First published 2007
Alexandra Robbins, author of Pledged and The Teachers, examines the dangerous pressures crushing American teenagers in our competitive educational system. During her ten-year reunion year, Robbins returns to her former high school to shadow students caught in the achievement trap. She follows Frank, nicknamed "AP," as he struggles under crushing parental expectations. Audrey battles perfectionism that consumes her daily life. Sam fears his years of hard work mean nothing without acceptance to a prestigious university. Taylor watches her ambition clash with her social standing. The mysterious Stealth Overachiever hides his academic intensity from peers. Robbins investigates widespread cheating among students and teachers, the illegal trade in study drugs, parental anxiety, sports-related fury, and college admissions competition so fierce it drives teenagers to depression and suicide over single poor grades. She combines rapid storytelling with investigative reporting to reveal how academic pressure has reached dangerous levels and to suggest ways to reduce the admissions hysteria.
Genres: social-issues, education, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, social-commentary
448 pages · Paperback · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness, suicide