The early admissions college application deadline is coming up fast, and the seniors of the exclusive Elliott Bay Academy are majorly stressed out in their application preparations. Well, at least their parents are. Tech mogul Alicia Stone is determined that her daughter, Brooke, will get early admission to her alma mater, Stanford. It doesn't matter how much it costs in donations to the university ($15 million, most recently) or that Brooke really doesn't want to go — Alicia has decided, and that's final. But with only one more slot for an EBA grad at Stanford, Brooke has some serious competition in Krissie (whose mom, Kelly, may not have Alicia's financial pull, but certainly doesn't mind stooping to cyberstalking and spreading rumors about other seniors) and Winnie (who legitimately wants to go and has the grades to do it, but whose mom, Maren, is Alicia's personal assistant). But when Winnie ends up in the hospital after a hit-and-run just days before the application deadline, one has to wonder: did Alicia or Kelly take things too far?
No doubt inspired by the college admissions scandals that hit Hollywood a few years back, this is a compelling plot set in the world of insanely competitive uber-rich parents...and the kids they're dragging along for the ride. Aside from Maren, it's hard to find likeable characters among the adults in this novel, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. For those who enjoy Maria Semple's books, but think that the snooty parents in those just have a few too many scruples.
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