Crunch Time

This is a highly predictible book, but it takes place in that fictional high school world of YA lit and movies that I always wanted to live in. The characterization of the kids is actually pretty spot on - I've taught studetns like all four of them. The ending smells strongly of "The Breakfast Club" in a way the real world never does, but hey, aren't books all about escaping reality?

"In life there are those who count and there are nose pickers," says Leo, who along with three other juniors at his private Manhattan high school, has blown off traditional SAT prep courses and founded a private study group. The four teens--Leo, Max, Daisy, and Jane--move in different social orbits, but as they share the enormous pressures of preparing for the SAT and college applications, unlikely friendships and even romances form. Then comes the news that one student has paid another to take the SAT, and suspicions land on members of the study group.

A novel about the SATs — it sounds like a terrible premise for a book. And, in part, it is. Because who wants to read about fictional characters stressing out about the SATs? Especially when the importance and stressfulness of the test is exaggerated far beyond reality (whereas school and grades are hardly mentioned). At first the writer seems to beat the reader over the head with the constant mention of the SATs; it seems all the characters care about. Then the characters start to develop, and the book gets a bit more interesting. By the end, it was a book worth finishing but not one I'd pick up again.

Four juniors at a NY private school form a study group for SAT prep. Meeting every week, they become almost friends, despite their many differences. When someone at their school is found to have cheated on the SATs, the bonds of their relationships are strained. The story is told in alternating voices of the four main characters, seamlessly moving the story forward despite (and perhaps enhancing) very different perspectives on the tale.

Four students band together to form an SAT study group. The beautiful, outspoken Daisy needs to do well on her SATs in order to get scholarships, but she thinks the whole system is geared toward rich bastards. Leo IS the rich, popular bastard with apathetic parents, but Leo himself is serious about getting into Yale. Max, Daisy's best friend, thinks he's a loser and won't do well enough anyway to please his dad. And Jane, the daughter of a famous actress, can hardly believe that she finally has three people over her house almost every week.

In between studying and doing practice tests, however, sparks fly and drama occurs. Almost against their will, Leo and Daisy fall in love--while a lovestruck Max watches forlornly from the side as show more Daisy falls in love with what appears to be yet another jerk. Jane's got some mental thing going on, thinking that her stepfather is a skeevy guy who likes to check her out.

Then the word is out: someone has cheated on the SATs. Everyone is a suspect, especially Daisy and Leo. Will the four friends' relationships survive the suspicion and accusations? And who really cheated on the SATs?

CRUNCH TIME is unique because of its rapid change of narration between the four characters, but otherwise I found the plot often too bogged down. The characters aren't that lovable either at times. show less

Crunch Time a story about the lives of four teens dealing with things going on in their life. The whole story is set around one thing in their high school, the SAT. Starting off with four different kinds of people meeting in a SAT prep class and coming together by ditching the class. They have no idea what to do when they get out and it all starts from there. Four kids: one a movie star daughter, another a popular kid, a third being a star player on the girl's basketball team, and last a leading writer in the school newspaper. In the end they all have to deal with a major problem that affects their whole entire school one that could ruin everyone's reputation. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in books that are show more dealing with the high school life and that have one big problem. A riveting story that keeps you interested on every page being in a journal from four different views while going through junior year in high school. B.H. show less

Crunsh Time is a book about high school life of 4 students by Mariah Fredericks. Its about 4 high schooler meeting each other and forming their own study group to prepare for SAT exam. But during the SAT test, someone cheats and people think its the study group. There are also a bit of romance in this book. What will happen next, if you are interested in books about high school life, you might want to try this. The main characters are Leo, Max, Jane, and Daisy. They all have different characteristic, like Max is a smart person, a bitshy sometimes, Leo is stubborn, hate losing, etc. I like how this book is written from the 4 main character point of view. I would reccomend this book for people who like romance book.