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Prep: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 35,288 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
An insightful, achingly funny coming-of-age story as well as a brilliant dissection of class, race, and gender in a hothouse of adolescent angst and ambition. Lee Fiora is an intelligent, observant fourteen-year-old when her father drops her off in front of her dorm at the prestigious Ault School in Massachusetts. She leaves her animated, affectionate family in South Bend, Indiana, at least in part because of the boarding school’s glossy brochure, in which boys in sweaters chat in front of old brick buildings, girls in kilts hold lacrosse sticks on pristinely mown athletic fields, and everyone sings hymns in chapel. As Lee soon learns, Ault is a cloistered world of jaded, attractive teenagers who spend summers on Nantucket and speak in their own clever shorthand. Both intimidated and fascinated by her classmates, Lee becomes a shrewd observer of—and, ultimately, a participant in—their rituals and mores. As a scholarship student, she constantly feels like an outsider and is both drawn to and repelled by other loners. By the time she’s a senior, Lee has created a hard-won place for herself at Ault. But when her behavior takes a self-destructive and highly public turn, her carefully crafted identity within the community is shattered. Ultimately, Lee’s experiences—complicated relationships with teachers; intense friendships with other girls; an all-consuming preoccupation with a classmate who is less than a boyfriend and more than a crush; conflicts with her parents, from whom Lee feels increasingly distant—coalesce into a singular portrait of the painful and thrilling adolescence universal to us all.
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"There seem to have been a lot of people who really hated this book, but I loved it. Sure nothing actually happens but she captures the teenage mindset brilliantly and I spent the book cringing at my own teenage memories of humiliations, insecurities, boy troubles and faux pas."
— Carey (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Winner of New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2006
Prep Listener Reviews
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" It had a weak ending but I still enjoyed it. "
— Kirsten, 2/20/2014 -
" I'm so glad I read this book. "
— Emily, 2/19/2014 -
" My memory of this book is a strong feeling of discomfort... but at least it left an impression, right? "
— Lindsey, 2/3/2014 -
" This is a book that I enjoyed when I originally read it, but was also a story that stayed with me. Years after last closing their covers, many books I've liked have gone somewhere into the lagoon of forgotten stories. This is not one of them. I remember details and themes from throughout the book.Perhaps it's in the same vein as how I remember high school and college. This book brings to life memories of adolescence and navigating new environments and social circles. The protagonist accomplishes her goal of going to prep school only to find living the reality of attending a private school challenging. I love the curve of the story, how she judges and misjudges people. It communicates the doubts and total certainties of adolescence as well as the wisdom of looking back at her school years through older eyes. "
— Carla, 2/2/2014 -
" Prep certainly captured a hyper-self aware but low self esteemed world. Every passing glance, possible place to sit, and spoken word is judged by whether or not others would deem it worthy. All too true, but I didn't come to really care about anyone. "
— Ms., 2/2/2014 -
" I only picked up this book at the library 'coz I remember JL's review of it and how much she'd enjoyed it. It was a good easy read, with a strong narrative voice about a phase of life which most of us would identify with - coming to terms with ourselves and who we are. "
— Wanrong, 2/2/2014 -
" A very articulate description of how a teenage girl might feel, reason or behave in each situation as the story unfolds itself - shamelessly realistic and vivid that it made be blush in embarrassement or frown in frustration for the protagonist! "
— Shanee, 1/10/2014 -
" I can't remember as much about this book because it was so long ago, but I do remember not particularly enjoying it and almost quitting on it before the end a couple times because I was so disinterested. "
— Chantel, 12/16/2013 -
" Two words: cheese or fish. One of two books I have hidden from my daughters. Read in 2006 or so. "
— Cynthia, 11/15/2013 -
" captures all the emotions, stress, struggles, and of course stupidity of adolescence and high school so accurately. very well written! "
— Jasmine, 10/19/2013 -
" By far the best thing I have read in ages. "
— Maria, 10/10/2013 -
" I absolutely loved this book when I read it during my late high school years...it struck a chord with me and cut me to the core with the emotions and narrations of the main character. I just got her, and I thought the story was, most of the time, heartbreaking. "
— Shannon, 10/5/2013 -
" Reminds me of certain prep schools I know... "
— Kathleen, 9/18/2013 -
" I tried liking this book. I just don't think Mr. Sittenfeld captured the right voice for a teenage girl. "
— Linda, 4/16/2013 -
" I'd probably give it three and a half stars, but closer to three than four (three and a quarter?). The writing was pretty solid, but yikes, the protagonist was such a wet blanket that it made me wish the story was being told by someone else. "
— Andrea, 4/3/2013 -
" Not thrilled...couldn't connect with main character. "
— Jobiska, 2/22/2013 -
" I liked this book. I could relate to Lee's painful self-awareness in high school. And prep school wasn't even in the realm of possibility for me so I found the setting interesting. "
— Lynanne, 9/12/2012 -
" I really like Curtis Sittenfield's characterisation. Brought back memories of teenage angst which was intensified by her portrayal of an east coast American boarding school. A captivating and atmospheric read. "
— Nickyfagan, 7/19/2012 -
" I read a third of this book and had to put it aside. I was bored being inside this girl's head. I found her extreme neurosis tiring and not engaging. "
— Magenta, 1/12/2012 -
" My favorite kind of novel! "
— Hannah, 10/4/2011 -
" I found the book to be uninteresting. I did not finish it. "
— Camille, 10/3/2011 -
" I had to read this for an online class. It started off great but was over long, and some of the bits in the middle were down right dull. If you want to learn about character creation and narrative voice, it's not a bad place to start however. "
— Kamsin, 6/23/2011 -
" This book really hit home with me as it is about a midwest girl going away to eastern boarding school. "
— Brita, 6/21/2011 -
" Bloody awful. This book could've been so much more than it was, but the constant whining of the main character made me want to reach through the pages and smack the crap out of her. "
— Monique, 6/17/2011 -
" Curtis's writing style is interesting and it immediately drew me in. The book had me laughing and struggling to keep tears from my eyes. Definitely read! "
— Nikki, 6/9/2011 -
" <br/>I read this book during a time in my life that created a perfect storm for me. After I read it, I immediately went back and reread it. <br/> "
— Shannon, 6/3/2011
About Curtis Sittenfeld
Curtis Sittenfeld is the author of several New York Times bestselling works. Her short stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Washington Post magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories. Her nonfiction has been published in the New York Times, Atlantic, Time, and Glamour and have been broadcast on public radio’s This American Life. She is a graduate of Stanford and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop.
About Jorjeana Marie
Jorjeana Marie has worked extensively as an actress, comedian, writer, and audiobook narrator. Her narrations have earned her several Earphones Awards. She has performed in hundreds of commercials and starred in the pilot Listen to Grandpa, Andy Ling with Elliott Gould. She is a stand-up comic who has opened for Richard Lewis, Louie Anderson, and Kathleen Madigan. Her video game credits include Final Fantasy, Crackdown 2, and Star Guardians. She loves reading so much it gets her into trouble.