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bsolarz's review
3.0
A teen read that shows the growth of 3 girls over the course of a summer. Was a cute summer read that would be perfect for next to the pool.
stephxsu's review
4.0
Often described as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for older readers, Bass Ackwards and Belly Up is a sweet debut novel that tracks an unexpected season in four friends' lives. Sophie, Kate, Becca, and Harper are all supposed to go to college... but at the last minute Harper tells them that she's staying home to go for her dream: writing the next Great American Novel. In actuality she's been rejected from the only school she applied to, but she conveniently doesn't tell her friends that. Harper's announcement starts a rebellion shocking in the girls' comfortable suburban neighborhood: Kate and Sophie decide to not go to college either. Sophie's going to LA to pursue her dream of being an actor, and Kate's decided to travel around Europe in search of something she's passionate about, something different from her life of plans. Becca's the only one of the four still going to college in Middlebury, so her friends give her an assignment in addition to being a skiing star: she has to fall in love.
In LA, Sophie has an up-and-down something going on with Sam, pool boy of the family she's staying with. She also gets together with a famous actor. Kate travels around Europe trying to accomplish the list of 100 things her friends have given her to do. Harper procrastinates on writing her novel and feels an attraction between her and Mr. Finelli, her hot and young former AP English teacher. And Becca deals with an unfair Middlebury coach and her disgust for football star Stuart Pendergrass... who happens to like her. A lot.
How will their romantic relationships turn out? Will their dreams come true? Bass Ackwards and Belly Up starts out slow, but it's well worth the first 50 pages of non-action. A sequel is in the process of publication.
In LA, Sophie has an up-and-down something going on with Sam, pool boy of the family she's staying with. She also gets together with a famous actor. Kate travels around Europe trying to accomplish the list of 100 things her friends have given her to do. Harper procrastinates on writing her novel and feels an attraction between her and Mr. Finelli, her hot and young former AP English teacher. And Becca deals with an unfair Middlebury coach and her disgust for football star Stuart Pendergrass... who happens to like her. A lot.
How will their romantic relationships turn out? Will their dreams come true? Bass Ackwards and Belly Up starts out slow, but it's well worth the first 50 pages of non-action. A sequel is in the process of publication.
catcervone's review
4.0
Each character had their moments when I wanted to reach in and shake them a little, but the girls won me over in the end. Such a cute, truthful, realistic book!
clevergirl216's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Characters were like able enough that it was very frustrating to see them make decisions that I knew immediately were big mistakes. Fairly predictable in many ways, for example, everybody ended up with the love interest I thought they would.
ama_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Four friends graduate high school and are about to follow the path of most teens – college. But when one announces she is going to follow her dream instead, it rocks the others’ worlds. College no longer seems to be the path to follow.
kricketa's review
4.0
i grabbed this for a quick skim so i could decide whether or not to buy the sequel for the collection. the beginning hooked me so i took it home and lurrrrrrved it. there's definitely traveling pants overtones: four best friends are going their separate ways for college- there's an athlete (becca), a novelist (harper), an actress (sophie) and one who is just lost (kate).
but the week before college begins harper shocks her friends by announcing that she's not going to NYU after all- she's moving into her parents' basement to write the next great american novel. sophia admires this and decides to defer UC Boulder in favor of los angeles and the limelight. kate, most suprisingly, turns down harvard...and doesn't even know why. she ends up buying a plane ticket to paris. becca still heads to middlebury for the ski team, but her friends insist that she too take part in a challenge- by falling in love.
what follows is the best of chick-lit as the girls find jobs in food service, meet boys, and make mistakes- so many mistakes, on their way to discovering what on earth they're doing. highly recommended. and i'm definitely buying the sequel.
but the week before college begins harper shocks her friends by announcing that she's not going to NYU after all- she's moving into her parents' basement to write the next great american novel. sophia admires this and decides to defer UC Boulder in favor of los angeles and the limelight. kate, most suprisingly, turns down harvard...and doesn't even know why. she ends up buying a plane ticket to paris. becca still heads to middlebury for the ski team, but her friends insist that she too take part in a challenge- by falling in love.
what follows is the best of chick-lit as the girls find jobs in food service, meet boys, and make mistakes- so many mistakes, on their way to discovering what on earth they're doing. highly recommended. and i'm definitely buying the sequel.
shelbyl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really nice story about 4 girlfriends who need to figure out who they really are and what they really want to do post high school. I didn’t believe the self reflection at the age they were, but I suspended that idea and enjoyed the rest of the story. Sweet.
blburslem's review
4.0
I read this in one sitting. I can't pinpoint why I liked it so much because there's nothing inherently great about the writing. I found it to be a quick, easy, fun read. A college aged version of the sisterhood of the traveling pants.
marryallthepeople's review against another edition
2.0
This was trying to be the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, but it wasn't nearly as good or cohesive. Some bright sparks but also each character had unlikable characteristics which was a bit disappointing.