A review by karagee
Freshmen by Tom Ellen, Lucy Ivison
3.0
Co-written by 2 high school friends who had their own past romantic entanglements, Freshmen is the story of Phoebe and Luke, who end up at the same college. Phoebe has harbored a massive crush on Luke since they were 11, but Luke barely knows who Phoebe is. They become entwined when Luke breaks up with his high school girlfriend over the phone the first night of college orientation after their relationship had been floundering all summer. The book covers their [mostly disastrous] first semester at York College, bumbling through new friendships and love lives and a whole lot of drinking.
There was a comparison to Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging on the cover and that comparison is apt, as Phoebe is a bit manic and boy-obsessed like Georgia Nicholson (and it's also very English, though I'll admit there were times that I felt thrown because the authors used language I thought only Americans used, like college instead of University, or ER instead of A&E, but then maybe I just don't know British slang well enough).
There are way too many characters for even someone like me to keep track of, but most of them are defined by only 1 or 2 traits anyway. Frankie is an absolute hoot (though as an introvert, she is also someone who would probably wear me out quick!). Mostly the book focuses on the back and forth inner dialogues of scatter-brained Phoebe and indecisive Luke.
I know I'm supposed to let it go because they are 18 and 18 year olds can be really stupid and emotionally stunted but I frequently found myself irritated with Phoebe and Luke's inability to have a conversation even remotely bordering on 'adult.' So many things could have been averted if they'd just come clean and talked things out like normal people and not kids hyped up on sugar and alcohol.
I grew to really hate Luke throughout the book. I kept hoping for him to make better choices to redeem himself and he kept making progressively dumber ones. I was pleased when Phoebe decided she just wanted to be friends because, as manic and self-centered as she is, she obviously deserves better in a boyfriend. I kind of wonder how closely this adheres to the authors' relationship...
Overall, Freshmen is a really funny book and a quick read and kept me entertained for ~300 pages. It also made me think fondly of my own college friends from long ago, though we were never as crazy as this bunch.
There was a comparison to Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging on the cover and that comparison is apt, as Phoebe is a bit manic and boy-obsessed like Georgia Nicholson (and it's also very English, though I'll admit there were times that I felt thrown because the authors used language I thought only Americans used, like college instead of University, or ER instead of A&E, but then maybe I just don't know British slang well enough).
There are way too many characters for even someone like me to keep track of, but most of them are defined by only 1 or 2 traits anyway. Frankie is an absolute hoot (though as an introvert, she is also someone who would probably wear me out quick!). Mostly the book focuses on the back and forth inner dialogues of scatter-brained Phoebe and indecisive Luke.
I know I'm supposed to let it go because they are 18 and 18 year olds can be really stupid and emotionally stunted but I frequently found myself irritated with Phoebe and Luke's inability to have a conversation even remotely bordering on 'adult.' So many things could have been averted if they'd just come clean and talked things out like normal people and not kids hyped up on sugar and alcohol.
I grew to really hate Luke throughout the book. I kept hoping for him to make better choices to redeem himself and he kept making progressively dumber ones. I was pleased when Phoebe decided she just wanted to be friends because, as manic and self-centered as she is, she obviously deserves better in a boyfriend. I kind of wonder how closely this adheres to the authors' relationship...
Overall, Freshmen is a really funny book and a quick read and kept me entertained for ~300 pages. It also made me think fondly of my own college friends from long ago, though we were never as crazy as this bunch.