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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9844.Prep_A_Novel?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Prep: A Novel" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166071934m/9844.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9844.Prep_A_Novel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Prep: A Novel</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6429.Curtis_Sittenfeld">Curtis Sittenfeld</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9667327?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 1 of 5 stars I always say that if a writer can evoke complete hatred and dislike for their protagonist from me, then they must be a good writer (Lucinda Rosenfeld's What She Saw... comes to mind). In that regard, Curtis Sittenfeld is an excellent writer (perhaps it's a last name thing) but Prep sucks. 
 
 Two reasons why I hated Prep: 
 1) NOTHING happens. I don't mind episodic novels in which each chapter is a tiny event that comes together as a whole (Peter Darbyshire's Please is an excellent example of this), but nothing comes together with Prep. It's one long, dull chapter of nothing after another. There's no drama, no plot twists, and no plot to twist. Heck! Even a murder thrown in would have been cliched but entertaining. The only current thread is the protagonist's exasperating one-sided 4 year crush on the most popular guy in school. 
 
 2) Lee Fiora is an annoying, whiny, dull, self centered protagonist suffering from extreme anxiety and dislike of herself. I mean I, too, was a bit self centered and had anxiety when I was in high school but goodness, Lee takes the cake. 
 
 The novel takes place over the course of four years of prep school but Lee doesn't change one bit. Seriously, this is how the novel goes and how Lee reacts to everything and everyone: Someone will tell Lee they like her sweater. Lee will then ruminate, "She liked my sweater. Wow, how cool. But wait did she like my sweater because she really liked it? Or did she like my sweater because she was being mean and maybe something is wrong with it? I knew I shouldn't haven't worn this sweater today. Why would anyone like this sweater? I don't even like this sweater. I don't even like myself." That's not from the novel but that's pretty much how the novel goes for 400+ pages! 
 
 In addition to that, all of the characters are one dimensional, never developed and totally stereotypical, especially the ethnic characters. The one Asian character is, of course, a math whiz and straight-A student and the one Black character is, you guessed it, a thief.
 
 Overall, a highly overrated, extremely dull, racially insulting novel that is a downright waste of time. Seriously. I kid you not. Maybe you might like it better than I did. PU! What a stinker.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/632671?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Joe's review
rating:

recommended for: PEOPLE WHO LIKE DULL MEANDERING NOVELS THAT GO NOWHERE AND ACHIEVE NOTHING.
status: Read in July, 2008

I always say that if a writer can evoke complete hatred and dislike for their protagonist from me, then they must be a good writer (Lucinda Rosenfeld's What She Saw... comes to mind). In that regard, Curtis Sittenfeld is an excellent writer (perhaps it's a last name thing) but Prep sucks.

Two reasons why I hated Prep:
1) NOTHING happens. I don't mind episodic novels in which each chapter is a tiny event that comes together as a whole (Peter Darbyshire's Please is an excellent example of this), but nothing comes together with Prep. It's one long, dull chapter of nothing after another. There's no drama, no plot twists, and no plot to twist. Heck! Even a murder thrown in would have been cliched but entertaining. The only current thread is the protagonist's exasperating one-sided 4 year crush on the most popular guy in school.

2) Lee Fiora is an annoying, whiny, dull, self centered protagonist suffering from extreme anxiety and dislike of herself. I mean I, too, was a bit self ...more I always say that if a writer can evoke complete hatred and dislike for their protagonist from me, then they must be a good writer (Lucinda Rosenfeld's What She Saw... comes to mind). In that regard, Curtis Sittenfeld is an excellent writer (perhaps it's a last name thing) but Prep sucks.

Two reasons why I hated Prep:
1) NOTHING happens. I don't mind episodic novels in which each chapter is a tiny event that comes together as a whole (Peter Darbyshire's Please is an excellent example of this), but nothing comes together with Prep. It's one long, dull chapter of nothing after another. There's no drama, no plot twists, and no plot to twist. Heck! Even a murder thrown in would have been cliched but entertaining. The only current thread is the protagonist's exasperating one-sided 4 year crush on the most popular guy in school.

2) Lee Fiora is an annoying, whiny, dull, self centered protagonist suffering from extreme anxiety and dislike of herself. I mean I, too, was a bit self centered and had anxiety when I was in high school but goodness, Lee takes the cake.

The novel takes place over the course of four years of prep school but Lee doesn't change one bit. Seriously, this is how the novel goes and how Lee reacts to everything and everyone: Someone will tell Lee they like her sweater. Lee will then ruminate, "She liked my sweater. Wow, how cool. But wait did she like my sweater because she really liked it? Or did she like my sweater because she was being mean and maybe something is wrong with it? I knew I shouldn't haven't worn this sweater today. Why would anyone like this sweater? I don't even like this sweater. I don't even like myself." That's not from the novel but that's pretty much how the novel goes for 400+ pages!

In addition to that, all of the characters are one dimensional, never developed and totally stereotypical, especially the ethnic characters. The one Asian character is, of course, a math whiz and straight-A student and the one Black character is, you guessed it, a thief.

Overall, a highly overrated, extremely dull, racially insulting novel that is a downright waste of time. Seriously. I kid you not. Maybe you might like it better than I did. PU! What a stinker....less

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message 1: by Gaia

07/31/2008 01:04PM

I LOVE the sweater bit in your review.

Weren't there two black characters in the book? The other was a guy, a basketball champion, of course.