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tobyyy's review
5.0
I really enjoyed Roomies, mostly because I was living vicariously through Eb and Lauren. I never went away to college, and I also didn't stay on campus. Nor did I have a serious relationship until I was already partially through college, so seeing those aspects were quite fun for me.
However, that also has its downsides - because I didn't go through what Eb and Lauren did, I don't know how realistic it is. It makes sense to me, to email your future roommate the summer before you start college, to get to know each other, but I mean, do kids these days actually do that? I guess they must or else Roomies would not be as well liked as it is.
This is a very fast read - or was for me - and that was also in its favor. A little fluffy, with its dark sides too. I recommend it to anyone who wants an easy YA read that is absorbing.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an opportunity to read & review this book.
However, that also has its downsides - because I didn't go through what Eb and Lauren did, I don't know how realistic it is. It makes sense to me, to email your future roommate the summer before you start college, to get to know each other, but I mean, do kids these days actually do that? I guess they must or else Roomies would not be as well liked as it is.
This is a very fast read - or was for me - and that was also in its favor. A little fluffy, with its dark sides too. I recommend it to anyone who wants an easy YA read that is absorbing.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an opportunity to read & review this book.
typesetjez's review
3.0
This book was okay, but not the best fit for me. However, if a high school senior girl was feeling apprehensive about leaving home, going to college, and living with a roommate for the first time, I would not hesitate to recommend this.
The dual perspective is handled well and deftly illustrates the issues of communication in a text-only format (in fact, all of the drama between the two girls seems to stem from this). The real stories actually happen apart from the roommate connection and focus more on boyfriends and family. I found EB's half a little boring and occasionally petty, but at the same time, I know someone exactly like her, so it felt very realistic. Lauren's half interested me a bit more, as she's a more likable character, of course, it doesn't hurt that Keyon was my favorite character in the book and he only existed in Lauren's world.
The dual perspective is handled well and deftly illustrates the issues of communication in a text-only format (in fact, all of the drama between the two girls seems to stem from this). The real stories actually happen apart from the roommate connection and focus more on boyfriends and family. I found EB's half a little boring and occasionally petty, but at the same time, I know someone exactly like her, so it felt very realistic. Lauren's half interested me a bit more, as she's a more likable character, of course, it doesn't hurt that Keyon was my favorite character in the book and he only existed in Lauren's world.
jcrawford728's review
3.0
Review originally posted at Mrs. Crawford's Thoughts
My number one question about this novel: Where was a book like this when I was getting ready to leave for college? There were so many parts in both Elizabeth’s and Lauren’s stories that brought me back to the summer before my freshman year of college. The feelings they have – excitement, apprehension, curiosity – are very realistic and honest. I remember wondering what my roommate would be like and what would happen to my friendships from high school as we all traveled down different roads. I smiled many times throughout reading Roomies as I felt very nostalgic for college.
I really liked the use of both Elizabeth’s and Lauren’s perspective. They are two very different girls with very different views and experiences. For example, Elizabeth is an only child; Lauren is the eldest of six children. There differences become clear through the emails they send. At times the girls feel a very strong connection, while at others they question if they will actually be able to live together. Readers get to read both the emails and experience the twists and turns of each girl’s summer. Both girls are well-developed, complex characters. Readers will like both girls, yet also question some of their decisions. Elizabeth and Lauren are interesting girls to get to know. I could see some of my students in both girls.
Roomies is part of the emerging genre of “new adult.” If other books in New Adult are similar to this, I can see the genre gaining momentum with college-aged readers. The first class I plan to book talk this with is my seniors I have this trimester. I think it can help them feel better about any fears or stress they have as college looms in the very near future and many are preparing to leave home for the first time. That is one of the amazing powers of books – to realize you are never alone in how you feel.
