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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not judge this book by its cover. Instead, I judged it on its title.
As an AP Psych student I thought it would be beyond funny to read this. Especially after reading the dust jacket while circling my school's library. I tucked it under my arm and proceeded to the checkout counter.
Fast forward two week when I'm no longer sick and can actually read a sentence without feeling dizzy. Leigh is really cute and I kind of sort of love her. I can say the story is a little predictable. But this book was cliché for me in a good way. Seeing this girl struggle through the ups and downs of her first year in the real world was really entertaining as someone who is currently in the college application process.
Yes. There was that HUGE mistake with the Chinese stereotype. But if you're like me and realized the incoming mess and skipped ahead to the next chapter where Leigh was roaming SF--it's a lot better.
Honestly it's a cute feel-good read and I'm glad I read this.
As an AP Psych student I thought it would be beyond funny to read this. Especially after reading the dust jacket while circling my school's library. I tucked it under my arm and proceeded to the checkout counter.
Fast forward two week when I'm no longer sick and can actually read a sentence without feeling dizzy. Leigh is really cute and I kind of sort of love her. I can say the story is a little predictable. But this book was cliché for me in a good way. Seeing this girl struggle through the ups and downs of her first year in the real world was really entertaining as someone who is currently in the college application process.
Yes. There was that HUGE mistake with the Chinese stereotype. But if you're like me and realized the incoming mess and skipped ahead to the next chapter where Leigh was roaming SF--it's a lot better.
Honestly it's a cute feel-good read and I'm glad I read this.
The storyline was lacking any depth and there was so much pettiness and childishness you’d expect from 12 year olds not college students? I didn’t agree with the values of most of the characters and there was so much sexism and it’s a miracle I actually read the whole thing. The only cool part was that I understood the psychology terms used.
IQ "Nathan fell silent as well, and I realized that maybe I wasn't the nay one who felt that way. I wondered how many people in the world have daydreams spinning around in their heads that they would never put into words. Probably more than you would think." Leigh, pg. 255
Alright let's get something out of the way right now: the minor character of Li. The scene was meant to be funny I'm sure but it wasn't. Li placed third in a state-wide poetry contest but his poem sucked, his character sucked. Not because he was a well-developed character but rather because the author fell back on Chinese stereotypes. It was like that one character played by Ken Watanabe (I always remember his name but not his charter's name, Long Dong....something?) in Sixteen Candles. UGH. Seriously that's why I can't give this book 3 stars because that bothered me so much.
I also thought Andrew was underdeveloped. I guess I just didn't understand why he and Leigh were together. Also the ending was cheesy. For a second it looked like I hadn't called it correctly-but calm down now everyone-if you guess right away within the first few chapters of the book, your conclusion is correct. I'll never understand why girls think guys just hate them on sight.....that's a girl thing!
I did love Leigh's (and the author's) sense of humor (except for making fun of Li). I definitely laughed-out-loud at some points. Such as: "For a second my heart stopped, as I imagined a box filled with actual human babies. Oh my God, I thought, she went to some unsuspecting, underdeveloped country and pretended to be a celebrity so she could bring home a box of their children" (pgs.156-157), ok that reads pretty terrible. But placed in context it was really funny. Its one of those awfully funny things you want to express but don't know how to say in such an amusing manner. Or this: "This was coming from Ami, who has had many such moments herself in just the short time I've known her. Once she asked if Portuguese was just a dialect of Spanish. This was particularly disconcerting, considering Ami's last name is Gutierrez, she speaks fluent Spanish, and she visits extended family in Nicaragua every year. So you'd think she know" (pg.110), Ami on the other hand was a fantastic character. An artist who happened to be Latina who was witty but not "spicy", driven but not by academic pursuits. As I write this review I realize much of this book's humor comes at other people's expense....*winces* which reflects badly on me and perhaps the author.
And while I'm not in college yet I found it a reassuring book about college life, its not hunky-dory but its not a living, sleepless hell either. Leigh pulls all nighters but she also makes friends and reflects on Orientation and while her one extracurricular is forced, she does do SOMETHING besides mess around (not that I would mind a book about someone in college with zero academic focus as long as they were interesting). The Intro to Psych vocab words were a nice added touch even if I forgot them and failed to connect them to the chapter they headlined. I also found it quite refreshing that the resident Mean Girl was selfish and rude but also SMART.
