new to the table. There sarcastic and laugh out loud remarks continually surfaced from start to finish. However, all these girls can't live in one dorm without some drama! Sometimes, personalities aren't what they seem, females can be so damn catty. I found myself feeling bad for the on-going trust issues among her roommates and other "acquaintances."

Besides that drama, Callie unexpectedly fell into a pool of drool worthy guys all fighting for her attention. I mean, wow, Clint and Gregory were sizzling hot. Gregory came across as an excessively cocky and egotistical bastard. While, Clint was the sweet and classy guy who treated her well. Yet again, I found myself falling for the badass. I don't know what it is, the guy's who deserve a punch in the face, call my name in YA books. All throughout The Ivy, each direction Callie took, her life was in shambles. It was bad enough she had schoolwork but also had to look out for backstabbers and a secret that was continually haunting her. By the end of the book, I was flabbergasted at the cliffhanger. I simply am dying to get my hands on the sequel, Secrets. I definitely feel a lot of things will start blowing up and I can't wait to see it happen! Just a little warning for my young readers, this book contains sexual content, drinking, drugs and well anything that you think goes on behind college doors. However, being a twenty-five year old I was happy to see all these grown up factors. Love drama and hot boys? Pick this up!
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May 20, 2013 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fiction

Since I got a bit of a kick out of Pretty Little Liars, I thought it would be amusing to read the Ivy League version. It was not.

Not only are none of the characters in this story smart enough to make their attending Harvard plausible, you get the impression that the author has not, in fact, ever met a smart person. The protagonist's manifestations of intelligence include doing arithmetic in her head and believing that Persuasion is "sophomoric" compared to Pride and Prejudice, which I don't thin...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Lina rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Prep School Book Fans

Shelves: teen-fiction-normal, other, not-my-type-of-book

Let me start off by saying thank you to Greenwillow books for sending this to me. It was quite a surprise. To continue, I also have to state that this type of book, isn't really my forte. They are made for a specific audience, the ones that read Gossip Girl, The Clique and watch Jersey Shore and Real House Wives of (Insert here). The goal of these books is not, in my opinion, to be good. It is to be fun. Therefore I will be judging it on that quality rather than my own personal feelings.

This boo...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-own, drugs-alcohol, college, massachusetts

Callie Andrews got into Harvard because of her brain. Not her money, not her fame and definitely not for her fashion. This makes her feel a little out of place with her roommates are first. She has Mimi who is from France and Vanessa who is from NYC, though Callie feels left out, their super conservative fourth roommate has to feel super out of place with her crazy mates. As if classes weren't hard enough, Callie also have to navigate the social battlefield that is her life. With an ex who recen...more Callie Andrews got into Harvard because of her brain. Not her money, not her fame and definitely not for her fashion. This makes her feel a little out of place with her roommates are first. She has Mimi who is from France and Vanessa who is from NYC, though Callie feels left out, their super conservative fourth roommate has to feel super out of place with her crazy mates. As if classes weren't hard enough, Callie also have to navigate the social battlefield that is her life. With an ex who recently dumped her(via e-mail=lame) and some hottie across-the-hall-neighbors Callie has quite the playing field. Whose toes will she have to step on to get what she wants and does she even know what she wants? With all this drama, Callie better hope she can survive her freshman year at Harvard.

This was a fantastic debut novel. It was very fun and just a great read. I do have to say that is you are looking for a novel that promotes good morals, do not read this. The characters have sex and do drugs, binge drink and really enjoy themselves at college, all with no consequence (life doesn't always have consequences). I really enjoyed the little newspaper articles between the chapters, they were very witty and hilarious. It was a little frustrating watching Callie sabotage her relationships (probably not on purpose) with everyone around her. When you read the inside jacket flap, that lists her potential love interests, you know right away which one she will end up with. I am very interested to see where this story will take us, especially since the last page is so juicy. Hopefully Callie makes up her mind and gains a little more self confidence as she trudges along at Harvard, because otherwise I might just have to shake her. If you ever wanted to know what college life was like for an average teenager/almost not a teenager anymore, this is the book to read. Very realistic portrayals about people (hopefully everyone isn't as conniving as some of the characters) girls, guys, foreign girls from France who don't really care about their reputations (this isn't to imply that all French girls don't care about their reps, only that some don't). If you were thinking about reading this one, make sure you do and keep an eye out for these two authors and what they will come up with next.

