Jennifer M. (Kaydence) reviewed on + 380 more book reviews
Summary:
Two high school graduates are headed to UC Berkeley for their freshman year. Lauren, the oldest of several annoying siblings, desperately wants a single so that she can finally have some privacy. Unfortunately, Elizabeth emails her stating that they are roomies and wants to talk all about the details. Elizabeth is super excited to get away from a slightly overbearing mother and enjoy some new found freedom and camaraderie in California. Good-bye Jersey! After a bit of a tough start, mostly because Lauren is upset that she is not getting her own sanctuary, the two begin to share more and more about one another. They become friends through their emails, but as things happen on the outside and the two communicate poorly, their friendship is strained. Will the two actually make it to college and room together, or will these emails be the death of a friendship before it actually starts.
My thoughts:
While I like the format of communicating the story through emails, I was not overly enthralled. The only problem is that it is really slow. There is not a lot of action and a whole lot of complaining. I suppose that it reflects most of what teenage girls do: talk about going to school, talk about boys, complain about their home life. I just hear it enough in class. There is the ability to make this type of book action packed within the emails, but this doesn't really happen. There is a chance to get really introspective, but that doesn't really happen either. This makes it one of those in-between books that you can take or leave. The best part is that Sara Zarr is a good writer and does a great job of sounding exactly like a teenager.
Two high school graduates are headed to UC Berkeley for their freshman year. Lauren, the oldest of several annoying siblings, desperately wants a single so that she can finally have some privacy. Unfortunately, Elizabeth emails her stating that they are roomies and wants to talk all about the details. Elizabeth is super excited to get away from a slightly overbearing mother and enjoy some new found freedom and camaraderie in California. Good-bye Jersey! After a bit of a tough start, mostly because Lauren is upset that she is not getting her own sanctuary, the two begin to share more and more about one another. They become friends through their emails, but as things happen on the outside and the two communicate poorly, their friendship is strained. Will the two actually make it to college and room together, or will these emails be the death of a friendship before it actually starts.
My thoughts:
While I like the format of communicating the story through emails, I was not overly enthralled. The only problem is that it is really slow. There is not a lot of action and a whole lot of complaining. I suppose that it reflects most of what teenage girls do: talk about going to school, talk about boys, complain about their home life. I just hear it enough in class. There is the ability to make this type of book action packed within the emails, but this doesn't really happen. There is a chance to get really introspective, but that doesn't really happen either. This makes it one of those in-between books that you can take or leave. The best part is that Sara Zarr is a good writer and does a great job of sounding exactly like a teenager.
