Julie Buxbaum’s new novel Admission is a timely and relevant read that takes an inside look at a college admissions scandal. The novel contains clear parallels to the recent admissions scandal involving actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin as it explores what happens when those who are rich and privileged enough to already have the deck stacked in their favor decide that still isn’t enough.

Admission opens with a bang and never looks back. The protagonist of the story, Chloe Wynn Berringer, awakens to the sound of the doorbell ringing and watches helplessly as her world unravels around her. Her mom, a famous celebrity, is led away in handcuffs, and as Chloe soon learns while watching the news, her mother has gotten caught up in a college admissions scandal while trying to bribe Chloe’s way into her college of choice. The story then progresses, very effectively using dual timelines, “now” and “then”, to follow Chloe and her family as they deal with the fallout from the scandal and to show what happened to lead to the moment where the FBI came knocking.

I have to admit that my feelings for her and for her family were very ambivalent. Like the general public, I was furious to learn the lengths these rich, entitled folks would go to in order to take what they wanted, even if it meant taking an admissions slot that should have gone to a more-deserving student. To Buxbaum’s credit though, she brings Chloe and her family to life in such a way that I wanted to learn more about them and understand their motivations and wanted to know if they had any understanding or remorse for how their actions impacted other families. In the same regard, Chloe’s journey fascinated me because she really is just an all-around average person – average intelligence, average grades, average school activities, etc. There is nothing stand-out about her aside from that her family has money, so there’s no way she should have had her pick of colleges. Although Chloe comes across as dense and naïve, I found it hard to believe that she was completely blindsided by what her parents had done and believed she had legitimately earned a spot at her college of choice. It soon became clear though that the novel is about more than just the actual admissions scandal; it’s also about Chloe’s exploration of whether she knowingly or unknowingly played any role in her parents’ scheme. As ambivalent as I felt about Chloe, I did really enjoy watching her grow as she tried to make sense of and learn from the experience rather than just play the victim.

My favorite characters in the novel though are actually Chloe’s best friend, Shola, and Chloe’s younger sister, Isla. I adored both of these brilliant and driven young women and that they were up close and personal examples for Chloe of how truly unfair the admissions scandal is for hard-working students who have their spots stolen by rich people. Shola is an incredibly gifted student who works hard everyday and her dream is to get into Harvard, but she needs a lot of financial aid in order for it to happen. Shola faces the real fear that she will be rejected in favor of a privileged student who doesn’t need aid. And then poor Isla. Like Shola, Isla is brilliant and a hard worker whose dream is to attend Yale and based on her grades, test scores, and overall amazing transcript, she should be able to get in pretty much anywhere on her own merits. But is her name now tainted because of what her parents did for Chloe? Where I had minimal sympathy for Chloe, these two young ladies had all of my sympathy and they were the two I found myself hardcore rooting for as I was reading.

If you’re in the mood for a compulsively readable family drama with a “ripped from the headlines” vibe, look no further than Julie Buxbaum’s new novel, Admission. You won’t be able to put it down!

This book, focused on a wealthy family gaming the college admissions system, and how the teenage daughter may have felt through the process, bored the crap out of me. I got about 35% in after two weeks of slogging and just could not bring myself to care about our main character and her family. It was so "woe is me and my rich family." I don't review books I don't finish in public forums, and genuinely do wish Julie the best on future endeavors, but I think this would have been better served as a "tell-all centered on unlikeable characters" rather than a "YA version of this current events story meant to engender empathy" because it's not working.

What a light, fun read. It was so interesting to read about a fictional college admission scandal so similar to what we see in the news. I found it a very relevant read for the present day. Chloe's mom is a B-list celebrity and her parents would do anything to make sure she gets into a good college. Unfortunately, their scheme to get her into SCC backfire to the tune of FBI involvement, a massive legal situation, and prison time.

What I like about this book is two-fold: on one hand what Chloe's family does is unethical and illegal, but it reminds us that often people bend the rules in their interests. Chloe's parent's did the wrong thing, but they did what they though was in the best interest of their child. Secondly, it is sad to see wealth and privilege making up such a large part of the college admissions process. It is disheartening to see that college admissions are often not decided by who is most deserving, but rather money.

