Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Holt Paperbacks (2020), 272 pages
Description
In 1982 in a southern city, David and Sarah, two freshmen at a highly competitive performing arts high school, thrive alongside their school peers in a rarified bubble, ambitiously devoting themselves to their studies--to music, to movement, to Shakespeare and, particularly, to classes taught by the magnetic acting teacher Mr. Kingsley. It is here in these halls that David and Sarah fall innocently and powerfully into first love. And also where, as this class of students rises through the ranks of high school, the outside world of family life and economic status, of academic pressure and the future, does not affect them--until it does--in a sudden spiral of events that brings a startling close to the first part of this novel.
Media reviews
The reward of Trust Exercise is the way in which this novel asks to be read: not necessarily with suspicion, but with attention to the process of sorting significant from insignificant details; attention to what information you need in order to consider a certain version of the truth authoritative.
Perhaps the title itself is meant in an ironic sense but reading a novel is a sort of trust exercise in itself, the trust that the reader has in the writer to convince us that something that never happened actually did, and when our faith in the story is betrayed, the novel itself becomes damaged.
Trust Exercise is marketed, accurately, as a #MeToo novel, and it shows with painful rawness how much damage can be wrought without anyone realising they are the victim. But this designation doesn’t capture the complexity of Choi’s investigation into human relations. What she’s done,
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magisterially, is to take the issues raised by #MeToo and show them as inextricable from more universal questions about taking a major role in someone else’s life, while knowing that we’re offering only a minor part in return. Show Less
The entire structure of the novel folds in on itself like a piece of origami, and what emerges is something sharp-edged and prickly: a narrative propelled by white-hot rage and the desire for revenge.
And so what we’re left with, in the end, is fragments of testimony, each colored by its own particular kind of trauma, its own distorted perspective. And yet it’s possible to see all these elements independently and take away some kind of abiding reality that supersedes them all.
So many books and films present teenage years as a passing phase, a hormonal storm that passes in time. Choi, in this witty and resonant novel, thinks of it more like an earthquake -- a rupture that damages our internal foundations and can require years to repair.
Choi's book isn't long, but its first half, the set-up for all that follows, feels long. Her construction, with its bottom-heavy foundation, raises issues about how long you want to hang around in a basement before ascending to floors with a better view — but it's worth hanging in there for her
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payoff, which is certain to cast what preceded it in new light. Show Less
Each of the novel’s three parts (the third is a relatively short coda) concerns a woman who feels betrayed, her trust violated—but the locus of that betrayal, the truly guilty party, looks different to the reader than it does to the women themselves.
Amid all this, Choi (who attended a similar high school) captures the competition between peers, the intense intimacy developed over long-hour days, the electricity of performances as they come alive for the first time. Intriguing characters are kept on the story’s margins, yet in so vibrantly
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surveying this landscape, Choi gives each room to breathe — especially in the novel’s titular class exercises, realized with such dramatic muscle by the author that they’d do the ever-critical Kingsley proud. Show Less
This is the most precise skewering of a magnetic teacher since Muriel Spark’s 1961 classic. Choi’s voice blends an adolescent’s awe with an adult’s irony. It’s a letter-perfect satire of the special strain of egotism and obsession that can fester in academic settings.
Choi’s new novel, her fifth, is titled “Trust Exercise,” and it burns more brightly than anything she’s yet written. This psychologically acute novel enlists your heart as well as your mind.
Consider the latter half of the novel full of new perspectives on the material we’ve just lived through. The heat gets turned off, and in its place: analysis, in the guise of an adult voice that is shrewd and tempered—essentially the opposite of what we’d gotten comfortable with. What once
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flew in the rarefied air of teen feeling plummets into the dark, petty, and mean streets of adulthood. If nothing else, this new voice is testament to Choi’s facility with voice—she can do it all. Show Less
It is, until now, a straightforward story, capturing—with nauseating, addictive accuracy—the particular power dynamics of elite theater training. And then, in the second part of the novel, Pulitzer finalist Choi (My Education, 2013, etc.) upends everything we thought we knew, calling the truth
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of the original narrative into question. (A short coda, set in 2013, recasts it again.) This could easily be insufferable; in Choi’s hands, it works: an effective interrogation of memory, the impossible gulf between accuracy and the stories we tell. Show Less
Choi’s themes—among them the long reverberations of adolescent experience, the complexities of consent and coercion, and the inherent unreliability of narratives—are timeless and resonant. Fiercely intelligent, impeccably written, and observed with searing insight, this novel is destined to
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be a classic. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member AmalieTurner
I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The writing in this book is exceptional. It is so intricate that you are forced to slow down and take in every word on the page, which really creates atmosphere and demands that you experience every line, word, and feeling. I
The writing in this book is exceptional. It is so intricate that you are forced to slow down and take in every word on the page, which really creates atmosphere and demands that you experience every line, word, and feeling. I
