Small Admissions - Hardcover

Poeppel, Amy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1501122525 ISBN 13: 9781501122521

Publisher: Emily Bestler Books, 2016

Synopsis

For fans of "The Nanny Diaries "and Sophie Kinsella comes a whip-smart and deliciously funny debut novel about Kate, a young woman unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions as she attempts to understand city life, human nature, and falling in love. Despite her innate ambition and Summa Cum Laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being unceremoniously dumped by her handsome, French almost fiance, she abandons her grad school plans and instead spends her days lolling on the couch, watching reruns of "Sex and the City," and leaving her apartment only when a dog-walking gig demands it. Her friends don t know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback, while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews. Miraculously, and for reasons no one (least of all Kate) understands, she manages to land a job in the admissions department at the prestigious Hudson Day School. In her new position, Kate learns there s no time for self-pity or nonsense during the height of the admissions season, or what her colleagues refer to as the dark time. As the process revs up, Kate meets smart kids who are unlikable, likeable kids who aren t very smart, and Park Avenue parents who refuse to take no for an answer. Meanwhile, Kate s sister and her closest friends find themselves keeping secrets, hiding boyfriends, dropping bombshells, and fighting each other on how to keep Kate on her feet. On top of it all, her cranky, oddly charming, and irritatingly handsome downstairs neighbor is more than he seems. Through every dishy, page-turning twist, it seems that one person s happiness leads to another s misfortune, and suddenly everyone, including Kate, is looking for a way to turn rejection on its head, using any means necessary including the truly unexpected."

About this title

Review

"Charming, refreshing, and brilliantly funny, Amy Poeppel's novel is a delightful surprise."--Elizabeth Brundage, author of ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR

"Small Admissions is a hilarious romp through absurdities of Manhattan prep school life. It's characters are larger than life, it's point of view delightfully farcical. You'll read it in a snap and then wish for more."--Jennifer Miller "the author of THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY "

"Trenchant, funny, and observant...as a prose artist Ms. Poeppel leaves nothing to be desired, except this desire: that she write more and more, and as well as she does in this, her assured debut."--Hilton Als, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of WHITE GIRLS and THE WOMEN

"In this absorbing story, Amy Poeppel brings her razor-sharp observations of the postures and pretenses found in our culture, in our cities, and especially in the world of admissions. Amy's gift for dialogue, shown through the sidesplitting banter between our appealing, young heroine and the parents and children she interviews, will delight readers. Amy Poeppel displays a well of insight, forgiveness and wit that not only marks a talented writer, but the launch of what promises to be a marvelous career."--Diane Meier, author of THE SEASONS OF CHANCES and RITUAL AND STYLE IN A CHANGING CULTURE

"As Jean Hanff Korelitz did for college in her novel Admission, Amy Poeppel artfully and hilariously describes the gamesmanship in the high-stakes, high-anxiety world of New York City's private school admissions offices with spot-on dialogue and genuine insight. As the novel unfolds, the reader finds that Small Admissions lead to bigger, more important truths in the lives of the characters populating this hilarious book; I couldn't put it down."--David Harman, Headmaster, Poly Prep Country Day School

"Small Admissions is quick-witted and razor-sharp. With a chorus of varied and absurd voices, you'll laugh at everyone involved while secretly fearing that you see yourself in the mix. Amy Poeppel manages to tell a story both poignant and hilarious, hinting that this wry and absorbing debut is the beginning of an exciting career."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, Author of Maybe in Another Life

"Funny and incisive... Amy Poeppel's rollicking debut skewers the crazy world of Manhattan private schools, the extreme sport of contemporary parenting, and the ridiculous seriousness with which we embark on our adult lives. There's more here too: a thoughtful excavation of how we deal with rejections, big and small. I loved reading this book."--Amy Shearn, author of The Mermaid of Brooklyn and How Far Is The Ocean From Here

"A rare book that actually makes you laugh out loud. Small Admissions offers a peek into the world of New York City private school admissions, but the deadly insights hardly stop there. Family, friendships, meetings(!)--Poeppel tells gleaming, hilarious truths about them all."--Charity Shumway, author of Ten Girls to Watch

"This was quirky, funny and completely original. I loved it!"--Katie Fforde, author of A Vintage Wedding

"A dishy, LOL delight."--Cosmopolitan

About the Author

Amy Poeppel is the author of Limelight and Small Admissions, which was first performed as a reading at the Actors Studio. Amy has worked as a stage actress and teacher and now lives with her husband and three sons in New York City and Frankfurt, Germany.

About this edition

• Publisher: Emily Bestler Books
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1501122525
• ISBN 13: 9781501122521
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 358