I quite liked this back and forth story of two university students - Tasha and Emily - who swap universities, and later lives (well sorta). I would pick this book up to read a few chapters several times throughout the day. Many times I couldn't remember where I was and then would start the chapter thinking "oh yeah!" I liked both characters and their respective story-lines equally. Just wish there had been a little more info in the ending. ( )

From the back of my ARC:
Take an administrative snafu, a bad breakup, and what shall heretofore be known as "The Hot-Tub Incident," and you've got two thoroughly unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American party girl Tasha, an escape to tweedy Oxford may be a chance to ditch her recent fame as a tabloid temptress, but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory research is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of the exchange, studious control freak Emily, nurses an aching heart among the bikinis and beer pong of UC Santa Barbara.

Author Abby McDonald does a wonderful job creating two characters that you just care about even though they are complete opposites. She drops the girls into situations that make you laugh then cry. And you cheer the girls on as they struggle to adapt to their new situations and deal with people so very different from what they are used to.

I enjoyed this book very much. I highly recommend Sophomore Switch to anyone who enjoys a good, well-written story.

http://www.romancing-the-book.com/2010/02/review-sophomore-switch-by-abby.html ( )

An administrative mistake derails Oxford student Emily’s application for a semester at Harvard. Desperate to get away from her now ex-boyfriend, she accepts a switch with party girl Tasha to attend a semester at University of California, Santa Barbara, hardly the academic rigor she was looking for. Tasha, in turn, was desperate to get away from what she calls “the Hot Tub Incident” where pictures of her and a celebrity in a hot tub have become a hit on the internet. She suddenly finds herself deep in feminist studies at Oxford. ( )

Have you ever had a problem so big you wished you could just run away from everything, to another city, country, or even continent? How much distance would you need to put between you and it to make it better? Would an ocean be enough?Who?Natasha Collins: Natasha is a typical southern California girl with tanned skin, perfect hair, and an ability to party. Tasha, as her friends call her, is spontaneous and fun, always willing to skip a lecture in order to get some more beach time, make out with a random boy on a dare, and is completely comfortable in the skimpy clothes that are part of the southern California "uniform." A sophomore at the University of California - Santa Barbara, she suddenly joins the study abroad program and switches places (schools, classes, and living quarters) with Emily at the last minute.Emily Lewis: The exact opposite of Natasha, Emily is a control freak. She schedules every minute of her day, has lists of things to do, and doesn't seem to care about anything that will not get her to where she is going in life: the perfect job at the perfect law office in England. She refused to be one of those girls who spends an hour on her make-up and hair, and is more comfortable studying at the library than anywhere else. Her application for to study abroad is lost, and the only person left to switch with is Natasha.What?Natasha and Emily switch places, but since it is so late (classes have already started in California and are about to commence in England) they have to do an exact switch. Natasha will take Emily's politics classes, and Emily will be taking film classes.Where?University of California - Santa Barbara and Oxford University in England.When?Current Why?Both girls are trying to escape something. Natasha is running away from the scandalous video on the internet of her and a boy in a hot tub. Emily is running as far as she can from her ex boyfriend, who thinks she is incapable of intimacy.Favorite Parts:This book reminded me of the confusion I felt in college, the need for others' approval, and dealing with not knowing yourself. I loved Emily's take on the exchange, that her and Natasha are exploring different sides of themselves. Before the book begins, Natasha has already messed up, and she spends the rest of the book dealing with those consequences. I love books that demonstrate serious consequences for serious actions. However, Natasha is young, and she figures it out. I love the way both characters respond to classmates and professors underestimating them based on how they look. In their own way, each girl is an example of feminism at its best, without being femi-nazis. The love interests in the book are secondary, which works really well here. They are most important in the way they relate to the girls' pasts. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that only one is a happy ending, and I have a great appreciation for that. Life doesn't always have a happy ending, and books that imitate that are always a fun read for me.A few of my favorite quotes from the book:"I just don't see why a same-sex preference has to go hand in hand with complete fashion backwardness. I mean, look at Portia de Rossi: a hot wife and an Elle subscription. It can be done!" -Natasha"That's one thing I miss about living alone: the absence of naked breasts at every turn." -Emily"I feel like an antropologist buried deep within an alien culture as I try to decipher the significance of each squeal and comment." -Emily"Like, I'm a total make-out slut, and sometimes I feel bad 'cause that's all I want from them. But then I remember they only want one thing too, so, you know, their problem." -Carla"I've often been the one urging friends to face challenges head-on, rather than let them grow out of all proportion. And here I am dreading every work because this time it all seems to matter so much more." -Emily"I'm on the edge of something, I can tell, but even the thought of moving in any one direction is enough to paralyze me." -EmilyLeast Favorite Parts:I honestly can't remember any. I think I may have found one typo, but that is hardly intrinsic to the story.Recommend?Highly.To whom?Girls in high school or older. I don't think there is an age limit on this, as anyone could read it and look back, remembering how those years felt. There is a minor amount of swearing and indirect sex involved. READ MORE REVIEWS AT http://sschpagepals.blogspot.com

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The premise, of two very different girls switching places for a university exchange seemed like something I'd heard before, but I quickly found myself caught up in both Tasha and Emily's tales. I really loved how the author handles academia, activism, fitting in and finding oneself. You might think these themes are overdone in teen lit, but this novel makes them fun, funny, light, and new the same way they are to each new generation. Really loved it, and I'm looking forwards to reading more from Abby McDonald. ( )