Quirky chicklit-y novel about a heartbroken grad student desperate for a new job who stumbled into a job in the admissions department of a mid-level New York private school. Humorous awkwardness ensues.

Both serious and funny, the novel is filled with observations about human nature--persons who never have an unexpressed thought, a quirky pair of professsors/parents, hyper-competitive couples pushing for their children's admission to exclusive private schools. The story centers around the lives of three former college roommates, the struggle of one of them to set her life back on track after being unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend. I especially enjoyed the dialogues in the novel--the conversations between the long-time friends and the conversations between them and others in their lives that lead them to better understandings of the nature of their friendships. Highly recommend reading this book.

This was a fun and entertaining look at the private school admissions world - I loved the writing style!

What is it about chick lit that lends itself so well to themes of redemption? Like Faithful by Alice Hoffman, here’s a story set against the backdrop of my favorite city, featuring a girl down on her luck after a traumatic experience that upends her very existence and forces her to question everything she took for granted.

As always, there’s a guy but it’s not about the guy…is it ever, ladies? (No, it’s about us!) Oh, and the OTHER guy, the one that surprises us all and proves to be the gem.
There’s the overbearing but well-meaning family member, wearing a martyr crown and feeling misunderstood.
The best friends are there, at odds with each other and themselves, helping us readers out with backstory.
Oh, and let’s not forget the patient sage that can see something in our heroine that we dear readers can’t. And even he needed to be convinced.
Sounds good, right? It’s a perfect vacation read. You can start it on the plane, read it by the pool or in the ski lodge by the fire, and finish it on the plane ride home.
I love me some good chick lit, and Amy Poeppel hits all the right notes in this one.

Kate’s Life is dismal. She has just endured a bitter breakup and a career letdown. Despite her sister’s attempts, she refuses to get off her couch for any extended period. Finally, her sister convinces her to apply for a job, one Kate miraculously lands in an admissions department at a prestigious New York private school.

While Kate is busy with admissions season, her closest friends are scheming, planning and keeping secrets about new love, rekindled romance and more.

Small admissions is quirky, fun and hilarious, everyone roots for a good comeback story.

Thank you for the opportunity read and review this title! I didn't enjoy it as much as I"d hoped, and rather than post a negative review, I chose to not feature it on my blog. I look forward to seeing what new releases you have in store!

This book captured my attention from page one...and did not let go until the final chapter. Thanks for the pleasure of reading it...I have shared this story w/ many friends.

Unfortunately Small Admissions fell short for me in both the writing and plot. The synopsis and NYC private school setting sounded appealing, but that part of the storyline often got lost in Kate's breakup saga. I found the use of mixed correspondence to propel the story confusing and poorly used, and I never quite felt like the book flowed.

I almost gave up on this book after the first chapter - who wants to read another book about a woman who's a mess bc of a man? Really glad I didn't put this down. Great characters, and lots of humor; and it turns out there were other factors at play besides a man that sent the main character spiraling. It just took her a while to figure it out.

This plot was straight out of a Disney movie in a bad way. The parents disappear, the daughter can't take care of herself but eventually learns a lesson. No thank you.

Such a different book than I am used to reading. But so glad I stepped off my normal path and into this book.

Ahhh...Kate. You can't help but love her. She's absolutely devasted at the abrupt ending to her - what she thought - was her happily ever after. With the love and encouragement (well - outright pushing) of her sister, she embarks on a new life. An admissions counselor at an NYC private High School. This book gave me the soup to the nuts of Kate's life. From her lowest lows to her highest highs and it was a pleasure to be along for the ride. Kate's vulnerability to her strength is shown throughout the book. Her banter with her co-workers, parents, friends and students is superb.

As a middle-class public high school graduate, I had no idea. Ms. Poeppel has given us the inside scoop. With lots of laughter and even a few tears. I was unaware that Ms. Poeppel had both sides of the story in her real life and can see that now how she's beautifully given us both views with clarity and honesty.

I love that she's able to look at the world she's in and pokes a little fun.

