Thank you to the Publisher for my arc!

While the premise is exactly up my alley, i just kept waiting for the story to start due to the massive amounts of info dumping you get in the first couple of chapters and by the time the story did finally start to pick up. I just ended up losing interest.

I am stunned that this is a debut novel! So well written in terms of plot, description and characters. As someone who works at a school that is quite similar, I can tell you everything that happened rang all-too-tru.

In It's a Privilege we meet veteran teacher Aki, a daughter of Japanese immigrants who works at a very prestigious prep school in DC to ensure that her daughter has access to the best education she can provide.
Unfortunately, like most prep schools, the parents are over the top and the wealthiest parents tend to behave the most badly. When Aki's daughter is involved in a series of events that pull back the cheery facade of the school to reveal the institutional racism beneath, Aki's first inclination is to council her to stay silent. Meg is part of the new generation however and only makes her voice louder.

When the school admin put Aki in charge of the Racial Take Force, she feels more than ever that she is unable to speak up. As the rumors fly and social media speculates, Aki is forced closer and closer to taking a stand. It goes against her upbringing and would put the welfare of her child and her own employment at risk. Does she have the nerve?

Just loved it! It was like being at work with just a few more funnier friends! If you like the books that poke fun at bureaucracy, enjoy stories that shed light on institutional racism or just love a prep school romp - this book is for you! Excellent job Emma Sasaki, can't wait to see what you write next!
#alcovepress #itsaprivilegejusttobehere #emmasasaki

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the copy of It’s A Privilege Just To Be Here, a great debut by Emma Sasaki. I was immersed in the story from the start and I loved the social media post snippets. Aki was a wonderful main character and it made me feel less alone to see echoes of my own upbringing in hers.Seeing how Aki handles her family, friends, and job is so realistic a few times I felt like I was part of the story. This is a beautiful story of relationships and personal growth, and the response to racial inequality. Don’t miss this book! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.