Commencement
by J. Courtney Sullivan
Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan holds a mixed reviews rating of 3.36 out of 5, based on 12.7K reader ratings. First published in 2009. The book spans 320 pages.
About Commencement
A sparkling debut novel: a tender story of friendship, a witty take on liberal arts colleges, and a fascinating portrait of the first generation of women who have all the opportunities in the world, but no clear idea about what to choose.Assigned to the same dorm their first year at Smith College, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April couldn’t have less in common. Celia, a lapsed Catholic, arrives with her grandmother’s rosary beads in hand and a bottle of vodka in her suitcase; beautiful Bree pines for the fiancé she left behind in Savannah; Sally, pristinely dressed in Lilly Pulitzer, is reeling from the loss of her mother; and April, a radical, redheaded feminist wearing a “Riot: Don’t Diet” T-shirt, wants a room transfer immediately.Together they experience the ecstatic highs and painful lows of early adulthood: Celia’s trust in men is demolished in one terrible evening, Bree falls in love with someone she could never bring home to her traditional family, Sally seeks solace in her English professor, and April realizes that, for the first time in her life, she has friends she can actually confide in.When they reunite for Sally’s wedding four years after graduation, their friendships have changed, but they remain fiercely devoted to one another. Schooled in the ideals of feminism, they have to figure out how it applies to their real lives in matters of love, work, family, and sex. For Celia, Bree, and Sally, this means grappling with one-night stands, maiden names, and parental disapproval—along with occasional loneliness and heartbreak. But for April, whose activism has become her life’s work, it means something far more dangerous.Written with radiant style and a wicked sense of humor, Commencement not only captures the intensity of college friendships and first loves, but also explores with great candor the complicated and contradictory landscape facing young women today.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | J. Courtney Sullivan |
| Published | 2009 |
| Pages | 320 |
| Genres | Fiction, Chick-lit, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult |
| Average Rating | 3.36 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 12,653 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Commencement?
Commencement is categorized as Fiction, Chick-lit, Fiction, Romance. Its primary genre classification is Romance.
Is Commencement worth reading?
Based on 12.7K reader ratings, Commencement has an average score of 3.36 out of 5.00, which is considered "Mixed Reviews."
How many pages is Commencement?
Commencement has 320 pages.
Who wrote Commencement?
Commencement was written by J. Courtney Sullivan. It was first published in 2009.
What is the ISBN for Commencement?
The ISBN-13 for Commencement is 9780307270740.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
