Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)
Sarah Mlynowski
HarperTeen
354p. ARC - 6/7/11
Let me just say, I hope they change the cover when this is published. This book is more about two friends enjoying three months of freedom than it is about romance. Also, you need to put aside reality for this realistic fiction read. If you do that, you will enjoy Ten Things and possibly read it all in one sitting. Or maybe that was just me...
It all begins with April's dad letting her stay behind in Connecticut while he and her stepmom move to Cleveland. Did I tell you April is only a junior in high school? And the girl she's staying with has a mom who is extremely unreliable? Yeah, well, Violet, aka Vi, comes up with an ingenious plan to fool both sets of parents and her and April get the party rocking. They've got a $1,000 mo. budget and no supervision. This should be the perfect time for April to take her relationship with Noah to the next level and Vi decides she wants to get it on too. They plan dates but things don't work out as planned. Juggling a house, some hotties, and school prove to be just a little more than the girls expected.
Ten Things We Did jumps back and forth between the now of April's life and how she ended up wanting to stay in Connecticut. We meet her mom and her brother Matthew and find out why they are in Paris instead of with April and her dad. The few times we "meet" April's mother leads me to want more.
"And anyway...I was her friend. When your parents divorced and your mom started dating again, that's what happened...Mom needs someone to dissect dates with..."
There has to be more to the story. I'm a divorced mom and I have actual friends my own age who I talk to about personal things, not my soon-to-be sophomore daughter. We are closer than many mother-daughter duos but she is STILL just a kid! Also, the mom lives in Paris! What gives?
I'd also like to know more about Vi. She is self-sufficient and smart and takes care of herself. But she also exercises constantly. What's up with that?And Hudson, he sounds hotter than the guy on the cover. Change that cover, HarperTeen!
Overall, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) is a fun, lighthearted read. It touches on quite a few teen issues in an informational non-preachy way. April and Vi have a good time but learn about themselves and what they really want along the way.
Other fun reads:
Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski
ARC courtesy of AmazonVine
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I never thought Hudson was the boy on the cover, I always assumed it was Noah. And I agree it is mainly about friendship--there is a lot of romance-focus, too. It really seems to be the main theme of their friend talks. (BTW, I kind of really like the cover. I know it doesn't fit perfectly, but it's attention grabbing)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fun even if reality needs to be slightly suspended. But hey, it's fiction, right? ;O) As a mom, the idea of leaving a kid behind unsupervised sends me running but as a former teenager, I love it. ;O)
ReplyDeleteDrea - I don't know - I feel like we spent more time with Hudson than Noah. I didn't think the girls talked about romance as much as they talked about relationships. And I'm all for a cover being attention-grabbing if it follows through. I just thought the title combined with pic didn't work for me.
ReplyDeletePam - It's totally worth the read! And yeah, my mom self is who read this book!
Oh no, we spend WAY more time w/Noah until the end. He's just kind of in the background pouting more often than not. Noah is around way more than it seems. AND while Hudson is mentioned a lot, he doesn't stay very long. He's very in and out.
ReplyDeleteNow back to the cover. I can see your point...I DO...but I'm not sure what would have worked w/this one. I think girls on the cover would have been equally misleading? Maybe a hot tub? LOL
the guy on the cover has to be noah. noah has dark hair, and hudson has dirty blonde hair.
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