Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Source: Publisher

Summary: (inside cover) So let's say you're fourteen and live in New York City. (Well, technically you live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, which is very close to and almost like Manhattan...except not.) You'd think your life would be like a glamorous TV show, right? And yet...

You don't have a checking account, much less a personal Black American Express Card. No fake ID, either--not that you'd pass for twenty-one in a million years, even if you did. The only couture in your closet is a Halloween costume your mom made out of an old laundry bag when you were eleven. You've never been to a club or had a drink served in a martini glass or, frankly, done anything really NYC-ish at all.

You definitely don't have any secret powers, or friends who are vampires, or magical weapons stored in your parents' basement. You're about as normal and totally boring as a human being living in the most exciting city on the planet could possibly be. In other words? You're me: Kelsey Finkelstein.

But don't despair, people--I'm starting high school in less than a week! This is going tot be the year that I live up to all of my untapped potential--finally. I have to say...I'm feeling almost optimistic.

Review: Sometimes you just need an empowering, giddy read that actually makes you want to clean your room happily. With Kelsey as the narrator for this novel, you will feel that way when you finish reading Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters. For a fourteen-year-old, Kelsey is surprisingly resilient and honest of a character.

She goes through the stages of crushing on one guy, and experiencing the pain of betrayal in losing a friend, and she does what freshman should do during their first year of high school. That is, putting yourself out there. Finding a niche. I was certainly not expecting to love this book. Like? Yes. But love? It went beyond my expectations for a book on freshman year. Awesome!

Although there was heartbreak, Kelsey dealt with it maturely. She didn't have a whiny voice that only complained. Kelsey's rationale kept this song (story) from becoming repetitive or boring. There is just so much fun to be had living vicariously through Kelsey. She goes through some hurt, but then recovers.

Although her recovery is replaced with planning for revenge, Kelsey still manages to make friends at her new high school, attend parties, deal with more hurt, join theater and get entangled with the school newspaper, then go to more parties. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments courtesy of our sarcastic Kelsey. She is someone anyone would love to have as a friend. And I'm very glad that I got to know her. I recommend to those looking for an easy read, for a funny narrator, or for a book that will make you feel good. Happy reading!

Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5

(The romance was a bit rushed near the end although understandable, so not a 5.)