I wanted so much more from this book. It felt like it was building up to something, but then nothing really happened. I felt no connection to the characters, and it was just really flat.

3.5 stars

You know how sometimes you read a book and you feel like that the author is building and building and building to a Big Moment? And so you rather breathlessly turn the pages, enjoying the story but wondering what will happen when the Big Moment occurs? But then it .... fizzles?

That's how I felt like while reading this book.

I vaguely recall Mandy Berman's The Perennials, and when I saw that this book features characters from The Perennials, and I looked forward to seeing what came of Fiona. Her story arc isn't disappointing--in fact, I liked what Berman did with her. She takes what you suspect will happen and flips it around. Fiona continues to mourn and grieve her sister's death, feeling both guilt and a sort of inevitable doom. Her sister died of an undiscovered heart condition, and Fiona is convinced she will do the same. Relationships, for Fiona, are both to be enjoyed and kept at a distance.

Fiona and her friend Liv capture and are captured by the attentions of Oliver, a professor with a wife and child in Germany and no small amount of (alleged) scandal in his past. While his character itself isn't all that interseting, Oliver's presence in this story very much is. What happens when best friends are entangled with the same man? And what about his wife?

Berman captures the struggles of friendship and autonomy pretty effectively. Figuring out your identity when you're in college is more difficult than figuring out what you will do afterwards, as Berman shows through Fiona and Liv.

Some scenes resonate more than others, and a sense of unevenness in characterization, pacing, and plot frustrated me. I liked this book, but I can't say I loved it all that much.

What I Liked

One of the major things that drew me to the book was the mention of a college setting. I really liked the section of time we witness the lives of the main characters Fiona and Liv. The college experience and time, especially the final year, are always filled with tough decisions and a lot of life changes and I feel like it really gives the characters a lot of opportunities of growth. But, I also liked that the author tied in another character at a different stage in her life. I felt like it gave the book a balance of changes and discussion you can face while getting ready to live college and the discussions you face while you have a life already built.

The writing in this book was really well done, the style flowed nicely and when I read I read for a decent amount of time. I also liked how the author dealt with some of the hard topics, such as a death of a sibling. It was done, in my opinion, a real way. When it came to some of the issues that these ladies faced, they weren’t the most relatable, but it was interesting to see how the characters reacted. Even though they were not personally relatable, they are problems that some people do face. Also, I would like to applaud the author for being able to keep track of all the obstacles faced by everyone, it shows the strength in her writing.

What I Didn’t Like

I am not a huge fan of dislikable characters, but I know there are a lot of readers who do. So, this is a book review where what I don’t like about it will actually draw you to this book. I love when that happens! But, my dislike of the character did not lead me to dislike this book, I still was invested enough to want to know how everything plays out.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was like reading a rollercoaster. There were times I really didn’t enjoy the characters, but I feel like this is a strength in some people eyes. Plus, for me the fact I still enjoyed the book with that really shows how wonderful of a writer the author is. I feel like this would be a good read for those who have no issue reading about some of the tough things talked about in this book and like a book with a lot going on.

I thought this book was interesting, but could not find my footing nor was I really engaged. Perhaps it's just a consequence of the time, but I have to DNF this one all the same. Nevertheless, thanks for allowing me to read in advance — I really love the cover!

3.4 stars, rounded down to 3.

I downloaded this book a while ago and it somehow got lost in my kindle. I was scrolling back to be sure i was reading things I'd downloaded first when I stumbled upon this one and decided to give it a try. The Learning Curve is the first book by Mandy Berman that I've read and I really enjoyed it.

It is the primarily the story of Fiona, a college senior at a fictional elite university in 2007/2008 trying to make her way amongst her three seemingly more glamorous roommates, while dealing with the aftermath of her 13-year-old sisters tragic accidental death.

I enjoyed all of the characterizations of the roommates, and their escapades as they explore their feminism while all engaging in risky behaviors. Fiona and one of the roommates, Liv, both develop crushes on a visiting professor with a shady history of sexual inappropriateness with students. It was intriguing enough to keep me interested and engaged without ever being trite or obvious.

I'd recommend both the book and look for more by this author.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The story...I made myself finish this book because I was waiting for the big thing to happen that never did.
There were so many times when it was just so hard to keep reading about these people and their problems.
Also the book ends abruptly.
I just...