3.5/5 stars
My number one question about this novel: Where was a book like this when I was getting ready to leave for college? There were so many parts in both Elizabeth’s and Lauren’s stories that brought me back to the summer before my freshman year of college. The feelings they have – excitement, apprehension, curiosity – are very realistic and honest. I remember wondering what my roommate would be like and what would happen to my friendships from high school as we all traveled down different roads. I smiled many times throughout reading Roomies as I felt very nostalgic for college.
I really liked the use of both Elizabeth’s and Lauren’s perspective. They are two very different girls with very different views and experiences. For example, Elizabeth is an only child; Lauren is the eldest of six children. There differences become clear through the emails they send. At times the girls feel a very strong connection, while at others they question if they will actually be able to live together. Readers get to read both the emails and experience the twists and turns of each girl’s summer. Both girls are well-developed, complex characters. Readers will like both girls, yet also question some of their decisions. Elizabeth and Lauren are interesting girls to get to know. I could see some of my students in both girls.
Roomies is part of the emerging genre of “new adult.” If other books in New Adult are similar to this, I can see the genre gaining momentum with college-aged readers. The first class I plan to book talk this with is my seniors I have this trimester. I think it can help them feel better about any fears or stress they have as college looms in the very near future and many are preparing to leave home for the first time. That is one of the amazing powers of books – to realize you are never alone in how you feel.
3.5/5 stars
bookishbyso's review
3.0
I am so so glad that this new adult genre is catching on. I'm at the stage in life where I still love my YA but the problems/drama of 16 year old girls has started to grate on my nerves a little bit. I still love it, but reading about people in their university/college years, learning to stand on their own two feet, wave goodbye to their high school years and deal with the dilemmas this new world throws their was is my new reading passion. its the perfect in between of YA and adult books and as much as I love both, NA is my current undeniable favourite for obvious reasons.
This book was just about what I was expecting. It was neither riveting nor boring, but a happy medium. it centres on the lives of 2 different girls in their summer before starting university. After finding out who her new roommate at college will be and receiving her email address, Elizabeth sets in motion a summer of email correspondences with Lauren that give us and them a glance into their different worlds.
The book is sweet. a cute and easy read that doesn't require much thought or warrant an expedition to find a 'deeper meaning'. With this book, what you see is what you get; a glimpse of the dramas faced by girls as they prepare to step into their own and leave the comfort of familiar for the first time. None of the characters were particularly endearing to me and so I didn't really form any attachments to any of them apart from maybe Lauren. I felt a slight connection with Lauren, as I'm the oldest of 6 too. I could completely understand and relate to life as the oldest sibling, where no one quite understands just how invested in your family you are, or how much it really is like being a second mother. I completely understood her lack of socialising both physically and through social media, and her reluctance to 'spread her wings'. This was perhaps for me the highlight of the book; the description of the situation in which Lauren is in was something I had yet to come across, as very few understand how someone like Lauren feels, much less writes about it so accurately.
Jumping back and forth between the two different perspectives was a little disorientating at first but I eventually grew accustomed to it. it was a little like reading two stories at once in that the different povs in both email and novel form didn't flow as well as in some books like Attatchments by Rainbow Rowell. This isn't to say it was written badly, but there was room for improvement.
The issue of race came up in this story, and it was made known how everyone was really aware of the fact that Lauren's boyfriend was black. It showed how people really are still affected by race as EB and Lauren stepped tentatively around the subject and were both more comfortable and accepting than previous generations. it still shocks me a little to read how people really ARE still affected, as the town in England in which I was born and grew up was as mixed as it got. where I live, people don't bat an eyelid at the colour of your skin for the most part and everyone gets along just fine. I remember my 5 closest friends at school and I each had completely different ethnic backgrounds, and for my whole life that's just been the norm. in the story however, I feel Lauren and Elizabeth handled it well.
The ending was a little too abrupt for my liking, even though I suspected as much would be true when I read the blurb. This book literally doesn't go beyond their summer before college. An epilogue of some sort would have been nice considering the sudden ending but hey ho. That's the way it goes I suppose!
