Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (unabridged audiobook read by Julie Dretzin; 17.75 hours on 15 discs): This is, in a nutshell, Lee Fiora’s experiences attending boarding school near Boston after growing up in South Bend. It’s more a collection of anecdotes than a single narrative, but that’s pretty much what high school is after all: a series of events with no ultimate cohesion or story arc. Which is fine, as far as that goes, but I personally found this book absolutely excruciating most of the time, as Lee embodies many of my worst traits as a teenager. She’s awkward and self-absorbed and petty and miserable. And as familiar as her attitude was to me, I had very little sympathy for someone who chose this life for herself. No one forced her to do this. But you know what? Part of me thinks this may be a book like Catcher in the Rye, where you really have to read it at a certain age. Maybe, had I been 16 when I read this, I would have really liked it. As a 34-year-old, I really didn’t.
Also posted on BookCrossing.