Prep

Rating:
Summary: Richie's Picks: PREP
Review: "I smiled and stretched my neck. On a morning like this, there was nothing better than burning through six cans, getting narced on the fumes, and smoking a cigarette."

Before dawn (and school), in a parking lot at 95th and Third Avenue in Manhattan, a talented young artist and his two friends are at work.

"Greg and Kodak had given me the nickname Thet, because DOA was just a little too suspicious and my O came out as a perfect theta. They told our teachers it was because I was the top Greek student, but all the other guys in our grade knew the truth. And pretty soon Thet had more street cred than any other prep-school hood in Collier history...
"At the end of eighth grade, Greg, Kodak and I had started tagging, just doing fat-cap throwies and trying not to get busted. Most of the Collier boys tagged a handful of bus stops and quit, but I loved the rush. Working the sides of buildings, ducking the cops, racing frantically to beat the sunrise--the three of us had found a cause. It was more fun than art class at Collier, and all the training finally paid off. I caught a rep beyond the Upper East Side. Suddenly, girls I'd never met before knew my tag, and kids were always going out of their way to invite Thet to their parties."

That was several years ago, before a tragic and violent event caused Nick to retire his nickname and his cans of Krylon. But now, over the course of a weekend, Thet is abruptly reincarnated when Nick is forced to dive back into the prep school gangster underworld in order to save the life of Kris' younger brother. Danny was caught with the wrong girl and now members of the MK II crew are out for blood.

There have been a number of edgy books written about rich Manhattan adolescents. For the first time, I have found a character in one of these books about whom I care deeply. (Several characters, actually.) Nick (a.k.a. Thet) is a kid whose father's disappearance and mother's remarriage have resulted both in haunted memories of childhood and a current home life that is unhappy and uncomfortable. Nick is trying to come to terms with his reaction to that violent event, trying to come to terms with what kind of person he really is, and trying to deal with the fact that he is in love with Kris, who has been there for him--as his best friend.

Nick and Kris live in expensive digs in Manhattan. When they walk out past the doorman, they encounter a Manhattan in October that the author paints as hard and gray:

"As I jogged across 92nd Street, looking for a payphone, all I heard was the occasional clicking of traffic lights and the steady breathing of steaming manholes. Birds don't sing on Broadway."

"A stale breeze sped through the station and sent ripples across the dark puddles spotting the train tracks. The train was coming. In New York City, you can smell the train before you see it."

Manhattan always held quite a mystique for me as I was growing up out on Long Island. It was a place that my parents had no desire to visit, that we would ride yellow school buses in and out of on school field trips, and that I'd slip into at night with friends to see concerts. I'd have eerie dreams about the hidden side of the City that I'd imagine existed.

"Prep school hoods could only exist in a city like New York. Take the average pissed-off teenage guy, add a platinum card and workaholic parents, and put him in a city where every drink, drug, and weapon can be delivered within the hour, and there's a good chance he'll end up like Greg or Derrick. Suburban kids just don't have the toys."

Jake Coburn's portrait of the casual sex, drugs and violence, juxtaposed against Nick's search for himself, is a picture that is compelling and haunting.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a book about what really goes on in NYC!!!
Review: "Prep", the debut novel by young and talented new author Jake Coburn was a sheer joy to read!! I read it cover to cover in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. The dialogue is well conceived and extremely well written. This is not one of those books that pretends to know how teenagers talk to each other, they actually DO talk like this. Coburn's original writing style really makes the protagonists, Nick and Kris, come to life inside and outside the book. The characters get in your head to the point where you wonder what Nick's "cynical-but-sensitive-yet-tough" reaction would be to situations in your own life. Coburn shows great promise with this work, however if I can make one criticism, it was too short!!! I can't wait for his next book...

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Summary: A great first offering by a rising star
Review: Although the book is targeted for a teen audience, a friend recommended it to me and I loved it. Coburn's dialogue is real and his prose is engaging. This debut effort is clever, mixing shocking scenes with witty and sharp banter. With America's new found obsession with wealthy youngster (MTV's Rich Girls and those hotel girls), this book hits home and shows the side of New York's previlieged youths that their parents and publicists have been hiding. I recommend this book to older teens (although its not too racy, it does have your standard sex, drugs and gang violence) and adults who are interested in the sexy subculture of rich teens. I only hope that Coburn continues on his exciting path and I can't wait for the next one!

