Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski
"2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time."- summary from Amazon

I loved this book- it was fun and breezy, but dealt with some real teen issues in a frank manner. Mlynowski doesn't tiptoe delicately around the idea of sex or teens drinking (although there's no actual description of the sex). So if you're turned off by books that are mostly about sex and partying, this may not be for you. I mean, it's regular teenagers on their own- what do you expect?

April was a great main character and I just loved her voice- it was so authentic. Mlynowski also did a good job balancing the good and bad of April's life so that both feel realistic. I really enjoyed her interactions with her friends and particularly with Noah, her boyfriend. The book transitions back and forth between the past and present, so the reader sees a lot of April's past with her parents, boyfriend, and friends. It really helped to flesh everybody out, especially Noah who is a bit of a jerk in the present. But Mlynowski shows the good side of him and the beginning of their relationship. I liked that because a lot of the time, the "wrong" boyfriend can be very one-dimensional and the reader is left wondering why the MC ever got into this relationship in the first place. The other guy, Hudson, is very dreamy; I loved him!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading about April's adventures on her own and it makes me want to catch up with the Sarah Mlynowski books I have yet to read (Gimme A Call, Magic in Manhattan #4 and some of her adult books). I hope you all check out this book too; it's a great summer read!

FTC: Received hardcover (signed!) at BEA (Sarah is a sweetheart). Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit received goes toward funding contests.