First Line:

"Dearest Froshlings: peons and future leaders of America."

Favorite Line:

"After spending several weeks together, her roommate's creepy stalker habits were starting to rub off."
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Dec 01, 2010 TheBookVixen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, c-b

The first thing that caught my attention was the cover. I love how the title dominates the cover; all lowercase, big and bold and the way it sits against the wrought iron design. (At first glance, I had thought the background was roses.) When I first heard of The Ivy, the blurb wasn’t what you see up there; it was short and mysterious:

When Callie arrives for her freshman year at Harvard, she encounters her three vastly different roommates, new friendships, steamy romance, and scandalous secrets....more

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Oct 13, 2010 Sara Grochowski rated it 5 of 5 stars

THE IVY may not be the most accurate portrayal of freshman year at University, but that's besides the point: Rina Onur and Lauren Kunze fully succeeded in writing a fun, dramatic, boy-filled novel that I kept me distracted for hours.

While THE IVY exaggerated some aspects of college life, there were definitely situations that happen on campuses across the country. For me, this novel was a perfect balance of reality and fiction - too much reality would be horribly boring, too much fiction and I w...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Arena rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story was like a mix between Sex and the City and Gilmore Girls (You know, after Rory has left and gone to college...)

It is *definitely* a book for mature audiences.

There was adult language, sex, nudity and drug use. Sometimes, lots of it.

Not that it bothered me, but readers should be aware as they pick up this title that the "young" in "young adult" really doesn't apply here.

It was *so* interesting to learn about life at Harvard. I don't think I would be able to hack it.

I think most girls...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Good Golly Miss Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had rather high expectations of The Ivy as it's one of the few YA novels to venture into the realm of the college lifestyle. Other than the fact that it was set at Harvard, The Ivy could easily have been transposed to a high school drama involving boys, friendships and partying. It reads much like a love-letter slash guidebook and is worthy of quite a few eye-rolls especially when the protag keeps jumping from love interest to love interest within mere pages of her devotion.

Overall, I feel col...more

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Nov 16, 2012 April rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya, contemporary

They say high school is the best time of your life. That is totally not true at all. For me, thus far, college has treated me much better than high school ever had. The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur takes place during the grand and glorious years of college, thus marking the book as something a bit different than what the usual YA fare has to offer.
Read the rest of my review here

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May 26, 2013 Mel Alzate rated it 2 of 5 stars

*Suspiro* Realmente no se que pensar de este libro, ciertamente cuando empece a leerlo se me vino a la mente Private de Kate Brian, con todo eso de la socialite, universidad prestigiosa, engaños, chica nueva y relativamente normal, asciende en la escala popular, consigue novio guapo, pero secretamente desea o otro, bueno va por el mismo camino, aunque aclaro, nada de homicidios por aquí (hasta el momento).

The Ivy tiene personajes realmente lindos e interesantes, pero tiene algunos otros con lo...more *Suspiro* Realmente no se que pensar de este libro, ciertamente cuando empece a leerlo se me vino a la mente Private de Kate Brian, con todo eso de la socialite, universidad prestigiosa, engaños, chica nueva y relativamente normal, asciende en la escala popular, consigue novio guapo, pero secretamente desea o otro, bueno va por el mismo camino, aunque aclaro, nada de homicidios por aquí (hasta el momento).

The Ivy tiene personajes realmente lindos e interesantes, pero tiene algunos otros con lo que no sentí una conexión Callie la protagonista, es divertida pero me saco de quicio muchas veces, es insegura y ¡siempre mete la pata!; Gregory me encanta, este chico sarcástico pero inteligente y compresivo, las hará babearse, se los aseguro; Clint es un amor y el chico que todas quisiéramos, es perfecto; Mimi es una francesita extraña, adicta a ciertas cosas, pero buena amiga y al final sera un gran apoyo para Callie; Vanessa es una superficial niña rica, que confía siempre en la persona menos adecuada (espero que mejore a la lo largo de la saga) y Lexie ¡por Dios! una antagonista perfecta para la historia.

Aun así, aunque este libro, fue cómico y me hizo reír muchísimo, le falto algo, ese no se que me hace gritar, amar y querer saber mas. Aunque la historia es entretenida, al ser narrada en tercera persona y en muchas ocasiones, se cuenta el punto de vista de varios personajes, me hizo sentir un poco perdida; en estas ocasiones veía todo mezclado y tenia que retroceder algunos párrafos para poder entender por donde iba la historia. La verdad pocas veces me ha pasado esto con un libro y generalmente cuando ocurre termino abandonándolo porque no me atrapa su historia, pero con The Ivy, seguí hasta el final y bueno... ¡Callie, eres una idiota!

