Freshmen

by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

[Sam@WLABB]

The transition from high school to college can be really difficult. Freshmen follows Phoebe and Luke they attempt to find their way, and themselves, in this new setting.

• Pro: My favorite thing about this book was probably the humor. I laughed so much!

• Pro: We are seeing more and more of these YA-goes-to-college books, and I really appreciated the way Ellen and Ivison explored how difficult the transition can be. The juxtaposition of Phoebe and Luke was perfect, showing one, who was flourishing and one, who was floundering.

• Pro: I loved seeing Phoebe break out of her shell in college. She had flown under the radar in high school, but here she was was making friends, excelling academically, and really growing so much.

• Con: They Americanized this book for the US release, but I wish they hadn't. It was a little awkward, and I really would have liked to have had an authentic peek into the English college system.

• Pro: Though my circumstances weren't exactly like Luke's, I found I connected to his story more than Phoebe's. He felt a little lost. In high school, he had his steady girlfriend, his best friend, and his popularity. He found himself slightly adrift at university, and stayed in situations he was uncomfortable with in order to feel as though he belonged somewhere.

• Pro: These two had some awesome friends. Phoebe's squad was definitely the best. D-dorm for the win, but Luke found a few quality people to support him as well.

• Con: If this was a series, and I knew I was getting another book, I would have been ok, but since it is NOT a series, I must confess, I was a little let down by the ending. There was something that seemed to be starting, which I would love to have seen explored more.

• Pro: I never had this much fun in college (engineering was not a fun major), but at least I got to have some solid experiences via Phoebe and Luke. The parties, kitchen sessions, girl talks, and Quidditch meetings were fantastic, and just added to the overall fun of the book.

• Pro: This book has some drama, but it's pretty low-key, which is always something I appreciate.

Overall: A great addition to the YA-goes-to-college set, which entertainingly captured the ups and downs of that first year of college.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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