Audio Book Review: The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: July 2019
 

The city of Crystal, Colorado is an affluent community in the state of Colorado. When a new public school for gifted students is slated to open just in time for the upcoming school year, close friends will put everything on the line to ensure that their children make the cut. Because out of the 100,000 students who are eligible to apply, only 1000 will gain entrance to the school. Who is smart enough to make the cut and what lengths will the parents and guardians go through to make sure their child is part of the elite who make it into the school.

This book was chosen as the first book of the year for our Book Club. This was the first I had heard of the book and the author and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I listened to the book as I knew that may be the only way I would get to it with the holidays.

From the very beginning I was drawn into the story. This particular group of people had met about 11 years prior when their children were in a swimming class as infants.
Rose and Gareth - They have been married for many years, but their marriage is lying on the brink. Will marriage counseling work to save their relationship? They are the parents to Emma Q. Emma is a normal 10 year old girl who enjoys playing with her best friend Emma Z. Emma Z is bossy and doesn't like to read the way Emma Q does, even though she has a library in her home with all of the latest titles. Her parents are Samantha and Kevin and they are the wealthiest family in the group and feel the need to prove that their daughter is smart. Next we have Beck and Azra. They are divorced and Beck is now married to their former nanny Sonia. They have twin boys Aiden and Charlie who are soccer stars. Finally there is Lauren who is a widow with two children, Tessa and Zander. Tessa is 16 and has been babysitting the younger kids for a while now. She just got through a rough spot after the death of her dad. And everyone call Zander a genius and know he is sure to get in the new school. Finally Solia and her son Atik with the grandmother Cheyn'a. This family cleans the houses of the other families, but Atik is very smart and Cheyn'a knows he will get an A on the test.

Watching these families navigate their lives and the lives of their children to get into this school is quite amazing. The things that they do, the secrets that are kept and the lies that are told are quite amazing. I have some gifted kids myself, but I don't see myself putting them through this kind of torture for a school. Kids should be able to be kids without having to worry about being involved with too many activities. I live in an area where the schools are very highly ranked and living in a certain area gives your kids an advantage just based on the school they attend.

Very good book. Interesting read.

View all my reviews


To learn more about this book, or to order a copy, click the book cover below: