Review: Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: June 7th 2011
Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary YA; romance
Source: Bought
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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.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I kind of have no idea how to write this review because there's only one word to describe this book: fun. It's simply a cute, entertaining read, and I loved it.

Sarah Mlynowski's fun style and our main character April work really well together. I loved April's sense of humor, and her honest voice had me laughing out loud. April is real - she thinks like a real person would, and Sarah Mlynowski's writing brought her to life. I don't even know what it is about the style - I just loved it so much. It's not like it's the most beautiful writing I've ever read; it just flows really nicely and had me immersed in the story throughout.

To add to the writing and humor, there's an awesome plot. I loved the whole idea of the two friends living together! The way they trick their parents into letting them live together without supervision is hilarious. And then there's the ridiculous stuff they do - the situations they get themselves into with their irresponsible ways are crazy without getting too unrealistic, and they are so, so fun to read about. I liked the crazy stuff a lot better than the everyday stuff because it bugged me how little April knows about taking care of herself - who's never loaded a dishwasher or been grocery shopping!? And who doesn't know electricity costs money!? But it's not like that's a huge part of the story, so I didn't mind that much.

What made this story even better are the three-dimensional characters - all of them are awesome! They each have a distinct personality and are very real - they feel like real people because Sarah Mlynowski's writing made them come to life. I loved getting to know all of them. I even liked the romance - despite the cover, romance isn't a huge part of Ten Things We Did, but what we do get to see, I loved.

But really, the fun-ness is what it all comes down to. Ten Things We Did is simply a book that I enjoyed reading. It's the kind of drama-filled contemporary that never takes itself too seriously. The laugh-out-loud funny humor and the fantastically entertaining writing style make this one of my favorite feel-good reads. and now I'm off to read everything else that Sarah Mlynowski has written!