Sigo sin decidirme si voy a leer la secuela, no me gusta dejar sagas o libros incompletos así que lo mas seguro, (99.99%) es que si la lea, pero en estos momentos, no es mi prioridad.

En fin, esta es solo mi opinión como dicen por ahí para gustos, colores jajajaja. Si alguien se decide a leerla y le gusta me gustaría saber su opinión. ;)

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Dec 17, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*3.5 stars*

Ivy League, sexy and completely dramalicious...is there a better combination?

Small-town, down-to-earth Callie gets the surprise of her life when she heads off to Harvard only to be dumped by her high school sweetheart. Freshman year can be difficult, but it's been a roller-coaster ride for Callie. While she can't always keep up with her designer clad roommates, she has caught the eye of a couple of eligible bachelors on campus. Callie is your typical everyday girl. She's cute and swe...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, real-world-fiction

Well, in my defense I picked this book up during its free kindle giveaway and started reading it while I was in the hospital and wanted something very light. And to be fair, I am not this book's intended audience. I don't watch Gossip Girl or Housewives or any of the other "same theme" shows mentioned in so many of these reviews. That being said, the book was as light and substance-free as you could possibly want a book to be (unless, of course, we're talking about mind-altering substances).

Fir...more Well, in my defense I picked this book up during its free kindle giveaway and started reading it while I was in the hospital and wanted something very light. And to be fair, I am not this book's intended audience. I don't watch Gossip Girl or Housewives or any of the other "same theme" shows mentioned in so many of these reviews. That being said, the book was as light and substance-free as you could possibly want a book to be (unless, of course, we're talking about mind-altering substances).

First, what I liked: I enjoyed this book as a kind of anthropological study. In Part 1 of my study, I learned how my midwestern liberal arts college education has exactly zero in common with an Ivy League education, if Kunze's descriptions are to be believed, which seems reasonable. I enjoyed the descriptions of the social setting at Harvard, seeing how residence life, social life, and academic life were really a different beast than anything I ever knew. I never aspired to great academic heights, but I enjoyed taking her picture of Harvard and trying to imagine how I could have fit myself into it. (It would have been a disaster. I don't have the social or academic spine for something so competitive.)

In Party 2 of my study, I finally realized that I have been out of college for ten years. I have a hard time believing it. I still have this feeling like I just graduated and I'm barely out in the real world. But in Kunze's story, we have an academic setting that is full of cell phones, Facebook, and computers taken to class. These things are completely foreign to what my college time was like. We had just discovered the grand and beautiful use of PowerPoint, back in my day, and warnings that "Wikipedia is not an acceptable source to cite" on a research paper didn't start being made until my senior year. :p So that's a little depressing.

But as anything other than a social study, this book was kind of ridiculous. The characters were one-dimentional. At the end of chapter one, I could already tell you exactly what was going to happen to all of them, and with a couple of exceptions (the story ended before the full plot rolled out, and there was a lot more substance abuse than I expected), I was right on all counts.

The hardest thing for me to understand is the protagonist's A-1 stupidity. Here is a girl who is a "soccer prodigy," smartest girl in her high school class, and experienced in the ways of relationships. You need these things to get accepted to a place like Harvard, so that's okay with me in this case. Kunze sets Callie up as an outsider by making her blonde (huh?), from California, and not wealthy. I would expect a girl like that to have some common sense and a touch of good judgement, but Callie has neither. She spends the entire book drooling over boys (who all fall in love with her because apparently she emits magical pheromones... can't think of any other explanation for why all these dudes think she's so great. All she does is get drunk and ruin their shirts over and over again), drinking too much, smoking weed, and trying desperately to get accepted by people that she doesn't understand. And, of course, somehow managing to perform brilliantly in her classes and extracurriculars along the way.

I didn't realize the book was the first in a series when I started reading it, and was therefor kind of satisfied when it ended with Callie's life pretty much ruined. "Haha!" I thought. "She's paying the consequences for all her seriously bad judgment." Nah, not really. We just need three more books before all can be resolved into a happily ever after where she gets the grades, the rich hot dude, and the social acceptance we always knew she ~~deserved~~ desired. I don't think I'll be reading those. (less)

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Jun 10, 2012 Ta§chima Cullen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Callie Andrews doesn't know what's coming. First week at Harvard and already her world is upside down. Evan, her stupid ex boyfriend, left her on the the first week of school. That brke her heart, but she quickly made amends. As she gets to know more her roommates and her neighbors, Callie Andrews gets more sucked into the world of the glamorous, the drama, The Ivy.

