Post Grad by Emily Cassel

Summary:

Post Grad opens up on the eve before Ryden Malby's college graduation, where Ryden and her best friend, Adam, are playing a typical game of "Who would you rather be?" Ryden is anything but nervous about her upcoming graduation, since she has an amazing, if she must say so herself, plan for the future.

First, do a great job in high school. Then, get a fantastic scholarship so she doesn't bankrupt her parents. Next, don't do anything appalling to lose said scholarship. Finally, graduate and get a sweet job at a publishing house in Los Angeles; Happerman & Browning, to be exact.

As the weeks go on, Ryden still doesn't have a job at Happerman & Browning, well, make that at any publishing house. She loses her chance at having a cute little apartment. And last but not least, she has to move back in with her parents. They are crazy people and she's always tried to distance herself from them. Ryden wonders if life will ever be the way she wants it to be.

Review:

To be truthful, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this novel. A sweet quick novel, yes, but not the addicting read that it turned out to be. It had me constantly flipping the pages, laughing at Malby's quirks and wondering what would happen next. The whole Malby family and Adam, of course, were a great set of well rounded characters. I especially liked Ryden because we are both similar in our overachieving ways. Though, the plot was predictable at times, it threw a few twists that I didn't see coming. Overall, Post Grad is a great read for the summer. I look forward to seeing the movie adaption of this, which comes out this summer, as well as reading more by Ms. Cassel.

Grade: B+

* Reviewed for Flamingnet

Post Grad will be released June 14, 2009.