Elle reviewed The Social Climber: A Novel by Amanda Pellegrino
Difficult to summarize, impossible to put down
5 stars
Alternating between the protagonist's doe-eyed life-learning in past college years at a rural Evangelical college, and the cold and calculating present in New York where she is set to marry into a very rich, old-money family, The Social Climber presents a first-person story that slowly fills in the gaps of how those two worlds coincide. The timing is perfectly paced, with each bit of progression requiring an adjustment of how to view the story presented.
The contrast between those two timelines creates a fascinating and unique structure where the same character comes across both incredibly sympathetic and wildly unlikeable almost Patrick Bateman-like persona, with the difference merely being the passage of time. The artificial nature of the present makes what she even wants its own little mystery.
The social dynamics and character expositions take place inside explorations of religious extremism, high society, and how women and girls exist …
Alternating between the protagonist's doe-eyed life-learning in past college years at a rural Evangelical college, and the cold and calculating present in New York where she is set to marry into a very rich, old-money family, The Social Climber presents a first-person story that slowly fills in the gaps of how those two worlds coincide. The timing is perfectly paced, with each bit of progression requiring an adjustment of how to view the story presented.
The contrast between those two timelines creates a fascinating and unique structure where the same character comes across both incredibly sympathetic and wildly unlikeable almost Patrick Bateman-like persona, with the difference merely being the passage of time. The artificial nature of the present makes what she even wants its own little mystery.
The social dynamics and character expositions take place inside explorations of religious extremism, high society, and how women and girls exist within them. The many angles avoid being overwhelming as they flow naturally from the narrative.
The Social Climber is the kind of book that makes you feel like you need to reevaluate how you judge books. It is original, beautifully executed and wildly engaging. The sheer volume of potential discussion would make this an excellent book club book, but don't worry about finding one in order to read it, or you'll be missing out.