This book was timely and interesting. It was a quick and easy read.

Ugh! DNF'd this one early on, I received a copy of this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and this is as honest as it could be when I DNF'd it early on. When I requested it, early in the year, I did not realize it was YA, which I rarely read, because I never enjoy it. This book irritated me so. Although I never have watched The Kardashian, it makes me think this is similar. It also reminds me somewhat of Jackie Collins'books from the early 90s or late 80s. I was not the target audience and life is too short to read books I'm definitely not enjoying.

This book hit so close to home for me, as my daughter went through the college admissions process just prior to the college admissions scandal that rocked the nation. She even applied to USC, one of the main universities involved in the controversy. She didn't get in. With the school's reputation now in shambles, I think we dodged a bullet. While my daughter is very happy at an amazing college, we will always wonder if someone bribed their way into a spot she could have gotten.

With this in mind, I read Admission, by Julie Buxbaum. It was riveting to imagine what the young students must have gone through, as they came to realize what their parents had done. Or were they in on it too?

What I Liked:

Characters:

I did feel sympathy for Chloe, the mostly clueless high school senior who is at the center of the fictional college admissions scandal. As the daughter of a famous actress, she feels the pressure to attend a prestigious university. But she's really not into it. She's an average student at a high-priced high school where everyone is expected to achieve greatness. While everyone is caught up in the admissions process, Chloe would be happy to attend a low-key college in Arizona. But her Hollywood parents won't be content unless she can attend SCC (a fictional version of USC). Chloe really doesn't realize what her parents have done. But she does have inklings that something is off.

I liked that the character Chloe is actually a good person. In the real-life scandal, it certainly didn't appear that the students cared how they got into college, or who they hurt along the way.

Inside Story:

What is so compelling is how the reader gets to see how the families lives are turned upside down once they are charged by the Feds. There are lawyers, PR firms, and image consultants camped out in their living rooms. Plus the students involved need lawyers for themselves. They are also not permitted (by the lawyers) to even talk to their parents about the case. This creates a pent up anger for Chloe as her questions remain unanswered. Did her parents think she was too stupid to get into college? Was their true motive to help her, or was it just for bragging rights. And how does this affect the other members of the family?

What I Was Mixed About:

Characters:

While I liked most of the characters, I couldn't quite feel sympathy for the parents of the story. The author paints a picture of entitlement that leaves very little room for empathy from me. As they try to justify why they used the "Side-Door" to get their child into one of the best colleges in the country, it made me so disgusted. They never truly understand how incredibly unfair all the consultants, private tutors, special SAT classes, and then bribes, and test cheating, were to students who play by the rules.

I used to be addicted to celebrity gossip. I had subscriptions to BOTH People and US Weekly. I am not sure if my interested waned when all this info became readily available online or if I just grew up, but I am definitely
not keeping up with the Kardashians anymore.

Admission by Julie Buxbaum brought me right back to my obsession of celebs and their families. Chloe Berringer is the eldest and somewhat average daughter of actress Joy Fields, a famous sitcom star. Chloe is having a great senior year having fun with her best friends, having a boyfriend for the first time, and struggling with college applications and essays just like everyone else. But when the FBI shows up one morning to arrest her mother she discovers that her parents have collaborated to buy her way into SCC, her college of choice. Chloe and her mother both learn who their friends really are, how their privilege has damaged them, and the importance of family.

I enjoyed this book and appreciate being selected to read an advanced copy. It is a Young Adult novel that is my first Julie Buxbam book and I definitely will recommend to middle school and high school readers and their librarians.

With the pandemic going on, students are even more focused on college admission than even before, whether it is an escape from real life or wanting to move on. This book focuses on the college admissions scandal and the motivations and possibilities behind it. But it does put a very human face on it--delving into the student view instead of the parents view. Although it does not have the fairy tale ending, it does present, what I think, is the right ending. I think it presents a lot of thoughts for teenagers to ruminate about while they are going through the angst and joy of college admission.

