How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater

What a joyful and hilarious romp this book is! Reading it is like watching a zany, screwball comedy- there were some bits that had me laughing so hard I had to take a moment and just revel in the wackiness. I mean, try to keep a straight face when the hero's evil Teutonic stepmonster confronts him on his girlfriend's front porch with charges of stealing. Or while the Creative Vandalism team is wreaking havoc on the neighborhood. The most gratifying quality of `How I Paid for College' isn't, however, the book's comedy but its great sense of the general goodness of mankind. Marc Acito loves and respects his characters very much, even when they are in trouble, and the reader finishes the book with the sense of high good humor usually reserved for the best kind of `feel good' movie. In fact, in order to accurately describe the book to friends, and you will find yourself talking about it with your friends, it's easiest to rely on theatrical or cinematic vocabulary. Part of the reason is the racing, hilarious quality of the story, but mostly it's because the story has a `here and now' quality to them. For example, the scene (see?) of the school's opening night of Godspell perfectly conveys the quiet, awesome roar you feel yourself part of when something really extraordinary is happening on stage or on the screen. Being able to make the reader a part of that is a gift. How I Paid For College is a superb coming-of-age story and it would make a great movie, but it's perfectly fine to read it for the belly laughs, too. In fact, I hope you do buy this madcap book. You're going to love it, and you're going to be glad you did.

I loved this book. It was incredibly funny and fast-paced. I think it would be especially great for Juniors and Seniors in high school, who will, no doubt, be going through the same sorts of things.

This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I can't even count how many times I laughed out loud. This novel is not for the prudish or for young children. Everyone else who likes to laugh: Read it immediately. It features a fast-paced plot and wonderfully interesting characters. The main character is a bisexual high school senior who loves to act and hates to work. His friends are a drama geek/football player, a guy who loves to break the law, and a beautiful, sweet girl who loves sex. And then there is the evil stepmonster, the handicapped gay drama teacher, Frank Sinatra's minions, and a bunch of other fun folks who make this book a lively, laugh-out-loud success.

Being of reasonably sound mind and currently in my fourth year of college I rarely find the time to sit down and indulge in the finer things in life. You should know I mean a book that isn't on a professor's reading list. This book in particular was handed to me by a friend and I read the entire novel in one sitting on a Saturday. I did lunch sat down and couldn't put it down until it was time for a smashingly late dinner. This book almost made me miss high school which is saying something considering I've long since put those four years away on the glory days shelf and lived in the here and very now. The way Acito mixes his elements of humor, drama, classic high school angst and hijinks... this is one of the best books I've read all year. There were times I was laughing so hard I was crying and my friend would stop to ask which part I was on and giggle along with me, reminiscing about when they had read it too. I've already thrust the title on numerous people, indicating that it was a must read and if you're even so much as considering it, then yes! Buy this book, you will not regret it! -Julie, UGA - History Major

It is unfortunate that this book was allowed to be sold to the public without warnings. The first should concern shockable homophobics with heart disorders. They could be suckered into reading this by the way it starts out as an interesting coming of age romance - "Catcher in the Rye" (to which deliberate reference in made) set in suburban New Jersey in the 1980's with a few innocuous ethnic jibes ("I felt at home there. Jews are like Italians only smarter") and social satiric jabs ("You can tell that sophisticated people live here because all their photographs are black and white."). Then they may need advanced cardiac life support soon after page 99 (where the sex is more or less hetero). A wise precaution might be to test them out with small doses of Augusten Burroughs and Sedaris. A second warning is for insomniacs like me who read themselves to sleep rather than take Ambien. I finished it at three this morning. Luckily it's Sunday. The third caveat is about reading it in any place where you might look odd laughing aloud. There's a high laugh aloud risk factor. Maybe the PATH from Christopher Street to Hoboken would be safe because everybody else will be reading it.