Seattle's Elliott Bay Academy (EBA) is a college prep school on steroids. The parents would literally destroy each other and their kids as well, if it means getting their own child what they want and right now, what they want is college entrance to the most prestige colleges. For three young women, Stanford is the school of choice, and their is only one spot left for EBA students. Alicia, a Tech Guru and multimillionaire moves to use her money to get her daughter the top spot. Kelly, a Stanford Grad tries to use her position within the school PTA to get information to then use to knock out the competition and Marin, who is out of their league in reference to money and influence tries to back out of the fight, as she is a single mother without the power or funding to fight, and who does not want to be in the lime light. But all bets are off when her daughter has a devastating accident, that appears to not be an accident at all. 

Girls with Bright Futures is a suspenseful, interesting read that plunges the reader into the lives of the wealthy and powerful, and a glimpse of the things they are willing to do in both fun and war. It also displays how those lives interact with the less fortunate and how trauma in youth can shift and change a persons life so completely. This reader was completely immersed in this story from the opening lines, and at times would laugh out loud and at others was brought to such a sad state for the things these characters went thought. The narration in this book by Mia Barron was excellent, and you always knew who was speaking throughout the story, and they were so easy to listen to. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the advanced copy of the audiobook version of Girls with Bright Futures. I absolutely loved the narrator, who I feel navigates between the various characters with mastery and maintained an engaging tone throughout reading the novel. 

Girls with Bright Futures is a compelling, thrilling take on the recent Varsity Blues College Admissions scandal. It takes an unflinching look at the inherent disparities of the college admissions process and offers a stark social commentary on the role privilege, access, and helicopter parenting plays in today's teenagers' futures -- and throws in a fun mystery at the same time! Protagonist Marin is portrayed as a strong woman overcoming tons of adversity all in the name of helping her daughter Winnie succeed. She is a relatable, likable character. I rooted for her with every page. 

Spoilers from here:
The novel switches between the perspectives of three Elliot Bay Academy moms; outside of Marin, I LOATHED the other women (they were written to be despised!). This story felt so incredibly realistic to me, I had severe anxiety as I listened each day as I reflected on my own high school experiences and what I witness the teenagers I teach experience each day. 

However, I will admit I am biased as a proud Stanford alumna, and so while the premise of the novel was immediately engaging to me, I felt that this novel could really be about any Ivy Plus school. And, SPOILER ALERT -- the mere mention of UC Berkeley about 3/4 of the way in had me rolling my eyes and predicting the ultimate ending. At about this same time, I felt the story lagged as it worked to tie up all of the loose ends and explain various storylines, some of which I felt could be cut completely from the narrative with little impact. Overall, I felt this story was an easy listen that slowed at times. It started out strong, but the ending to me felt rushed and ultimately dissatisfying.

thank you to net galley and rb media for providing me an arc audiobook in exchange for an honest review. this book was everything i needed and more. the audiobook is phenomenal. the narrator makes sure that each character has a distinct voice. also, the different povs added a lot to the story. the premise of this book is basically about backstabbing mothers who will do anything to get their daughters into the college of their choice. the plot twists were so unpredictable. you’re meant to hate the characters and this book achieved just that. i love this book so so much. there are a lot of trigger warnings so make sure to look into those before checking this book out. i highly recommend this book:)

This book made me so happy to not have kids. 

Girls with Bright Futures is the story of three mothers of girls at a prestigious school in Seattle. It is college selection season and their daughters are all applying to Stanford for early admission. One day they are told that Stanford will only accept one more applicant from their school. So how far will these women go to get their daughter into Stanford? 

This book has it all. spoiled people, people who persevere, people to grow and learn. Along with danger, revelations, forgiveness, and redemption. Dobmeier & Katzman have created some great characters who fall into all of the various categories you could need for this story. One of the best moments comes about 2/3s to 3/4s of the way through the story where one of the girls has more balls than any of the other characters and truly says what anyone in that situation wishes they could say. 

