I’m currently reading Commencement, a new novel by first-time author J. Courtney Sullivan. The book relies heavily on cliches seen throughout most young adult fiction: a group of four best friends, who, despite their drastic differences and a few major fights, love one another dearly and somehow complete each other. This plotline worked much better in Little Women, and even in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Still, Sullivan showcases her potential as a writer by straying slightly from the formula: Commencement takes place at Smith College, the author’s alma mater, which, as most people know, is an acclaimed all-women’s college in New England.

Sullivan touches upon more cliches within this context of a women’s college. There’s Bree, the southern belle who arrives at Smith engaged to her high school sweetheart. April is a ultra-feminist with an absent father, and Sally is a spoiled, wannabe feminist whose mother has recently passed away. Finally, there’s Celia, the main narrator of the novel, and the glue that holds the friendship between these young women together. Celia spends much of her time at Smith sleeping around and getting drunk. She’s also an English Lit major. Ergh.

The women grapple with family issues, career dilemmas, and relationship problems, primarily. Throughout the novel, the four characters struggle to maintain their once-thriving friendships with one another, even five years after they’ve graduated from Smith. While it’s interesting to watch the characters develop and see what happens to them– it’s like watching a mildly fascinating reality TV show–Sullivan is simply not seasoned enough as a writer to create a novel that’s new and different. We’ve seen these characters before, we’ve read these plotlines.

Sally sleeps with her married English professor during her undergraduate years, and then marries a much less complicated man. She desperately tries to fill the void her mother’s death left within her, and having a baby can only help so much. Bree shocks her traditional, conservative southern family when she falls in love with a woman and continues to be in a committed relationship with her, even years after they’ve graduated from Smith. This is probably the most interesting plotline; Bree’s struggle to come to terms with her sexuality and balance her relationship and her family feels vivid and truthful.

So, is Commencement a worthwhile read? Maybe for the beach, but besides that, it’s not particularly engaging reading. Still, I’ll keep a look-out for what Sullivan comes out with in the future. I have a feeling she’ll eventually write something a whole lot better.

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