Alright let's get something out of the way right now: the minor character of Li. The scene was meant to be funny I'm sure but it wasn't. Li placed third in a state-wide poetry contest but his poem sucked, his character sucked. Not because he was a well-developed character but rather because the author fell back on Chinese stereotypes. It was like that one character played by Ken Watanabe (I always remember his name but not his charter's name, Long Dong....something?) in Sixteen Candles. UGH. Seriously that's why I can't give this book 3 stars because that bothered me so much.
I also thought Andrew was underdeveloped. I guess I just didn't understand why he and Leigh were together. Also the ending was cheesy. For a second it looked like I hadn't called it correctly-but calm down now everyone-if you guess right away within the first few chapters of the book, your conclusion is correct. I'll never understand why girls think guys just hate them on sight.....that's a girl thing!
I did love Leigh's (and the author's) sense of humor (except for making fun of Li). I definitely laughed-out-loud at some points. Such as: "For a second my heart stopped, as I imagined a box filled with actual human babies. Oh my God, I thought, she went to some unsuspecting, underdeveloped country and pretended to be a celebrity so she could bring home a box of their children" (pgs.156-157), ok that reads pretty terrible. But placed in context it was really funny. Its one of those awfully funny things you want to express but don't know how to say in such an amusing manner. Or this: "This was coming from Ami, who has had many such moments herself in just the short time I've known her. Once she asked if Portuguese was just a dialect of Spanish. This was particularly disconcerting, considering Ami's last name is Gutierrez, she speaks fluent Spanish, and she visits extended family in Nicaragua every year. So you'd think she know" (pg.110), Ami on the other hand was a fantastic character. An artist who happened to be Latina who was witty but not "spicy", driven but not by academic pursuits. As I write this review I realize much of this book's humor comes at other people's expense....*winces* which reflects badly on me and perhaps the author.
And while I'm not in college yet I found it a reassuring book about college life, its not hunky-dory but its not a living, sleepless hell either. Leigh pulls all nighters but she also makes friends and reflects on Orientation and while her one extracurricular is forced, she does do SOMETHING besides mess around (not that I would mind a book about someone in college with zero academic focus as long as they were interesting). The Intro to Psych vocab words were a nice added touch even if I forgot them and failed to connect them to the chapter they headlined. I also found it quite refreshing that the resident Mean Girl was selfish and rude but also SMART.
This was cute and funny, reminded me a TON of Meg Cabot books (which is odd since I'm fairly positive I heard about the book from her) - clever characters, a slightly clueless but still loveable heroine with silly quirks, lots of pop culture references thrown around. A good time had by all.
Leigh Nolan is a freshman at tiny Stiles College in California. She's already decided on pursuing a psych major and is trying to juggle an academic life with a personal one, made more complicated by the fact that she's brought along her high school sweetheart, Andrew. Leigh has a tendency to over-analyze things and apply psychological theories to pretty much everything, and yet seems to be a little blind when it comes to her own life.
Alicia Thompson's debut YA novel is at times very funny and entertaining. Thompson writes well, with clear language and a sharp commentary on much of pop culture. The story is compelling enough for readers to be sucked in and want to finish it quickly. Although it's quite predictable, it's still a fun read.
However, there were issues with the book. Although the novel has the unique position of being set in college (a rarity for contemporary YA), it could just as easily have been set in high school. Apart from the fact that the teens in Thompson's novel have a bit of freedom and virtually no parental contact, there's not a lot to suggest a college environment. The tameness of the novel might have something to do with the book being published by Disney, but it might also be a case of trying to appeal to a younger audience as well.
Additionally, Leigh is at times so blind to her own life that it's difficult to find it believable. Readers might at times find themselves frustrated by her actions and thoughts. The issue with Leigh's inability to see her own life clearly feels like a plot contrivance and not a natural characteristic.
Finally, the secondary characters feel a little too convenient. They seem to largely fulfill stereotypes that serve the novel's plot, and nothing else. There is nothing complicated about the relationships in Leigh's life. Her high school boyfriend is conveniently a type-A jerk, her roommate is conveniently quirky and yet not a threat in any way, and the other girls in her psychology study group are complete stereotypes.