This book is so entertaining! Some people have been comparing it to Gossip Girl, and I say they are right but I would say that this...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I guess since the story was set at Harvard I was hoping for more of a Gilmore Girls story here. Upper classmen, witty humor and heavy studying mixed in with some boy drama and regular dorm behavior.
I really didn't get what I was hoping for. This book reminded me that college for most people is really no different than high school.
Although the setting here is in Harvard, besides the fact that the name is thrown around some, it could have taken place in any college.
A lot of drama, and promiscuo...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Laxmona rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't really read gossip books, but then i wanted to take a break away from fantasy and supernateral genre books!!

I found this book interesting and enjoyable till the first few chapters. But it really left me wondering if such social clubs, if they even exist, and social status hold such significant importance to students in Harvard?? I should really ask my teacher who is a Harvard graduate about that.

Callie had been a very likeable heroine who is smart and beautiful in the beginning but then,...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, college, megan

Title: The Ivy
Author: Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur
Genre: YA fiction
Publishing Information: August 31, 2010 by Greenwillow Books

Where I got it: E-book library

One sentence: Freshman year at Harvard is a whole new ball game for California girl Callie Andrews.

Themes: Romance, college, parties, secret societies, secrets, drama

Main character: 4/5
I liked Callie immediately because I could relate to her. She made mistakes, she acted unwisely, she was a bad person sometimes; but it was all incredibly rea...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Karina rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who like books like Gossip Girl or The Clique

Shelves: realistic-fiction

I didn't really know what to expect from this book when I first picked it up. Sure, I was attracted to it by its cool cover and it's little slogan on the front: "Get In or Get Over It". Since I've been starting to look at random colleges, I know about the 'big' Ivy Leagues. And since the book was written about Harvard, and the authors went to Harvard, I thought it would teach me a little about the school and be interesting.

All I learned was that this book was very confusing. And that college se...more I didn't really know what to expect from this book when I first picked it up. Sure, I was attracted to it by its cool cover and it's little slogan on the front: "Get In or Get Over It". Since I've been starting to look at random colleges, I know about the 'big' Ivy Leagues. And since the book was written about Harvard, and the authors went to Harvard, I thought it would teach me a little about the school and be interesting.

All I learned was that this book was very confusing. And that college seems to be a lot like high school.

The book mostly follows the social life of female protagonist, Callie Andrews. Written in third person, the book mostly took place in her voice, but it was very confusing to follow along when it wasn't her voice.

It talks a lot about the 'secret societies' and how they work. That I found really interesting. It gives you the typical portryal of the rich and priveleged. Which is sometimes correct and incorrect, based on my experiences. And of course, the love shapes. I'd like to call it a triangle, but I think it was more like pentagon or and odd shaped star.

I really didn't see much of a character development. And some characters were hardly ever seen. The big problem was way in the background, and brought up about every fifty pages or so.

It reminded me a lot like high school because there are all these cliques: JAQ (Jewish American Queens), Preps (those who came out of prep schools) and many more. Also, Callie changed who she was, just to be accepted into these friend groups. Sounds a lot like high school to me, which makes me fear that high school will never end.

Oddly enough though, it made the book seem more realistic, which maybe a reason I'm confused about how I feel towards it. Callie changed to fit in, like many of us do in real life, and in most books the main character figures out she's changed and goes back to being herself, or never changes. Also, the book didn't end on a very happy note (which makes me glad that there's a book two) and well in the real world, life doesn't always end on a happy note either.

So I suppose I'm confused by the book because I've always enjoyed reading about worlds that are possible, yet not and The Ivy was just so realistic. And if that's what the authors intended, then they did a really good job.

Overall:

Did I fall in love with this book? No.
Will I read its sequel? Probably, to be rid of my confusion.
Do I recommoned it? Sure. Mostly to readers of books such as Gossip Girl, The Clique, etc.

Rating: 3.5/5(less)

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May 11, 2011 Kaiya rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have started to get exuberantly tired of books that are always so predictable. The ones about mean girls who fall from grace and nobodies who fall in love with a guy who doesn't notice them. But, what made the ivy so amazing was the fact that I never knew what was going to happen next and I'm the kind of girl who can go to a movie and tell you exactly who killed whom and how the movie will end.

Callie Andrews is a not-so normal girl from a normal life. When she gets accepted to Harvard she thin...more

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Oct 04, 2010 The Bookologist rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-i-own, for-review

Built with friendships, relationships, secrets and college drama, The Ivy is a hilarious and sexy novel that will let you experience how it really is to be in an Ivy league school, Harvard University, one of the most prestigious schools in the world-- or let me say, the most prestigious school in the world.

Kunze and Onur gives you the perfect setting. With experience, being room mates and from graduating harvard, they both add in some of Harvard's real courses and classes, traditions, and a bit...more Built with friendships, relationships, secrets and college drama, The Ivy is a hilarious and sexy novel that will let you experience how it really is to be in an Ivy league school, Harvard University, one of the most prestigious schools in the world-- or let me say, the most prestigious school in the world.

Kunze and Onur gives you the perfect setting. With experience, being room mates and from graduating harvard, they both add in some of Harvard's real courses and classes, traditions, and a bit of the past, giving you a taste on the school itself.

The plot was full of drama, I have to say. Callie, and her oh-so-awesome room mates, Dana, Mimi, and Vanessa encountered many problems during their freshman year-- many boy issues, friendship issues, Callie having a rough time trying to get used to the whole new, eminent, Harvard, and, lastly, getting drunk.

Callie, a californian blonde, trying her best to basically 'maneuver' herself into Harvard, was, way too much of a chaser. Her love life was too complicated, but, I don't blame her, since she's got the looks and the body, through the mens eyes. Although, Callie's a kind and good friend to be around with-- just not when you go to an alcohol party with her. Her room mates, were absolutely adorable and hilarious; Vanessa, the true fashion-obsessed girl, your average college Harvard student, and who cared too much about what she wore and what her friends wore, Dana, who is kind of... boring, and lastly, Mimi, my favorite, the European, who says a lot of things in French. There was the boys too; Matt, nice, handsome and really nerdy, who starts crushing on Callie, OK (cool nickname right?), a prince who just got cheated by his girlfriend, Gregory, the idiot who never took anything seriously, and lastly, Clint, the most known man on campus, who yet was, hot.

If your up to a drama-filled, hilarious, and fun read, then, The Ivy is a perfect choice. Watch Callie struggle navigating to her new school, and her adventures with her room mates and friends. Oh, and the ending SUCKED (in a good way.) You know why? It ends at a cliffhanger. I want the sequel. NOW.(less)

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Aug 25, 2010 Adele rated it 2 of 5 stars

It had me for a while. Enough to make me feel like an idiot for being engaged for that short time. Then I realised that this book was a series of shallow vignettes about getting drunk, laid and more and I couldn't find the joy any more. This is definitely the kind of read that would energise a reader with no expectation other than a cliched protagonist surrounded by stereotypical supporting players that act in stupendously stupid ways. I don't know what offended me more - the depiction of a reli...more It had me for a while. Enough to make me feel like an idiot for being engaged for that short time. Then I realised that this book was a series of shallow vignettes about getting drunk, laid and more and I couldn't find the joy any more. This is definitely the kind of read that would energise a reader with no expectation other than a cliched protagonist surrounded by stereotypical supporting players that act in stupendously stupid ways. I don't know what offended me more - the depiction of a religious teen as a somewhat zealot or a vastly intelligent, motivated girl performing a succession of brainless acts. Actually Harvard should be more offended than I am.

There is a superficial sense of fun and frivolity that surrounds Kunze's storytelling but it is just that - superficial. Having lived in similar housing during my college years I can tell you there is a grain of truth but to limit her characters to cardboard caricatures doesn't a writer make. Nor does Kunze's tendency to change character perspective mid passage! It felt as though she took a handful of parties as the narrative line of her story and strung them together with paper thin (if at all) development. In essence it is a tabloid story - lots of gossip and pleasure in people's naivete and/or stupidity surrounded by some glamour. There was no examination or grounding to the characters as they sway from party to party with loose connections, little loyalty and shallow behaviour. Actually that's not fair, at one point the character direct their attention to maijuana instead of alcohol to amusing but (again) cliched results. The only plus I can take from the over emphasis on partying is the unique means in which Kunze chose to depict her protagonist's perspective.