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absolutely loved the perspective shift. I know some people find it weird or aren't fans but I think it was so thoughtful and creative. I will say that I enjoyed the first part of the novel more than the other portions that occurred after the perspective shift, but still a very unique reading experience. This was unlike anything I have ever read, for some reasons that I appreciated and for others that made it a bit difficult to enjoy. Overall, I'm glad I read this because the writing is lovely and the book is a strange and unique reading experience I doubt I will encounter again any time soon. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarrieWuj
Trending toward 4 stars....reading this book is an exercise in trusting the author. 3 stories stack here like Russian nesting dolls. My library had this tagged as ‘Romance’ so I was expecting something ‘lighter’ though I knew as a National Book Award winner it wouldn’t be fluff. Still
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trying to wrap my head around the total outcome. The first and longest story is centered on CAPA, a high school for performing arts located in some anonymous southern town. Getting in is a big deal and Sarah feels a little outclassed by some of the talent of her freshman peers and definitely intimidated by her Theatre teacher Mr. Kingsley. She does get romantically and sexually involved with her classmate David during the summer between freshman and sophomore year, but it goes belly up when they return to school because he wants to make it public and she doesn’t. Their tension becomes the whole small class’s tension and Mr. Kingsley in his warped way makes it worse by making it the subject of Trust exercises in class and also making a conditional pet of Sarah. Lots of other theatre kid drama ensues - some a little shocking to naive me, but believable enough, culminating in a visit from English theatre students that brings everything to a head and ‘cut!’. Next section reveals that the previous section was ‘fiction’ written by a CAPA grad, the ‘Sarah’ character. This section is narrated by one of her classmates who figured prominently in ‘Sarah’‘s life, but not so much in the book. Meanwhile, this narrator ‘Karen’ works closely with ‘David’ in the same anonymous town. This section is a revenge fantasy centering on ‘Sarah’, ‘David’ and one of the English visitors. It is validated by the third story which is the most obscure and features Claire who had nothing to do with CAPA or the preceding two stories per se, but is searching for her birth mother. The writing is exceptional and captures the high school theatre world brilliantly, if more gritty than I was ready for, and is definitely a thinking read. Show Less
LibraryThing member novelcommentary
Finished Trust Exercise and enjoyed the roller coaster ride or more specifically the trick of the narrative that is explained nicely here by NYT :
"It is about at this point that Choi pulls the tablecloth out from under “Trust Exercise.” The cutlery and the glasses remain, warily quivering. But
Before that slight of hand tablecloth pull, we witness a teenage love story between Sarah and David. They seemed to be a couple even before they were. Everyone gave them the space to achieve the inevitable. Their intense summer of first love and physical exploration ends when the perception of what has transpired is seen differently by the two. For one it is a proclamation shared, the other a cherished secret. The difference will crush their love and innocence.
Then as the NYT continues: "The plot fast-forwards about 15 years. Minor characters become major, damaged ones. I do not want to give too much of this transformation away, because I found the temporary estrangement that resulted to be delicious and, in its way, rather delicate."
Me too. I don't know how this would work as an audiobook, and that is why I'm suspicious of that new trend. It took me awhile to go back and forth, to revert to other underlined pages, to piece together the new narrative of the Karen who was not Karen. Choi is clever and writes so well that the returning to previous passages becomes part of the reward of reading closely. For example comparing pages 217 to 139- both depict Karen's return to school after her semester spent in the care of the "Christian school". They depict the same scene, Karen and Sarah running into each other after some crucial time has passed, but the differences are important. Would an audiobook experience enable the listener to even realize this?
Anyway I digress. I thought at first I was disappointed in not continuing with the emotional highs and lows of these not quite adults, making life changing decisions in a 1980's that Choi depicted so well. The characters here are part of a performing arts high school. "They were all children who had previously failed to fit in, or had failed, to the point of acute misery, to feel satisfied, and they had seized on creative impulse in the hope of salvation." More specifically "They were permanent members of that mysterious majority, the talented enough to get into the school but not talented enough to serve as its stars." The time frame is important. This novel needed to not have a social media aspect. I'm sure the narrative would not be possible with the abilities of today's youth to do their cutting damage online. That initial disappointment, however, was short lived as Karen's story took hold and the cleverness of her insights became even more intriguing. Even her word play regarding definitions and the accent stress on noun/verb words like repeat, present, permit, and insult- reveal her introspective abilities, this introspection combines nicely with her natural ability to fix messes.
In her acknowledgment, Choi gives recognition to her own school of the arts in Houston and claims everything there was wonderful, but this too gives you a sense of another layer. Here is the author writing a book about an author who writes about her teenage school years and doesn't tell the real truth. I wonder if there a Karen out there with access to a prop gun. Highly recommend reading, to listening to this National Book Award winner.
Good lines:
The vast southern city they lived in was rich in land, poor in everything else—no bodies of water, no drainage, no hills, no topographical variety of any sort, no public transportation or even the awareness of the lack of such a thing. The city, like vines with no trellis, sprawled out thinly and nonsensically, its lack of organization its sole unifying aspect.
Seeing him for the first time, last year, she had stared with recognition at his mouth, at its unhandsome, simian quality, his lips slightly too wide for his narrow boy’s face. His mouth is nothing like hers because made for hers; her first time kissing him had been the first experience of her life that had exceeded expectation
The curled, browned, brittle croissants make her think of the discarded shells of locusts she sometimes found hooked to the trees, when she was a little girl, and they lived on a street that had trees, before her father moved out.
When unavoidably they met in classrooms David stared coldly and Sarah stared even more bitterly coldly and it was a contest, to pile up coldness, to shovel it furiously from their hearts.
Seeing him for the first time, last year, she had stared with recognition at his mouth, at its unhandsome, simian quality, his lips slightly too wide for his narrow boy’s face. His mouth is nothing like hers because made for hers; her first time kissing him had been the first experience of her life that had exceeded expectation.
I imagined her recognition of me would have the same sort of effect on her voice that bumping into the turntable had when we used to play records. Her needle would jump and then fall back again and she’d pretend to keep going, but there would have been that little break, that flaw in the smoothness.
And there was Liam, the telegenic handsomeness he sometimes had under stage lights, or in photos, totally erased by his fish-belly paleness, his pimples, his flailing limbs like a spider’s, and his over-pointy Adam’s apple like a hard-on in his throat.
I could go on but let's just say I really admired the writing.
"It is about at this point that Choi pulls the tablecloth out from under “Trust Exercise.” The cutlery and the glasses remain, warily quivering. But
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you realize you’ve almost entirely misunderstood the primary characters and the mise-en-scène."Before that slight of hand tablecloth pull, we witness a teenage love story between Sarah and David. They seemed to be a couple even before they were. Everyone gave them the space to achieve the inevitable. Their intense summer of first love and physical exploration ends when the perception of what has transpired is seen differently by the two. For one it is a proclamation shared, the other a cherished secret. The difference will crush their love and innocence.
Then as the NYT continues: "The plot fast-forwards about 15 years. Minor characters become major, damaged ones. I do not want to give too much of this transformation away, because I found the temporary estrangement that resulted to be delicious and, in its way, rather delicate."
Me too. I don't know how this would work as an audiobook, and that is why I'm suspicious of that new trend. It took me awhile to go back and forth, to revert to other underlined pages, to piece together the new narrative of the Karen who was not Karen. Choi is clever and writes so well that the returning to previous passages becomes part of the reward of reading closely. For example comparing pages 217 to 139- both depict Karen's return to school after her semester spent in the care of the "Christian school". They depict the same scene, Karen and Sarah running into each other after some crucial time has passed, but the differences are important. Would an audiobook experience enable the listener to even realize this?
Anyway I digress. I thought at first I was disappointed in not continuing with the emotional highs and lows of these not quite adults, making life changing decisions in a 1980's that Choi depicted so well. The characters here are part of a performing arts high school. "They were all children who had previously failed to fit in, or had failed, to the point of acute misery, to feel satisfied, and they had seized on creative impulse in the hope of salvation." More specifically "They were permanent members of that mysterious majority, the talented enough to get into the school but not talented enough to serve as its stars." The time frame is important. This novel needed to not have a social media aspect. I'm sure the narrative would not be possible with the abilities of today's youth to do their cutting damage online. That initial disappointment, however, was short lived as Karen's story took hold and the cleverness of her insights became even more intriguing. Even her word play regarding definitions and the accent stress on noun/verb words like repeat, present, permit, and insult- reveal her introspective abilities, this introspection combines nicely with her natural ability to fix messes.
In her acknowledgment, Choi gives recognition to her own school of the arts in Houston and claims everything there was wonderful, but this too gives you a sense of another layer. Here is the author writing a book about an author who writes about her teenage school years and doesn't tell the real truth. I wonder if there a Karen out there with access to a prop gun. Highly recommend reading, to listening to this National Book Award winner.
Good lines:
The vast southern city they lived in was rich in land, poor in everything else—no bodies of water, no drainage, no hills, no topographical variety of any sort, no public transportation or even the awareness of the lack of such a thing. The city, like vines with no trellis, sprawled out thinly and nonsensically, its lack of organization its sole unifying aspect.
Seeing him for the first time, last year, she had stared with recognition at his mouth, at its unhandsome, simian quality, his lips slightly too wide for his narrow boy’s face. His mouth is nothing like hers because made for hers; her first time kissing him had been the first experience of her life that had exceeded expectation
The curled, browned, brittle croissants make her think of the discarded shells of locusts she sometimes found hooked to the trees, when she was a little girl, and they lived on a street that had trees, before her father moved out.
When unavoidably they met in classrooms David stared coldly and Sarah stared even more bitterly coldly and it was a contest, to pile up coldness, to shovel it furiously from their hearts.
Seeing him for the first time, last year, she had stared with recognition at his mouth, at its unhandsome, simian quality, his lips slightly too wide for his narrow boy’s face. His mouth is nothing like hers because made for hers; her first time kissing him had been the first experience of her life that had exceeded expectation.
I imagined her recognition of me would have the same sort of effect on her voice that bumping into the turntable had when we used to play records. Her needle would jump and then fall back again and she’d pretend to keep going, but there would have been that little break, that flaw in the smoothness.
And there was Liam, the telegenic handsomeness he sometimes had under stage lights, or in photos, totally erased by his fish-belly paleness, his pimples, his flailing limbs like a spider’s, and his over-pointy Adam’s apple like a hard-on in his throat.
I could go on but let's just say I really admired the writing.
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LibraryThing member strandbooks
ehhh...I was on the fence about giving Trust Exercise 2 1/2 stars or 3. I almost gave up on it but since there were only 90 pages left I decided to read these plot twists. Not worth it.
Maybe the angst and teenage emotion/hormones were too real that it was equally horrifying and boring at the same
Despite the good reviews and award nominations my recommendation is to skip this one.
Maybe the angst and teenage emotion/hormones were too real that it was equally horrifying and boring at the same
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time? You’d think a story about kids at a theater high school would be something I’d love, but no one had any redeemable qualities...the kids, the teachers, the parents. She also plays with the narrator, time and place in a way that is confusing...causes lack of trust which I think in the end is the lesson. Don’t trust anyone, life is a whole mess of confusion and people talking past one another. Despite the good reviews and award nominations my recommendation is to skip this one.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Divided into 2 parts, the first half of the novel is the story of the students in a prestigious high school drama class, their relationships with one another (mostly, pardon the pun, very dramatically played out), and with their teacher. The second half reveals that the first half is half of a
I loved it. I love the feeling of having the rug pulled out from underneath my reader-feet multiple times, of getting almost comfortable with the idea that I've sorted out what's possibly really going on only to have that feeling dashed again. This is a cleverly constructed novel that manages to stupefy without overly confusing matters, while also delivering interesting and believable characters in an engaging, if not easily verifiable, plot. Highly recommended.
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novel written by one of the students years later, and the POV switches to another of the former students, who is disgruntled at the wild liberties the writer has taken with the truth. There is a reunion of sorts amongst some of the alumni of the class, in the form of a play written by their visiting British instructor, directed by one of their classmates, and performed, in one part, by the secretly disgruntled member of the class. Both sections end without really ending, make each other unreliable, and inform one another in fascinating ways. There's an additional small sort of postscript section that adds even more upheaval and uncertainty to what has come before it, and it, too, breaks off without really giving the reader a tidy conclusion.I loved it. I love the feeling of having the rug pulled out from underneath my reader-feet multiple times, of getting almost comfortable with the idea that I've sorted out what's possibly really going on only to have that feeling dashed again. This is a cleverly constructed novel that manages to stupefy without overly confusing matters, while also delivering interesting and believable characters in an engaging, if not easily verifiable, plot. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Jmbusa
DNF. Sorry, it just was not my cup of tea. Way too much narrative for me. Too slow. Didn’t really care about the characters.
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
From the description ("it takes until the book's stunning coda for the final piece of the puzzle to fall in place"), I was very pleased to receive this book and was excited to begin reading it. Suddenly, however, I found myself in the midst of some heavy sex scenes between two characters I barely
Then in the second part the shifts got even worse - third person to a first-person "I," all in the same paragraph. And the names change. And maybe the first section was really Sarah's book? And now I'm struggling through laborious dictionary definitions of words - is this really necessary?
And the "coda" - by this time all I want to do is be done with this convoluted book and its pretentious writing. What on earth was going on? No puzzle pieces fell into place for me, but I was beyond caring.
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knew, and had no reason to care about; struggling to figure out what was going on midst the labored, hyphenated-adjective writing and the sudden shifts in points of view (Sarah's perspective for several pages, then David drops in for a few sentences).Then in the second part the shifts got even worse - third person to a first-person "I," all in the same paragraph. And the names change. And maybe the first section was really Sarah's book? And now I'm struggling through laborious dictionary definitions of words - is this really necessary?
And the "coda" - by this time all I want to do is be done with this convoluted book and its pretentious writing. What on earth was going on? No puzzle pieces fell into place for me, but I was beyond caring.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Sarah and David fall in love. They break up for reasons that remain unclear, but fraught. It's an ordinary story, but supercharged because they are both in a competitive performing arts high school, both as drama students, in a small group that feeds on heightened emotion. And then there's the head
The novel begins with this story, one that reminded me of Eleanor Catton's The Rehearsal, but twists at the mid-point into a very different book that takes the events of the first half and examines them from a different viewpoint, casting doubt on the reliability of what is communicated in the first half, and an unavoidable skepticism about the events of the second half, taking place when the characters are much older.
I do love it when an author invites the reader to recognize that what they are reading is fiction and to play around with what is and isn't real within both the fictional world they've created and the world of the author writing a book. Choi manages to do this and to maintain interest in what happens to her characters. I was fascinated with what the author was doing and I'm going to be reading whatever she writes next.
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drama teacher, who is very involved in the lives of his students. The novel begins with this story, one that reminded me of Eleanor Catton's The Rehearsal, but twists at the mid-point into a very different book that takes the events of the first half and examines them from a different viewpoint, casting doubt on the reliability of what is communicated in the first half, and an unavoidable skepticism about the events of the second half, taking place when the characters are much older.
I do love it when an author invites the reader to recognize that what they are reading is fiction and to play around with what is and isn't real within both the fictional world they've created and the world of the author writing a book. Choi manages to do this and to maintain interest in what happens to her characters. I was fascinated with what the author was doing and I'm going to be reading whatever she writes next.
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LibraryThing member Slevyr26
Okay, I have a lot of questions. So first of all, What?
I am of the mind that the first third of the book was Sarah's book? Is that right? I don't see that anyone else in the reviews I read came to that same conclusion so maybe I'm totally mistaken. That we're supposed to take Sarah's account of
I am of the mind that the first third of the book was Sarah's book? Is that right? I don't see that anyone else in the reviews I read came to that same conclusion so maybe I'm totally mistaken. That we're supposed to take Sarah's account of
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events with a grain of salt - even the names of the people. "Karen" in the second third of the book may not actually be called Karen, etc. but she seemed to be a slightly more reliable narrator...(?) The third part of the book seemed to me to be about Karen's daughter. But who the HECK is Velva? Why would she know Karen's daughter and be expecting her? That really confused me and threw me for a loop at the end. It was deeply unsatisfying for that have been the ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member drewsof
4.5, rounding up.
First off, ignore the blurb beyond “high school for the performing arts.”
Second, imagine if the structure of ASYMMETRY was as audacious as it seemed on first glance.
Third, were you a theater kid? Were you a kid who had a passionate yet completely mystifying love as a teenager -
This book was complex, at times nearing but never edging into confusing, and goddamn it sliced me right open. The traumas we inflict on each other as teenagers never totally go away - not to mention the ones inflicted on us by those who are ‘grown up’ already. This devious little book is going to stick with me like the face of my high school best friend: unforgettable, even when all the details fade.
First off, ignore the blurb beyond “high school for the performing arts.”
Second, imagine if the structure of ASYMMETRY was as audacious as it seemed on first glance.
Third, were you a theater kid? Were you a kid who had a passionate yet completely mystifying love as a teenager -
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maybe more than one? Complete with misadventures and misunderstandings, both internally and relating to one another?This book was complex, at times nearing but never edging into confusing, and goddamn it sliced me right open. The traumas we inflict on each other as teenagers never totally go away - not to mention the ones inflicted on us by those who are ‘grown up’ already. This devious little book is going to stick with me like the face of my high school best friend: unforgettable, even when all the details fade.
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LibraryThing member jostie13
The author makes really strong, consistent, and contrasting choices about style and voice in each section that gave me the false impression that there was going to be a masterful payoff. There is not. What’s more, the overwrought overwriting of the first half of the novel, while clearly
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intentional, was painful to slog through—quite a gamble on the author’s part. The thing that kept me reading was the subject matter—I work in youth theatre and am apparently a sucker to see any piece of that rarified world reflected in fiction. And yet. Show Less
LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
Prepare yourself. You may want to do some stretching. A few vocal exercises. Some reactive improv. Because you’ll need your wits about you reading this novel. It’s not what you think. And then when you discover that, it still won’t be what you think.
Sarah and David are students at a
Which bring us to Karen. Who is Karen? Although she wasn’t mentioned much in the story of Sarah and David, Karen is a seriously complicated figure who probably should have been at the centre of things earlier on. It’s hard to say because so much has gone unsaid. Or maybe that’s just because Sarah was doing the saying.
And what about Claire? Yeah, Claire.
If things are a bit muddled, you’ll just have to accept that that is the way things are. Maybe it’s a teenage thing. Or maybe that’s just life. Deal with it.
This was a mercurial novel, constantly slew footing me, forcing me to revise my opinion of it and, more especially, it’s author. At some point there, I became convinced that Susan Choi is brilliant. Certainly this novel is much more challenging, and interesting, than it suggests it might be. But whether it fully succeeds in capturing your attention, I’ll leave up to you.
Recommended.
Sarah and David are students at a
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specialist arts high school. David is rich. Sarah is not. They have a thing. It’s very real. Well, as real as anything else at fourteen. Then through the rest of high school, and perhaps the rest of their lives, that thing is there between them, sometimes pulling them together, sometimes thrusting them apart.Which bring us to Karen. Who is Karen? Although she wasn’t mentioned much in the story of Sarah and David, Karen is a seriously complicated figure who probably should have been at the centre of things earlier on. It’s hard to say because so much has gone unsaid. Or maybe that’s just because Sarah was doing the saying.
And what about Claire? Yeah, Claire.
If things are a bit muddled, you’ll just have to accept that that is the way things are. Maybe it’s a teenage thing. Or maybe that’s just life. Deal with it.
This was a mercurial novel, constantly slew footing me, forcing me to revise my opinion of it and, more especially, it’s author. At some point there, I became convinced that Susan Choi is brilliant. Certainly this novel is much more challenging, and interesting, than it suggests it might be. But whether it fully succeeds in capturing your attention, I’ll leave up to you.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Dreesie
3.5 stars? I may change this later.
Camp ToB summer 2019
So I really did not enjoy the first 150 or so pages of this. Very EARNEST teenagers at an arts high school. Ugh. I did not like people like this when I was in high school (needless to say, NOT at an arts high school), and I don't like them now,
But anyway. Early 1980s, small/medium southern US city. Performing arts high school. Sarah and her boyfriend David think they keep their relationship secret from classmates, yet their teacher Mr Kingsley seems to know about it. He is very...aggressive in how he treats and exposes his students, emotionally. Sarah and Joelle are good friends--she is witty and a great performer, who even gets quiet Manuel to use his fabulous voice they didn't know about for a long time. And then high school stuff Sarah and Joelle are no longer friends. Manuel leaves the school due to an unnecessary cruelty of Sarah's.
Then "the English" come--a group of students and teacher from England, visiting to perform a play. They are staying with the American students. They seem older than high school students, but are staying with the Americans. All the students hook up with someone from the other school, seemingly. The play is a disaster due to language etc. Later, Karen and Sarah go to England to visit Martin and Liam (the adults from the group).
And then 10+ years later Sarah has written a "novel". David is a director. Martin is disgraced in England and comes to act in his play that David is directing. Kaen plays opposite him despite being an accountant. Sarah is her dresser. Mr Kingsley attends.
And again, about 8 years later. Claire comes to the dedication of the new and improved high school. She is looking for Karen.
Camp ToB summer 2019
So I really did not enjoy the first 150 or so pages of this. Very EARNEST teenagers at an arts high school. Ugh. I did not like people like this when I was in high school (needless to say, NOT at an arts high school), and I don't like them now,
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even those that have grown up. Because they usually haven't LOL. The last 50 pages are excellent, but there is a section I want to reread. I wish I had this on Kindle!But anyway. Early 1980s, small/medium southern US city. Performing arts high school. Sarah and her boyfriend David think they keep their relationship secret from classmates, yet their teacher Mr Kingsley seems to know about it. He is very...aggressive in how he treats and exposes his students, emotionally. Sarah and Joelle are good friends--she is witty and a great performer, who even gets quiet Manuel to use his fabulous voice they didn't know about for a long time. And then high school stuff Sarah and Joelle are no longer friends. Manuel leaves the school due to an unnecessary cruelty of Sarah's.
Then "the English" come--a group of students and teacher from England, visiting to perform a play. They are staying with the American students. They seem older than high school students, but are staying with the Americans. All the students hook up with someone from the other school, seemingly. The play is a disaster due to language etc. Later, Karen and Sarah go to England to visit Martin and Liam (the adults from the group).
And then 10+ years later Sarah has written a "novel". David is a director. Martin is disgraced in England and comes to act in his play that David is directing. Kaen plays opposite him despite being an accountant. Sarah is her dresser. Mr Kingsley attends.
And again, about 8 years later. Claire comes to the dedication of the new and improved high school. She is looking for Karen.
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LibraryThing member Her_Royal_Orangeness
Trust Exercise is set in a performing arts school in the 80s. I found the first part, about the characters when they are students, rather boring (and the extreme focus on s*x a little off-putting). The author twists things in the second half of the book so that the reader begins to question
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everything they've already read and that part was clever and well-done. Overall, it was a good 3 Star novel for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member hubblegal
Susan and David are students at the Citywide Academy for the Performing Arts (CAPA). This school is a highly competitive school, teaching music, Shakespeare, movement and acting. Susan and David are passionately in love and consummate their love during the summer. However, when they return to
I really don’t want to say much about the plot of this book. Suffice it to say that everything in the first half of the book is turned upside down during the second half and then again in the short coda. It’s the type of book that must be read to be appreciated. What I loved about it is its unique structure. It’s a searing observation of memory and the telling of stories. I read so many books that I’m sometimes bogged down by the same old type of stories and am constantly on the hunt of those completely distinctive, one-of-a-kind books. I found it in this one. When I put a book down and later think of picking it up again, there’s a second of remembering exactly what book I’m reading. I think “Oh, THAT book” or “OH, that book?” but with this book I thought “Oh, that BOOK!” (Those that have read this book will understand though I doubt if I did it as well as the author did.) The author is a master at pulling her readers into some very unsettling and uncomfortable scenes and letting them squirm along with her characters. Everything is not outlined in black and white with this author and I loved that. On the hunt now for more of the works of this brave, innovative author.
Most highly recommended.
I won this book on LibraryThings.
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school in the fall, their relationship falls apart. Their struggle becomes much more public when Mr. Kingsley makes them the cruel focus during his trust exercises.I really don’t want to say much about the plot of this book. Suffice it to say that everything in the first half of the book is turned upside down during the second half and then again in the short coda. It’s the type of book that must be read to be appreciated. What I loved about it is its unique structure. It’s a searing observation of memory and the telling of stories. I read so many books that I’m sometimes bogged down by the same old type of stories and am constantly on the hunt of those completely distinctive, one-of-a-kind books. I found it in this one. When I put a book down and later think of picking it up again, there’s a second of remembering exactly what book I’m reading. I think “Oh, THAT book” or “OH, that book?” but with this book I thought “Oh, that BOOK!” (Those that have read this book will understand though I doubt if I did it as well as the author did.) The author is a master at pulling her readers into some very unsettling and uncomfortable scenes and letting them squirm along with her characters. Everything is not outlined in black and white with this author and I loved that. On the hunt now for more of the works of this brave, innovative author.
Most highly recommended.
I won this book on LibraryThings.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Trust exercise, Susan Choi
I received this book on January 11th from Early Reviewers on librarything.com, and I truly made a sincere effort to read it. Because of the language in the initial pages, I almost abandoned it, but I decided to give it a good faith effort. However, too many books include
The book is about teenagers in a special school for the arts. Two of them, David and Sarah fall in love but the relationship falters because of misunderstandings by both of them. Neither of them is able to explain or deal with the feelings they are experiencing. They neither have the experience to understand or the words to communicate their emotions and responses. Every act seems to be spontaneous as if the repercussions are immaterial. Their behavior pushes the envelope at every opportunity. They seem to want to be adults but do not have the required maturity.
The book, like the title, is about trust, trust in the many avenues of life, blind trust and superficial trust, trust in the world of dating, in the school environment, with friends and teachers, with relatives and parents. Lying was quite commonplace as was selfishness. Were these just the examples of how teens dealt with life and eventually grew up into responsible citizens, of how the hurts and successes shaped their lives? Will anything turn out as they planned? Will they all be disappointed, or will they redesign their dreams based on their ups and downs during these formative teen years?
The behavior of these young adults, during their teenage years, necessarily scars them and remains within their psyches as they grow up into adults and forge ahead. Some of the scars are worse than others, some are immaterial. Some experiences are positive. They are, however, easily abused and easily hurt. Often their hopes for success are smashed. Their directions are changed, and they have to deal with reality, something that they did not often deal with as teenagers.
The book was filled with surprises at the end. There were revelations about how the lives of the main characters turned out, and the vehicle which revealed more about them was a also a surprise. At the end, I thought that the book would be best suited for young adults, upper class high school students, perhaps, with teacher guidance to explain the nuances of the consequences. Although some of the characters’ lives were exposed with shocking unexpected details, their lives were knitted together neatly, in the end. I had a friend look at the book and she thought her teenage twin granddaughters would love it.
I received this book on January 11th from Early Reviewers on librarything.com, and I truly made a sincere effort to read it. Because of the language in the initial pages, I almost abandoned it, but I decided to give it a good faith effort. However, too many books include
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obscenity with no need, and although this book is about teenagers, I didn’t feel there was a need for some of the crude details and language. Eventually, I read almost half of the book carefully, and then I gave up and skimmed the rest. For me the book’s style was off-putting. I am task oriented and like to have chapters that provide a good place for a respite. This book has no discernible separations for more than 130 pages. It was at that point that the book steps into the future and takes a different shape, as well, at which point it did become more interesting. The book is about teenagers in a special school for the arts. Two of them, David and Sarah fall in love but the relationship falters because of misunderstandings by both of them. Neither of them is able to explain or deal with the feelings they are experiencing. They neither have the experience to understand or the words to communicate their emotions and responses. Every act seems to be spontaneous as if the repercussions are immaterial. Their behavior pushes the envelope at every opportunity. They seem to want to be adults but do not have the required maturity.
The book, like the title, is about trust, trust in the many avenues of life, blind trust and superficial trust, trust in the world of dating, in the school environment, with friends and teachers, with relatives and parents. Lying was quite commonplace as was selfishness. Were these just the examples of how teens dealt with life and eventually grew up into responsible citizens, of how the hurts and successes shaped their lives? Will anything turn out as they planned? Will they all be disappointed, or will they redesign their dreams based on their ups and downs during these formative teen years?
The behavior of these young adults, during their teenage years, necessarily scars them and remains within their psyches as they grow up into adults and forge ahead. Some of the scars are worse than others, some are immaterial. Some experiences are positive. They are, however, easily abused and easily hurt. Often their hopes for success are smashed. Their directions are changed, and they have to deal with reality, something that they did not often deal with as teenagers.
The book was filled with surprises at the end. There were revelations about how the lives of the main characters turned out, and the vehicle which revealed more about them was a also a surprise. At the end, I thought that the book would be best suited for young adults, upper class high school students, perhaps, with teacher guidance to explain the nuances of the consequences. Although some of the characters’ lives were exposed with shocking unexpected details, their lives were knitted together neatly, in the end. I had a friend look at the book and she thought her teenage twin granddaughters would love it.
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LibraryThing member PiperUp
Beautiful imagery & language...but...I'm not a fan of the ambiguity about what is true at the end of the novel. I would've appreciated more answers & some form of closure. I'm not a fan of novels that withhold from the reader. Although structurally innovative, this book just didn't lead to hours of
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enjoyment. Show Less
LibraryThing member froxgirl
If critics love a novel but I have to basically reread large parts to figure it out, is that on them, the author, or me? All of the above? With beautifully intense writing about adolescence, mysteries within multiple stories, and the enigmatic differences between fiction and "real life" (very
Quotes: "Her gaze went hard with the anger we always feel at the person who spoils our idea of ourself."
"Possibly first love, despite all the fuss, is only mating with ideas attached."
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meta), it’s not a primrose path of a read. It's basically three stories: one of a fraught year for theatre students at a 1980s magnet school; then ten years later, when characters from the earlier era meet up again; and then another encounter, decades later, with a surprise visitor to the magnet school. To explain more would be too spoiler-ific, but maybe I have challenged you to try it for yourself. The writing really captures the interior world of teenagers better than anything I've read since Scott Spencer's "Endless Love".Quotes: "Her gaze went hard with the anger we always feel at the person who spoils our idea of ourself."
"Possibly first love, despite all the fuss, is only mating with ideas attached."
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
This books is designed to make you feel off-kilter, which I believe is what Choi was going for, and it definitely makes you ponder a lot at the end, but there still seemed to be something missing to make me enjoy it.
LibraryThing member Cherylk
Transported back in time...check, love angst teenagers...check, the words "trust exercise" used a lot...check.
Sarah and David started out hot and heavy but along the way they lost their way. This is where Mr. Kingsley comes into play. As part of his class, he has the students face each other and
Fast forward to the present. The timeline is speed up. It almost feels like missed some important facts. I even re-read a part thinking I had but nope. It was frustrating. At least the ending was a nice one. I wished that the speed of the present was spread out as I grew bored half way through the story.
Sarah and David started out hot and heavy but along the way they lost their way. This is where Mr. Kingsley comes into play. As part of his class, he has the students face each other and
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conduct "trust exercises". The only ones that can't commit to the exercise is Sarah and Dan. After seeing them struggle; as the reader you are left wondering if these two can ever reconcile. Fast forward to the present. The timeline is speed up. It almost feels like missed some important facts. I even re-read a part thinking I had but nope. It was frustrating. At least the ending was a nice one. I wished that the speed of the present was spread out as I grew bored half way through the story.
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LibraryThing member hemlokgang
Not my cup of tea. More of a young adult story
LibraryThing member bblum
Blah! How many ways can I hate this book but appreciate that the author created three books in one. A narrative of adolescence and then their adult take in the sex, manipulation by teachers and the usual mean girl themes as part of high school. Blah, I raced through this book because the beginning
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was such a turn off. I suffered through because I selected this book for our book group. As all retired high school teachers we thought entertaining but no... only one of us enjoyed the catty realism of this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
A mess of a book with unreliable narrators and a pretty thin point about the fallibility of memory and the need to be the hero of our own story. The first half bores with a pretty standard look at a high school theatre class filled with angsty teens taught/abused by one of those polarizing teachers
I guess that's the point of the title. I allowed myself to fall backward and no one caught me. The world is shitty and unworthy of trust. The end.
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who can be considered either a creative genius or a bullying criminal. The next bit has a godawful narrator who refutes large chunks of the first part as she repeats herself, randomly alternates between first and third person narrative, overuses dictionary definitions, and generally comes off as a crazed stalker. This part is even more boring than the first as it leads to its inevitable, telegraphed conclusion. The third and shortest section seems to exist solely to ensure that you finish the book depressed and angered for having read it. I guess that's the point of the title. I allowed myself to fall backward and no one caught me. The world is shitty and unworthy of trust. The end.
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LibraryThing member Beth.Clarke
Seems likes readers either love or hate his novel. I loved it, but realize it's not for everyone. I found the unique structure brilliant. I loved seeing the novel in each of the three different perspectives. The writing was vivid. I listed to the audio and wished it was a book so I could highlight
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paragraphs. Lastly, I loved the author's wit. I didn't realize how amused I would be while the characters make their way through the many trials of high school in a private arts school. I could have done without the teenage sex. I am the mother of three teenagers, but I loved the author's style and prose. (less) Show Less
LibraryThing member aprille
I loved this book. I'm so glad that I didn't read others' reviews before I picked it up. The writing wa beautiful. It reminded me of Margaret Atwood's Cats Eye in its perceptive treatment of adolescent girls. But what I thought was great was the way the author plays with narrative. The novel is
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divided into three parts, each of which have bearing on the same community at a drama school in the south. After you read each one you possess a different kind of truth to bring to bear to understand the situation. At the heart of it is the power of high school teachers to influence students' lifetime trajectories. Show Less
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2019)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Quarterfinalist — 2020)
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year (Fiction — 2019)
NPR: Books We Love (2019)
Notable Books List (Fiction — 2020)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2019)
Language
Original language
English