Review: Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) By: Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Publisher: HarperCollins, 368 Pages (June 7th 2011)
From: the Publisher/Amazon Vine Program - Thank You!

Synopsis: 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.

Review: 4 Stars - Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have) By: Sarah Mlynowski is one of those perfect summer reads. It’s a blend of teen angst and events/situations that the characters find themselves facing that make this a book readers will easily become absorbed in.

When our main character April gets some news she never saw coming, that her dad and step mom are moving the family away, she has the normal teen reaction. She doesn’t want to go and finds a way where she can finish out the school year and stay where her boyfriend and friends are. April has some issues to deal with; she thinks she knows what’s best and was a bit naive to many things. I was shocked she didn’t know how to run a dishwasher or even wash her clothes. Yet she found a way to live on her own with her friend Vi.

Speaking of, the two come up with a way to trick Aprils family into thinking that Vi’s mom is there as well and somehow their planning all comes together. I couldn’t believe that the two got away with as much as they did. The whole thing was pretty unbelievable, but, none the less it was an extremely entertaining story with character that’ll make you laugh and cringe.

I loved how the book was broken up into the ten things that went wrong. All the things that April and her friends shouldn’t have done. There are lessons to learn and growing pains that the characters, especially April have to go through, to grow up, and move on. Dealing with issues in their past and new issues in the present force April and her friends to come to terms with things so they can get through the year. I liked that there was more to the story, the characters had to deal with other issues and not just the ten crazy things they did.

Then we have April’s boyfriend Noah who was a huge part of the story. It’s the little things that she starts to notice that become larger parts of their relationship. We see her work through what become troubling issues, to better understand what’s happening in their relationship. I wondered about him while reading, wanting to know what was going on for April’s sake. Its stories such as this, that make you feel invested into the characters lives and how you want better for them and Mlynowski does just that with her writing and the issues within the story.

April has some great people on her side including Hudson who’s there for her when Noah isn’t, can’t or won’t. She finds herself attracted to him because he’s sweet and caring. She struggles with this because of her relationship with Noah, which make her more honest and real. I loved Hudson, he was such an easy going character.

Ten Things is a books many will easily be able to read in one sitting. It’s the highly entertaining characters, real issues and crazy events that they find themselves in that are the driving force behind the story. With moments that’ll have you ready to pull your hair out, yell “NO!” and others that’ll have you laughing out loud, Mlynowski has created characters that you’ll quickly find yourself invested in. If you’re looking for a great summer read, be sure not to pass this one by.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.