Commencement: A novel by J.
Courtney Sullivan
Couldn't Put It Down
Amazon Exclusive: Allison Winn Scotch Reviews Commencement
Allison Winn Scotch is the New York Times bestselling author of Time of
My Life and The Department of Lost & Found. Her third novel, The
Happiest Days of My Life, will be published in 2010. Read her exclusive
Amazon guest review of Commencement: There is a curious
thing that happens to nearly all of us in the haze of our post-college years,
and that is this: we anticipate the prospect of becoming honest-to-God
adults with both heady excitement and unfathomable dread. Dread
because we know, wisely, that once we cross this threshold, we cannot go
back; there is no sleeping in past eleven, no immature antics that can still
be written off to childhood, no phoning our parents when the checkbook
hits zero. Excitement because it is such a relief to evolve into something
bigger than we were before, to embrace the world as ready, steady grown-
ups. And J. Courtney Sullivan, via her debut novel, Commencement,

explores these very complexities and growing pains of leaving behind our
adolescences and surrendering to adulthood.
As I followed the intertwining paths of her four protagonists, each written
honestly and tenderly, I couldn’t help but recall my own tangled path
toward adulthood, the missteps, the right steps, the paths that have lead to
a content life. And this is what the very best fiction does: it draws you in,
resonating, asking you to reflect not just on the characters, but yourself.
There is Celia, who can’t get unstuck from her rut; there is April, whose
convictions threaten to overshadow the rest of her life; there is Bree, who
faces a choice between her happiness and that of her family’s; and there is
Sally, who is taping herself back together after the loss of her mother who
held her family together.
The four of them, united as freshmen at Smith, slowly bond to form their
own family, and like even the best of families, they find themselves both
dependent and also fractured at various points in their lives. Sullivan does
a fabulous job steering the quartet through realistic, life-changing events,
events that so many of us have experienced in these growing years that
usher us into our thirties. She never loses control of the plots, never lets
the characters spill into something false or untrue. An unplanned
pregnancy, a dead-end job, a relationship that might be worth salvaging,
but who really knows how or if?
What I enjoyed most about Commencement, and there were many
things—the smart writing, the laugh-out-loud dialogue, the ending that I
truly couldn’t predict—was that it reminded me so much of how much I
loved those years of my life. And how much I loved my friends who I have
been fortunate enough to have along in my journey. I found myself
rewinding through memories, sifting through old pictures, smiling as I was
reading because Sullivan managed to transport me. She created indelible
characters who became part of my life, and thus, allowed my life to
become part of her book. This is also what the best fiction does, it pulls
you along for the ride as if you were there, as if you were in between the
pages, as if Sullivan knew my own story and made it hers. —Allison Winn
Scotch
Personal Review: Commencement: A novel by J. Courtney
Sullivan
With witty insights and sharp humor, Sullivan's debut novel will be a hit
with anyone who attended Smith College or any other predominantly
female school. Our four main characters, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April,
couldn't be more diverse as personalities and backgrounds go, but with
their assignment to the same dorm, their lives intersect and the friendship
takes on a life of its own.

Celia has had years of Catholic school education and a mother who is
zealous enough to leave her daughter with a prayer card before she drops
her at college. With all this background, it's no wonder that Celia claims
herself as an atheist. Although she does pray to the Virgin Mary, out of
habit and out of necessity, it's kind of like asking for a promise.
Sally catches Celia's attention when announcing that she withdrew from
school and then un-withdrew due to her mother's sudden passing. Bree
catches Celia's attention because of the engagement ring on her ring.
Celia can't help but wonder what is with the child bride at her school. April
can't help but catch everyone's attention with her "Riot: Don't Diet" T-shirt,
her outspoken views, and her commitment to every distinct and leftist
cause on the campus.
Spoken with alternating chapters from each character's standpoint, the
reader gets a glimpse of their life at Smith, as well as life beyond Smith.
When they get together at Sally's wedding a few years after graduation,
their devotion to one another has not changed, but after a bit too much
champagne, they let words fly. Who agrees with whom, who does not, and
the repercussions of letting too much time pass since last speaking to a
friend keeps the pace and the intrigue of the novel going.
Sullivan has crafted a wonderful novel that will keep readers intrigued and
entertained. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to phone your
pals from school, either.
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