Literature Deep Dive

Recently, I read They Wish They Were Us, by Jessica Goodman. I finished it quite quickly, however by the end I was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied. In this blog post I will be reviewing this novel and giving it a rating at the end. There will be SPOILERS ahead! They Wish They Were Us follows Jill, a senior at an admired prep school in Long Island. She is subject to high academic expectations from her parents as well as a reputation to uphold in her "secret society" called The Players. This exclusive group consists of eight students from each grade who benefit from their status. They are offered study guides made by previous students, answers to tests, material from classes, and pretty much anything they could need to get into top tier colleges. The (intended) main storyline is about Jill's best friend Shaila, a fellow player, and how she was killed as a freshman. Graham was her boyfriend at the time was indicted with her murder, however Jill learns he is likely innocent...

      Before we even start, I want to mention that this is my favorite book of all time, so I might be a bit biased.    Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is not the best book I have ever read. It is not the most emotional, or has the best plot out of any book I have ever read. What it does have is a coming of age story that feels truly genuine from a perspective not often explored. Every year, I read this book, and my birthday is in 8 days (if I get this out on the 20th), so I figure I'll make this and reread it after my 6th reading.   Speaking of 6 years of reading, I want to make a quick note of how I read this book in the first place, before we get started. I was on vacation and I was waiting for my mom to come back with the room keys. I grabbed a small black book off of my brother's suitcase, and I was enthralled by the writing and characters. My brother yelled at me a few minutes later for not being mature enough to read it (I was not), ...