Monthly Archives: August 2011

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

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

Mlynowski, Sarah. Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have). Harper Teen, 2011. 368 pp. ISBN 9780061701245 $9.99

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When April’s dad has to move, she begs to remain behind to finish her junior year–she doesn’t want to leave her friends or her boyfriend. She arranges to stay with her friend Vi, except… Vi’s mom is out of town, unbeknownst to April’s dad. Can the two teens pull off a parentless semester? Vi proves to be a little more street saavy, but April doesn’t know how to use a dishwasher, spontaneously spends her allotment for living expenses on a hot tub, and struggles to understand why her long term boyfriend is losing interest in her, now that she’s finally ready to go All The Way.

This was a charming, fast-paced read, with a dramatic opening that hooks right from the beginning. The list format (the 10 things she lied about) is engaging. Teachable moments are delivered with a lot of humor.