I'm a Lori Laughlin/Felicity Huffman fan from watching them in shows over the years, but the whole college admissions scandal didn't really rock me as much as it did everyone else. Yes, I thought it was super wild, but I didn't follow it all too closely. However, ADMISSION intrigued me right away when it was announced. I love Julie Buxbaum and knew she'd turn this into a fascinating story.

If you're someone who said "so what?" about these admissions scandals, you'll be forced to reexamine that position when reading this book. It looks at the abundance of privilege the main character really had, and how it affected other people in her life directly.

The story basically mirrors the real-life college admissions scandal I mentioned before. Chloe's mom is a famous actress and decides to help her daughter get into college by buying new SAT scores, faking a pole vaulting team, and more. I LOVED that this went back and forth between "then" and "now," in order to see the pieces come together. Chloe's life was really looking good in the past chapters.

Overall, this was a solid read that will probably stick with me for a while. I thought the ending was realistic and enjoyable, albeit a little bit sad. Chloe ended up where she "deserved" or where it made sense.

There's no excitement like having a favorite author release a new book. I adore Julie Buxbaum's YA novels, but sadly Admission was just an average read for me.

My main disappointment? There's not much plot or surprise. If you read the summary on the book flap you've more or less read what happens in the book. Chloe unexpectedly got into the college of her dreams but it turns out her mother was involved in a major college admissions bribery scandal. The book is mostly about the emotional ramifications of Chloe's situation and its affect on her family. It is largely a story about privilege, entitlement and what money can and can't buy. This message is repeatedly and overtly mentioned and while it's true and important, it's not earth shatteringly deep or nuanced.

The good... Julie Buxbaum's writing is always excellent and she's a master storyteller. The subject matter felt very timely and held my interest well enough. I also enjoy the double meaning of the title. There's the obvious connotation, the admissions process of applying to college, but also Chloe's admission of guilt, that she was complicit and actively chose to not acknowledge that something was wrong. I just wish more happened with the story.

Recommend for: Readers easily swept up by celebrity scandals who enjoy family drama novels

May not be for you if: You're hoping for a charming YA read. You need relatable or likable characters.

"Admission" was a great exploration of wealth and privilege through the eyes of a teenage girl. I think it will be eye-opening for a lot of young people to read and will help them interrogate their own ethics and internal biases. I'm not sure I completely bought the mother's remorse in the ending, but it was still entertaining and would make a great addition to most YA collections.

Flew through this in a few days! The suspense was very high in this one. Throughout the book you find yourself alternating between rooting for and rooting against the Berringer family. You get an idea how privileged these kids are, while also sympathezing for them because nothing that happened was their fault. Definitely makes you think how many incoming college freshman are only there because their parents bought a building or otherwise paid their way into the school. I'm sure this happens every year. Such a quick, captivating read!

This is a "ripped from the headlines" fictional account of a family caught up in a college admission scandal. Chloe is a mediocre student from a privileged upper class white family. Her mom is a popular actress and her dad runs a venture capital firm. They live in Beverly Hills and seem to be the perfect family who has it all. She's just not interested in school and doesn't put in any hard work to make good grades. Of course, her parents want the best for her and have the means to pay. They hire a college admissions coach to help her get into her dream school. Cheating, bribes, and lies lead to her mom getting arrested by the FBI.

It was interesting to see Chloe change over the course of the story. She’s smart but doesn’t think she is. Her family is rich but most of the time she takes that for granted. She’s a lazy student and it takes her awhile to realize that. But she has a good heart. She forms a real bond with a little boy she tutors after school and that helps her see how privileged her life is. As the scandal engulfs her family, she questions her decisions and her complicity. She realizes that she must choose her own path to her future and do what’s right for her, even if it differs from her parents’ expectations.

I think this will be popular with teens since the story played out in real life with a popular actress. Teens going through the admissions process will understand the pressure Chloe and her friends fee to get into their dream schools. This is a solid pick for high school libraries.

