Modern Southern fiction set at a sorority house at Ole Miss. Sweet traditions and harsh racist legacies collide to make this contemporary novel thoughtful and memorable.

This was a great read about sororities and life in the south both which were new topics for me to read about. It was quite enjoyable.

I'm not 100% sure where to file "Rush." It is a fairly breezy novel that connects the stories of two mothers, both sorority graduates, with their daughters, and the staff politics of the house at the center of it all. (Here represented by an African-American housekeeper.) On the plus side, the book openly acknowledges the disparities of wealth, status, and race that permeate the Greek system. In addition, it is clear the author wants to paint a positive picture of women overall, so that's pleasant enough to see. The downside is that the book doesn't seem to grow in depth as the pages move, and I didn't feel emotionally attached to any of the characters.

I always find books about sororities to be interesting. It is a hidden world that you don’t often get a chance to see into. This was an enjoyable read!

Rush has been on my TBR list since it's release a year ago. I thought back to school time was the perfect time to dig this one out and read. I am so disappointed that I didn't read this book sooner! I loved it! I've seen comparisons to The Help and although I can see similarities, Lisa Patton blazes her own trail to classic southern fiction. Rush is definitely a must read!

I love Lisa Patton's first books and loved the idea of this book, but kept feeling like something was missing. Either way, I will continue reading her books because I think her actual writing is fantastic and I love that the books are always on topics that are not overdone. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one!

While I liked the idea of the story, it kind of fell flat for me. Maybe it is not having been in a sorority or maybe not growing up in the south, but parts I just didn't get. Parts were fun and some parts again just weren't for me. Clearly based on average rating a lot of people love this book!

It is Fall at Ole Miss and the students and staff at the Alpha Delta Beta sorority house have one thing on their mind - Rush. Miss Pearl is the housekeeper and surrogate mother to these young ladies. She has worked at the house for years and has seen hundreds of young ladies come and go. She was there when Miss Lilith and Miss Wilda were pledging. Now Lilith and Wilda are grown with daughters getting ready to Rush. They are from two different worlds, but their daughters are roommates, preparing for Rush, and as former Alpha Delta Beta pledges, they are on the advisory board for Rush. As the girls meet the other girls on their floor and start to form lifelong friendships they start to realize the inequities that exist in their very own little world. Those inequities become glaring during the Rush process and once they get settled in the sorority and one of the house's staff faces a life-threatening illness. They realize all that they take for granted and decide to do something about it. Something that could possibly change the way the Greek system works all over the country.

I nearly gave up on Rush more than once. Having never been a member of the Greek system, I found myself getting frustrated at some of the behaviors and the people who found them acceptable. I am glad that I stuck it out though because the author used this book to highlight social inequities that still exist, and especially with the privileged lives of those in a sorority house. Lisa Patton uses this platform to show what can happen when young women recognize those inequalities and are determined to make a change. To make things better. The book is told from three viewpoints, that of Miss Pearl, Wilda, and Callie, a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks. One thing that I noticed was that Miss Pearl was forty-four years old, it is mentioned several times, but she acted so much older than that. I am forty-three. While I have my moments, I don't act like Miss Pearl did, like she was just plum worn out. I really liked the way the book ended, I like how these girls did make a change. Never did the author indicate that everything was going to be perfect, but better. And the generational racism that still exists throughout our country has come up against a generation who will no longer stand for it.

Bottom Line - Rush is one of those books that takes a serious concept like generational racism and puts it into a context that can be understood by all generations, from all walks of life. It takes a while for that intent to be clear to the reader, so trust me when I say don't give up on it. You won't be disappointed.

Details:

This book is set during sorority Rush Week at Ole Miss (The University of Mississippi) in modern day Oxford, Mississippi. It’s the story of several women, both young and more mature, finding their paths and their voices. It contrasts the stories of women who have enough, not enough and more than enough and how their intersection creates something none of them expected.

The story is told in several points of view, each woman chronicling her narrative as the week unfolds. This isn’t a format that I normally enjoy reading and I did have to make myself keep reading in the beginning, but I’m very glad I did. I was delighted to get to know Cali, Pearl, Ellie, Wilda, Miss Fee…and even Miss Lilith, who arguably may have grown the most of all. Not all of the characters had her own POV and some were seen only through the others, but even so, all were multi-faceted women with interesting stories to share.

Rush is an enjoyable read, but it’s also an inspiration to look around and see what you can affect in your sphere of influence to make life better around you.

Sorry for the late review. I thought I had reviewed it. Loved this book as it took me behind the scenes of a sorority. Lots of characters to root for and to fear.

Amazing story! Such a sweet read. really enjoyed it! Great read for anyone looking to find a great one to curl up with!

This novel is told through alternating perspectives (mothers, daughters, and employees) who all have connections to the Alpha Delt house, and it was not only a fast read (reminiscent of The Help), but it truly made me stop and think quite a bit. I love how Lisa Patton developed these characters and made me love (and, in some instances detest) them. This is the kind of book that I was sad to put down. Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book probably because of the nostalgia it brought to me remembering my time as part of the Hreeknsystem in college. It was a great story and good writing. I would recommend it.

Loved this book. Recommended by Jen Lancaster, this book did not disappoint. Charm and heart and soul, sass and dialogue so pitch-perfect it's astounding!

