I'm Glad I Don't Have To Experience The 20-Something Life Anymore
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CT Post

"Four deeply intelligent, motivated, driven over-achievers in a coming of age story and not a single one is a straight white guy. This is the kind of diversity that YA fiction so very often lacks."
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"When your teenage daughter reacts to the galley with 'Dad, this is my life!' you pick up the phone and make the deal," says , former Miramax senior executive.

Jason Odell Williams discusses his Emmy nomination in .

"Before you assume "Personal Statement" will appeal only to rising college freshmen, "brain game" this: how many of us were capable of defining our brand--in 500 words or less--at age 17? What's more--how many of us can do it now?"
-- , Naples Daily News



"For the striver and slacker in all of us, 'Personal Statement' hits deliciously close to the bone with a mordantly hilarious satire of resume-polishing and ambition. For anyone who ever inflated a title, or wished they did. A page-turning delight."
-- Sarah Ellison, Vanity Fair Contributing Editor and author of War at The Wall Street Journal

"In a society where so many kids and families have accepted busyness as a norm, it's refreshing to find a book that inspires us to think deeply about our current culture and how we can create a healthier educational culture for our children."
-- Vicki Abeles, Director of the critically-acclaimed film, Race to Nowhere

"Personal Statement is a hilarious take on the merciless, winner-take-all world of college applications. A wild book."
-- Tony D'Souza, author of Mule

"Jason Odell Williams' Personal Statement is a fast-paced, delightful read. As a parent and a professor I can say that Mr. Williams' satirically savvy take on the absurdities of college admissions process is deliciously accurate. And yet his wickedly funny portrayal of four ambitious teenagers is never mean-spirited. Personal Statement should be on the required reading list for all High School guidance counselors, college-bound seniors and their parents!"
-- Richard Warner, Professor, University of Virginia

"Don't tell person you hired to take the SATs for you that you are reading Personal Statement! This delightful book has a lot of fun with college mania. You will, too."
-- Gregg Easterbrook, author, The Leading Indicators.


Baltimore Fishbowl

"Whip smart and sharply observed, Jason Odell Williams' Personal Statement is a hilarious take on the coming of age novel. I couldn't put it down."
-- Brenda Janowitz, author of Recipe For A Happy Life

Personal Statement in

Author Interview with Jason Odell Williams over at

"He writes with fearless bravery, a trait that is lacking among many writers today. I especially how he approached the political issues by putting the issues out there without apology or hesitation. The story is engaging and fun."
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"The cast is refreshingly diverse! Smart and snarky, real, and not a WASP among them (says the WASP reviewing...). I was laughing from page one at the humor, but also at the truths revealed about college, admissions, debt, etc. I was nodding with a "So true!" every few pages."
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Virginia Book Notes in the

"I read Personal Statement by debut author Jason Odell Williams and thought two things: I'm really glad I'm not trying to get into Harvard, and this guy's writing reminds of John Green's writing. Yeah, I just said that."
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Novel Set In Fictional Fairfield County Town In Talks To Become A Film
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"I couldn't put this novel down, and the first few chapters were especially hilarious that I laughed out loud."
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7 Bookish Questions for Author Jason Odell Williams, Books
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Baby's First Book Review
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"There was also this great undercurrent of powerful women breaking away from the losers who condescend to them and making their own path in their career and sticking together and helping each other out too that really shone through as the book went on."
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"Smart book! Wry social commentary disguised in young adult fiction and served with a healthy dose of humor makes for some refreshing read."
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"I solemnly swear that this book will blow your mind!!"
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