3.5 stars

I received this as an arc on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press.

While I loved the alternating 'Then' & 'Now' chapters there were a few times where it just lagged for me. A realistic take on the admission scandal while being fictional and relying more on the family dynamic. It's hard to feel bad for the situation the parents put everyone in but I did enjoy how everything was handled and seeing the family come together by the end.

Chloe's life is turned upside down when she opens her front door early one morning to find men in FBI jackets there to arrest her mother. Chloe finds out that her parents have been accused of participating in a giant college scandal, to get Chloe into her dream school. Told in dueling timelines, Chloe must come to terms with the fact that her mother is guilty, her role in the plot, what it says about her that her parents felt the need to do this, and her privilege.

An interesting enough read, but nothing very substantial. I was disappointed by the lack of introspection or criticism of the main characters - it's never in doubt that they were just "doing the right thing for their children" which is infuriating given the real-world sentencing of Lori Loughlin et al. and the sentencing discrepancies between privileged and underprivileged people in the criminal justice system. I'm sorry, but I'm not at all inclined to be sympathetic towards people who think the rules don't apply to them, and I don't think the author did nearly enough work to win me over.

This is the second YA book I’ve read by this author, and my critique is the same - she doesn’t write effectively in a teenage voice.
The story itself is entertaining, as a fictionalized version of the recent “rich people” college scandal. Not gonna lie, I enjoy a bit of schadenfreude as much as the next person, so reading about some comeuppance was fun. Buuut...it’s written in first person, told by seventeen-year old, Chloe, who is reluctantly dragged into the infraction by her wealthy, celebrity parents. As with her previous novel, Tell Me Three Things, I don’t buy the teenage characters. The dialogue is wrong, the interactions with each other are wrong, the text messaging is terrible, and it distracts me the whole way through.
I think the author should either:
a) stop writing as a teenager
or
b) have a teenager seriously edit her manuscript.
Thanks to #netgalley and #delacourtpress for this ARC of #admission in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Buxbaum deftly handles a ripped-from-the-headlines college admissions scandal story without trying to make us feel too sorry for the privileged people behind it, The characters are sympathetic and realistic. Kids will love this.

Great read, This book had a lot of interesting twist that young adults never really think about. Sometimes, I thought it was a little slow for high school level, but I think they will enjoy the story line.

Chloe leads her normal life, as only someone as priviledged could, and is preparing to head to college when her mother is suddenly facing charges of frauding the admission system for her college.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The story happens in two timelines, the before the FBI raid in Chloe's house and the present while she faces the risk of her whole family going to prison. I'm not usually a fan of two timelines and I won't say I loved it here but I also think it was a great way to show it all. Chloe is a very oblivious character, but was she really unaware of the whole scheme? Did she know something? What happened to her friends that they're not with her?

I've read two of Buxbaum's novels and this is probably my least favorite. At the same time, it still held the quality you'd expect from her. It was just not comfortable to follow Chloe's opening her eyes at last, or rather her whole family's. Considering there was a recent scandal involving a real-life actress (as Chloe's mom is), that also made too attached to reality, when I prefer escaping it. It's not that raw, it's still a fluffy read to be honest, but it did make me freak out to watch the family go deeper into the fraud and know it'd come back to bite them.

For those who like Buxbaum's romances like I do, there is one here and they're as cute as those in her other books, but it's definitely not the focus.

This book is the kind that is worth reading with a partner or a book club, because it'll be great food for thought. How much can a person know without knowing? And would you stick with a friend who did what Chloe did? Just some examples of discussions this will feed you. It's not your feel-good coming-of-age.

Admission is basically Olivia Jade fan fiction and I for one am here for it! If you were obsessed with the varsity blues/college admissions cheating scandal, this book is for you. The book follows Chloe, a high school student and SCC admit who is caught up in scandal when her B-list celebrity mother is found out to have paid for her admission to college. It flashes between before and after the scandal comes to light. Admission is well-written, timely, and addictive. I highly recommend it for people who love books about entitled high schoolers and family scandals, two of my favorite genres.