Great debut and for my romance reading friends, jump off the path and take a stroll through NYC and grab this book. It's a beautiful departure from my norm.

There was such a buzz about this book that I was really looking forward to reading it. It didn't live up to my expectations. I mostly enjoyed the interactions between Kate, admissions counselor, and the over eager parents and children intent on impressing her enough to gain admittance to Hudson. The other scenes and characters weren't developed enough to hold my attention.

Amy Poeppel lets readers into the elite world of private schools with this entertaining novel. Kate Pearson is adrift after being dumped by a boyfriend and the world of academia. With the help of two good friends and a busybody sister, Kate steps off the beaten path and right into the doors of a snobbish private school. It's a school where parents start conniving for admittance as soon as their little Einsteins can hold a crayon. With wit and humor, Poeppel shows that rejection isn't always a bad thing.

A breezy read, though at times it rings a little too close to Admission, a similar novel about the college admissions process. Kate is at times frustrating as a millenial narrator, (acting like that with a job interviewer? Really?) and at times the novel seems rushed, especially in regards to her relationship with downstairs neighbor, which is given maybe a page compared to her relationship with Robert which is frustratingly lengthy.

When I started reading this book I was really confused. After reading the description I thought the main focus would be on Kate and getting her life back on track but that wasn't the story line we were following in the beginning. It took maybe halfway through the first chapter to fully understand what was going on. I struggled a little to get into the story, partially because of this and partially because it was told in 3rd person (it's not my favorite) but I'm glad I stuck with it because I really ended up enjoying the story.

I don't know anything about the setting personally but it seems realistic. I had some personal issues with some of the characters, mainly their personalities, but I think that shows how strong Amy Poeppel's writing is. The characters I disliked/had problems with were true to themselves while trying to move forward and grow as time passed.

This was my first time exploring this genre and I would definitely be willing to try more. I really enjoyed the humor and there were times where I actually laughed out loud. I think Amy Poeppel did an amazing job showing just how much life can change in a year. Small Admissions is a strong debut and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

This turned out to be not for me - I ended up not really liking any of the characters and couldn't get past that. There's nothing wrong with it though - just not the end of the Sophie Kinsella et al spectrum that I'm liking at the moment as it turns out.

Kate Pearson quits graduate school to live in Paris with her French boyfriend, Robert. She is blindsided by Robert as he quickly breaks off the relationship and she ends up moving back to New York City. Kate spends a good part of the year living on her sister’s couch, watching television and barely functioning. Her two friends from college and her sister were doing everything they could to get Kate back on her feet. They eventually find her an apartment to sublet and a dog walking job, in the hopes that she can pull herself together.

She eventually lands a job interview at an admissions office for a small
Manhattan private school. Kate leaves the interview feeling that she botched it the because of her inappropriate answers to questions and her profuse sweating. Surprising herself, Kate gets the job and enters into the competitive world of admissions. Although feeling unqualified, she slowly begins to settle into her job and with her two co-workers. She interviews a multitude of children, deciphers essays and meets with stressed out parents.

While Kate seems to be progressing with her newfound career, her sister is still greatly concerned. She micromanages her with unsolicited advice amid worries that she will regress back into depression. Her friends continue to stay in contact with her but have ulterior motives.

The dialogue during parent and student interviews was very humorous and I laughed out loud a few times. This book was fun and entertaining and I look forward to future works from Amy Poeppel.

Small Admissions is a story that weaves in and out of the cutthroat world of private school admissions in NYC (which is fascinating), but the true heart of this tale are the four women who are connected by blood, friendship and one bad boy (ex) boyfriend. Amy Poeppel has an incredible wit and she brings each character to life in a picture-perfect way. I found myself chuckling and cheering all the way through the book.

And I'm one of those people who says, "ciao," which, when I got to that part, made me burst out laughing in a public place, garnering many looks from the people around me! In my defense, I do speak Italian. ;p

Small Admissions is a fun and funny read which I greatly enjoyed.