First Chapter, First Paragraph – ‘Accelerated’ by Bronwen Hruska

accelerated-bronwen-hruska

First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday is hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea – it’s is a weekly meme where you share the first paragraph (or two) from a book you are considering reading.

The themes of Bronwen Hruska’s novel, Accelerated, sound intriguing – kids geared for high academic achievement, competitive parents in NYC and medicating children that aren’t ‘behaving’.

“Sean Benning had put in his time. He couldn’t risk being caught in another conversation about ERB percentiles and afterschool activities that cost more than he made in a month. Forty-five minutes was his limit. He downed the dregs of his second gin and tonic before ditching the glass on a mirrored tabletop, all the while clutching his jacket in the other hand. He cast a longing look at the front door, which glowed like a vision through a sudden parting in the overdressed crowd. He allowed himself to be pulled toward it, his pulse slowing with the knowledge that he’d be out soon.”

What’s most intriguing is how this book divides Goodreads readers. So, buy it or bin it?

8 responses

  1. I’d read this one just because of the controversy. I liked the reviewer that criticized the lack of citations – it is fiction, it doesn’t really need citations.

Leave a Reply to Beth FCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.