Just wow. These moms (and some dads) are (escuse me for saying this) Cray-cray. Geez. It was sort of interesting, it didn`t have me guessing and all the college talk almost gave me a headache. Everything resolved around it.. ouf. It must be tiredsome to be those moms.

Every mother dreams of a bright future for their kid, but what happens when they go too far and things get out of control? This book is a perfect case of wealthy moms behaving badly. As the students at an elite prep school in Seattle prepare to submit their early admissions college applications the moms up the ante and schemes and scandals rock the school community to its core. ⁣
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If you loved Big Little Lies, this is the high school senior version. Three mothers will do whatever it takes to ensure that their kid gets the last coveted spot at Stanford. Just when you think there's a line that the mom's won't cross, prepare to be astounded as they do 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 to get ahead. This read is full of lies, scandals, scheming, and all the backstabbing. ⁣
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I really enjoyed this one! I had recently read Admission (fictionalized account of the college admissions scandal) and I much preferred that this was told from the mother's perspectives instead of the student's. I want to say that it's completely bonkers that some mothers would go to these lengths - but after the real-life scandal broke anything is possible! ⁣

Girls with Bright Futures was gifted to me by @bookmarked and it is a total page-turner! What happens when a group of entitles parents are all fighting to get their kids into the most prestigious universities? ⁣Back stabbing, jealousy and doing anything to get heir kids ahead. I found myself shocked with what people were willing to do but not so shocked that every page of this book could not be true! However, this book is more than just a fast paced race to the finish. It has heart, emotion and had me routing for the underdog. I read this book and listened as well- I couldn’t put it down! My favorite read of this year so far!

It’s college admissions season at an elite prep school in the Seattle area, where three hopeful students compete for one spot into Stanford. While the girls are the ones applying, their mothers are the real competitors. Told in alternating perspectives between the three mothers, this book explores themes of pride, parental expectations, family relations, class dynamics and a good ole dose of Wealthy People Behaving Badly.
In some ways, this book was what I expected - suburban drama, entitled rich people stopping at nothing to get their way - but it was also much more... it was fast-paced and included mystery elements that almost made it feel like a thriller in some spots.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this book! It was very entertaining and fun to read!

This immediately sucked me in and I had to know what happened. Although it wasn't inventive, it was definitely drama filled if you like reading about he battle between parents trying to get their children into college. I enjoyed it a lot and found it quite realistic as well. I just ached for the kids, though ...

Girls with Bright Futures came out earlier this month on February 2, 2021 and you can purchase HERE.

Maren Pressley had walked the halls of Seattle's Elliott Bay academy multiple times per week for the past six-plus years, though ordinarily she did so in her role as Alicia's personal assistant, fulfilling the multitude of volunteer commitments her boss had no intention of doing herself. In fact, Maren could probably count on two hands the number of times she appeared on campus simply as Winnie's mom. Unlike most of the other EBA moms, Maren had precious little free time, and when she did manage to carve out a few minutes for herself, she was loath to spend them sticking her nose in Winne's academic business. Her daughter had that well under control.

I thought this book was exceptionally well done. While I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller, as I’ve seen it shelved, it was dramatic, gripping, infuriating in some portions, and as the real-life academics scandal proves, probably in some pocket of the world, realistic. I didn’t always love the different points of views –specifically Kelly wasn’t that interesting, but Maren and Alicia’s portions really kept you reading.

Edit: I keep thinking back to this book. Being a mother, looking back on how difficult it is to raise a child, and wanting to give them everything you can. Maren's story keeps resonating with me while thinking about Alicia and the Alicias of the world keeps angering me. I think any story that can continue to haunt you the way this book has haunted me deserves a special place on a shelf. Even though the end isn't I think what I had hoped for, it still is a good one.

Girls with Bright Futures is an almost comical look at what happens when pride and greed take over. While trying vying for top college spots, a group of parents will stop at nothing to secure their child's place. That includes backstabbing, cheating, lying and perhaps even trying to take out the competition all together.

What a great story!
This book was in the thriller vein, but is very realistic. I think we truly have an issue in our society with helicopter parents controlling and overstepping in their children's lives. This is a fictional depiction of issues I know occurs daily in the college bound teenager population.
Three young women are the focus in this story as they all apply and hope to get into Stamford college. There are only limited amounts of spots available, and when that facts becomes well know these parents go to embarrassing length to ensure their kid claims the spot.
There were so many fantastic side plots and event in this story.
They go so far as to blackmail other children, send anonymous messages to the recruitment office and one girl even gets hit by a car. It was insane, but not that far fetched.
I do think some of the plot events got a little tedious, and I wasn't sure how they were all going to come together.
The authors did a great job concluding the story. I was very happy to see Maren find some closure and really stick it to her awful boss, Alicia.
I was very entertained by the story and enjoyed listening to it on audio! This is a great one because its not too hard to follow and the events keep you engaged and listening!

If this book doesn't prove the cutthroat world of applying to colleges, I don't think anything else would.
This book centers around three sets of mothers and daughters, all of whom attend a prestigious private school that prides itself on getting students into the Ivy League Plus schools and these mothers will stop at nothing to make sure that happens. The problem is that they all want their daughters to go to Stanford, and Stanford has announced they are only taking one more student from the school and none of them will stop until those results are announced. However, there are secrets abounding and of course they are about to come out.

This book was so interesting. I found that I was immediately intrigued by the concept and how all of the relationships between the mothers went both with each other and with their daughters. The book is full of drama, secrets, sabotage, and makes me so glad that this wasn't my experience.

Girls with Bright Futures, is the debut novel by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman. These two women have been friends for most of their adult lives, since settling in Seattle 20 years ago, so, when the idea of writing a book together crossed their minds, they went for it. In a recent interview they said that the "original" book they thought they would write, was NOT this book .... but after countless rejections of their manuscript, and 5 years of brainstorming together, Girls with Bright Futures is the result, and (IMO), it could not be more on point with the times.

The book tells the story of 3 very bright girls in the same class at the private Seattle high school, Elliot Bay Academy. These 3 girls were competing for the one and only (outstanding) "early admission" to Stanford University, When the #moms find out from the school guidance counsellors (who are privy to the student's college aspirations), that there is only 1 spot AND 3 applicants, these 3 very "different' moms PANIC. Suddenly, there is nothing they won't do to ensure, it's their daughter, that nabs the spot .... the lengths they go to will keep you flipping the pages ....

Of course, the lengths that people will go to to get their kids into their "#legacy (dream university) is now known to the world from the recent scandal #operationvarsityblues. But, @katzndobs had their fingers on the pulse years before the scandal broke, so, don't push this book aside because you feel you know the story. This author duo, @katzndobs, have spent so much time creating this story, putting attention to the important details, that while their story is (extremely) scandalous (maybe beyond what may truly happen ...), and maybe a bit exaggerated (the rich maybe do not behave quite SO badly), and also very FUNNY, deep down, so much of the story is TRUE. Parents do worry about their kids futures, and rightly so. But the competition leads to tension between parents (even within a single family forget about between parents of classmates)! In addition this anxiety has created an entire industry surrounding college admissions (the college industrial complex). The experience of seeing their own kids through college admissions is what inspired @katzndobs to write #girlswithbrightfutures. Hopefully, the book leads to many lively discussions around dinner tables, or, on #zoom.

One final thing, these ingenious women actually created their own diagnosis for the mothers in this book, called parental obsessive college syndrome, PCOS, in which parents of high school students suffer repeated paranoid thoughts or sensations concerning college admissions, compelling them to act in ways they would rather not admit. If severe and left untreated, POCS can destroy a person's capacity to function at work, maintain meaningful relationships, or even lead a comfortable existence at home. This is a MADE UP DISEASE, and don't worry, @katzndobs says its a fog and it eventually lifts!

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my complimentary e-ARC of #girlswithbrightfutures. I am so inspired by these women! Pick it up! #5stars.

Reminiscent of Big Little Lies, this is the story of a wealthy private school and the lengths the parents will go to get their children into the top colleges. Girls with Bright Futures revolves around three families and the competition to claim the one last spot to Stanford. If you were interested in the college admissions scandal or love rich people behaving badly (a favorite trope of mine), then this one is for you. The story starts with a near-fatal accident and then goes back in time to the events leading up to the early admissions deadline and the accident. There is also a parallel plot line centered around the main character, Maren, and the secret she is keeping from her daughter. This part of the story may be triggering to some readers, and one of the scenes in particular was hard to read. Thought provoking and entertaining, this book had me hooked from the beginning and kept me guessing throughout. I think this will make a great read for book clubs!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for the advanced copy to review.

At Elliot Bay Academy, three high school senior girls fight for one spot at the prestigious Ivy League. Alicia, mother of Brooke, CEO of a huge tech company, and prominent Standford University donor, wants her daughter to go to the Ivy League and will do just about anything to get her there. Kelly, mother of Krissie, is a stay-at-home mother who always has an ear out for everyone’s plans and keeps meticulous notes, knows her daughter’s number one choice is Standford and will go to extreme lengths to ensure it. Maren, mother of Winnie, and assistant to Alicia, knows her daughter will be crushed if she doesn’t get it. When the three families find out that they’re fighting for one spot, things get tense; rumors fly, accusations are made, and someone will get hit by a car.
This tense thriller is for fans of Big Little Lies and will have readers rushing to find out what happens next.

Girls With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
Rating 4 / 5 Stars
Publication Date - 2/2/2021

** Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and of course, Tracy and Wendy, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start out by saying, this book surprised me! It came at a great time - well, not so great in general, but interesting as we are dealing with the fallout of a real college admission scandal. While this guy was a bit corny at times, I adored how over the top it was. There are times when you want to pretend that all of this is true right? The way the parents and the girls are written about is great. I remember laughing out loud as the one girl tried to tell her parent about what happens when initials are *cough* down there *cough*. I was happy to see the one deserving mother and daughter win in the end, but I did enjoy seeing how different life situations are all equally discussed and represented.

I loved how there was one mystery that drove the suspense of the book. It kept me invested until the end among the corny and funny.

This book was hard to put down once I started it. The seniors at an exclusive private school are applying to colleges and their parents are going crazy trying to get them in the school of their choice (parents choice in some cases). This book also takes a bit of a mysterious turn and I really liked that.

This was a fun, fast read about the parents of seniors at a prestigious Seattle prep school doing anything it takes to get their kids into top colleges. Reading about the hijinks of the parents (and teens, to some extent) was entertaining though disturbing. A few moments seemed a bit over the top but, sadly, I can see a lot of this happening. It was fun to read about some the glitzy lifestyles and people's attempts at power plays, etc. Certainly not a serious, literary read but a good, gossipy read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!

Elliott Bay Academy is one of the top private schools in the Seattle area and the school prides itself on the fact that it's students get into top-tier colleges. When Stanford University lets the school leadership know that since they've already accepted several student athletes from EBA for the next year, that only one more student from EBA will be accepted at Standford. This sets off a fierce competitions between 3 senior girls and their moms. The narrative shifts between the 3 moms: Maren, Alicia and Kelly. Alicia is the CEO of a large tech company and is definitely cut throat. Her daughter is not so cut throat. Maren is a younger, single mom who works as Alicia's personal assistant. Her daughter is the top of her class and has dreamed of going to Stanford since she was young. Kelly is a Stanford alum, head of the PTA and a bit of a gossip. Her daughter is super anxioys about the whole deal.

The book starts out with Maren rushing to the ER after she learns that her daughter was injured in a hit & run accident. The story then flashes back to earlier in the school year when all this intense competition started. There's lots of backstabbing, sneaky maneuvers, rumor mills, people digging up secrets etc. The book reminded me of both Big Little Lies and The Gifted School. It also, for me, brought to mind the college admissions scandal that has been on the news that past couple of years. Oh, what lengths some parents will go to in order to get their kids into college!! It was one of those books that I had to work hard to put down. I split my time between the eBook and the audiobook and enjoyed it in both formats.

Girls with Bright Futures centers around three moms doing everything they can for their daughters to get into Stanford. Given the recent college admissions scandal and a "pay to play" mentality, it is a timely and engrossing story.

It's hard for me to review this book without providing spoilers, but I will say it is part drama and part thriller (of sorts). The characters were well developed and the plot moved quickly. I just found it a bit unrealistic at times.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is basically a fictional version of the college admissions scandal mixed with the insanity of Big Little Lies (the book AND the TV show), and it does not disappoint.

It centers around 3 mothers whose discover that Stanford will only be accepting one non-athletic student from their daughter’s school, Elliot Bay Academy. There is Alicia, a tech giant, whose is determined that her ambivalent and average student daughter, needs the spot to Stanford. Maren is Alicia’s assistant, and her daughter Winnie is top of her class, and has dreamed of attending Stanford since childhood. However, Alicia pays for Winnie’s tuition at EBA and had promised to pay her college fees as well, which puts Maren and Winnie in a precarious position. Finally, there is Kelly, a Stanford alum, who is not afraid to use her influence with the PTA and her connections, to get her child into her alma mater. Tensions are high, and when one of the girls in involved in a near-fatal accident, everyone begins to wonder just how far they are willing to go.

I truly loved every minute of this debut novel and I am so happy it lived up to the hype. Iwould not be surprised if it is listed on “Best of” lists this year.

I received this book free thanks to NetGalley for an honest review, and I believe it was just released to the public.

I love books like this, so I was already excited to read this just by the description. Parents - and their kids - at an exclusive private school in Seattle are all facing college admissions season, and the biggest prize is admittance into Stanford.

The three main parents are so over the top, and yet oddly relatable (not to be confused with likable) at the same time. I felt like this was a hard balance to maintain, and yet it worked. Kelly is married to Kevin, and are both Stanford grads. They are putting enormous pressure on their K-named children, at current the oldest to also attend Stanford. They are well off, but not in the extreme wealth category, so a lot of their resources are going into test prep, tutors, and the private school itself. Alicia is a mega-successful tech CEO, married to a man who is enjoying her success by playing golf. Her daughter, while smart, is not getting the grades that her hard charging mother would like to see - but she can drop a few million to the school to make her daughter a more appealing candidate. Then there is Maren. She is Alicia's personal assistant, with a difficult past. Her daughter is a start student, first in her class. Winnie, Maren's daughter, is then nearly killed in a hit and run accident, days before the applications are due.

The dialogue is snappy and witty, and the story is fast-paced, told in the perspectives of each of these women. There are twists and turns that aren't easily predicted, and moments are laugh-out-loud funny. The lengths that these three parents will go to to position their daughters is unbelievable, and make for a really fun, suspenseful read. Watching each of the parents have to debate big questions or even make moves that seem outright immoral, and in some cases illegal in this book made for a fantastic read.

This book added a face to what applying to elite colleges looks like now. Parents at certain schools become absolute pressure cookers for their children, and parents will stop at very little to make sure they can achieve at all costs. While I hope this book is a bit of satire, I do recognize some of these conversations from local listservs in my town (DC), and I'm sure they happen in other high-achieving cities as well.

Watching each of the parents have to debate big questions or even make moves that seem outright immoral, and in some cases illegal in this book made for a fantastic read. It's a really fun and really fast read.

I reviewed this book on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3815581629

Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. This book did everything for me that The Gifted School did not. These characters were all deeply flawed humans who (mostly) tried to do the best for their children, no matter how misguided their actions were in reality or harmful to the mental health of their children. Alicia was the best villain, though many of her actions may not have been set in motion without Kelly’s careful plotting. However, her husband’s entitlement and sleazy behavior made me want to pitch him through a window. My heart broke for Maren and everything that she experienced throughout her life. I don’t want to give her story away, but I will say that she deserves the world and so much credit for how she raised her daughter. I loved the use of flashbacks to tell the events before the accident. Overall, this book brings up how privilege influences the educational opportunities you receive. With reference to the 2019 college admissions scandal, this book emphasizes how the system favors the Alicias of the world and tosses aside other (equally qualified) candidates who do not have privilege or status built into their lives.


Perfect for fans of:
-The Gifted School
-Big Little Lies
-A Good Neighborhood