Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (Penguin)
Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0399254239
Pages:  288

I received this book from the Public Relations person in exchange for an honest review.


Quick Summary:  Kelsey Finkelstein lives in NYC (well, actually Brooklyn) with her parents and little sister.  She's decided to 'make her mark' in freshman year.  She has three bff's: Em (quiet one), Cass (theatrical one) and JoJo (wild one). 

This story is like watching actual high school!  I think we've all experienced some of the exact things Kelsey goes through.  I know I did.  I actually laughed out loud at times. 

Kelsey tries everything to make her mark - sports, theater, clothes, you name it.  She feels like she's failing miserably at every turn.  It's hard to see yourself clearly at fourteen and that shows up in this book.  You get to see what she's doing, the results and how Kelsey sees the results.  The resulting effect is hilarious.

Kelsey has her sights set on Jordan, a gorgeous upperclassman.  Jordan's girlfriend moved over the summer, so he's fair game.  Unfortunately, that means to everyone, even her bff's.  Boys can cause more trouble between friends than anything else in the world.

Add in a mysterious photographer who keeps putting Kelsey in the school paper in various unflattering pictures; Ben, a cute guy that works at the school paper that Kelsey is sure is messing with her; the possibility that one of her bff's is a lesbian and a mother that refuses to shop at anywhere but Loehman's and you've got a fabulous story.  This is a must read for not just the YA group, but their mom's as well.