In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Freshmen
Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

A laugh-out-loud, realistic portrayal of a freshman year in college for fans of Girls and Broad City.

Getting in is just the beginning.

Phoebe can't wait to get to college. On her own, discovering new things, no curfew . . . she'll be free. And she'll be totally different: cooler, prettier, smarter . . . the perfect potential girlfriend. Convenient: the only person from her high school also going to York is her longtime crush, Luke.

Luke didn't set out to redefine himself, but as soon as he arrives on campus, he finds himself dumping his long-term long-distance girlfriend. And the changes don't stop there. In fact, being on a soccer team is the only thing that stays the same.

Just when things start looking up (and Phoebe and Luke start hooking up), drama looms on the horizon. Rumors swirl about the Wall of Shame, a secret text chain run by Luke's soccer team, filled with compromising photos of girls. As the women on campus determine to expose the team and shut down the account, Luke and Phoebe find themselves grappling with confusing feelings and wondering how they'll ever make it through freshman year.

The transition from high school to college can be really difficult. Freshmen follows Phoebe and Luke they attempt to find their way, and themselves, in this new setting.

• Pro: My favorite thing about this book was probably the humor. I laughed so much! 
• Pro: We are seeing more and more of these YA-goes-to-college books, and I really appreciated the way Ellen and Ivison explored how difficult the transition can be. The juxtaposition of Phoebe and Luke was perfect, showing one, who was flourishing and one, who was floundering. 
• Pro: I loved seeing Phoebe break out of her shell in college. She had flown under the radar in high school, but here she was was making friends, excelling academically, and really growing so much. 
• Con: They Americanized this book for the US release, but I wish they hadn't. It was a little awkward, and I really would have liked to have had an authentic peek into the English college system. 
• Pro: Though my circumstances weren't exactly like Luke's, I found I connected to his story more than Phoebe's. He felt a little lost. In high school, he had his steady girlfriend, his best friend, and his popularity. He found himself slightly adrift at university, and stayed in situations he was uncomfortable with in order to feel as though he belonged somewhere. 
• Pro: These two had some awesome friends. Phoebe's squad was definitely the best. D-dorm for the win, but Luke found a few quality people to support him as well. 
• Con: If this was a series, and I knew I was getting another book, I would have been ok, but since it is NOT a series, I must confess, I was a little let down by the ending. There was something that seemed to be starting, which I would love to have seen explored more. 
• Pro: I never had this much fun in college (engineering was not a fun major), but at least I got to have some solid experiences via Phoebe and Luke. The parties, kitchen sessions, girl talks, and Quidditch meetings were fantastic, and just added to the overall fun of the book. 
• Pro: This book has some drama, but it's pretty low-key, which is always something I appreciate. 

Overall: A great addition to the YA-goes-to-college set, which entertainingly captured the ups and downs of that first year of college.

Zen and Gone
Emily France
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Soho Teen
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Essence McKree feels older than any seventeen-year-old she knows. Ever since weed was legalized, Mom has been working in a pot shop, high more often than not. Lately it’s been up to Essa to care for her nine-year-old sister, Puck.

When Essa meets Oliver—a brainy indoor type, in town for the summer—she is cautious at first, distrustful of the tourist crowd and suspicious of Oliver’s mysterious past in Chicago. But Puck is charmed and pushes Essa toward him. Soon Essa finds herself showing Oliver the Boulder she has forgotten: the mountain parties, the long hikes…and at Oliver’s urging, the exploration of Buddhism at the local zendo.

When Oliver agrees to accompany Essa on a three-day survival game in the Rocky Mountains, she feels a lightness she hasn’t known in a long time. Then she discovers that Puck has stowed away and followed them into the wilderness. After spending a night stuck in a mountain storm, Essa wakes to find Puck missing. Now Essa must rely on her newfound spiritual strength if she is to save her sister’s life, and ultimately her own.

Essa had to assume the role of grown-up way before her time. She had been able to maintain her sanity via orienteering and Zen Buddhism, but will she be able to keep from cracking under all the pressure, when her sister goes missing?