I just couldn’t get into this book. It reminded me of ‘The Help’ which I loved but it just didn’t keep my attention. I did like the characters but the narrative was a bit lacking.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rush by Lisa Patton
Source: Netgalley and Overdrive Audio/Public Library
My Rating: 3/5 stars

Since Lisa Patton’s Rush is told in alternating points of view, I find it most appropriate to deal with my review in much the same; that is, I shall deal with this review in terms of the characters and how each impacted my overall impression and liking of the book.

Miss Pearl: I absolutely adored Miss Pearl and so much of that had to do with the voice artist who narrated her character in the audio book. Miss Pearl is what my granny would have called a “salt of the earth” person, a genuine, kind, caring, and generous soul without a mean bone in her body. For 25 years, Miss Pearl has looked after the young ladies of Alpha Delta Beta sorority and she has done so with gladness in heart. Miss Pearl sincerely loves her “babies” and she has given selflessly to each and every girl in the hopes of bettering their lives and not her own.

Wilda: Wilda is an admitted worrier and much of her worry is centered around what others think of her. Though Wilda is a nice person and wants to do the right thing, she is so wrapped up in what others think that she often veers off track and makes mistakes she later deeply regrets. It isn’t until Wilda has her moment of enlightenment that I was able to really get behind her as a character and root for her. When Wilda pulls her head out of her a$$, she is something of a force and sets about righting a whole host of wrongs.

Cali: If ever there was a kid to root for, Cali is absolutely that girl! From the minute she shows up on campus, Cali has a burning need to fit in and she feels deeply that she will fit in if she can just get a bid to a sorority. For much of the read, Cali involves herself in the plans and activities necessary to secure her place in a sorority house and though she never compromises her principles, she does come close to the line a time or two. When Cali realizes how close she’s come to compromising herself, she gets head on straight, strengthens her friendships with good people, and makes sure her efforts to get into a house are because of who she is. By the end of this long and winding tale, Cali emerges as a strong leader driven her by her own moral compass and need to see many situations put to rights.

The Whitmore Family: In truth, this entire family doesn’t make me ashamed to be any particular skin color, but ashamed to be a human being. From start to finish, the Whitmore’s are simply disgusting human beings with outdated and abhorrent views they aren’t afraid to vocalize. Even with the late in the game change of heart, I couldn’t get behind these characters or feel even an ounce of sympathy for any of them.

The Bottom Line: Rush is indeed a long and winding tale I am sincerely glad I listened to rather than physically read. The narrators for the audiobook are spot on and they very much impacted my overall enjoyment of this book. Overall, I did like this book, but I found the ending, though certainly sweet and endearing, to be completely implausible. Make no mistake, I WANT the ending to plausible, possible, and even a reality, but there are simply too many Whitmore’s left in the world for that to happen. With this in mind, it was the ending that kept me from rating an otherwise very good book a bit higher on the rating scale. The things I did like include Miss Pearl and Cali, the relationships between the various characters that do evolve over the course of the read, and the peek inside the world of sorority life. I suspect many will like this read, especially the relationships and generally uplifting nature of the story. I further suspect, many readers are far more tender-hearted than I and will absolutely love the ending 😊

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific novel!

Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

A superb read about sorority life in Mississippi in the year 2016! This novel delves into the intricacies of rush life at a major university--from making good impressions, receiving judgments for one's past, and ohmygosh--the cost of keeping up appearances! A more important aspect of this novel is the issue of racism. A major character, Pearl, is a maid who takes care of her sorority girls as if she's their mother. She is paid a measly wage with no health benefits, and because of her skin color, is told she is not qualified for a higher paying job. Her sorority girls come together in a major coup to help their beloved Pearl. The characters in this novel are so real and very interesting! This was a heartwarming and lovely read with a happily ever after!

The pace was a bit chunky at moments - sometimes flowing, sometimes a bit dragging. The plot started stalling once it hit the 50% progress mark. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read, offered something new to the bookstores and readers. The characters' motivation was overall well-depicted with minor exceptions like Wilda's desire to fit into the "rich and famous" clique for an example. I couldn't understand that one.

Now, it's time to get to the serious part. This novel attempted to tackle a human and social justice issue of HIGH importance that is very sadly seen not just in the sorority houses, America or "the South". It's everywhere around the globe - white privilege. Due to my own white privilege I feel greatly uneducated on the subject to comment, so I risk making wrong assumptions based on my own perspective, similar to the author, which is not the perspective to the people who face the consequences of that said privilege.

It was sad, reading the novel, I felt deeply sad. It took the plot 89% percent of the book to finally have the courage to say the truth - that majority of the characters were acting and thinking based on their privilege. And then once it was finally pronounced, it was followed by a plethora of excuses - "Oh, it's the generation", "this is how it's done in the South". Seriously?! Can you seriously use this for an excuse?! The list goes on and on...

It's good that Lisa Patton has felt the need to write this novel and open this conversation in the general fiction/women's fiction world. But it's not her story to tell.

There's MORE than needs to be done.

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked this book a lot. Sorority life is a ridiculous thing when explained and when it's in the South it's a whole new level. I did think the characters had a change of heart veryyyy quickly, considering the generational racism down there. I liked the acknowledgements as well. Would recommend!