I highly recommend this one to any reader.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced audio recording of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Three mothers are very focused on getting their daughters into Stanford early decision.  Alicia is an ultra rich Stanford alum, Meren is her over worked personal assistant, and Kellie is the obsessive and nosy pta mom who is also a Stanford alum.  Only one more early decision spot is open for the senior class at their kids elite Seattle private school. 

Things get pretty brutal with the competition for the spot that it even comes to physical harm to one of the applicants. 

There is so much wealth and privilege for almost all of the characters its hard to relate.  A lot more happened with Meren and Winnie than I expected.  I through this would be more like the celebrity college scandals with Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman but the authors did a good job adding more to the plot. Well worth the time.  

Mia Barron did an excellent job narrating the book.  I enjoyed listening to her.

Elliot Bay Academy is a very elite, white, and upper middle class high school in Seattle, and it’s college admissions time. The book focuses on three of the students, all three of whom are applying for the one available place at Stanford, although really it’s their mothers that are pushing them forward. 
Alicia is the CEO of a major tech company and is obscenely wealthy. Her daughter Brooke is an average student and is fairly ambivalent about Stanford, but her mother is determined she’s getting that spot, and will do anything to get it. 

Maren is a single mother in her early thirties, she’s a lot younger than the other mothers and works as Alicia’s assistant, saving as much of her wages as possible to get her daughter Winnie to Stanford; her daughter’s dream since she was a child. The rest of the school has their knives out for Winnie, a naturally gifted and bright student.

Kellie is the head of the PTA and volunteers as much as possible to fit in with all the other parents; she and her husband are struggling financially but trying to keep up appearances. Her daughter is dealing with terrible anxiety so Kellie takes matters into her own hands to get her that Stanford spot. 
The three mothers will have to decide how far they are willing to go to get their daughters into the university of their dreams, and what exactly they’ll need to do to hide their secrets. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was on the lighter side although it dealt with serious topics, including sexual assault, college admissions scandals (shout out to Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlan, there’s definite shades of that whole sordid incident in here), and attempted murder. As well as real life references, it had Big Little Lies, and Desperate Housewives vibes, so much so, that it started to feel slightly soap opera-ish at one point but actually the characters acknowledge that themselves which tickled me. 
The writing is engaging and flew along for me; I was looking forward to getting back to it when I wasn’t reading it and would absolutely recommend it if you’re going through a reading dry spell!

This book was pretty mixed for me - I think the storyline is pretty unlikeable but intriguing (that sounds weird, but it's supposed to be somewhat unlikeable). It's inspired by the college scandals and is basically about parents who will stop at nothing to get their private school children in to the college of their choice: lies, cheating, $15 million donations - so you can see that you aren't really going to like anyone's characters (except a few). The authors add enough intrigue to make you not hate everyone, but it's pretty slim pickings. Then you add a little whodunnit on top of that, and I thought that was going to be the main focus, but it gets pretty side tracked with extra plotlines and for a while, it feels like finding out who did it is a secondary storyline. But, there is enough of a hook that you will want to figure out who did it, plus hope that everyone gets what's coming to them in the end. I did enjoy it and thought the narrator of the audiobook did a fantastic job switching characters and read 3 distinct perspectives so well!

This was my first ever audiobook and I got through it with minimal hitches ( yayyy). It was definitely different from reading a book for me. It helped me concentrate on all parts of the book. Usually when I read, I fast read certain parts which I couldn't do in this. But it still was a great experience. I will definitely start listening to audiobooks in the future.

This book was very unique. I haven't read a lot of books in this genre largely (women's fiction). The writing style was articulate. There was multiple POV's in narration and each was very intriguing. Almost all the characters in this book was vicious and therefore unlikable. But that was the whole theme of the book.

The story was about 3 moms from the same prep school vying for a spot in Stanford University. It is appalling to see to what level people are ready to stoop for college. This book focuses on the seedy underbelly of college admissions. The privileged and rich are ready to do the vilest of things for a spot. 

