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A review by divapitbull
Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry
4.0
Adulting 101 is pure feel good fun. It’s not saccharine or schmaltzy though, it’s funny AF, sometimes literally laugh out loud. 18 year old Nick Stahlnecker is a typical teenager having an existential panic before going off to college. Well, maybe not entirely typical. Nick over thinks an awful lot. If I thought as much as Nick does during my young adult years, I would have spent them chock full of Xanax. Nick is not feeling ready to adult, but he does think a summer of fun and hopefully losing his virginity to his hot construction worker crush Jai Hazenbrook is a reasonable distraction. Nick definitely has some growing up to do, although I have to note that some of his stream of consciousness conversation and social awkwardness feels almost a bit more like on the spectrum vs. immature.
The 25-year-old Jai Hazenbrook has it all together. At least Nick thinks he does. Jai is a cultured world traveler. He spends 9 months out of the year living out of a backpack in youth hostels and returns to his little hometown of Franklin, Ohio for 3 months every summer – to live in his mother’s basement and earn more travel money. Nick thinks that Jai is a “glorious, beautiful, dangerous creature”, and very” zen”. In reality Jai doesn’t have anything together. His traveling started because he never coped properly with his father’s death, and at 25 he has yet to have a relationship with another person beyond a 48 hour hook up.
Things start off simply enough between Nick and Jai, because really, who can pass up the opportunity for a BJ in a porta-potty? It’s a natural progression from there to agree to a no strings, summer of fun – after Jai satisfies himself that Nick really is 18. It’s just that there seems to be more movie watching and pizza eating then there is actual sex. The boys do get around to the sex, although they can’t seem to shake their flare for unintentional exhibitionism. Not so much hot and steamy but definitely cute. It’s only a matter of time before they flounder around with feelings.
There are plenty of interesting side characters that round out Nick’s world. His relationship with his BFF Devon is sweet. Devon is also a bit of an over-thinker, but his angst seems to center upon his sudden realization of the crippling weight of male privilege. Everyone should have a Devon in their lives. Nick and Jai’s families play significant roles in the story. Jai’s family is hysterical and Nick works out his coming of age kinks with his – who turn out to be pretty cool. The story wraps up with a realistic HFN and who knows.
The 25-year-old Jai Hazenbrook has it all together. At least Nick thinks he does. Jai is a cultured world traveler. He spends 9 months out of the year living out of a backpack in youth hostels and returns to his little hometown of Franklin, Ohio for 3 months every summer – to live in his mother’s basement and earn more travel money. Nick thinks that Jai is a “glorious, beautiful, dangerous creature”, and very” zen”. In reality Jai doesn’t have anything together. His traveling started because he never coped properly with his father’s death, and at 25 he has yet to have a relationship with another person beyond a 48 hour hook up.
Things start off simply enough between Nick and Jai, because really, who can pass up the opportunity for a BJ in a porta-potty? It’s a natural progression from there to agree to a no strings, summer of fun – after Jai satisfies himself that Nick really is 18. It’s just that there seems to be more movie watching and pizza eating then there is actual sex. The boys do get around to the sex, although they can’t seem to shake their flare for unintentional exhibitionism. Not so much hot and steamy but definitely cute. It’s only a matter of time before they flounder around with feelings.
There are plenty of interesting side characters that round out Nick’s world. His relationship with his BFF Devon is sweet. Devon is also a bit of an over-thinker, but his angst seems to center upon his sudden realization of the crippling weight of male privilege. Everyone should have a Devon in their lives. Nick and Jai’s families play significant roles in the story. Jai’s family is hysterical and Nick works out his coming of age kinks with his – who turn out to be pretty cool. The story wraps up with a realistic HFN and who knows.