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    The Ivy
    The Ivy
    The Ivy
    Ebook311 pages4 hours

    The Ivy

    By Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

    3.5/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?

    Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with—

    Gregory
    the guy she loves to hate

    Evan
    the guy she'd love to forget

    Clint
    the guy she'd love to love

    and Matt
    the guy she really should love

    —all vying for her attention.

    But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams.

    Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 31, 2010
    ISBN9780062009647
    The Ivy
    Author

    Lauren Kunze

    Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur were roommates and best friends for all four years at Harvard. They graduated in 2008. They started collaborating on this book when they were juniors. They refuse to say how much of it is true.

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    Reviews for The Ivy

    3.5/5

    50 ratings12 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was a great book, that had some good humor and exciting story full of college drama!

    • 2/5
      Well, in my defense I picked this book up during its free kindle giveaway and started reading it while I was in the hospital and wanted something very light. And to be fair, I am not this book's intended audience. I don't watch Gossip Girl or Housewives or any of the other "same theme" shows mentioned in so many of these reviews. That being said, the book was as light and substance-free as you could possibly want a book to be (unless, of course, we're talking about mind-altering substances).

      First, what I liked: I enjoyed this book as a kind of anthropological study. In Part 1 of my study, I learned how my midwestern liberal arts college education has exactly zero in common with an Ivy League education, if Kunze's descriptions are to be believed, which seems reasonable. I enjoyed the descriptions of the social setting at Harvard, seeing how residence life, social life, and academic life were really a different beast than anything I ever knew. I never aspired to great academic heights, but I enjoyed taking her picture of Harvard and trying to imagine how I could have fit myself into it. (It would have been a disaster. I don't have the social or academic spine for something so competitive.)

      In Party 2 of my study, I finally realized that I have been out of college for ten years. I have a hard time believing it. I still have this feeling like I just graduated and I'm barely out in the real world. But in Kunze's story, we have an academic setting that is full of cell phones, Facebook, and computers taken to class. These things are completely foreign to what my college time was like. We had just discovered the grand and beautiful use of PowerPoint, back in my day, and warnings that "Wikipedia is not an acceptable source to cite" on a research paper didn't start being made until my senior year. :p So that's a little depressing.

      But as anything other than a social study, this book was kind of ridiculous. The characters were one-dimentional. At the end of chapter one, I could already tell you exactly what was going to happen to all of them, and with a couple of exceptions (the story ended before the full plot rolled out, and there was a lot more substance abuse than I expected), I was right on all counts.

      The hardest thing for me to understand is the protagonist's A-1 stupidity. Here is a girl who is a "soccer prodigy," smartest girl in her high school class, and experienced in the ways of relationships. You need these things to get accepted to a place like Harvard, so that's okay with me in this case. Kunze sets Callie up as an outsider by making her blonde (huh?), from California, and not wealthy. I would expect a girl like that to have some common sense and a touch of good judgement, but Callie has neither. She spends the entire book drooling over boys (who all fall in love with her because apparently she emits magical pheromones... can't think of any other explanation for why all these dudes think she's so great. All she does is get drunk and ruin their shirts over and over again), drinking too much, smoking weed, and trying desperately to get accepted by people that she doesn't understand. And, of course, somehow managing to perform brilliantly in her classes and extracurriculars along the way.

