Meredith ZeitlinRecensioni
Autore di Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
Recensioni
Kelsey, Cassidy, JoJo and Em are just so much fun! They really took me back to my high school days. Here is a group of girls who do literally everything together. Kelsey especially stole my heart, and who can blame her? She's funny, sarcastic, and absolutely hilarious! I loved the way that she always seemed to be able to take everything in stride. Sure, there are points where she overreacts just like any normal teen. Still, she always managed to see the lighter side (and cause me to laugh) and things were off and running again. I adore this girl!
Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters is the prefect mix of light-hearted reading and real teen issues. Zeitlin shows that girls Kelsey's age are faced with a lot of issues, but that they still have the power to make good decisions. Kelsey and her friends do drink and party in this book, although they do it in a mostly responsible way. Once in a while they do make the wrong choice in a situation, but they always learn from it and move on. Honestly, Kelsey reminds readers that high school isn't the easiest place to be. However with the right head on your shoulders, and the help of some great friends, it's totally do-able!
Add in the craziest (and cutest) build up to a relationship that I've ever seen, and you have a book that just blew me away. I absolutely loved Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters and I know that you will too! Go get yourself a copy and dive in. You won't regret it!
It’s always been Zona and her dad after her mom died after giving birth to Zona. They’ve happily taken care of each other with headline notes and being together. Dad is a journalist, and Zona is on the staff at the school newspaper, hence, the notes written like headlines in their apartment! One day Zona’s dad says they are moving to Greece for six months so that he can write a book on what’s happening with the Greece people and the economy. Zona is NOT happy. Another part of the trip is that she is going to meet her mom’s entire Greek family. As far as Zona is concerned, she can go her whole life without meeting them. They abandoned her mother and have never wanted to talk to her, so why now?
Zona has many friends and really doesn’t want to leave. What she finds in Greece though is surprising. She rarely gets to socialize with her father because he works constantly. She attends an international school where they speak English. Customs and life is very different in Greece than the United States. You’ll enjoy seeing the differences. When Zona finally spends time with her Greek family, she learns what really happened between them and her mother.
If you have a free afternoon and want a fun, make-you-smile novel to read, pick this one up!
I love a book with humor in it and Freshman Year and Other Disasters had me in stitches right from the beginning. It’s the perfect light, funny read that you can get through in one sitting. It’s a little more over the top than my first year of high school but it is easy to relate to Kelsey, and gives me a taste of what’s to come with my own daughter approaching these years.
Kelsey’s voice is so funny, honest and sarcastic and the situations she got herself in were laugh out loud hilarious. She is a teensy bit self-absorbed but her voice rings true to her age. Kelsey rolls with the punches through each cringe worthy obstacle that’s thrown at her and that makes her such an endearing character. My heart just went out to her with all the trouble she finds herself in.
There are many realistic high school issues dealt with in the book that gives it a little more substance. Friendship drama is something I’m familiar with from high school, and the friend issues that arise in the book are easy to relate to and handled in a refreshing way. Sex and drugs also come into play and Kelsey finds herself in some uncomfortable situations. It may seems like fourteen is a little young for these issues but I didn’t find how it was addressed to be unrealistic.
In addition to the friends and boys in Kelsey’s life she also has some great scenes with her mother. Their relationship is true to life with their arguing over where to shop and having heart to hearts about Kelsey’s issues. And Kelsey joking about how it was when her mom grew up throughout had me laughing. The challenges of being a fourteen year old and a parent of one were evident in the book.
This book would make a great read for someone about to start high school or for a funny look back on those years. At least it would make you feel better that you didn’t have as many embarrassing incidents as Kelsey. The writing is super sharp and funny and I couldn’t stop laughing when I tried to describe the high school musical production scene from the book out loud. Freshman Year and Other Disasters is Meredith Zeitlin’s debut novel and you can find it in stores today.
In the mood for plenty of laughs? Keen to pick up a really entertaining book? Then Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters is PERFECT for you!
Meredith Zeitlin's debut novel for 2012 is a fun, entertaining read that keeps you simultaneously giggling and cringing throughout. There sure are plenty of disasters, alright, a continuous string of amusing situations that Kelsey finds herself in.
The pacing of the book was pretty good - a very easy, quick read. The pacing at the end, however, was a little too fast for me. I felt that it ended really abruptly and seemed a little rushed. It is a shame because I would have liked to have more of a chance to savour the events that occurred in the last chapter.
Kelsey is your average teenage girl who manages to find herself in so many torturous and embarrassing situations. Everything
bad that could possibly happen, happened. I felt so bad for Kelsey! Yet, she manages to handle them humorously without losing a sense of who she is. She is a very realistic and relatable character - wanting to make a name for herself in high school, but unfortunately manages to do so in the worst ways possible.
At the start I was a little confused between Kelsey's three best friends, JoJo, Cass and Em. Eventually as their personalities and characteristics are unveiled, I was able to easily distinguish between them all. They are all very different characters, and each cause their fair share of drama and/or entertainment.
I really love Kelsey’s character. She kept me in stitches with all the mishaps that happen on her first year of high school. I can totally sympathize with her on some of the things that happened; as I definitely remember my freshman year all too well. Her best friends; Cass, JoJo and Em were all wonderfully well thought out characters as well! I really enjoyed the relationships that these four girls had.
All of the ‘disasters’ that poor Kelsey went through definitely make the book a hilarious read. From her first kiss, to being back-stabbed by her best friend over a boy, to a school play gone wrong; it all adds up to some really funny situations. Add in some pretty emotional teenage drama, a great storyline and it all comes together into a really fun read.
The only part in the book that I had an issue with was all the underage drinking. Call me a prude, but I am not a fan of drinking at all. And being a mom of a 13 year old, I would definitely not want my daughter drinking at that age. I understand that all kids experiment, and that’s ok, but I just felt that it went a little overboard. I do, however, think that the author sent out a good message about the other issues that teen’s face; sex, drugs, homosexuality, etc. (Please keep in mind that this is just me, and I know many people will not feel this way!)
Overall, this book is definitely one of the funniest books I’ve read so far this year. The teenage drama and the fun characters definitely kept me hooked. I am definitely looking forward to reading more work by this author in the future. This really was a great read!
http://www.thereaderbee.com/2012/03/review-freshman-year-other-unnatural.html
As she, along with her best friends wild and crazy Jojo, theatrically inclined Cass, and the quiet and reserved (at least around everyone else) Em, start the new year it looks like things just might be taking a turn for the better - if not great. Kelsey's rival on the soccer team has moved cross-country, finally giving Kelsey a shot at standing out on the team - and possibly at the girl's former boyfriend.
Quickly enough, though, it becomes clear that things aren't quite as sunny as Kelsey thought they were. An upperclassmen is ready to make Kelsey's quest for soccer stardom much more difficult than she imagined. And a pesky school newspaper photographer seems to be waiting around every corner, ready to capture unflattering photos of Kelsey.
Will Kelsey's resolve be enough to make freshman year a great one or will the new school keep coming up with new trouble for Kelsey, her friends, and maybe even her friendships?
Sometimes I'm wary of YA books with younger main characters because they can seem juvenile or harder for me to relate to than the older YA characters, I'm so happy I read this one (when asked), though. While Kelsey is just fourteen, Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters, does a great job of both making the characters seem their ages so that readers of the same or similar age can relate to them and it also reminds older readers of what it was like being that age (without coming across as someone older and wiser).
Zeitlin's book reminded me a lot of ninth grade and the way you do have to feel certain things out - both with starting high school and also with the way friendships change.
My freshman year was definitely not as dramatic as Kelsey's but I really enjoyed the way the girls' relationships with each other changed throughout the book and how different characters affected each of them (and their friendships, too). I thought it was really true to how things are at that age.
While I do know that teens drink - ninth grade and younger, too - I wasn't a huge fan of all the drinking in Freshman Year. It was more of a personal thing, but I'm not sure it was all necessary (not everyone drinks -which true was shows, but sometimes it's nice to read a YA novel without it or with it downplayed).
Meredith Zeitlin did a fantastic job , especially considering this is her first novel, capturing what a really tricky time in life (freshman year) is like extremely well and with incredible humor to boot*. Her characters were lovable and their friendship was great. Each of the girls is unique and has their own personality that shines through and though they're all different, you'd probably want to be friends with almost all of the girls in this book (with the exception of one and you'll know who after you read the book!).