Overall, it was an easy read that was entertaining but not intriguing. Good for if and when you need something to read that won't particularly mess with your emotions but give you a good story nonetheless.
This book was just about what I was expecting. It was neither riveting nor boring, but a happy medium. it centres on the lives of 2 different girls in their summer before starting university. After finding out who her new roommate at college will be and receiving her email address, Elizabeth sets in motion a summer of email correspondences with Lauren that give us and them a glance into their different worlds.
The book is sweet. a cute and easy read that doesn't require much thought or warrant an expedition to find a 'deeper meaning'. With this book, what you see is what you get; a glimpse of the dramas faced by girls as they prepare to step into their own and leave the comfort of familiar for the first time. None of the characters were particularly endearing to me and so I didn't really form any attachments to any of them apart from maybe Lauren. I felt a slight connection with Lauren, as I'm the oldest of 6 too. I could completely understand and relate to life as the oldest sibling, where no one quite understands just how invested in your family you are, or how much it really is like being a second mother. I completely understood her lack of socialising both physically and through social media, and her reluctance to 'spread her wings'. This was perhaps for me the highlight of the book; the description of the situation in which Lauren is in was something I had yet to come across, as very few understand how someone like Lauren feels, much less writes about it so accurately.
Jumping back and forth between the two different perspectives was a little disorientating at first but I eventually grew accustomed to it. it was a little like reading two stories at once in that the different povs in both email and novel form didn't flow as well as in some books like Attatchments by Rainbow Rowell. This isn't to say it was written badly, but there was room for improvement.
The issue of race came up in this story, and it was made known how everyone was really aware of the fact that Lauren's boyfriend was black. It showed how people really are still affected by race as EB and Lauren stepped tentatively around the subject and were both more comfortable and accepting than previous generations. it still shocks me a little to read how people really ARE still affected, as the town in England in which I was born and grew up was as mixed as it got. where I live, people don't bat an eyelid at the colour of your skin for the most part and everyone gets along just fine. I remember my 5 closest friends at school and I each had completely different ethnic backgrounds, and for my whole life that's just been the norm. in the story however, I feel Lauren and Elizabeth handled it well.
The ending was a little too abrupt for my liking, even though I suspected as much would be true when I read the blurb. This book literally doesn't go beyond their summer before college. An epilogue of some sort would have been nice considering the sudden ending but hey ho. That's the way it goes I suppose!
Overall, it was an easy read that was entertaining but not intriguing. Good for if and when you need something to read that won't particularly mess with your emotions but give you a good story nonetheless.
danikawidjaja's review
4.0
Love Lauren's big family especially little P.J <3 Roomies is a really great book that everyone should read. I've read a hell lot of books, and this is the first time I read anything like this. Mark and Kayon is just so sweet and understanding while Zoe is just so gooood. I am half expecting Neil Owens to show up, but then turns out he's really a big jerk. I hope the authors made a short story about EB and Lo's first meeting and how EB interacts with Lo's family!
maya_b's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was pretty good. An easy fast read with topics of friendship, family and romance, and how things change at a certain point.
It’s not really my experience, since I’ve never shared a dorm room with anyone (or a room generally since I was, like, 8 and stopped sharing a room with my brother), only apartments, and also where I live it’s not common to get to know whom you live with in advance, so none of this communication thing has actually ever been a thing for me, but that didn’t change that I totally could relate to some of the stuff. Mostly the loosing friends, how will it go, what will it feel like to be away from family and all these things. Not so much the romance/partner stuff because I never cared. But it of course didn’t matter, because I don’t think you actually have to have any of these experiences to enjoy the book.
I had some trouble in the beginning, and there were moments in between where I felt like stuff didn’t go in a good direction, but the story always turned around to be good again, and in the end I just really enjoyed it.
It was really nice how the communication between Elizabeth and Lauren went, but I also really appreciated how all of the other characters communicated and interacted as well. Yeah, there was trouble, but whenever I thought “this is going wrong” or was annoyed with how little communication there was or I was certain that some things would happen just for even more drama in this book, it didn’t end like I thought and it kind of worked. Was there too little communication? Yeah, totally, at times, but then they always kind of got it just at the right time to not be to late, I think. Was there a lot of drama? Yeah, absolutely, but the amount of it kinda worked and it didn’t feel like too much, just a lot, and I think that’s alright. Were there problems that could have been avoided? Yeah, 100%, but they were always kind of solved in the end, and it worked.
I didn’t like some stuff, especially towards the end of the book, and I didn’t like some characters, but they did feel like real characters, not flat, and I could understand where everyone was coming from, and even if I didn’t like them, it felt like they belonged in the story and I wouldn’t want them gone. I wish some stuff would have been a little different (for example I really didn’t like how angry EB was at Lauren) but I also totally understand why it didn’t and I wouldn’t say it was wrong. It was just not to my personal preferences.
Also, this might sound stupid, but I really appreciated that there was no attempted sexual assault in this book. (Not that I would have expected any, but in every recent contemporary book I read, there was at least one scene, so I was kind of afraid it would happen at any moment, but it didn’t, and I really really appreciate that this story didn’t feel the need for a scene like that.)
In conclusion: a very enjoyable book, even if some stuff wasn’t for me and I couldn’t relate to everything, and even though I didn’t like all the characters, but it worked and I had fun.
misajane79's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this story of that awkward summer between graduating high school and heading off to college. Though the boys were a bit too good to be true, I certainly related to all the emotions surrounding moving on.
maggiemaggio's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Can I go away to college again? I know I’ll (hopefully!) be starting grad school in the fall, but it’s so not the same thing. This book made me yearn for my summer before college (which I barely remember (cough Mike’s Hard Lemonade cough)) and all of the nervousness/excitement/change that comes along with it. I expected to like this book, but in the end I was completely smitten by it.
My favorite surprise was how little of the book was made up of the actual emails. I was worried I’d be reading a book that was mostly written in emails, but that wasn’t the case at all. I’d say if a chapter was 10 pages maybe a page and a half or two pages would be the actual emails. The rest of the chapter was about what else was going in in Elizabeth or Lauren’s lives, with a fair amount of each of them thinking about their roommate. I also loved that the emails weren’t repetitive. They either took a new spin on something we already knew or filled us in on a part of the story that had been left out of the narrative.
Of the two characters, Lauren and Elizabeth (who sometimes goes by EB and who Lauren refers to as Ebb (which I LOVED)), I definitely related more to Elizabeth. Lauren lives in San Francisco with this huge family. She has five younger siblings who are all much younger than she is. She’s kind of like a third parent to them, which she doesn’t completely mind, but also kind of minds. Lauren also has really amazing, supportive parents (even though I thought they were nuts for having SIX kids!). Elizabeth, on the other hand, lives in New Jersey with her single mother. Her father came out of the closet and left when she was five years old. EB’s mom isn’t the greatest, she’s kind of been beaten down my life and doesn’t always make the best choices when it comes to men. Even though I have two parents who are happily married to each other I definitely related more to EB’s situation of going to college away from home, worrying about whether your friends will still be your friends, and trying to figure out who you want to be in college.
A lot of what EB and Lauren discuss revolves around first love. When the story stars off EB is dating someone, but she doesn’t really feel anything for him romantically, it’s just kind of easy because they’re both part of the same group of friends. One day when she’s working she meets Mark and they have an instant connection, but she’s not sure what to do since she’s technically still dating someone and because she’s leaving for college across the country in a couple months. Lauren is very single when the story starts, but she starts to have feelings for Keyon, the son of the guy who owns the sandwich shop where she works. But she holds back because she feels like he’s more popular and experienced than she is and she’s not sure if he’s really interested. The approach the story took to first, young love rang so true to me. How many people really end up with the person they were dating right after high school? Especially when they both go away for school. I loved EB and Lauren’s attitudes about the longevity of their crushes/relationships.