      I didn't realize the book was the first in a series when I started reading it, and was therefor kind of satisfied when it ended with Callie's life pretty much ruined. "Haha!" I thought. "She's paying the consequences for all her seriously bad judgment." Nah, not really. We just need three more books before all can be resolved into a happily ever after where she gets the grades, the rich hot dude, and the social acceptance we always knew she deserved desired. I don't think I'll be reading those.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: With a great protagonist, steamy romance, humor, and all the college drama, this was an addictive new adult contemporary read.Opening Sentence: Callie Andrews struggled under the weight of two enormous cardboard boxes which, in a typical move, she had stacked one on top of the other: confident that she could gandle the load.The Review: California girl Callie Andrews has been accepted into the prestigious Harvard University, so she is golden or at least she thought. She doesn’t have extravagant clothes, or a lot of connections, but she doesn’t seem to have a problem attracting guys. Gregory is her totally gorgeous neighbor who happens to be the biggest jerk she has ever met. Then there is her ex-boyfriend, Evan, that broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Next there is Matt, the sweet guy who is totally crushing on her, but she just sees him as a friend. Last but not least there is the amazing Clint, who seems to be too perfect to be true. Yeah, she has some serious boy problems that just seem to get more and more complicated.She also has three wonderful roommates that can’t decide if they are her best friends or worst enemies. As she juggles her crazy social life she also has to try and pass all of her classes and live some of her dreams. Will she make it through her freshman year of college or will the pressure be too much?Callie is a funny girl with a crazy life. She doesn’t really quite know how to fit in at Harvard, and there is a lot of trial and error on her part. She is more of a t-shirt and jean type of girl in a world filled with Prada and Gucci girls. But she is beautiful without trying, which seems to be a pretty big turn-on for a lot of guys. She is a little flighty at times and she makes a lot of mistakes, but deep down she is a good person. I found her an easy character to love, and I could really sympathize with her situation.The cast of secondary characters was pretty large, so I’m not going to go into detail about all of them, but I will tell you about a few of my favorites. Out of all the guys Gregory was by far my favorite. Yes, he is a total man whore and he can be pretty mean at times, but that is mostly a front he puts on for people. He is actually a pretty sweet guy, and I just loved him to bits. My favorite roommate is Mia. She is pretty much foreign royalty, so she acts like she doesn’t care what people think of her, but really she is just insecure. All the secondary characters are fun and they made the story interesting and filled with drama.This was a funny and sexy read that was immensely entertaining. Once I picked it up, I was so engrossed. I actually finished it in one sitting. The writing style was unique, but it did get a little confusing at times. There were moments when it would jump from different POV’s, and I got a little lost sometimes because of it. The romance in the story was sexy and filled with lots of delicious tension. The story was funny and had lots of dramatic moments. There is quite a cliffhanger at the end of the book, but luckily the next one has already been released. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a fun new adult series.Notable Scene:“You should have seen her the other day,” Vanessa said. “She was just too cute! Jumping around asking everyone if ‘Wigglesworth’ didn’t sound just like it was straight out of Harry Potter!”Callie’s eyes narrowed, and she waited for the upperclassman to look at her like she was an overgrown eleven-year-old. Instead, if possible, he smiled even wider. “I love Harry Potter.”I love you, too. I mean… “I love it, too!” Callie cried.“Hmm.” Vanessa shrugged. “Maybe the two of you should get together and read it sometime….”Callie froze. Keep feet planted on ground, she instructed herself.“I’d love to…” the upperclassman started.You would?“… but unfortunately my girlfriend gets very jealous.”FTC Advisory: Greenwillow/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of The Ivy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 5/5