What I enjoyed most about this book is the great characters. Kelsey is a freshmen. Bent on setting a name for herself, Kelsey is determine to do things a certain way. I loved Kelsey. She reminded me of me when I was young. Over dramatic, heart-broken , embarrassing moments, anyone can relate to this girl. I loved that Kelsey feels real. She's not perfect. She just a girl in this world trying desperately to find her place.
I really loved the plot line. It was simple yet a wonderful journey to walk in. To see Kelsey grow with every mistake made her such a better person. Yes, she got all teenageary and cried, got attitude, but who wouldn't? I like that her character feels real. She captured the voice a teenage girl beautifully.
Freshmen Year & Other Unnatural Disasters is a cute coming of age book. Ms. Zeitlin has a way of writing everyday situations that everyone can relate to and enjoy.
Now that that's done, this is a hard review to write. I want to tell all the funny parts! But I won't do that to you or Kelsey. Kelsey's plan for freshman year is to be the new best Kelsey she can be. She's finally going to be left wing on the JV soccer team. She's going to get a boyfriend, not Keith Mayhew, the guy that's been following her around forever. She's going after Jordan Rothman, her crush "since birth." Of course, she does have to worry about his girlfriend of three years, the same girl that always beats her out at the position of left wing, but good things happen on the first day of school, this same girl Jemma, the bane of every girl's existence has moved!! To Arizona! So things are looking up, sort of. Except Kelsey might have ticked off the wrong girl at tryouts. And Jemma's cousin moves to town! And these unflattering pictures of her keep showing up in the school paper. But through all this, she has her besties, Em, Cassidy, and JoJo. Maybe.
Kelsey's voice tells the story and her voice is strong and sarcastic and trying to figure things out. She is the best teen voice I've read. She reasons things out, she's strong, she takes the bad things, looks at them and then tries her best to take them with a grain of salt. Even the most mortifying things. She's always able to laugh at herself. Even at the worst of times. And the ability to laugh at herself gets her through a really tough year. From being kicked in the back, to being stabbed in the back, Kelsey uses her friends to help her and her sense of humor to handle everything thrown at her.
Kelsey also has a mom and dad that are present in her life. Her mom especially who is up on the Typical Adolescent Behavior and is always passing her behavior off as such. But she's super supportive of her kids and when Kelsey needs her, her mom is there for her. Still makes her do her chores, but listens when she needs someone to cry to and unload on. And she has a little sister who is typical as a little sister, annoying and always busting in the door when her friends are there in her room. (Probably read her diary, too!)
The writing is witty and has a lot of dialogue. Good dialogue. Whether it's internal or out loud, it's crisp and laced with attitude. The chapters flow together and the book is spread out over the school year. I like that not too much time was spent on any one part of the year. I absolutely connected with Kelsey. I was experiencing every trauma and triumph with her. I was thinking right along with her trying to figure things out.
I am so hoping that this is going to be a series because this was such a great book! It has something a little extra that a lot of books in this genre don't. It hits on the peer pressure and what girls think all the other girls think other girls are doing. Kelsey gets into a difficult situation and she's afraid of being the only girl in her grade not doing what the other girls are doing. There are really good lessons about all of that in the novel, but it doesn't feel like a lesson at all.
Okay so if I had a rating system, I'd give it a ten. The writing is easy and fun. The main character is well developed and she knows what to expect from each friend. The secondary characters might have been developed a little more, but really, they were perfect just as they were. The plot was unique. I mean, the play scene, I could not have imagined it if I had tried! The dialogue was engaging and fun. I wouldn't change a thing in the novel.
This is for the freshman and up as it does mention sex and there is teen drinking. I don't remember a lot of bad language, but there was a little. None of the above was excessive.
Heather
I think 'Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters' rubbed me the wrong way. Either from my excess amount of maternal hormones, a lack of common interest, or it was not in the stars for me and this book to get along. =)
The first time I tasted alcohol was when I was 18 and same goes about sex education, yes, I was pretty much sheltered which probably is majority of why I teeter on enjoying this book. It was like a big "WHOA!" reaction to read a 14 year old, namely Kelsey and her friends, to be drinking and talking about sex. I couldn't really enjoy her character because she was too obsessed and narrow minded on constantly thinking and talking about boys. Kelsey rambles on and complains too much in every scene. I couldn't really get hooked on anything, or find a common ground.
