It’s that time of year again – graduation season is upon us! Seniors in high school are getting ready to have their final summer before they head off to college. Those in college are moving out of their dorms and making plans for their next year. It’s the perfect time to take a look at Admission by Julie Buxbaum.

It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She’s headed off to the college of her dreams. She’s going to prom with the boy she’s had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood.

As she loses everything she’s long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?

If you followed the Lori Loughlin/Felicity Huffman college admission scandal, then you already know how the story will go. Chloe’s story follows the highs and lows of Lori Loughlin’s story, almost perfectly. I just happened to have back issues of US Weekly I had not read, and while I was reading this, I found the issue with Lori’s face on the cover. In reading the article, there were too many similarities to count. The difference between the news and this book though are the different characters.

Yes, we find out what Chloe’s mom was thinking (or not thinking) about when she decided to do what she did. Yes, we see what her dad is going through. But what we also see is how it affects, not only Chloe, but her little sister, who has worked hard to get to where she wants to be, her best friend Shola, who isn’t as well off as Chloe, and her love interest.

We go through Chloe’s journey of realizing what was going on, but also we see where she put on blinders, and just didn’t worry about things she should have. Hey – even fictional characters have flaws! I enjoyed this quick young adult tale, and will make sure that I don’t repeat these same mistakes when my kids head off to college!

Thank you to the publishers for providing a free digital copy via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.