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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A solid 3-star book. Not ground-breaking or particularly memorable, but I think it perfectly captures the first term freshers experience of uni. I also really liked that ending, very mature and reminiscent of It Only Happens in the Movies.
1.5 stars
I thought the idea for this book was fun. but the execution fell flat for me. Following students for their freshman year seemed really interesting. You have no idea what is going on and you've been given all of this freedom you don't know what to do with. Because this book was set in the UK, I didn't really identify with much of the college experience. I was not a partier in college either so I didn't really identify with them in that regard either. However, I did like the fact that they added female friendships and didn't pit the girls against each other the whole time. That was a positive for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the idea for this book was fun. but the execution fell flat for me. Following students for their freshman year seemed really interesting. You have no idea what is going on and you've been given all of this freedom you don't know what to do with. Because this book was set in the UK, I didn't really identify with much of the college experience. I was not a partier in college either so I didn't really identify with them in that regard either. However, I did like the fact that they added female friendships and didn't pit the girls against each other the whole time. That was a positive for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actual rating: 4,25/5 stars!
First of: Freshers made me incredibly excited to start university in August! Secondly, I'm very glad that this book was sort of new adult, but at the same time YA. I really want more NA books in my life, that aren't super new adult-y, if you know what I mean. I'd appreciate that a lot.
Freshers was fun and entertaining, and I flew right through it. It was relatable, although I'm not a university student myself, and realistic. I wish my experience will be equally as fun as this one. The friendships and the big group of friends was super great. The story had the perfect pace in my opinion, and the writing added to the swiftness of the book. I had a really good time reading this.
First of: Freshers made me incredibly excited to start university in August! Secondly, I'm very glad that this book was sort of new adult, but at the same time YA. I really want more NA books in my life, that aren't super new adult-y, if you know what I mean. I'd appreciate that a lot.
Freshers was fun and entertaining, and I flew right through it. It was relatable, although I'm not a university student myself, and realistic. I wish my experience will be equally as fun as this one. The friendships and the big group of friends was super great. The story had the perfect pace in my opinion, and the writing added to the swiftness of the book. I had a really good time reading this.
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.
It really was a nice and easy read. Not too slow or too fast but the thing that bothered me was that I couldn't really get invested in the characters? I didn't feel with that and so I kinda missed that but overall it was a nice read.
Light hearted and incredibly funny read. Definitely a must read for anyone who has been to uni. I have never found another book that accurately shows the chaos that is being a fresher. All the super random chaotic memories, drunk antics, love life drama and instant friendships. So glad I picked this one up.
This one is about two students in their freshman year of college. Phoebe has had a huge crush on Luke for years and now they're at the same college. As Phoebe's dreams become somewhat reality, she and Luke start to interact. The story is told from both of their perspectives as they navigate college and their (sort of) relationship. I liked this one, but I also was left wanting more. One of the subplots of this one is about a group text that the soccer team has. There was so much more than could and should have been covered around the problematic nature of this, the repercussions and the missteps. I felt like this was kind of skimmed over, and that was a lost moment. I did appreciate the reality of the relationship between Phoebe and Luke outside of this part of the story. This wasn't a sweet, romantic happy ending type book, rather it was more about the complexities of figuring out what two people might be and all that this can entail.
Originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy book blog and reviewed by Leslie:
Mr. Tom Ellen and Ms. Lucy Ivison's novel, Freshmen, follows Phoebe and Luke during their first semester of college, stopping at nothing to deliver the drama, the humor, and the trying-to-be-adults-but-failing-miserably angst. Reading it was a rollercoaster of sympathy, frustration, and reminiscence. Freshmen was a fun read that I enjoyed overall.
On the cover of Freshmen Mr. Ellen and Ms. Ivison's novel, there is the blurb "College is fun. Love is complicated," and this novel does well to iterate this piece of wisdom. From beginning to end—and especially toward the end—Phoebe and Luke are catapulted into the "fun" (quote, unquote) of college. They struggle to cope with the challenges of living away from their family and old friends; meeting new people and making new friends; balancing school with their social life; and figuring out as gracefully as possible who they are and how they want to be seen. There were many times, while reading, when I was rolling my eyes at the two of them or wanting to reach in and shake them for their poor decisions. But then there were many other times when I laughed with them or wanted to pull them into a hug.
For instance, Luke, who opens up the story, was a character I had difficulty getting on board with. I was so frustrated by his back-and-forth between his ex-girlfriend and Phoebe as well as his submissiveness toward the inappropriate behavior of his soccer teammates. Throughout the novel, I saw him make decisions and then bail on those obligations; acknowledge the best course of action but not actually do it. I was coming to a point where I was going to dismiss him as a flat, unsympathetic character, YET. Yet. I couldn't hold these flaws against him. He came as a freshmen who had just gotten out of a three-year relationship (i.e., a relationship that defined his high school career) and was now forced to figure out who he was as his own, not as someone's boyfriend. Relationship or no, college challenges people's identity of their selves. It is the four years after high school that forces people to see and acknowledge their uglier parts, and Luke had the misfortune to experience that self-identification crisis tenfold with his recent break-up. In hindsight, his string of blunders (and, believe me, it was a long string) was a mark of his sincere effort to do good and be his best. He was a character—a human—I learned to love and respect.