      THE IVY may not be the most accurate portrayal of freshman year at University, but that's besides the point: Rina Onur and Lauren Kunze fully succeeded in writing a fun, dramatic, boy-filled novel that I kept me distracted for hours. While THE IVY exaggerated some aspects of college life, there were definitely situations that happen on campuses across the country. For me, this novel was a perfect balance of reality and fiction - too much reality would be horribly boring, too much fiction and I wouldn't have related to the characters. Every time I stumbled across a phrase or situation I recognized, like moving into the dorms or Thirsty Thursday, a little lightbulb popped on and I was pulled just a bit deeper into the story.I honestly can't discuss this book without mentioning that there are many, many boys within its pages. Good looking boys, I might add. This fact may not pull in those male readers, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing quite a few of those boys in book two. *daydreams*Speaking of boys, this book definitely has a romantic plot line... or two... or three. The main character is apparently a boy magnet and is never without at least one admirer. Best of all, being such a boy magnet allows for different types of romance... there's a tension-charged relationship and a sweet relationship. Something for everyone!THE IVY may not be a new or revolutionary concept for a novel, but Onur and Kunze did a phenomenal job with this familiar plot and I, for one, will be reading any subsequent novels. THE IVY is relateable, despite some of the far-fetched material, and extremely amusing!
    • 4/5
      THE IVY, by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur, is a story about starting over and growing up. Everyone who has gone away to college can relate to this book in more ways than one, whether it be making new friends, succeeding in classes, or balancing social with academia. The Ivy takes a deeper look into the highs and lows of choosing what is important in an extremely stressful environment of Harvard.Never have I read a book where I felt like I was reading about myself. This book took be back to my university days and the many chances I took while trying to find myself. Being alone in a new place, trying to make new friends, and participating in everything that you are interested in is what college is all about. But when you mix in social status (yes it still exists in college), new relationships/friends, and still trying to succeed in classes, you learn very quickly that it is easier said than done.I wished everyone could see Callie the way she was versus how she acted and dressed. By reading from her POV, I felt connected to a normal girl just trying to fit in. Her roommates were obsessed with their own lives while Callie was dealing with some serious complications. The big secret that Evan was hiding was so huge, my heart broke when it was revealed. I knew it would come back to stab her in the back and like all things, it did.Another great thing about this book is the fact that it is co-authored, and I never knew the wiser while reading. The weaving of characters and situations were seamless even though two writers thoughts were being portrayed. I enjoyed the characters that Callie befriended and came across. I felt some things were predictable and inevitable for Callie and these relationships but I have a feeling that will change throughout the series. My only disappointment was that it ended...with a cliffhanger! I am dying to read the rest of the series now!
    • 2/5
      Let’s start by placing my poised, professional reviewer mode aside and putting on the hat of my other half, that of an aggrieved college-aged YA reader. In this alternate, blogging- and review-free world, Steph would say that these sorts of books, these seemingly “in-depth” looks into college life piss her off to no end. People getting into Harvard, only to not care about academics at all and instead focus all their time on partying, befriending the right people, and boy drama? Are you serious? How did you get into that school in the first place? I’m so exasperated I’ll probably throw something against a wall (preferably the book and not the laptop upon which I’m writing this). I hate that these types of books claim to portray the reality of college life. Actually, college has become simply another setting for the petty “boarding school drama” YA books, except that, with the elevated age group, you can now talk about sex, drinking, drugs, and more! And you still don’t have to worry about parents! Or (God forbid) classes! Woohoo!Someone stab me.It’s along those lines that I absolutely cannot get behind Callie as the protagonist with whom we’re supposed to sympathize. This supposedly smart, talented, and high-achieving au naturelle arrives on campus, only to have her mental capacities reduced to that of a hormonal 13-year-old as she falls into fashion insecurities and obsesses about boys. Oh, but I guess since this book is set at college, this isn’t another installment in the Clique series. Guess I missed that memo. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the part of the 3% in her year who won’t graduate from Harvard.Callie’s dippiness at odds with her supposed intelligence is reinforced by the choppy writing. It’s unclear what point of view this book is written in. It starts out third-person limited, in Callie’s POV, but then occasionally pops over into Callie’s roommates’ heads before staggering back “home” to Callie’s. Uh, perhaps the authors were trying to emulate a Victorian novel panoramic (i.e. omniscient) narration? I’d have no problem with this, even if it is a risk in the current YA world, akin to third-person present tense, or even first-person present tense sometimes. The problem comes when that intention is not made clear; then the narratorial choice only seems sloppy, the mark of an amateur writer.As another example of the clunky writing, take any scene from any party where drinks are served and the characters drink. Suddenly, time ceases to exist. Dialogue tags go into hiding. Words become more rhythm and less coherence. Now, all of this could actually be sort of cool, a literary expression of being wasted. But the rest of the narration is not tight enough for this literary exercise to win me over. I mean, sometimes the narrator talks to us, the reader. As in, “As you should know, reader…” statements. As in, something you probably shouldn’t do EVER in fiction, something taught to basic-level creative writing students. Argh.I could probably go on for longer about the petty plot, or the way one guy in particular is about the only thing I enjoyed reading about in this book (even though, in certain ways, he’s pretty cliché; what can I say? I like my *** ****). But I’ll leave it there. My hope is that reading my review will help you realize whether or not this book is something for you. Don’t get me wrong: I like books set in college, as well as the occasional juicy, Gossip Girl-esque dramas (I have a weak spot for Zoey Dean’s books, after all). But THE IVY was flawed in ways that unfortunately lessened the whole reading experience for me.
    • 4/5
      Callie is starting her freshman year at Harvard. Not only does she have to get used to now living on the east coast (since she's a California girl), but she has had to leave her best friend and boyfriend (whom she promises to call everyday) behind, and she also has to learn to live with three other girls (who are extreme opposites from one another), not to mention get used to college life. She has to juggle her classes and studying with the parties ... I mean, it's hard living the life of the Harvard elite. For me, The Ivy reminded me a lot of Gossip Girl. Yet at the same time, it wasn't all the crazy drama (don't take me wrong, there was plenty of that), but there were also some moments that were poignant and heart-felt. This is Callie's story and how she deals with this new life - how she tries her best to fit in but at the same time not lose herself. There is definitely loads of drama especially with all the new and different people coming into her life. Her three roommates and some new boys that also come into the picture really make Callie's life a lot more interesting.Geared more towards older YA's - this can definitely be enjoyed by adults as well. It has the perfect blend of drama, romance and humor. I can't 100% say how credible some of the situations that Callie finds herself in are or, how true to college life this is, but either way, it definitely makes for an enjoyable read. I will forewarn though, there is one major cliff-hanger at the end. It ends just like you'd expect your favorite tv show to end at the conclusion of the season. But have no fear, this is part of a series, so hopefully we'll get answers to our questions with the second installment in the series. I also found it very interesting that both authors were college roommates in Harvard... but they refuse to confess to how much of this book is fact and how much is fiction. I love that!
    • 2/5
      Callie finally made it to Harvard, but making it is just one step of the battle. She may have won the battle to get into Harvard, but there’s still a war.The Ivy stood out as a novel for its perfect timing just days before or after school started. Some part of the brain wonders the ‘what if’ question: what if I made it to an Ivy League school? And if The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur is a reflection of that ‘what if’ I can safely, or at least half of me, say that I am happily enough not to attend.Ever wonder what happens beyond those gates, doors, and buildings? The answer: booze, sex, and drugs. Oh and a little killer envy and backstabbing gossip. The Ivy reads more like a MTV reality TV show than an intellectual entertainment novel. It’s like watching a lion kill its prey in real life: fascinating and dangerous to your health. I was surely fascinated with The Ivy the first several pages and the first couple of chapters then I slowly realized this was it: a drama-filled, neurotic novel that leaves you wondering if it stepped over boundaries.A likes B, but B is in love with C, and C doesn’t know what she wants. And oh, there’s also D, E, F, and G, but they’re mostly there for the good booze and fun sex. You kind of wonder throughout the whole novel if they use condoms or talk about STD testing because of how frequent these people do the deed then you realize it is a major buzz-kill and all the characters are fictional so you just go with the flow. (How come Callie doesn’t have sex with ____ but does with ___ and calls it “bliss”!? It doesn’t connect in my head!)The Ivy is a battle ground rather than a school where it’s clawing your way to the top of the social hierarchy. This is the in-between session of the “Gossip Girls” crew going to college; bring out those claws baby. But Kunze and Onur throw in a couple ginormous multi-syllable words that will you scratching your heads and a few stress filled scenes as Callie decides her classes and extracurricular activities. They also include family emails, school papers, and quick little paragraphs debriefing Harvard homework. On a side note, one of the roommates/side characters speaks French 90% of the time. Seeing as how I do not speak French and am too lazy to look the words up I cannot tell if it’s correct.And now I am leaving with a few messages:!@#%%$# ← gets annoyingWHERE’S THE FREAKING THIRD BALL!?All the characters I like do not get a spotlight ever. Makes me sad.The caption for the book reads: Get in or Get Over it. Does that mean I'm over the series whereas others will get in and stay in?
