Library Journal - Audio
09/01/2022
In this follow-up to Perrotta's 1998 novel Election, Tracy Flick (Election's ambitious high schooler) is an assistant principal at a suburban New Jersey high school. She feels a renewed ambition for work when the principal unexpectedly announces his retirement. Tracy works hard to prove worthy of the promotion while trying to raise her daughter, maintain a relationship with her needy boyfriend, and practice meditation. Her first task is to head up the selection committee for the new high school hall of fame. The suggestion of the school's most famous quarterback makes her reflect on the past. And, well, Tracy Flick just can't win. The community members of Green Meadow, NJ, are voiced by a full cast, including Lucy Liu, Dennis Boutsikaris, Jeremy Bobb, and Ramona Young, along with four others. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, adding many sides to the events of the book and making this a fun listen. VERDICT Part dark comedy, part social commentary, Perrotta's latest will be in demand by his fans.—Elyssa Everling
From the Publisher
"Perrotta has what it takes to revisit the past without being predictable.”—The Atlantic
“Perrotta . . . tells the story through a web of different characters and perspectives. It’s a book populated with middle-aged people disappointed in what life has brought—and yet, Tracy Flick Can’t Win is an oddly uplifting read. Perrotta’s great gift is that he lets his love for his characters, flaws and all, shine through, and Tracy emerges as a much richer, more sympathetic character than in the earlier book; she has grown, as has her creator. . . . I was rooting hard for Tracy Flick to, finally, win.” —Seattle Times
“This sequel, set in 2017, takes a sympathetic view of now middle-aged Tracy, an assistant principal and single mom, as she reconciles her past ambitions with her current dissatisfaction in life. Perrotta brings his trademark dark humor and insights into suburbia to the story, along with some sweet observations about friendship.”—Real Simple
"The heroine of Perrotta’s Election returns in this sharp and perfectly executed story of frustrated ambition...This is the rare sequel that lives up to the original.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"In this culturally savvy sequel to his enduring best-seller, Election (1998), and its wildly popular film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon, Perrotta again tells a smart, entertaining story from multiple perspectives, oral-history style. The breeziness of the pacing provides tart counterpoint to weightier themes of adultery, ambition, atonement, and revenge which Perrotta handles with a deft but determined satiric touch.”—Booklist
“Combining narrated chapters with short first-person “testimonies” by five of the characters, the plot unfolds with the you-are-there feel of a documentary, or mockumentary perhaps ... the ending is a shocker. Nobody told this master of dark comedy there are things you can’t make jokes about. Watch him try.”—Kirkus
JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Lucy Liu, Dennis Boutsikaris, and other talented performers rivet listeners with this sequel to ELECTION. Perrotta revisits alpha female Tracy Flick, now a middle-aged assistant principal at Green Meadow High. Liu as Flick sounds no-nonsense yet girlish as she voices Traci’s midlife frustration and hope for a promotion. Boutsikaris, as retiring Principal Weede, has a world-weary, wistful tone. When a rich alum insists that Green Meadow create a Hall of Fame featuring successful graduates, it stirs up troubling memories for the whole community. Ali Andre Ali and Ramona Young shine in portraying two seniors on the Hall of Fame selection committee; their young voices convey that adolescence has its own regrets. This lively ensemble captivates right up to the audiobook’s unexpected, timely conclusion. E.S.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
