The Gifted School - Book Review

Thanks to Riverhead Books for the complimentary copy of The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger.

A new exclusive gifted school is being built in the pristine town of Crystal, Colorado and every parent wants the opportunity for their child. To gain admissions into this elite school, children must first test high and if they get through that first round, they must submit a portfolio with their accomplishments. Parents in Crystal are anxious to get their children admitted, including Rose and her three best friends. The group has been close friends since they met at a Mommy and Me swim class eleven years ago but now this new school and the pressures to get their kids admitted may split them apart.

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger was a delicious read. The toxic behavior of the parents is despicable and yet all too familiar. While we've been judging Hollywood moms for paying huge bribes to get their kids admitted to colleges, we can't dismiss the bad behavior of  "snowplow parents" helping to get their kids in the best schools and on the best teams and in the best programs. Holsinger's novel explores this parental behavior in his compulsively readable novel.

I packed The Gifted School with me to the pool. It's a great summer read with all its drama, satire and bad behavior from people who should know better. It also has a lot of valuable themes for analysis. It's not only a beach read but would make a fabulous novel for a book club discussion.

I really enjoyed the novel. There was one reveal in the end that didn't work for me even though there had been plenty of foreshadowing and I saw it coming. I've had a few days since I finished reading the book to mull over my thoughts about the ending and have decided that it didn't ruin the novel. It was a lot of fun and it's for sure the best "parents behaving badly" novel since Moriarty's Big Little Lies.

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger is published by Riverhead Books and released on July 2, 2019.