I thought this novel was well written and the storyline was good. However I just could not connect with any of the characters. I struggled to finish it. For those of you who love coming of age novels, then this may be the book for you.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE LEARNING CURVE by Mandy Berman is a coming of age novel of today, though set 10 years ago. We follow Fiona (who we met in Berman's earlier novel), Liv, and Simone as they explore their sexual selves, body autonomy, and their place in the world while their lives intersect thanks to a charming, yet disappointing, male Professor. As a college story, I was immediately drawn in as those are my favorite types of coming of age stories. The students were certainly going through valid and not often talked about concerns and situations as young women, and I really appreciated this book for that reason.

I thought the novel was intelligent, timely, and engrossing. I am such a fan of Berman's writing and this was one of my most eagerly awaited novels of the year. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. My one issue is that there does seem to be a lot of off-handed fatphobic comments that took me by surprise. I thought it may be all part of the character's development, but that didn't seem to be the case in the end. Just a warning to those who may be sensitive to negative comments such as those.

Reading the summary, I though this would be the kind of book for me. Smart college girls, a professor with a reputation, discussion of feminism and grief and the struggles of 'real life' - it's all things I like. However, The Learning Curve was just kind of...there for me.

I didn't find the girls all that interesting. Oliver was a dick. Simone....Simone bored me to tears.

Maybe I'm getting too old to be reading about college.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This novel is truly a novel for the time. The novel follows mainly Fiona and Liv. If you read Mandy’s debut Perennials, you will remember Fiona. I think though that Mandy does a fantastic job of giving the reader all the information they need if they have not yet picked up Perennials. In The Learning Curve we are presented with all of the complex issues that face us when we are in college and most importantly when we are in friendships. You constantly want to be with your friends, safe and secure but you learn on this journey you also need to forge your own path. We follow Fiona and Liv (with their friends Lula and Marley) through the final year of college for three of them (you will learn more about Fiona in the book). The final year for me was hard because I had a part time job, internship, classes and the prospect of moving to Los Angeles after college but it was also one of the best in terms of making things count. I highly highly recommend this book and if you are feeling into it I recommend Perennials. You are in the capable hands of Mandy Berman, who will make sure that everything pays off and you have a sensory reading experience.

Please note that I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley. I chose to write this review and all opinions are my own.

An interesting novel that I suspect some will put down early on for a variety of reasons but those who keep with it will find it an intriguing portrait of three women. This was elevated for me by the viewpoint of Simone, the wife of Oliver, the 40 something former wunderkind now visiting professor who has grabbed the fantasies of Fiona and Liv. The problems of college students don't amount to a hill of beans usually but Fiona, who apparently appeared in Berman's first novel (which I did not read), is coping with the death of a sister and her unwise actions are shaped by that. I found her extremely sympathetic. Berman raises many topical issues (although not always successfully). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. On balance, definitely worth a read.

I thought this book was well written. At times, it was a little slow but I felt that the multiple narrators made it more interesting. The book shed light on important issues such as infidelity. However, it did not seek to provide an opinion on these issues but rather explore the different sides.

The Learning Curve is my kind of book, though I can certainly see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. It reminded me A LOT of Meg Wolitzer and especially her book The Female Persuasion. One of the biggest criticisms of that book is that the characters are all so privileged and immersed in second wave feminism. And while yes, that is true, I also don't see why this is necessarily a bad thing.

The book is told from the point of view of three characters, but the main focus is the character of Fiona. She's in her senior year of college and living with three girlfriends. A couple years earlier, Fiona's younger sister died and Fiona is still struggling with how to move forward. She has difficulties with school and friends and finds herself sleeping with guys she doesn't necessarily even want to sleep with. We also see a lot of her friend, Liv, a wealthy college student dating a frat boy and dealing with a somewhat tumultuous family life. Both girls develop crushes on a visiting professor, Oliver, who has a scandalous past (it's rumored he slept with a student at a previous teaching job). We also get the perspective of Oliver's wife, Simone, who is left alone in Berlin with their 1-year-old child while Oliver is teaching in the U.S.

I can see why people might roll their eyes at these girls problems. They're certainly "white privilege" problems, but guess what? That doesn't mean they're not an accurate reflection of society and the "problems" so many college girls have. Another issue people may have with the book is that none of the characters are particularly likable. I don't feel a need to actually like the characters I'm reading about, so long as I am invested enough in them to find out what will happen to them. And I did care here.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to read on to find out what would happen to Fiona and Liv (and to a lesser extent Oliver and Simone). I found the ending to be very satisfying and would definitely read another book from Mandy Berman!

This was a novel about 3 different women, all connected in some way to one (kind of awful in my opinion) man, trying to find their way. Although the novel was very well written, I found it so difficult to connect with any of the characters and that made it very difficult for me to get through. I did really enjoy the way the novel referenced other works throughout, it made the content a bit more relatable. I also found the parts that related to religion and the past interesting as well. The novel covered many themes that women face through coming of age as well as later on when they become mothers. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

I loved this. I don't have much else to say so I'm going to repeat myself. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this.

A somewhat disappointing read about female relationships and the fragile ties that bind them. I found myself disinterested in the characters and could not relate to their superficiality. I think this author attempted to take on too many topics and points of view.

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The Learning Curve, the forthcoming second novel by Mandy Berman, might as well have the subtitle, “a modern parable for the privileged woman,” such is the impression the reader has after finishing this ambitious and, ultimately, frustrating novel.

Among the dizzying amount of information covered in the plot, Berman’s characters navigate personal traumas, sexual politics, frat houses, European countries, visiting professorships, motherhood, alcohol abuse, crushes, failing marriages, failing research projects, failing relationships (romantic and otherwise), etc., etc.

In fact, Berman’s novel covers so many topics that it feels like walking into the brain of an author working on five different novels at once. One need only to read Berman’s acknowledgments to see the surprisingly multifarious research that went into writing The Learning Curve.

In some ways, the parable-feel of the novel is appropriate. During a college seminar called “Sex, Sentiment, and Sympathy,” Fiona and Liv, the two student characters, learn about 18th-century stories that cautioned their readers about the consequences faced by women who dared step outside social norms. Fiona reflects later that these cautionary tales apply to our current treatment of women (Monica Lewinsky is her example). Indeed, the connections between these 18th-century “coquettes,” and the characters themselves are engaging, and one wishes Berman would have spent more time on these developments, rather than swiftly moving on to new territory.

Strikingly similar to this novel is The Red Word, by Canadian author Sarah Henstra (winner of the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award). The two novels both place the female student in dialogue with seemingly incongruous campus circumstances: advanced literary seminar vs. raucous frat party, feminist declarations vs. questionable sexual encounters with sketchy dudes, hagiographies of beloved female professors vs. obsessions with “bad” boys. Henstra’s novel is triumphant in portraying contradictory scenarios and deftly abandoning the reader to weigh the ethics of the characters and their decisions. Berman’s novel, on the other hand, pushes the reader to inauthentic conclusions (i.e. “lessons learned”), using characters who are too busy filling their assigned roles to really resonate.

The stimulating discussions of Berman’s characters and their self-reflective thoughts are lost in an excessive amount of exposition: two sisters share a glass of wine while having a personal conversation. Is it really necessary to justify why one of the women is drinking? (She’s in her third trimester, so it’s safe, Berman tells us.)

Readers looking for a drama-filled campus story will find pleasure but will get lost in the many digressions Berman takes. Those looking for more social commentary and fully articulated characters will be disappointed.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy of this title.

The idea/plot/premise behind this book is fantastic. The writing is done very well (if a bit too over described at times which can make for a “wordy” read). But...I didn’t like any of the main characters. Not one. Not liking a character in a book for me can often times make the book less enjoyable. The “identifying” character of trait just wasn’t there. I wonder if having the entire book set in the same country would have helped? But I doubt it? Wish I could have enjoyed it more but just not the book for me.

An entertaining novel three women in a relationship with an awful man.references to literature make this a interesting page turner.#netgalley #randomhouse.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance Kindle copy of The Learning Curve, by Mandy Berman. Although I'm way past the college years, I still enjoy reading about college issues, young people and relationships. Ms. Berman's book is primarily the story of Fiona, who is in her last year of college, which was delayed by a family tragedy. She lives with her close friends off-campus, three young women who will graduate before she does. Professor Oliver Ash arrives at the college from Berlin, where he temporarily left behind his wife, Simone and young son. Oliver is also an author, with a tarnished past, involving an underage college student. Fiona and her friend, Liz, are intrigued by Oliver and his background. They find him sexy, in an older guy sort of way. For the reader, Oliver is not very likable - he is a cad, transparent in his efforts to stray in his marriage. Fiona comes across as the only really sympathetic character, due to her home life and the death of her younger sister. While the story becomes a bit slow, the writing is very good and, from what I remember from the college years and my daughter's college years, a very accurate portrayal of youth and college studies. I would consider the book literary fiction, probably best suited for people in their twenties and thirties.