While the novel is fun and certainly recommended for reluctant readers, any reader who takes a few moments to reflect upon what happens and who the characters are will find themselves feeling unsatisfied. That being said, this reviewer will read Thompson's next effort and hopes to see her strengthen her craft as time goes on.
Alicia Thompson's debut YA novel is at times very funny and entertaining. Thompson writes well, with clear language and a sharp commentary on much of pop culture. The story is compelling enough for readers to be sucked in and want to finish it quickly. Although it's quite predictable, it's still a fun read.
However, there were issues with the book. Although the novel has the unique position of being set in college (a rarity for contemporary YA), it could just as easily have been set in high school. Apart from the fact that the teens in Thompson's novel have a bit of freedom and virtually no parental contact, there's not a lot to suggest a college environment. The tameness of the novel might have something to do with the book being published by Disney, but it might also be a case of trying to appeal to a younger audience as well.
Additionally, Leigh is at times so blind to her own life that it's difficult to find it believable. Readers might at times find themselves frustrated by her actions and thoughts. The issue with Leigh's inability to see her own life clearly feels like a plot contrivance and not a natural characteristic.
Finally, the secondary characters feel a little too convenient. They seem to largely fulfill stereotypes that serve the novel's plot, and nothing else. There is nothing complicated about the relationships in Leigh's life. Her high school boyfriend is conveniently a type-A jerk, her roommate is conveniently quirky and yet not a threat in any way, and the other girls in her psychology study group are complete stereotypes.
While the novel is fun and certainly recommended for reluctant readers, any reader who takes a few moments to reflect upon what happens and who the characters are will find themselves feeling unsatisfied. That being said, this reviewer will read Thompson's next effort and hopes to see her strengthen her craft as time goes on.
cute, but the uh racist caricature of the chinese kid was unnecessary ://
Originally posted at Disquietus Reads
I wish I had read this book before I did that Top Ten Tuesday post on authors who deserve more recognition because this book you guys. This book is a hidden gem that everybody should be reading. A fantastic cast of characters, fresh writing, and a swoon worthy romance? YES YES YES. Psych Major Syndrome is one of those rare books that just sang to my soul, from the moment I read the first sentence, the book I wish I’d had in my hands during my freshman year of college. It was so relatable and realistic and I never wanted it to end. The closer I got to finishing it, the more excuses I would find to stop reading and do something else because I wanted to live in Leigh’s life for just a little bit longer.
Leigh is a freshman at a small liberal arts college, and Psych Major Syndrome details her journey during this pivotal year, where she learns how to balance new academic needs, new relationships, a preoccupation with sex, and all of the other changes that come with leaving home and being on your own for the first time. She’s one of those characters I loved instantly, even more so because I could strongly relate to her, right down to her penchant for badly written romance novels. She’s just so well-rounded and normal. She’s smart and witty but she’s also naive and blind to the obvious and has that tendency to over analyze every little thing that I think all girls can relate to. She brought out all the emotions that you want to feel when reading. I cried with her and laughed with her and of course had moments when I wanted to strangle her for being oblivious or stubborn.
Thompson’s writing is fresh, witty, quirky in all the right ways and utterly charming. It just warmed my heart and caused me to constantly grin like a maniac while reading. While the story does contain some clichés, a couple of scenes that made me cringe and some moments that I wish had been better developed, they were not enough to distract from the story being told. The plot moves quickly and fully engaged all of my senses.
All of the secondary characters were also just as well-written and developed as Leigh. Her best friend/roommate Ami reminded me so much of my college roommate/now life long best friend it was almost like deja vu. Ami is artistic, vocal and absolutely the voice of reason. She’s not afraid to tell Leigh or anyone else how it is and I love it. She’s one of those secondary characters I would love to see have her own story told one day.
