Known for her popular Fancy Nancy books, Jane O’ Connor takes her first adventure into the world of fiction with Dangerous Admissions, a mystery set in the world of private schools. Single mom Rannie Bookman is forced to leave the world of editing and takes a job at a private academy where the mysteries begin to unfold.
Competimommies? Bribery? Spoiled Kids? Sounds like a recipe for the perfect novel. A blogger with a similar experience agreed. “I grew up in a small wealthy town, and have seen the world of “I’ll do anything to get into xxx college” - it’s a world that is prime material for a murder mystery!”
And for the most part, our bloggers agreed that while not “perfect,” it was definitely worth reading, which as busy tired parents, that’s saying a lot.
The reviewers liked Rannie’s character, as one blogger said “What makes Rannie appealing as a character is that she is not the stereotypical Manhattan private school mother — and the other parents and faculty don’t let her forget it.” Another added “Rannie is endearing, witty, and really could be any of us as we parent, hoping just to get through the day with our children safe and settled. “ I found myself relating to her — maybe it was the harried mother thing. Who knows?
Bloggers commented on the realistic nature of the characters. Some felt it made them relatable, while others felt it was a bit predicatable. “I suppose it’s no longer considered “dangerous” for a woman to admit she masturbates or has sex whenever and with whomever she desires, but in the case of O’Connor’s characters, it’s delightfully refreshing. Also refreshing is the fact that the male characters having the sex are unusually attentive to the needs of their female partners. Ahhh, friction - er - fiction!” “The characters developed into people I could imagine meeting for a cup of coffee, and now it feels like I am ready to meet them for coffee again soon to find out what happens next.”
Another blogger said “Many of the other adult characters were a bit stereotypical for me, but given that the plot itself was a leap of faith, I went with it.”
Overall, the bloggers enjoyed O’Connor’s writing style. “Dangerous Admissions is written in an on-the-edge-of-your-seat style that makes you want to stay up past your bedtime to get in one more chapter to see what the next twist will be and who will try to point the fingers at others and away from themselves!” Another blogger added that she appreciated O’Connor’s ability to pull-off writing fiction in the third person. And one blogger liked O’Connor’s style so much, she recommended that she skip mystery next time.
If I were to advise O’Connor, I’d suggest that next time she skip the murder mystery altogether. Her prose is straightforward and engaging, and her skill as a writer lies more in depicting the ins and outs of romantic relationships than it does in plotting the intricacies of a gripping and effective mystery.
And finally, one blogger found herself questioning her own competiveness. “Dangerous Admissions prompted me to think about my own competitiveness and how it plays a role in my parenting (and not in a particularly flattering way). I wondered how far I would go to protect my children and ensure their future well-being and happiness.”
For an incredibly thorough review, click here. Stay tuned for more reviews, and leave a comment in this post by 11/20 to be entered in a drawing to win the book!
11/15 Formula Fed & Flexible Parenting, ValuewIT
11/16 Toddler Planet
11/19 Quarter Rest
11/20 Final Round-Up
![[Bloglines]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Kaboodle]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/kaboodle.png)
![[kirtsy]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/kirtsy.png)
![[Slashdot]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/slashdot.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
[...] This review done in conjunction with the Parent Bloggers Network. [...]
I am happy to hear that this isn’t just another “murder mystery.” I am intrigued having read these reviews. Sounds like an excellent book!
[...] say check out “Dangerous Admissions,” Jane O’Connor’s newest book. Our first set of bloggers greatly enjoyed this murder mystery and our final few bloggers shared similar [...]