Party School, by Jon Hart, follows the story of Dylan Mills, a high school senior and chronic underachiever; whose girlfriend, Rosemary Silversmith, leaves him just before leaving for an “it” school. An “It” school, the book explains, “is a school that everyone wants to attend.” The complete opposite of Rosemary, Dylan is headed to a party school called “North South,” hardly a name that will make his parents back in the small town of Castleton proud to mention. 

Throughout the novel, Hart uses quippy banter between characters to keep the plot pushing forward. Moreover, the first-person narration from Dylan helps the reader get to know him and empathize with him throughout his ups and downs.

However, Party School’s appeal comes from how it paints high school to be. Hart explains, “I wanted to write a fun, funny coming-of-age story, something relatable and universal, but foreign”. This blend of universal but foreign is very effective because, with names like Harvard or Yale explicitly named throughout the story, many high school students will be able to relate to the book’s themes of the judgment that comes with where one decides to go to college (if at all). Party School strives to address these themes of “school shaming”: the idea that one college or university is inherently better than another based on name recognition or acceptance rate, a phenomenon Cambridge knows all too well. As Hart puts it, “Since I could walk, I’ve known school shamers. And I don’t see school shaming going anywhere, unfortunately.” It’s not rare to hear talk of colleges floating around CRLS’ hallways. Being right next to such a prestigious school not only adds to the pressure but also the sense of the importance of going to an “it” school. Kiri-Anna Kingsbury Lee ’24 told the Register Forum, “There’s a big issue at CRLS of deeming schools with high cost and low acceptance rates as offering intrinsically valuable education, as if students who do not go to a school that meets this profile have to fight to get more out of their education.” Krissie Alexis ’26 says that this pressure exists even as a freshman, telling the Register Forum, “I don’t think CRLS necessarily forces you to get into a good college … but since so many people from this school get into good colleges, there definitely isn’t an excuse or anything if you don’t get in.” Party School corroborates both, highlighting that the topic of post-secondary education has drifted from being about what you learn to where you go. 

The concept of “brand name colleges” have shifted students’ wants from going to certain colleges to learn and set you up for success to getting into said college being the success itself. Hart hopes that his book provides commentary, telling the Register Forum that it’s critical to “Enjoy the journey! It’s not the brand of the school, it’s the character of the student.” The value of education has been lost with the increase of focus on reputation. Hart advises that your school must be for your needs. If that’s an “it” school then go for it, “But try to stay humble along the way. It’s just a sweatshirt.” 

This article also appears in our April 2023 print edition.