Commencement Audiobook

" A quick read. Made me wish I had gone (and glad I didn't go) to Smith. The very end is a bit contrived, though, and weakens the book. "

" For all you Smithies out there, this book will bring on some nostalgia. Smith/Northampton things referenced in this book are: Mountain Day, Pizza Paradisio, FitzWilly's, Packard's, The Autumn Inn, The Quad, Paradise Pond, Green Street, Elm Street, various Smith houses, JMG Hall, a party at Tyler House called Immorality (which I'm sure I would have remembered, but then again I didn't have any friends in that house, maybe it's newer than 94?), Shower Hours (meaning don't have sex in the shower w/your "significant other" during the peak times of 8-10 a.m.). Not a Great book, but pretty good. However, I don't know if I'd like so much if I hadn't been a Smithie myself. Does capture the Smith flavor with decent accuracy, although was not as ethnically & socially diverse as my Smith experience was. "

" Loved it! I couldn't put it down!!!!! "

" i thought the story was great (hence the 3 stars)... until the ending. it just ended. there was no wrap up whatsoever! i hate it when authors do that. it's one of the epic failures of contemporary fiction. "

" This was fun beach read type of book and I enjoyed watching the friendships between the four main characters developed, but I felt that the climactic event was a little overwrought and melodramatic. A little too cheesy at the end. "

" I loved this book for the nostalgia of it, but felt like it was a little choppy and that the ending was somewhat predictable and the April/Ronnie storyline a little much. "

" This was an okay read. I much preferred J. Courtney Sullivan's newest novel, Maine. The major resolutions in the book were pretty easy to figure out way before the reveals. Plus, the novel ended rather abrubtly. All-in-all, though, an easy, pleasant-enough read for a few summer days. "

" So I liked the writing and the characters. It really is very Smith oriented though. I mean honestly- is it really like this? Seemed a little extreme to me. "

" I loved this book. As a senior in college about to step out into the "real world" i felt like everything really captured what it means to be a woman in college in this day and age. Loved it "

" Predictable, but enjoyable, fluff. "

" A great book about female friendships and how much we rely on each other through as we age. The ending left many unanswered questions, though. "

" I read Maine first and I really liked the writing, so I looked for Commencement. At first I thought it was a little to wordy, in a biographical sort of way. But I stuck with it and it eventually grabbed me, and I could not put it down. "

" Good book until the end....I hate when authors wrap up the entire book in 2 pages. "

" Good writing and good friendships! Kind of drops off in the end, but I'm not judging--conclusions are tough... "

" Ok. Quite eye-opening about Smith College. Read nicely but seemed a bit trashy. "

" this was a liberal, modern take on close friendships and how they develop and change as life moves on. i had a hard time putting it down... "

" If I could give it .25 stars, I would. Or even 0 stars. "

" Not sure that anyone I know would like this book. Bought it in the airport at Sacto when I was worried about running out of reading material. It was entertaining but predictable. Good for the situation but probably not worth the money. "

" A quick and fun read! "

" I loved this, more so than her second novel. It was so different than what I expected, and I was pleasantly surprised throughout. At first the ending left me feeling completely bereft but the more time I had to think about it, the more it made sense and felt true to the story. "

" Different and rather entertaining. Not a fan of the end. "

" Enjoyed the characters growing and changing yet staying friends. Enjoyed the insight into all-girls' colleges and gender issues. "

" This was okay. I picked it up for some easy reading and really enjoyed the first half. The second half felt both rushed and flat. I feel like she could have done more with the characters that began to be developed in the first half. I feel like they were sacrificed for the plot. "

" This book had great potential but flopped at the end. It's really too bad because I found the rest of it to be an entertaining read for the most part. "

" A great portrait of friendship, and a recapturing of those idyllic college years. "

" Plot was good until the climax. Ending didn't really cut it for me. I thought the author was really insightful though, the way she touched on issues (especially friendship!). "

" This book was pretty good but honestly I think I sit a little far on the right to really embrace it. "

" A great read for anyone just out of college. Ending is a little weak, but overall really interesting. Good for book club discussion. "

" Would have much rather read about the lesbians at Smith, not gonna lie. I got about 75 pages in and couldn't take the over the top stereotypes about "dykes" delivered by dry (and straight) characters anymore. "

" I liked it, and I liked the characters. It was about 4 women who went to Smith then kept in touch with each other and continued to be important in each other's lives. I think I would have enjoyed it more 30 years ago. "

" Maybe if I had read this in the summer, I would have enjoyed it more. If you are looking for some light reading, this will satisfy. I'd classify it as a "chick" book. "

" Not quite what I expected, but it's a pretty quick read once you get going. I like the way the story is broken up into each character's POVs. "

" This book was much better than I thought it would be. It was a great story about friendship and life after college. "

" Five stars in terms of the perfect trashy beach book. Not 5 stars as a great piece of literature, clearly as the baby blue cover clearly belies it as "chick lit" "