    • 2/5
      The Ivy introduces us to Harvard freshman, Callie. She isn’t from the east coast or rich like the majority of her classmates. She was the girl all the boys wanted back in sunny California, but now she feels like an outcast without the right clothes or breeding. She quickly finds herself dumped, and headed towards possible reputation ruin thanks to her ex. That doesn’t stop her from trying to fit in with Harvard’s finest. She is quickly the focus of a hottie upperclassman who just happens to have an ex that could ruin her. Let the drama begin!I wanted to love this book. Really, I did. Unfortunately, it fell short. Callie, who I liked initially, became increasingly unlikeable. I couldn’t sympathize with her at all. She seemed level headed at first meeting, but began to make one poor choice after another, while showing zero consideration for those she claimed to care about. She was seriously self-destructive. By the end of the book I didn’t care what happened to her. The secondary characters also did nothing for me. They lacked any sort of depth, and seemed to encompass a hefty list of stereotypes. All were horribly superficial with the exception of the Christian roommate. She is too busy judging others actions and studying to really get to know though. Like I said, stereotypes.The plot was also not what I was hoping for. There was a mysterious scandal involving Callie and her ex that wasn’t very difficult to figure out. For someone who was so concerned about her reputation being destroyed because of something stupid her ex did, you would think she’d try to lay low. She did anything but. The primary focus seemed to be the struggle to climb to the top of the social ladder. Plenty of the plot focused on cattiness, flirting, sex, scandal, and of course, getting wasted. Entertaining yes, but not what I was hoping for when I picked up The Ivy.I did enjoy the snarky dialogue. The resident bitch’s advice columns were creative, and probably the highlights of the novel for me. There is also a poem that had me laughing out loud. If I could read based on dialogue alone this would be a win for me. Unfortunately, the lack of interesting characters and plot killed it for me. Will I pick up the next one in this series? Maybe, but if the characters don’t evolve, and continue to just party their years away I’ll be done.While this one didn’t make me fall into book love, others have given it rave reviews. Give it a try. You might like it :)
    • 2/5
      They say high school is the best time of your life. That is totally not true at all. For me, thus far, college has treated me much better than high school ever had. The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur takes place during the grand and glorious years of college, thus marking the book as something a bit different than what the usual YA fare has to offer. I will say, college is a great place to set a book. There are some interesting dynamics that could be thrown in there, i.e. newly gained independence, roommates, extracurriculars, fascinating classes, etc. Clearly, college is a gold mine, which I think we will begin to see more of in books. There was so much potential for Harvard-set The Ivy, however, for me it ultimately fell flat.The premise of The Ivy is basically there is this freshman girl named Callie, she is from California and is blonde. She used to play soccer but messed up her ACL. So, she's pretty naive and lonely. She's not as rich as her roommates and classmates. However, she is apparently smoking hot, so all these guys want her body. She must navigate her freshman year and chart the waters of her heart to find the right guy. Oh, and her roommates are kind of cool.I guess my main criticism of this book is that there is too much going on for there to be any sort of real depth. As said, Callie has a LOT of romantic entanglements. She has to deal with roommates who are both awesome, but potentially bad news bears (one imbibes enough to fail out, the other has self esteem so low that she will do whatever to fit in, and the third is practically non-existent, but is a total wet blanket). Callie is ALSO trying to get on the staff of this campus magazine called Fifteen Minutes, but she's made the queen bee angry because of one of her romantic entanglements. Confused yet? I don't know, I think with so much happening, emotion and characterization is lost along the way.At first, I liked Callie. I thought she was a cool girl with a good head on her shoulders. Turns out, I was wrong. She is a terrible friend. I won't explain what she does to be a bad friend, but it sort of bothers me. She's a mess