Alicia is tech giant and Stanford alumnus. Alicia's daughter Brook is a mediocre at best. Maren is Alicia's personal assistant and her daughter Winnie is remarkable. Kelly is another mom from the same school and her daughter Krissy is intelligent but way too anxious. When Stanford announces that only one spot is available for their school. All hell breaks loose. There is even an attempted murder on Winnie. So many secrets get revealed? Who gets the coveted spot? And who gets hurt? Read to find out!

I'd recommend this book to everyone who loves drama, gossip and thrillers.

This novel had me both laughing out loud and crying at the craziness that the EBA parents go through for college - or even kindergarten! - admissions. It was a great reality check too, not to get too tied up in the 'image' of the perfect family, we're all fighting some battle.

Girls with Bright Futures was gifted to me by @bookmarked and it is a total page-turner! What happens when a group of entitles parents are all fighting to get their kids into the most prestigious universities? ⁣Back stabbing, jealousy and doing anything to get heir kids ahead. I found myself shocked with what people were willing to do but not so shocked that every page of this book could not be true! However, this book is more than just a fast paced race to the finish. It has heart, emotion and had me routing for the underdog. I couldn’t put it down! My favorite read of this year so far! I read this book and listened as well.  The narrator was great and really added to the story.

4.5 stars! This completely exceeded my expectations. I absolutely loved this book! The beginning was a little slow but it still worked well. It was drama filled and so entertaining! By halfway through this book, I was totally hooked and could not get enough. I loved the audiobook, the narrator was excellent. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net galley and RB Media for this copy. 
Overall, this was a really good story. From the first few chapters, instantly I thought of the scandal a few years ago with Lori Loughlin and her college admission upset and thought this was going to play out similarly but I was wrong. Then, as the story went on I noticed some pretty eerie consequences to Michelle Money’s (from the bachelor) story with her daughter last year; when she was injured while riding her skateboard. So, this story definitely could be something you could see happening.
 I did find the adult characters to be quite annoying but overall, it made them more real because it is known that this is how many private school parents act. I can’t believe how crazy parents get when it comes to doing anything to one-up other parents when it comes to colleges for their kids. Overall, the narration was really well, and the story had me hooked until the very end. I think if I was physically reading this one, I may have given up, but the audiobook was just what I needed. As I got deeper into the story, I enjoyed it much more, there is so much drama in this! On top of the drama, there’s a mystery where you feel like anyone in the story could be responsible for the hit and run that happens.

This book is a wild ride! The parents in it are completely over the top, doing whatever it takes to get their kids into a prestigious college, even if it means someone gets hurt. From the college admissions scandal that came out a year or two ago, I knew that some parents were doing illegal things, but this ramps up to a whole new level.

In an elite private school that funnels students to the ivy league, multi-millionaire Alicia and stay at home mom Kelly are devoting all their resources to getting their daughters into Stanford. This includes bribes, hiring professionals to write essays, and spreading gossip about the competition. Meanwhile single mom Maren is just trying to get by when her daughter is badly hurt and the recipient of threats if she applies to Stanford. The differences in the moms is interesting and I liked the juxtaposition. They're all doing what they think is best for their kids, but need a reality check.

There are several turns in this and I was on the edge the entire time waiting to see what would happen with all this craziness. I also cried at my desk when a rape is described in graphic detail, I wouldn't wish sexual assault on anyone. It's a difficult moment to listen to, but I was glad it was addressed.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and recommend it if you're looking for an intense thriller.

CW: graphic description of rape, attempted sexual assault

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this was going to be a story about the competitive environment of high school girls and their moms and the lengths they will go to get into the college of their choice. 
While that is the fabric of the story, it is much deeper than that. It’s a multilayered, heavy drama that left me crying like a baby at one point. 

It explores the ripple effect that actions have on lives. You will feel the whole spectrum of emotions. It’s about awful people doing awful things, but it’s also about strength, integrity and love.

I have seen this listed as a thriller, I feel that’s miscategorization. It’s a drama/ literary fiction with an element of mystery.
Although this book was different than I was expecting, I really enjoyed it

Whoa! Girls with Bright Futures was an addicting listen! 