As for the two love interests, I have a lot of feelings. Andrew is Leigh’s high school sweetheart and the world’s biggest douche bag. Seriously. He actually had me Hulk smash raging every time he was on the page, to the point that I actually threw my book across the room. Of course I picked it right back up and hugged it close but still. I can’t remember the last time I hated a character this much. Rude, condescending, self-absorbed. If you don’t hate him from the moment you’re introduced to him you are doing something wrong. His roommate Nathan is pretty much is exact opposite. 100% swoon worthy, sweet, charming and caring, he’s pretty much the perfect guy. It also doesn’t hurt that he play’s guitar, walks around shirtless and has some issues of his own that make him an observer of human nature. While both of the guys could have been developed a little better, Nathan was definitely more fully developed than Andrew and is total book boyfriend material. And although I guess this could be considered a love triangle, it never really felt like one. The development’s in both of the relationships felt completely realistic, which was refreshing.
This was a perfect contemporary YA read for me and I look forward to any future works from this author.
I wish I had read this book before I did that Top Ten Tuesday post on authors who deserve more recognition because this book you guys. This book is a hidden gem that everybody should be reading. A fantastic cast of characters, fresh writing, and a swoon worthy romance? YES YES YES. Psych Major Syndrome is one of those rare books that just sang to my soul, from the moment I read the first sentence, the book I wish I’d had in my hands during my freshman year of college. It was so relatable and realistic and I never wanted it to end. The closer I got to finishing it, the more excuses I would find to stop reading and do something else because I wanted to live in Leigh’s life for just a little bit longer.
Leigh is a freshman at a small liberal arts college, and Psych Major Syndrome details her journey during this pivotal year, where she learns how to balance new academic needs, new relationships, a preoccupation with sex, and all of the other changes that come with leaving home and being on your own for the first time. She’s one of those characters I loved instantly, even more so because I could strongly relate to her, right down to her penchant for badly written romance novels. She’s just so well-rounded and normal. She’s smart and witty but she’s also naive and blind to the obvious and has that tendency to over analyze every little thing that I think all girls can relate to. She brought out all the emotions that you want to feel when reading. I cried with her and laughed with her and of course had moments when I wanted to strangle her for being oblivious or stubborn.
Thompson’s writing is fresh, witty, quirky in all the right ways and utterly charming. It just warmed my heart and caused me to constantly grin like a maniac while reading. While the story does contain some clichés, a couple of scenes that made me cringe and some moments that I wish had been better developed, they were not enough to distract from the story being told. The plot moves quickly and fully engaged all of my senses.
All of the secondary characters were also just as well-written and developed as Leigh. Her best friend/roommate Ami reminded me so much of my college roommate/now life long best friend it was almost like deja vu. Ami is artistic, vocal and absolutely the voice of reason. She’s not afraid to tell Leigh or anyone else how it is and I love it. She’s one of those secondary characters I would love to see have her own story told one day.
As for the two love interests, I have a lot of feelings. Andrew is Leigh’s high school sweetheart and the world’s biggest douche bag. Seriously. He actually had me Hulk smash raging every time he was on the page, to the point that I actually threw my book across the room. Of course I picked it right back up and hugged it close but still. I can’t remember the last time I hated a character this much. Rude, condescending, self-absorbed. If you don’t hate him from the moment you’re introduced to him you are doing something wrong. His roommate Nathan is pretty much is exact opposite. 100% swoon worthy, sweet, charming and caring, he’s pretty much the perfect guy. It also doesn’t hurt that he play’s guitar, walks around shirtless and has some issues of his own that make him an observer of human nature. While both of the guys could have been developed a little better, Nathan was definitely more fully developed than Andrew and is total book boyfriend material. And although I guess this could be considered a love triangle, it never really felt like one. The development’s in both of the relationships felt completely realistic, which was refreshing.
This was a perfect contemporary YA read for me and I look forward to any future works from this author.
It was ok. I felt the MC babbled WAY too much for me to care. Like serious rambling that carried on for paragraphs at a time. I get it, you have a lot of thoughts but trust me, you don't need to share them all. The good thing is she wasn't unlikeable.
However, I got really annoyed that I was always one step ahead of the MC. Half the time I was all "REALLY? You can't see how that is obviously not what is happening?".Like when the girl picked up Nathan's phone... COME ON, it's so OBVIOUS it was his sister! Oldest trick in the book, dude.
Nathan was a cutie though.
However, I got really annoyed that I was always one step ahead of the MC. Half the time I was all "REALLY? You can't see how that is obviously not what is happening?".
Nathan was a cutie though.