Reader's won't care about Callie all that much as she clearly doesn't care all that much for herself or her own integrity. Watching this girl continually and unflinchingly act in a callously oblivious manner speaks to the holes in the author's directive that the character is intelligent. She makes blunders that can be seen in any standard sitcom on any network. The love interest compels only because he's Chuck-lite (Gossip Girl) and his reformation is heavy handed to say the least. This is the first in a series of novels which is interesting as this title had nothing to say in the first place, to continue the journey seems like an exercise in frustration. As for Onur's inclusion in the authoring credits (she co-conceptualised the plot) I am left even more confused as there isn't much of a plot to speak of other than girls batting at each other with rage issues, boys falling over themselves for Callie and parties that required themes. The Ivy is bereft of soul....so it will probably become a huge earner.

Perfect for the reader with minimal expectations.
(less)

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Jun 29, 2010 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I picked up an advanced copy of THE IVY last month at BEA. I had seen it pop up here awhile back and flagged it as interesting in that it's a YA take on the whole Ivy League experience. So when I was offered a copy at BEA, I grabbed it and stuck it in my bag. And, given how much I enjoyed Diana Peterfreund's Secret Society Girl series, it seemed only fair to give this similar series a go. Written by best friends and former roommates at Harvard themselves, Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur, I like the s...more I picked up an advanced copy of THE IVY last month at BEA. I had seen it pop up here awhile back and flagged it as interesting in that it's a YA take on the whole Ivy League experience. So when I was offered a copy at BEA, I grabbed it and stuck it in my bag. And, given how much I enjoyed Diana Peterfreund's Secret Society Girl series, it seemed only fair to give this similar series a go. Written by best friends and former roommates at Harvard themselves, Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur, I like the simplicity of the cover and, having read it now, the deep red over the wrought iron gates definitely hits the right tone for this dishy delving into the outrageous underbelly of freshman year at Harvard. I started this one while still in New York and finished it on the plane ride home. It reads fast and furious and is the first in a four-part series following a humorous and diverse cast of characters. Word is each installment in the series will take place a few months apart, following the seasons and natural divisions of the school year.

Callie Andrews has just landed at Harvard. Hailing from sunny California, she's not your typical Ivy Leaguer and she got there honestly on the strength of her grades and diversified extracurricular activities rather than the length of her pedigree or the degree of her parents' wealth. The adventure starts on moving day, when Callie meets the three other girls who will be her roommates for the duration of freshman year: Vanessa Von Vorhees, Dana Gray, and Marine Aurelie Clement. And their names pretty much predict exactly what you're going to get from them. That same day she also meets the boys next door. Literally. Greg, Matt, OK (short for Okechuwuku), and Adam. Things get off to a rocky start to say the least, as Callie doesn't feel like she really fits in with any of the motley group. Then her longtime boyfriend Evan dumps her via a poorly worded email. And the implosion doesn't stop there. It seems young Evan made a few ill-advised mistakes when they were back home in Cali and they may just come back to bite Callie just when she's trying to make a fresh start in a new environment where the slightest social faux pas can ruin your chances of making it out of Harvard alive. Her roommates rally around her in her time of need, but there's one person on campus who has it in for Callie Andrews, a person who will annihilate anyone opposition.

THE IVY sucks you in right off the bat. Each chapter begins with a letter and/or email from Alexis Thorndike, Advice Columnist for the Fifteen Minutes Magazine--Harvard University's Authority on Campus Life since 1873. Alexis's blunt, holier-than-thou attitude comes through loud and clear in these short snippets and couches Callie's upcoming shenanigans in an appropriately foreboding light. And shenanigans is the only word for what Callie has. From roommate cat fights and drunken make out sessions with vague acquaintances to desperate crushes on the wrong people and the devious plotting of social assassination--it's all here. Thankfully there are a multitude of laughs along the way. A humorous (and very typical of the whole) early encounter with cocky next door neighbor Greg (taken from my uncorrected ARC):

For a moment, she could see nothing but his eyes. The color was irrelevant (blue, if you must know), but the expression was magnetic: intensity masquerading as indifference, the look carried a challenge--Entertain me, or I will entertain myself at your expense. His mouth twisted in a smirk so natural she had to assume that this was its default expression. Even in silence, he appeared to be mocking her.

