“Prep: A Novel” by Curtis Sittenfeld is a bit of a different read for me. The setting is a New England prep high school and the main character is a girl from Indiana. Her struggles of going from one of the smartest girls in her school to going to one of the poorest, dumbest members of the student body consumes the book.I found the book almost painful to read. Lee’s desperate attempts to fit in, her lust to be “just like everyone else” reminded me (duh) of high school. Who wants to be reminded of high school? As a person from the Midwest, who wants to realize how much those on the East Coast, West Coast and many points in between shun and disdain those of us from the Midwest? 

I don’t mind being made uncomfortable by a book if it’s for a higher calling. Books like “Lucky” by Alice Sebold (her true account of being raped in college), “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khalid Hosseni (see blog post), “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See (see blog post) or “The Screwtape Letters” by CS Lewis are difficult to read, but well worth the effort.

I would read another of Sittenfeld’s books. She has a way of delving deep into her characters. I felt like I really knew Lee, I just didn’t particularly like her, nor did I find her all that sympathetic. I had a hard time fitting in when I was in high school, who didn’t? I’m sure we all have reasons why high school sucked. It didn’t seem worth my time to read just another account of a lame high school experience, mostly caused by the protagonist’s own moral failures.