I bought this book at my local Borders just before it closed its doors forever. The book was on my radar because Jen Lancaster recommended it on one of her lists of suggested reading. I've rreally enjoyed a lot of her selections, so I decided to give it a shot. Nonetheless, I went into it with low expectations because for whatever reason, the back of the book didn't really grab me. Luckily I was very pleasantly surprised and I really enjoyed the book!
Goodreads Summary:
A sparkling debut novel: a tender story of friendship, a witty take on liberal arts colleges, and a fascinating portrait of the first generation of women who have all the opportunities in the world, but no clear idea about what to choose.
Assigned to the same dorm their first year at Smith College, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April couldn’t have less in common. Celia, a lapsed Catholic, arrives with her grandmother’s rosary beads in hand and a bottle of vodka in her suitcase; beautiful Bree pines for the fiancé she left behind in Savannah; Sally, pristinely dressed in Lilly Pulitzer, is reeling from the loss of her mother; and April, a radical, redheaded feminist wearing a “Riot: Don’t Diet” T-shirt, wants a room transfer immediately.
Together they experience the ecstatic highs and painful lows of early adulthood: Celia’s trust in men is demolished in one terrible evening, Bree falls in love with someone she could never bring home to her traditional family, Sally seeks solace in her English professor, and April realizes that, for the first time in her life, she has friends she can actually confide in.
When they reunite for Sally’s wedding four years after graduation, their friendships have changed, but they remain fiercely devoted to one another. Schooled in the ideals of feminism, they have to figure out how it applies to their real lives in matters of love, work, family, and sex. For Celia, Bree, and Sally, this means grappling with one-night stands, maiden names, and parental disapproval—along with occasional loneliness and heartbreak. But for April, whose activism has become her life’s work, it means something far more dangerous.
Written with radiant style and a wicked sense of humor, Commencement not only captures the intensity of college friendships and first loves, but also explores with great candor the complicated and contradictory landscape facing young women today.
I fell in love with this book right from the beginning. I felt like I could really identify with all of the girls, in spite of each of them being so different. I was particularly in love with Sally's character. I had a lot of sympathy for her difficult background, and throughout the book I was really crossing my fingers for a happy ending for her. I felt like Sally, and really all of the girls, showed a lot of growth throughout their respective journeys. I loved watching them change and grow.
I also loved the idea of lasting friendships, the thought of making friends in college that last well into adulthood. The changes in these friendships were accurately portrayed, in that Sullivan didn't try to keep the dynamics of their friendships static. As the girls got older they stayed friends, but the exact nature of the friendships was constantly evolving.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the book is that there was a lot going on at all times. The story covered a lot of ground, so it was a constant page-turner. I literally couldn't put it down, and I was sad to see it end. I give this book an enthusiastic 5/5.
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