Callie felt her cheeks grow hot. "Oh--uh--yikes," she stammered, bending down and shoving her bras and underwear back into the box, cringing as she reached for her smelly shin-guards and wishing, for once, that she had listened to her mother ("The doctor said no more soccer for at least a year: do you really think your shins are going to need guarding in college?"). Instead Callie had insisted, a tad bit dramatically, that they were the closest thing she had to a teddy bear (seeing as she slept with them on the night before every big game), and without them she was like a warrior without his armor, at which point Theresa Frederickson-Andrews, no, make that Theresa Frederickson (it'd been three years since the divorce but she still had to remind herself), threw up her hands and shook her head, muttering the oft-repeated phrase, " . . . just like your father."

In a way, though, it was true: without soccer--a busted ACL put her out of commission at the end of last season for possibly forever--she wasn't quite sure who she was anymore. Thankfully old Scott Bugers Wentworth had also promised as rapt--raptly asleep that is--audience had lapsed into a collective heat coma on graduation day that "College is a primetime for reinvention." So far, it was looking like she had a jump start on redefining herself as the Dorm Klutz.

"I'd offer to assist you," said the box-droppingly handsome Reason-for-the-mess, still watching with poorly concealed amusement and looking like help was the farthest thing from his mind. "But usually I like to buy a girl dinner or at least a drink before I handle her undergarments."

Callie is a very normal girl who struggles, somewhat ineptly, to deal with the ridiculous academic and social expectations put upon her the second she passes through the hallowed gates of this place. For the first half of the book I just went with the flow, laughing out loud several times, and letting the snarky writing tug me to and fro. After that the predictability (and petty) meter started shooting off the charts and I felt anxious to get to the inevitably unresolved ending. The lack of substance was getting to me. This is a four-part series after all, though it seems to me as though it's really one crazy adventure divided into four books. In the end the reading experience reminded me strongly of a modern-day, college version of The Luxe series. It's a sea of hormones, backstabbing, ambition, and flailing freshmen. And, even though my investment level ended up on the low end, it was a breezy, raucous read and I liked the last guy Callie kissed the best. For those interested in a more in-depth, sophisticated, and charming version, I cannot recommend Diana Peterfreund's Secret Society Girl series highly enough. THE IVY is due out August 31st. (less)

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Jun 18, 2010 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up The Ivy at BEA, and was very happy to have gotten it because it was during one of my mad crazy rush hours of being in 10 lines in an hour!

The summary sets up the book at a college, which is perfect for me because it's one of my favorite settings to read about. This fact alone made it one of the first BEA books I picked up to read, and guess what - I really loved it!

I didn't love it for the same reason I loved Courtney Summer's Some Girls Are (excellent character development) or Susan...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Brittany Rehage rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book because one day, there was a notification on my Facebook wall about a free book and I am almost always incapable of turning a free book down. There was really nothing about the book summary that made me think I'd fall in love.

I didn't fall in love. This isn't a book that is made to be fantastic, a classic, something that tears at your heart. It's supposed to be a "reality" show in book form. It definitely fit that bill. Unfortunately, I don't watch reality shows and I'm not a hug...more

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Oct 26, 2012 ♥ Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, romance

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Here's why:

- The story takes place at Harvard University. Elite Ivy League institution that I could only ever dream about attending. Loved the intricate details, and inside scoop.

- Callie's experiences at Harvard, weren't so different from my own. I didn't necessarily go to Harvard, and although I've lived in Southern California all my life - I could still totally relate.

- Loved the references to Marlborough, UCLA, & SANDEL! ;)

- I loved all the characters. Yes, even the "...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Mary Grace rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is a tough cookie and I must be honest, I am finding it difficult to write an opener (evidence right there) for my review so on to it then!

I felt so detached with this book, half way through it I was mostly skipping pages and scratching my head because I can connect to the characters nor the story as I should be. I won’t say that it wasn’t for me or something since I wouldn’t pick it up if it didn’t interest me but along the way – our chemistry wasn’t working at all. I just felt that it was...more This is a tough cookie and I must be honest, I am finding it difficult to write an opener (evidence right there) for my review so on to it then!

I felt so detached with this book, half way through it I was mostly skipping pages and scratching my head because I can connect to the characters nor the story as I should be. I won’t say that it wasn’t for me or something since I wouldn’t pick it up if it didn’t interest me but along the way – our chemistry wasn’t working at all. I just felt that it was all about booze, sex, shopping and immaturity. Well granted that most of highschool and college is basically like that but I was really hoping it didn’t focus on that alone. I don’t know where the story was in the novel – it’s there somewhere, it was just not speaking to me clearly.