when it comes to alcohol. I mean, I won't judge someone for drinking, but really, know your limits. I never really felt like I got under Callie's skin. I wouldn't be able to tell you what makes her tick. So, it was hard for me to actually care about Callie.Then there were her romantic interests. I never got a 3D sense with them. I felt they were there and that was it. Oh, certainly they filled roles - boy who is good for her but she isn't attracted to, love-hate boy, relationship/perfect boy, and ex-boyfriend. I never really got motivations from each character though. Just like her roommates. I guess, when I read a book I want more than surface. I want to be able to delve deep. After all, this is why I read a book instead of watching a movie, because a book provides that depth.On the positive, most chapters start with an article from Fifteen Minutes, which I quite enjoyed. I thought they were witty and quite representative of the real college experience.I will say, there is room for development. There is room for these books to get better over time. There is room for maturation. Also, if you are looking for something to cleanse your palate between reads, then yes, this could be something to look into. As, that was why I picked this up, I needed a light read after quite a heavy book. The Ivy certainly served that purpose.
    • 4/5
      The Ivy is like a breathe of fresh air! From cute guys to feisty girls there’s bound to be drama…I'd never read any YA book with one of the main Characters in college. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect..... but I was impressed. It was fun, exciting, and just a great read. It’s one of my favorites.I really enjoyed the characters, They all had there own personality and were wonderfully developed. Callie had a great voice. She fun and likable. Everything is so new to Callie, it was fun being taken on that journey. It made her an even more realistic character. I hope my college life will be like hers lol!With everything going on in Callie’s life…there had to be some added spice…a love story mixed in there as well, but I could see the possibility of a love triangle happening in future novels. I love a love triangle... right now I think I am team Gregory. Just something about that guy.... think there is a little something under the surface that we don't know about yet. But then again I loved all the guys they are all cute and charming in they own way.The writing had a few flaws but other that that it was awesome. I was sucked right into this story and hardly put the book down. I so can not wait until the next book!
    • 5/5
      The Ivy has to be one of my most favorite debut books of this year. It is a story about a girl, named Callie, who is starting her freshman year at Harvard. Callie leaves California behind and with it her parents, best friend Jessica, and longtime boyfriend Evan. At Harvard we meet Callie's roommates. Each of of her three roommates have their own distinct personality. First there is Mimi who is from Europe. She is a true party girl, but is a good friend. Vanessa is the fashionista in the group. Out of all the roommates Callie and Vanessa have times where they get mad at each other. Will their fights lead Vanessa to make a decision she will later regret? Last but not least there is Dana. She is all about staying pure and clean. Even though she was the most different character I wish Lauren and Rina put more scenes with her in there. Then there are the boys that live across the hallway from the girls. We first meet Gregory, who is a jokester and takes nothing seriously. But later on we find out that he really does have a caring bone in his body, Then there is sweet and nerdy Matt. Matt becomes good friends with Callie and develops a crush on her. OK, who is a prince is a big and nice guy. He has a crush on Mimi. The last of the roommates is Adam. He spends most of the time with Dana. Then there is the good-looking upperclassman Clint. There one important thing that goes with him, his very popular ex-girlfriend. Who just so happens to be the queen bee of Harvard and can either make you or break you. I was hooked from page one! The Ivy had me completely captivated. I was dying to know what Callie and Evan did that was so freak-out worthy (although I had an idea of what it was and was right). Who was Callie going to end up dating? Was her and Evan's secret going to get out? Would it ruin her and her chances of getting into a secret society? Many people found that the lack of parents present in Callie's life was wrong. For me I found it a relief. Parents in books are made out to be the same. So with parents out of the way we get to focus on the main drama of Callie's freshman year. The Ivy is a good look at how college is like and how students deal with college life. The back of the ARC gave very little info on the book so I had no idea what I was getting into. Turns out that was a good thing, because I loved the surprises. I found myself laughing, cringing, shaking my head with disapproval, excitement, and giddy. This book is a must read. I absolutely cannot wait for book two!!!

    Book preview

    The Ivy - Lauren Kunze

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