The Likes: There were two occasions where a passage had me in laughing stitches. Everyone enjoys a good laugh. If with the right audience the writing is true to life and elaborately detailed and can be entertaining. With all the drama and on getting to know kelsey, I feel like the ending wouldn't last, or the ending felt more like a consolation prize. Even though, the ending was likeable in a cliche kind of way.
Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters was not my cup of tea, but don't let me spoil it for you because it might just be your brand! I'm more of a para-dystopian-fantasy java kind of chick.
As a reader, I was able to identify with bits and pieces of each character. Meredith Zeitlin does an amazing job with the story. It's been quite a while since I was reading a book and yelling at the characters!
Honestly, I hated high school. I have to say, it's been many, many years since I went through that unpleasant chapter of my life, but I think I may have enjoyed it if I'd had a buddy like Kelsey.
This is a quick, easy read. I hope to read more about Kelsey and her trials and tribulations as she goes through life.
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 (summary courtesy of Goodreads).
Kelsey just really wants her first year of high school to be the year; the year she shines on the soccer team, the year her crush finally realizes she’s alive and the year that everything will change for the better. She is determined to make her dreams come true. But first she has to contend with her mom—well-meaning but clueless and constantly embarrassing, a junior who seems to have put Kelsey at the top of her “people I love to hate” list, a newspaper photographer with a knack for taking the wrong picture and the changing dynamics of her long-time group of friends. Maneuvering her way through the first year of high school may be more difficult than Kelsey ever imagined.
Once in a while, a book comes along that makes you smile and leaves you with a good feeling deep in your soul. Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters is that book. I fell in love with this book almost immediately. Kelsey Finkelstein is the perfect teenager; she is bitingly sarcastic, funny and absolutely convinced that everything is about her. Zeitlin is able to completely grasp the concept of an awkward teenager making her way in the world and she accurately portrays exactly what a fourteen-year-old high school student is thinking and feeling. Because of Zeitlin’s outstanding writing, the reader can practically hear what Kelsey’s mom refers to as “Typical Adolescent Behavior” coming through the pages. It’s been awhile since a book actually made me laugh out loud, but Freshman Year did just that. I am pretty sure the lady in the car next to me who saw me laughing hysterically while I waited for my son to get out of school thought I had recently escaped the insane asylum. No, that was just me enjoying the heck out of this book!
Kelsey Finkelstein just might be my new hero. She spouts some of the best one-liners I’ve ever read. Two of my favorites: “Well, isn’t that the cherry on my sundae” and “Goody gumdrops. Pardon my elbows as I shove to the front of the line for that choice opportunity.” Kelsey is perhaps one of the most dynamic characters I’ve read in a long time in a young adult novel. She actually learns from her mistakes and obviously grows as a person throughout the course of the novel. She’s not stagnant and unchanging; she makes mistakes, figures out what she did wrong and tries to make it better. The dynamic of Kelsey’s group of friends, Em, Cass and JoJo, is also played out very well. Zeitlin manages to show the reader what a real group of girls in high school is like as friends. They argue, they disagree and they sometimes do stupid things to each other, but in the end, the real friendships shine through.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this book is that Zeitlin doesn’t pull any punches or try to sugar-coat the high school experience. Guess what? Sometimes crappy things happen to good people who have the best intentions. Sometimes things work out for the best and sometimes they don’t. Life isn’t an episode of iCarly or Victorious, it’s not always fixed in half an hour. Zeitlin gives the reader a chance to see what life is like for a real girl who is dealing with real problems, and she does it in such a way that we as readers actually forget we are reading the story of a fictional character. Kelsey Finkelstein connects with the reader on a personal level, especially with the teenage girl who doesn’t think anything ever goes right in her life. Reading this book will not only make that teenage girl laugh, but it will give her someone she can relate to as well.
I found Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters to be a fun, quirky and entertaining read. It was extremely funny, yet poignantly realistic. There is some mild language, teen drinking (which, coincidentally never ends well) and minor sexual content (kissing mostly). I recommend this book for ages 14 and up. I do have one question, though. Where has Meredith Zeitlin been hiding and when can we expect more from her?