This might be controversial, but whatever, I really enjoyed how race was handled in this book. EB at one point wonders if Lauren’s white and I think that’s a totally normal question that for some reason is often treated as taboo. Keyon, Lauren’s love interest, is black and even though she thinks of herself and her family as open-minded San Francisco liberals she still worries what Keyon’s parents think of her as a white girl and what her parents will think of Keyon on a black man. In my opinion it’s really healthy to talk about race and acknowledge it rather than push it under the rug.
Bottom Line: Roomies was a great book for me to end 2013 with. I fell in love with EB and Lauren and seriously rooted for their friendships with each other and their relationships at home. It was fun to read a story from this perspective and from this time in a young adult’s life. I can’t recommend this enough. Start 2014 with this one!
This review first appeared on my blog.
Can I go away to college again? I know I’ll (hopefully!) be starting grad school in the fall, but it’s so not the same thing. This book made me yearn for my summer before college (which I barely remember (cough Mike’s Hard Lemonade cough)) and all of the nervousness/excitement/change that comes along with it. I expected to like this book, but in the end I was completely smitten by it.
My favorite surprise was how little of the book was made up of the actual emails. I was worried I’d be reading a book that was mostly written in emails, but that wasn’t the case at all. I’d say if a chapter was 10 pages maybe a page and a half or two pages would be the actual emails. The rest of the chapter was about what else was going in in Elizabeth or Lauren’s lives, with a fair amount of each of them thinking about their roommate. I also loved that the emails weren’t repetitive. They either took a new spin on something we already knew or filled us in on a part of the story that had been left out of the narrative.
Of the two characters, Lauren and Elizabeth (who sometimes goes by EB and who Lauren refers to as Ebb (which I LOVED)), I definitely related more to Elizabeth. Lauren lives in San Francisco with this huge family. She has five younger siblings who are all much younger than she is. She’s kind of like a third parent to them, which she doesn’t completely mind, but also kind of minds. Lauren also has really amazing, supportive parents (even though I thought they were nuts for having SIX kids!). Elizabeth, on the other hand, lives in New Jersey with her single mother. Her father came out of the closet and left when she was five years old. EB’s mom isn’t the greatest, she’s kind of been beaten down my life and doesn’t always make the best choices when it comes to men. Even though I have two parents who are happily married to each other I definitely related more to EB’s situation of going to college away from home, worrying about whether your friends will still be your friends, and trying to figure out who you want to be in college.
A lot of what EB and Lauren discuss revolves around first love. When the story stars off EB is dating someone, but she doesn’t really feel anything for him romantically, it’s just kind of easy because they’re both part of the same group of friends. One day when she’s working she meets Mark and they have an instant connection, but she’s not sure what to do since she’s technically still dating someone and because she’s leaving for college across the country in a couple months. Lauren is very single when the story starts, but she starts to have feelings for Keyon, the son of the guy who owns the sandwich shop where she works. But she holds back because she feels like he’s more popular and experienced than she is and she’s not sure if he’s really interested. The approach the story took to first, young love rang so true to me. How many people really end up with the person they were dating right after high school? Especially when they both go away for school. I loved EB and Lauren’s attitudes about the longevity of their crushes/relationships.
This might be controversial, but whatever, I really enjoyed how race was handled in this book. EB at one point wonders if Lauren’s white and I think that’s a totally normal question that for some reason is often treated as taboo. Keyon, Lauren’s love interest, is black and even though she thinks of herself and her family as open-minded San Francisco liberals she still worries what Keyon’s parents think of her as a white girl and what her parents will think of Keyon on a black man. In my opinion it’s really healthy to talk about race and acknowledge it rather than push it under the rug.
Bottom Line: Roomies was a great book for me to end 2013 with. I fell in love with EB and Lauren and seriously rooted for their friendships with each other and their relationships at home. It was fun to read a story from this perspective and from this time in a young adult’s life. I can’t recommend this enough. Start 2014 with this one!
This review first appeared on my blog.