Phoebe was less of a difficult character to love but difficult nonetheless. My frustrations with her were equal to the number of times she acted naive or emotional, and there were a few times. From nearly hooking up with a jerk to forgetting about her friends, I looked at her and wondered whether I would yell at her or cry with her. In the end, I decided I'd do both. I sympathized with her; I saw myself in her. She had this idealistic view of college until it proved to be delusional. She had a sureness in herself until others threatened her confidence. Reading about her, I reflected on my own mistakes, the times when I acted naively or let my emotions get ahead of me, and I am so proud of how gracefully Phoebe came out of her struggles. Reaching the end was scary because she and Luke were facing drama after drama after drama, and I didn't think Luke was going to right everything, so I hoped hoped hoped that Phoebe would. She did, and I love her all the more for it.
The authenticity that Freshmen poses on the college experience is not to be missed. It is both profound and entertaining as it weaves discussions of self-identity, memory, and growing up with humor and wit. I recommend this book to individuals about to enter college, are in college, have recently completed college, or are in general need of a pick-me-up. Freshmen will remind you that, no matter how many mistakes and failures you've made, really, you are doing just fine and, honestly, take your time. You'll get there one day.
Mr. Tom Ellen and Ms. Lucy Ivison's novel, Freshmen, follows Phoebe and Luke during their first semester of college, stopping at nothing to deliver the drama, the humor, and the trying-to-be-adults-but-failing-miserably angst. Reading it was a rollercoaster of sympathy, frustration, and reminiscence. Freshmen was a fun read that I enjoyed overall.
On the cover of Freshmen Mr. Ellen and Ms. Ivison's novel, there is the blurb "College is fun. Love is complicated," and this novel does well to iterate this piece of wisdom. From beginning to end—and especially toward the end—Phoebe and Luke are catapulted into the "fun" (quote, unquote) of college. They struggle to cope with the challenges of living away from their family and old friends; meeting new people and making new friends; balancing school with their social life; and figuring out as gracefully as possible who they are and how they want to be seen. There were many times, while reading, when I was rolling my eyes at the two of them or wanting to reach in and shake them for their poor decisions. But then there were many other times when I laughed with them or wanted to pull them into a hug.
For instance, Luke, who opens up the story, was a character I had difficulty getting on board with. I was so frustrated by his back-and-forth between his ex-girlfriend and Phoebe as well as his submissiveness toward the inappropriate behavior of his soccer teammates. Throughout the novel, I saw him make decisions and then bail on those obligations; acknowledge the best course of action but not actually do it. I was coming to a point where I was going to dismiss him as a flat, unsympathetic character, YET. Yet. I couldn't hold these flaws against him. He came as a freshmen who had just gotten out of a three-year relationship (i.e., a relationship that defined his high school career) and was now forced to figure out who he was as his own, not as someone's boyfriend. Relationship or no, college challenges people's identity of their selves. It is the four years after high school that forces people to see and acknowledge their uglier parts, and Luke had the misfortune to experience that self-identification crisis tenfold with his recent break-up. In hindsight, his string of blunders (and, believe me, it was a long string) was a mark of his sincere effort to do good and be his best. He was a character—a human—I learned to love and respect.
Phoebe was less of a difficult character to love but difficult nonetheless. My frustrations with her were equal to the number of times she acted naive or emotional, and there were a few times. From nearly hooking up with a jerk to forgetting about her friends, I looked at her and wondered whether I would yell at her or cry with her. In the end, I decided I'd do both. I sympathized with her; I saw myself in her. She had this idealistic view of college until it proved to be delusional. She had a sureness in herself until others threatened her confidence. Reading about her, I reflected on my own mistakes, the times when I acted naively or let my emotions get ahead of me, and I am so proud of how gracefully Phoebe came out of her struggles. Reaching the end was scary because she and Luke were facing drama after drama after drama, and I didn't think Luke was going to right everything, so I hoped hoped hoped that Phoebe would. She did, and I love her all the more for it.
The authenticity that Freshmen poses on the college experience is not to be missed. It is both profound and entertaining as it weaves discussions of self-identity, memory, and growing up with humor and wit. I recommend this book to individuals about to enter college, are in college, have recently completed college, or are in general need of a pick-me-up. Freshmen will remind you that, no matter how many mistakes and failures you've made, really, you are doing just fine and, honestly, take your time. You'll get there one day.
