Publisher's Weekly
“...Mace's tenure at ‘El Cid’ was highly publicized from the start: network and local TV stations began calling her family's South Carolina home soon after she submitted her application to the school…”

South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2003 - 2004)
There's an old saying: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Really overused, but it works about this book. Nancy Mace had to be one tough girl to purposely put herself through the ordeal of attending and graduating from the Citadel. As one of the first women, she broke ground in many areas, and with almost continual abuse from many other cadets and outsiders. After going through some problems as a high school student, and learning to cope with Attention Deficit Disorder, Ms. Mace wanted to challenge herself by attending her father's alma mater. But how could she maintain her focus on her goals with all the furor going on about her, from the press, from the other cadets and alumni? Ms. Mace proved herself to be worthy of the corps of cadets to which she strove to belong, graduating three years after she entered the Citadel, and with honors. A truly inspiring individual.

Booklist Magazine
“...The book is full of such harrowing stories (with a sprinkling of appropriately offensive language), but they are balanced by accounts of campus pranks, camaraderie with classmates, and small but significant victories that kept up Mace's spirits. Readers will devour the rich details of campus life (Hell Week, roommate woes, that first haircut) as Mace takes them deep inside a military culture for an authentic, emotional experience…”

School Library Journal
“...Mace relives both the grueling emotional experiences and occasional supportive moments of her undergraduate years. She struggled through her youth with attention deficit disorder and depression. The daughter of "The Citadel's most decorated living graduate," the young woman was determined to prove to herself by breaking the gender barrier at the college…”

Teen Reads
“...Mace's story of perseverance, both mental and physical, is inspiring. IN THE COMPANY OF MEN is not, however, a prettified tale of adversity overcome. Mace's language is direct and occasionally peppered with obscenities, and her assessments of her classmates, instructors, and the upperclassmen are unyielding --- as is her assessment of herself throughout the book…”