Part of me wishes i read this book last year because i was a freshman myself last year and for some reason i feel like i would of enjoyed the book that much more if i had. But don't get me wrong i'm not complaining! Kelsey was definitely a great character and i could picture her being a real person. You know how you read those books and you find a character and you just can't picture them ever living? Yeah that was definitely not the case in this book. Kelsey was definitely a person in my eyes. She was just starting High School, had a major crush on a popular guy, was bullied by some busy eye browed girl, and betrayed by one of her best friends. Sounds a lot like High School doesn't it?
I loved all of Kelsey's friends they reminded me so much of mine. Even Cassidy reminded me of one of my old friends because something similar happened. It wasn't as bad but very similar. I love when you can relate your life a little to the book your reading its always cool. Em which was basically Kelsey's best friend was awesome she was always there for Kelsey even when she was dealing with her own problems. Jojo I really liked her i'm not sure if it's because she came out in the book but i just feel like she was awesome. I'm glad that she ended up coming out to her friends because nobody should have to hide something like that. You are who you are and if your friends and family don't accept that then they were crappy in the first place. Lexi when she came i was a tiny bit afraid because i didn't know if she was going to be just like her cousin or not but i'm so so glad that she wasn't because that would've been a nightmare. Lastly Cassidy, This girl was obviously the one i was taking about above. I liked her then i hated her then i liked her again. I was so angry when i found out she was dating Jordan. I mean come on now its girl code! You don't date the guy your best friend has been drooling over for years it's just not right. Then when she proceeded to say you can't call dibbs on a guy? You most certainly can! Haha i just thought i might add that. But in the end i'mm glad they became friends again.
Now the boys i know it's sort of a sticky subject first there's of course Jordan the douche. Which i knew they weren't going to be together in the first place which is why i wasn't surprised when he ended up with Cassidy. Next up Keith he seemed like a sweet guy and when he kissed Kelsey at the concert and she stopped him and basically called him out on not knowing how to kiss i felt so so bad for him! Sam? Yuck i felt bad for Kelsey on that one. Josh isn't even worth talking about and then theres Ben. When he first came into the picture i just had this feeling that it was going to be them two together i mean who cares if he's two years older they were sweet together and they flirted like crazy so they obviously liked each other and thats all that matters
Kelsey was absolutely hysterical. She had me laughing so hard I was crying, especially when it came down to the school play and the beard scene. I absolutely loved how Kelsey and her group of friends reminded me so much of my group of friends in high school, their conversations and worries were some that I faced and I loved being able to relate. The boys in this book were such the typical high school boys, so infuriating, but I can't help loving them at the same time! There was a bit more drinking than I am comfortable with in YA especially since the characters, for the most part, are 14. That bothered me, yes I know that it happens, but sometimes I feel like it is a bit glorified in books and I worry about the teens that are reading it. That wasn't enough to change my overall opinioin of the book, but I definitely noticed it.
If you are looking for a funny, cute, contemporary YA read I definitely recommend this book.
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Kelsey Finkelstein is starting high school, only she's determined to stand out this year! What she didn't consider is that she might stand out, just not in the most flattering ways. First her arch-nemesis Gemma moves away, only to be replaced by new arch-nemesis & upperclassman Julie Nelson. Then one of her besties, Cass, steals her long-time (and newly single) crush Jordan. Her dreams of becoming star left wing of the JV soccer team are dashed when she is made (gasp!) goalie, ouch! The spring musical goes equally off track when she get a lead (!!!) but then discovers it's for a male part (a gross fat wolf-man male part). And through all of this she keeps winding up in picutes in the school paper, only the shots are rather unfortunate. She meets new friends, fights with her current ones, has disappointing encouters with boys, and not to mention dealing with her parents and super-annoying sister! How will she ever survive this crazy year?
Kelsey is my new best friend. I loved her so much... so much! This book is so freaking cute and funny I can't even say enough about it. I love it when a book makes me laugh out loud (it's so rare!). When she said"
"Apparently, she can't find her Annie costume (could someone have hidden it behind the washing machine? I wonder...)"
I almost fell off my chair laughing! But seriously, the best part of this book is it's so realistic. Teens do drink, they mostly don't have absentee parents, they think about sex and wonder when and if they should be doing it, they don't have unlimited access to credit cards and high fashion. I love a book that has that honest feel.
It's a must read for YA-ers!
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