ARC Review: With Honors by Grace Wen

Title: With Honors

Author: Grace Wen

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Published: June 29, 2012

Format: ARC/PDF

Pages: 35

Source: I received a copy from the publisher
in exchange for an honest review
Read: October 19-20, 2012
In A Few Words: High Pressure  story
My Rating: 3 stars
Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Melinda is an engineering honors student with a secret: she's cheated on every lab assignment since her junior year. She thought she'd gotten used to sacrificing her own dreams for her parents'. Going to the school they chose and majoring in what they wanted seemed like a fair price to pay for family harmony. If she switches majors, she's on her own.

But as her senior year ticks by, Melinda realizes she can't keep trying to be someone she's not. She knows her first job after graduation will expose her for who she actually is: a fraud. As Melinda prepares for life in the real world, can she find a way to live with honors?(less)Melinda is an engineering honors student with a secret: she's cheated on every lab assignment since her junior year. She thought she'd gotten used to sacrificing her own dreams for her parents'. Going to the school they chose and majoring in what they wanted seemed like a fair price to pay for family harmony. If she switches majors, she's on her own.

But as her senior year ticks by, Melinda realizes she can't keep trying to be someone she's not. She knows her first job after graduation will expose her for who she actually is: a fraud. As Melinda prepares for life in the real world, can she find a way to live with honors?

Melissa's Musings:

I recently reviewed another book by Grace Wen, An Imperfect Wife. 

In With Honors we meet Melinda, a girl who's stuck at an engineering school, yet hates engineering and doesn't even seem to understand it all that well. She's stuck there because her parents have dictated her life and she refuses to stand up to them because they will cut her off financially. So, she sticks it out nearly 4 years with a major that she hates.

Since she doesn't do so well with the subject matter, she befriends a guy named Rob. They work out a deal with each other. He'll do all the lab work if she writes up their lab reports. So, she essentially is cheating her way through school and not understanding anything.

I do like the dynamic between Melinda and Rob. They get along really well, and its' not a forced friendship. Which is exactly what Melinda needs since her family is really strict and puts a lot of pressure on her. Yet they don't help her or listen to her when she tells them what she wants. How nice of them. But, I can't say that the blame is all on them. It's up to Melinda to change her life.

She finally wakes up to reality one day and is made aware that she absolutely hates what she's doing. With Rob's encouragement she decides to change her major. She's really excited, and motivated, making plans to figure things out financially,  but when it comes to telling her parents, there's nothing, yet again.

I had the same problem with the last book I read by Wen. The overall story is nice, but the ending leaves me really frustrated. I don't know why these characters get motivated and seem like they're really going to make changes in their lives, and then at the last second, or I guess in this case, the last line, they chicken out and let things continue being miserable for themselves.

I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a quick read.