The Overachievers

The Secret Lives of Driven Kids

By: Alexandra Robbins

Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso

The bestselling author of Pledged returns with a groundbreaking look at the pressure to achieve faced by America's teens

In Pledged, Alexandra Robbins followed four college girls to produce a riveting narrative that read like fiction. Now, in The Overachievers, Robbins uses the same captivating style to explore how our high-stakes educational culture has spiraled out of control. During the year of her ten-year reunion, Robbins goes back to her high school, where she follows heart-tuggingly likeable students including "AP" Frank, who grapples with horrifying parental pressure to succeed; Audrey, whose panicked perfectionism overshadows her life; Sam, who worries his years of overachieving will be wasted if he doesn't attend a name-brand college; Taylor, whose ambition threatens her popular girl status; and The Stealth Overachiever, a mystery junior who flies under the radar.

Robbins tackles teen issues such as intense stress, the student and teacher cheating epidemic, sports rage, parental guilt, the black market for study drugs, and a college admissions process so cutthroat that students are driven to suicide and depression because of a B.

With a compelling mix of fast-paced narrative and fascinating investigative journalism, The Overachievers aims both to calm the admissions frenzy and to expose its escalating dangers.

Great! But lengthy

I enjoyed this book, especially considering that it was a summer reading book that I was dreading reading. It gave some incredible insight and I think it has some lessons that I will hold with me though my life. My only issue is that the story was incredibly slow and could have gotten the point across much sooner. I also felt that the same points were being made so many times that the authors ideas began to feel stale. However, I would still recommend this book because the insight it can provide to students, parents, teachers, school boards, colleges, etc. is so valuable.

I wish it was a work of fiction

The author vividly describes a cast of characters in the midst of the high stakes game of the college admissions process. She gives an eye opening look at how far people will go to get into the “elite” schools. On the flip side, she gives some insight to the tool it takes on the youth of America. Considering it was written over a decade ago, there are pieces that are outdated but most of the material still holds true today. It does worry me for what my children will go through shortly.