Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters: Book Review

Novel: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin | Goodreads

Release Date: March 1st, 2012

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Format: ARC

Source: Publisher

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…
(Synopsis and Image from Goodreads)

Willa's Rambles:
   When I got Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters, I immediately wanted to read it because of the cover! It's so cute, and perfectly portrays the novel, but in a way you wouldn't think.
   Kelsey throughout the novel is dealing with misfortune just raining her way, and this cover demonstrates that in a way that is unique. I really liked Kelsey because she was relate-able - she has best friends to face the first day of high school with, where she wants to make a mark and for the most popular boy in school to fall in love with her. Easy enough, right? For Kelsey it isn't, especially when everything you do is falling down around you, and friends come from unexpected places...
   I loved Kelsey's friends! They each had their own personalities and their own quirks that made you love them. My personal favorite was JoJo, but that's partly because her name rocks. Em was sweet and kind, and Cass was the theatrical and fun one, but also the one that surprised me the most. I think it would be really interesting to hear this story from her perspective, because she kind of got swept up in the storyline, with her own story happening without the reader ever hearing much about it.
   Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters traces a girl's beginning of high school, first loves, first heartbreaks, and sheds light on one of the most important lessons in life: That friends are everything, especially when life seems to be raining all day and night.
   You should really pick this one up! It's funny, sweet, and a great weekend read.