If you were a Gossip Girl fan but always wanted to see a bit more of their lives inside the walls of Constance/St. Judes, this book is for you. This non-fiction work comes off almost as a study of the extreme upper class youth (and their parents) as author Blythe Grossberg details her time tutoring the children of Manhattan and Brooklyn’s elite. The parents are laser focused on their children’s success (marked only by their acceptance to specific universities) and are hyper aware of their grades and extracurriculars while oftentimes also being absent. The one percent of New York City is its own cutthroat and sometimes sad world. Burnout is rampant, as is excess…of, well, everything.
I found it fascinating. As someone who may very well be sending her child to school in Manhattan (though not in the private school circuit, to be sure), it gave me a lot to chew on. It’s marketed almost as a tell-all and while their are juicy bits, it reads more like an analysis, rife with statistics. I appreciated this, particularly because it’s calling the educational system and parenting styles into question so it should tread lightly and support any implications with stats. That said, it doesn’t actually read like an episode of Gossip Girl so just know what you’re getting into. XOXO.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: A glass of Perrier-Jouët
Peaches to Apples 