We Regret to Inform You

by A. E. Kaplan

How far would you go to get into the right college?... Fans of Becky Albertalli will appreciate this sharp-witted, timely novel about an overachiever who stumbles into the middle of a college admissions scandal when she's rejected by every school she applied to.

Mischa Abramavicius is a walking, talking, top-scoring, perfectly well-rounded college application in human form. So when she's rejected not only by the Ivies, but her loathsome safety school, she is shocked and devastated. All the sacrifices her mother made to send her to prep school, the late nights cramming for tests, the blatantly résumé-padding extracurriculars (read: Students for Sober Driving), the feelings of burnout ... all that for nothing.
     As Mischa grapples with the prospect of an increasingly uncertain future, she questions how this could have happened in the first place. Is it possible that her transcript was hacked? With the help of her best friend and sometimes crush, Nate, and a group of eccentric techies known as "The Ophelia Syndicate," Mischa launches an investigation that will shake the quiet community of Blanchard Prep to its stately brick foundations.
     In her sophomore novel, A. E. Kaplan cranks the humor to full blast, and takes a serious look at the extreme pressure of college admissions.

"A well-written, intricately plotted, and sympathetic portrayal of the pressures that some elite college-bound kids experience during senior year. "--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A Junior Library Guild Selection

• ISBN10: 1524773719
• ISBN13: 9781524773717
• Publish Date: 21 August 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781524773717

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

This was the moment, when it was all supposed to payoff. This was the reward for all her hard work, sleepless nights and her mother's financial sacrifice so that she could attend a top notch private high school. High SAT scores - check! Near perfect GPA (curse you freshman PE!) - check! A long list of leadership and club positions - check! Mischa was a dream on paper, but as everyone began celebrating their college acceptances, she received NONE.

This book was one of my anticipated reads for 2018, and it did not let me down. I throughly enjoyed Kaplan's debut, Grendel's Guide to Love and War, and therefore expected a story full or humor and heart. Not only did Kaplan deliver an often hilarious tale of senior year woe, but she also really took a hard look at the weight of expectations and the pressures that most high school students face.

Many times, overachievers are portrayed as a little bit cutthroat, but that was not the case with Mischa. When we first met her, she was secure and confident in her abilities. Yes, she was over extended to some degree, but she had a great sense of humor and a friendly demeanor. I had no problem liking her, and when things took a turn for the worst, I had no problem sharing her pain.

Mischa was lucky to have a stupendous best friend in Nate. He always seemed to have time for Mischa or made time for her. I loved the ease of their friendship and the support he gave to her. Nate was a lot more complex, than I originally anticipated, and I thought his backstory, which was slowly revealed, was an important part of Mischa's journey.

And that brings me to the part I always appreciate in YA books, the main character's journey of self discovery. Mischa's whole life plan sort of went up in smoke. Without the Ivy League acceptance letter in her hand, she had no idea who she was or what she could be. It was sort of sad to think, that people see themselves as grades and scores, but most of us were once there or ARE there, and could therefore, totally relate to Mischa's identity crisis.

I thought that was all this book was going to be about, but after all the rejections were received, a mystery began to unfold, the mystery of who sabotaged Mischa's college admissions. The whole Scooby thing with the Ophelia Syndicate was a lot of fun. How could I not love a sassy trio of stem loving girls. In addition to helping Mischa uncover the truth about her admissions failures, they also helped her see beyond "Mischa the Overachiever" and see Mischa the person.

The mystery was filled with all the delicious drama that I was expecting. It also contained plenty of social commentary, and I liked the way multiple characters added to the exploration of "what comes next". It always bothered me, that college is made to seem like the only after high school option, and it was refreshing to see other options mentioned.

Overall: This was a wonderful mixture of comedy, drama, and mystery with a touch of romance, that thoughtfully explored many of the pressures associated with the standard ideas of achievement.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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