Review: 10 Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: June 7th, 2011
Genre: Contemporary YA
Pages: 368 pgs
ISBN: 9780061701245

Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

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.

My Review:

Again, this is another book I had to buy because of all the hype and this book lived up to the hype. I loved this story. It reminded me of being in high school and all the crazy things I did. I moved in with my dad when I was almost done high school and to say that he travelled a lot is an understatement. I was often left on my own in an apartment and while that may seem glamorous but it also means that you have a grocery shop on your own and pay the bills with money given to you. I could relate to April in that way but I have to admit while I may have had a few people over to the apartment when no one was there, I did not bring it to the level that these two girls did. I think I actually laughed out loud when they bought a hot tub for their place. What an amazingly good idea that could turn into such an amazingly horrible idea. This is a great summer read and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a fun, hilarious read. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.