• Pro: Justifiably angsty and super deep, Essa had a lot on her plate. At 17, she had to be the parent to both her pot-head mother and her little sister, Puck. I admired her devotion to her little sister, as well as resistance to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape. 
• Pro: Essa escapes were so much cooler. She utilized Zen Buddhism and wilderness treks to liberate herself, temporarily, from her everyday obligations. I know very little about Buddhism, therefore, all that was really interesting, and it's always great to visit the great outdoors, especially the majestic Rocky Mountains. 
• Con: I had some small issues with Puck. I thought she was kind of manipulative, and sort of unfair to Essa, but I gave her a little leeway because of her age. 
• Pro: I am a fan of the writing. France did a fantastic job conveying the complex emotions of both Essa and Oliver. She also lured me further into the story with the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the whimsy of Boulder. 
• Pro: He may have been a stoner, but Micah was a solid friend. He had a lot going on at home, but he still was there for Essa each and every time she needed him. 
• Pro: Although I didn't think the story actually needed Oliver, I enjoyed the friendship that developed between him and Essa. They were both the caretakers of the family. Although their situations were not identical, they both felt a huge responsibility towards their sister, and I was glad they could connect and share the load a little with each other. 
• Pro: The search for Puck was very intense, and I will admit to getting a little emotional a few times. 
• Pro: I loved the over-all message of this story. I feel like society as a whole is always thinking about the next move, and we just don't spend enough time being present. Zen and Gone did a good job reminding me how important this is. 

Overall: A book, which reminded me to stay in the moment and "be present", while exposing me to Zen Buddhism, survival skills, and the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

Love Me, Love Me Not
S.M. Koz
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

When Hailey Brown is removed from her home and put into foster care, all she wants is a safe, comfortable place where she can finish school and move on with her life. It’s not easy adjusting to a new school and a new life, but Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and their teenage son, Brad, welcome Hailey with open arms.

As Hailey begins to adjust to her new life, she and Brad grow closer. For the first time, Hailey feels like she might have a real shot at a future. Soon, however, Hailey realizes her relationship with Brad has crossed the line from friendship into something more. But being with Brad would mean giving up the perfect life that Hailey has waited so long to have.

Can Hailey and Brad resist the feelings that are developing between them—or will they risk it all to be together?

A past she must leave behind. A forbidden romance. An indefinite future. I didn't know it, when I picked it up, but it was exactly what I was looking for at the time, and I just plowed right through this book.

• Pro: Hailey was a character I found myself frustrated with, but also cheering for. She was in a tough situation, being removed from her home, bouncing from placement to placement, and a whole lot of other dysfunction. She made some decisions I wanted to throttle her for, but she also began to gain some confidence in herself and took control, and that was when I liked her best. 
• Pro: The Campbells were a picture perfect family, but they sometimes made mistakes. I was glad Koz gave them some flaws, because it made them more real for me. 
• Pro: We got to spend a little time with Hailey's social worker in the beginning of the book, and I absolutely adored her. I sort of wish she had more time on page. 
• Pro: Best bestie alert! Brittany was so fabulous and Hailey was extremely lucky that fate brought her into her world. Loved her!
• Pro: The romance was of the forbidden type, which I don't really have an opinion on, but I will tell you that I could not get enough of Brad and Hailey together. They had a great rapport, chemistry, and a super solid friendship, which only made their romance that much better. 
• Pro: Getting some peeks into the foster care system was interesting. It was encouraging to see the good parts of it, because all you ever hear about, usually, are the bad parts. 
• Pro: This story had some drama, and I would say it leans a little towards the soapy-side, but it was never too much. I won't lie, I loved some of those OTT elements. 
• Pro: Can we talk about the world's most perfect epilogue, because that's what Koz gave me. I could not erase the smile from my face after reading the it, and it made me yearn for a continuation of this story. 

Overall: A fabulous forbidden romance, which delivered an array of feels, and left me, ultimately, in a very happy place. I will definitely read more from S.M. Koz.

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you read any of these books?

Let us know in the comments!