Ohh you know what sucks more? Reading the book was like watching a re-run of Gossip Girl (TV Series not the book) but not in a good way(the opener was the dead giveaway – The Ivy: News article/Publication, GG: Email blast/Website article). Well I don’t know, it seems like I’mone of the few to compare the two but that’s how I felt. The Ivy for me was all over the place and most of the time I kept on re-reading the last sentence because I keep on forgetting the storyline. Another difficulty to adjust to was the POV – it jumps from one character head to another. When you are reading that type of story telling, it will really be confusing and hard to follow.

The Ivy was suppose to go in my DNF pile but somehow I wanted to give this book a chance but thinking about it now, the act would have prevented me to write this review. (writing this was so hard!) Oh and last but not the last – the ending. Cliffhanger endinga are ok but in this case it was MEH! I didn’t intend to come out as bitchy or mean, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as most readers did. Would I recommend it personally? No. But that doesn’t mean this book is not as awesome as some readers see it. Read other reviews and decide for yourself but as for me, it stays on 1 star. *pout*(less)

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Nov 10, 2010 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

Callie is a freshman at Harvard. You may think that the blonde girl from California (make your Elle Woods jokes now) would be a fashion genius, but she’s not. She’s a total klutz and lives in jeans, hoodies and flip-flops. (I don’t judge, but pretty much every Harvard girl does.) Like most college experiences, the book soon becomes more about the friends, parties and guys than about the classes, homework and exams.

Oh, yes, guys. There’s the guy from back home (who broke up with her and betrayed...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

I feel like it's almost a cliche to say, but there should be more books set in college! It's such an interesting time of life. Anyway I'm going to try to do this without spoilers since I saw some of you guys mark it as to read and figure you might be interested (the internet makes me feel like such a stalker). But some slight ones will probably creep in.

I liked it. It's not perfect. I think it almost doesn't know what kind of book it wants to be. Too often, it feels like it's trying to be Gossip...more I feel like it's almost a cliche to say, but there should be more books set in college! It's such an interesting time of life. Anyway I'm going to try to do this without spoilers since I saw some of you guys mark it as to read and figure you might be interested (the internet makes me feel like such a stalker). But some slight ones will probably creep in.

I liked it. It's not perfect. I think it almost doesn't know what kind of book it wants to be. Too often, it feels like it's trying to be Gossip Girl and I don't think that works in a college setting (not even on the actual Gossip Girl). The social setting is just different in college. People grow up a little and aren't as petty.

But I liked Callie a lot. I could relate to her in a way I don't often relate to these kind of characters. She doesn't care about clothes and she likes being included in the social stuff, but it's not THAT important to her. But--and this is one of the "Gossip Girl" things--as much as Callie made some mistakes (and I love that she messed up and I love that she was called on it), sometimes I felt like the book was trying to tell me she was "badder" than she really is. Overall, she's a great girl, so I didn't like it when the book implied otherwise.

The love interests! I love that it took me a while to figure out which one I was supposed to be rooting for and which one I wanted to root for. Matt came off as too much of the cliche nice guy who likes her, but she doesn't like him (pet peeve of mine, but dealt with pretty well here), the drunken makeout with Clint made me a little uneasy (plus, he comes off as TOO perfect) and, of course, Gregory came off as a jerk at the beginning.

Ah, Gregory. I love that he gets depth later on (more of that, please!), but I also REALLY REALLY love that Callie likes him, but doesn't let herself go there because he's a jerk. (Or, well, I don't think he's a jerk, but she had legitimate reasons for thinking he was, so it was so, so nice she didn't ignore that.)

I wish Callie's friendships with her roommates had been developed a little more. Maybe see more of Dana (who, gotta admit, is probably having the closest college experience to the one I had). And, on a technical note, I think there was some issues with POV. It started off firmly in Callie's POV (LOVE that it's not first person), but then we see brief glimpses of other people. And I guess I think those glimpses either need to be expanded or eliminated.

Anyway. Solid read. I will probably follow the series.(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
who else is in love with this series??	4	18	Mar 26, 2013 07:02am
Who would you cast?	3	22	Apr 11, 2012 01:39pm
What would you do if you were in Vanessa or in Calli's situation?	1	12	Jun 08, 2011 04:52pm

title link	preview: The Ivy
avg rating	preview: The Ivy Goodreads rating: 3.63 (2017 ratings)
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