Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

When April’s dad announces that he’s moving to Cleveland, Ohio, of all places, April’s first thought is no way! Because there’s no way that she can move away now, not in the middle of the school year. There’s no way she can leave her friends and especially her boyfriend behind. And so she comes up with the perfect plan: she’ll move in with her best friend Vi. April’s dad doesn’t really need to know that Vi’s mother won’t be around, because April and Vi don’t need parental supervision. They’re responsible and can take care of themselves. Totally. But sooner or later, this giant slumber party is bound to get a little out of control, and the aftermath is not going to be so pretty. But after all the drama, discomfort, and deception, April will find out that a life so horrible fallen apart can still be pieced back together into something good.

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) is not necessarily the most realistic piece of fiction, unless you happen to be author Sarah Mlynowski. For the rest of us, this novel is more of an exercise in wish fulfillment. After all, what teen wouldn’t want to live parent-free, given the opportunity? Readers get to live vicariously through April’s perspective as she navigates the benefits, responsibilities, and consequences of living on her own. It starts out as a hilarious joyride, but things predictably have to start going wrong. Mlynowski manages to keep a current of humor running throughout the entire story, which makes the more difficult situations more manageable to read about. I completely enjoyed the more lighthearted parts of the story, but Mlynowski’s skillful combination of seriousness and humor gives the rest of the story a lot of depth. With interesting characters, a realistic teen voice, compelling circumstances, and lots of laughs, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) is a fun and meaningful book worthy of every girl’s attention.

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian and The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from BEA