EARLY DECISION

Early Decision by Lacy Crawford - Five high school seniors are going through the college application process and all that it seems to embody for smart kids in the Chicago area.  Their private college admissions coach is a young woman confronted with her own set of life choices including the way she feels about her job.  It starts out kind of slow; as a mom with a high school senior, it hits close to home, and one only wants to read about the students and their parents, not this coach girl.  But the momentum builds, and the book gets better and better as we get to know and care about each of the characters. If you're in the process, read it right away - get some perspective on the craziness.  The book is worth the read if only to read Sadie's final essay about Expectation vs. Imagination.  A must read for those close to the murky process, and a slightly disturbing read for those not near the process.