This follows three women who are fighting tooth and nail to get their daughters into Stanford. College admissions at the super fancy Elliot Bay Academy are a huge deal with students going to all the nations top-tier universities. When Stanford alerts the school it’s only admitting one more spot to EBA for their incoming class, the competition is suddenly more intense then ever!

This one has it all: 
- Over-the-top drama and deceit. 
- Rich people behaving very badly. 
- An addicting and fast moving plot. 

I loved this book! People can be crazy, y’all and Girls with Bright Futures felt very realistic with some of the recent college admissions scandals that have been in the news! 

I’m giving this one four entertaining stars! 

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

First off thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this book

This book pulled me in from the moment I turned it on I can only hope that this is not how parents really act so pretty much this book follows 3 different women and their daughters that are all trying to get i to Stanford well 2 of the girls want to go but 1 her mother is really the one that wants her or go Winnie who is lower income then the other girls is also smarter and gets into an accident but who cause it I like how even up until the end I still was guessing who was behind Winnie’s accident this book was funny I laughed and was shocked by different parts I really enjoyed it can’t wait to read more from this Author

This was such a good story. I hated most the characters and the drama but the second half of the book was really good. Alicia is the worst! Maren is a great, hardworking assistant and winnie is the smart goal oriented student. Every other character is horrible. 
The life that Maren had to go through and the manipulation from her boss is crazy. I enjoy stories of strong women who make things work no matter how hard things get and this book surely delivers with Maren. 
If you enjoy drama filled stories with lots of back stabing and secrets then this may be you next favorite book. 
I listened to this via audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Girls with Bright Futures was an addicting book to dive into. Since I've read so many books and watched a ton of movies and shows with backstabbing parents/people - well, it's safe to say that I was all over the place with vibes. It wasn't hard to start thinking of other things once you get sucked into the story. Especially when you have three tiger moms (in a way) that will do whatever it takes to get their kids to follow their dreams.

The competition, twists, and all the turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Also, I wasn't expecting so many deep dark secrets to come out. Or to meet so many assholes and twatwaffles in this book either. There's one scene that really pisses me off too. I don't want to go into great detail because it would be a huge spoiler.. but just know that I was pissed .

Other than that, this book was pretty damn easy to devour. A lot is happening throughout the book and it might be a bit hard to keep track of it all. Just know that it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. I do wish that I got more of something though - justice, karma, bloodshed. You name it - I wanted it.

This book made me so angry and I hated everyone. I was going to give it 1 or 2 stars, but then again, it was supposed to make me hate these women, so I guess that's a job well done!

It is a story about entitled moms who want to live their daughters' lives no matter what the girls want. It is a lot of scheming and petty moves. I really hated every person here. 

It was like a soap opera! All this drama, all the truths that cam out. I don't know, it was just all too much for me. It was way too disturbing to read about some bitches who are ready to mess up with their own kids' lives!

I didn't like the narrator at all. Her reading was too slow for me and it was like her mouth was sticky and full of gum. I listen a good part of it on 1.25 and 1.5 speed to make it more bearable.

Going to College certainly is entering a high stakes world. This focuses on 3 Girls going to an Elite School where they learn there will be only one spot open at Stanford. So, Marion, Kelly, and Alicia will do just about anything to ensure their daughter gets into that University! 

This is listed as satire and it is. Parents don’t go this far to get bragging rights to their child’s acceptance to a top school, but it’s close. Parents really do get crazy and start planning their children’s futures when they are four. It is very important everything goes right. So, I was laughing at many of the antics, cheating, underhanded maneuvers, and anything to reach their goal. 

I really liked the characters Marion and her daughter Winnie. She does not come from money and teaches Winnie to work hard for her goals. Winnie is determined to go to Stanford. Marrion’s boss, Alicia does not take this well as that would rob her star, Brooke from getting the spot. Much drama ensues over that, but Marion and especially Winnie are grounded. They both seem to understand what is really important in life. 

The rest, well it’s going to be a fun ride. This was entertaining to listen to and I really enjoyed the Audio Version. 

Thank you NetGalley, Tracy Dobmeier, Wendy Katzman, and RB Media for this audio copy.