Rating:
Summary: READ THIS BOOK!!
Review: coburn does an excellent job in creating a novel you just can't put down without trying too hard. i loved this book. he adresses a subgect we don't usually think or talk about. he writes what he knows and it is awsome!! i can't wait until the sequel. nick is an amazing character with so much talent he doesn't know what to do with. and he is just trying to figure out what he wants, but he knows one thing... he wants kris. this is a great read. if you haven't read it, GO GET IT NOW!!

Rating:
Summary: A must read...
Review: Coburn's Prep offers a spell-binding window into the life of priveldged and yet troubled youths in Manhattan - a truly exciting read. It is startling that Coburn is able to paint such a realistic and delicate portrayal in his first novel. I look forward to reading his next work...

Rating:
Summary: Gripping tale about troubled youth
Review: Even if you have never been to New York, never lived in a city, you won't be able to put down this book. It's an inside look at a scary world of privilege and the consequences wealth can have on young adults. The characters have depth and the plot is absorbing. Not only is it a fascinating book, it also, quite masterfully, makes you think.

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Summary: Like Being Back in NYC
Review: Having grown up and attended one of the NYC private schools, this book was like a trip down memory lane. Jake Coburn's writing makes the reader feel as if they are actually right there alongside the main characters. One of the better books that I have read this year. Highly recommend PREP to those who grew up in NYC or to those who want to see what a modern day Holden Caulfield would be like. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: Evocative and Resonant!
Review: I loved Prep. It was such a page-turner--the story is thrilling as well as moving. It vividly portrays a culture in New York City that is unbelievable but absolutely real. The character development is so engaging and enjoyable. From the beginning, I was very attached to the characters in the book. They were everything from charming to terrifying, and I felt filled with compassion at times, despair or even disgust at others. Throughout the book, the happenings inspire everything from laughter and delight to feelings of grief and horror. Coburn is an elegant writer, and leads the reader through the peculiars of a disturbing culture while seamlessly weaving universal coming-of-age themes throughout. I was totally rapt in this interplay, and I savored reading the book, was sorry to see it end. I know I will continue to think about it for a long time. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Strong, Real, and Poignant
Review: Jake Coburn's debut novel is the kind of book that you don't want to end. It's written in a glimmering, realistic style, with sharp insight into the minds of high school students struggling to fit into a world filled with both love and violence. The narrative unfolds at a fast clip which kept me turning the pages. Even though this story is a specific love letter to the beauty and the grit of adolesence in New York City, the experiences of his characters are so real and true that they feel universal. Coburn's debut shines.

Rating:
Summary: PREP is interesting reading.
Review: New York's prep school teens seem to have everything --- money, nice homes and promising futures. PREP exposes the seamy underside --- brutal gangs in designer clothes, drugs, beatings and more. The story follows Nick, formerly the famous Thet who tagged the city with his graffiti signature of DOA. Nick thinks he has left the whole street rep thing behind him two years ago, but is drawn in again to help a friend.

It is always disconcerting to read about Caucasians trying to talk like African-American hip-hop stars, but it illustrates one of the points of the book --- no one is who they seem. Nick himself has layers and secrets. One secret is that he is in love with his best friend Kris and wants to tell her.

Jake Coburn's plot of THE OUTSIDERS meets A SEPARATE PEACE and CATCHER IN THE RYE is compelling, but at times his characters get in the way. They are the least believable when they try to have deep conversations. Why are the main characters always off writing or dropping book titles? Coburn may be trying to demonstrate that some of his characters do more than just party. New writers sometimes have a tendency to tell, not show, and that is the case here at times. Or perhaps the author is too close to the subject, as his bio explains that PREP is based on his teenage life in New York City.

Character problems aside, the plot is fast-paced and the descriptions of city life are vivid. PREP is interesting reading, even for those who live outside of New York.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio