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

Published: June 7, 2011 by HarperTeen
Received: gifted by Anna

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.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time. {taken from goodreads.com}

That book synopsis right there definitely pulled me in when I first read it.  I marked it on my "to-be-read" list awhile back & patiently waited for it's release date.  When my good friend Anna received an early copy, read it, then told me YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW... I knew it was going to be great.  I mean how can it not be?  A list of things a teenager "shouldn't" do, but will most likely & definitely did do??  Genius!!

April's home life has been split a part ever since her parents got a divorce and her mother decided to move to Paris, taking her only brother with her.  April's father then got remarried and attempted to create a steady home life in Connecticut.  Just when April felt that her life was falling a part, she met Noah and the two embarked on young love at it's finest.  Soon April found hope again, someone to hold on to, someone to make her smile.  With her best friends Vi and Marissa by her side, along with her boyfriend Noah, April felt infinite.  Then life threw April another curve ball.  Her father and step-mother were moving to Ohio, in the middle of April's junior year of high school.  The thought of leaving her boyfriend, her friendships, her life behind and starting somewhere new terrified her.  So what's a teenage girl to do?  Make up the craziest scheme ever that landed April in a house with Vi, parent-less to finish out the school year in Connecticut. 

The crazy shenanigans begin.. involving a pink hot tub, a cat named Donut, an "unplanned" trip to Planned Parenthood, and a cute boy named Hudson.  The friendship between April and Vi is one not to miss.  I loved their new found roommate status they must adjust to, especially when it comes to the many talks and planning that goes down before each of their "big nights".  April feels it's time to do the deed with her boyfriend Noah.  They have been together for two years, they are in love, and now that she has the privacy - the plan must go in to action.  Vi has a different outlook on relationships and sex.  She wants to "get it over with" and not have any strings attached.  I laughed so much at the contrast in these two girls.  It brought a great balance to the book.

But as an adult, I know that it doesn't matter if you plan or don't plan.  The first time can feel so right at THAT moment, but then later you may realize it wasn't at all.  Oh the beauty of adolescence and young love.  After a series of unfortunate events with Donut the cat (I love that name btw) April finds herself in debt to Hudson.  Vi comes up with the genius idea to throw a party & charge people for drinks to earn the money back.  As the night carries on, so does the outlandish laughs!

While reading I found myself at 17 again, reliving my teenage years.  I was a crazy teenager who lied to her parents and held my social life high up on the scale.  This party that April and Vi threw with her friends mirrored a lot of what I experienced in my youth.  At the time they were some of the best moments of my life.  Looking back I see how crazy stupid I was, and LUCKY to have gotten away with a lot (Hi Dad if you're reading this! haha).  But on the flip side, I was also very fortunate to have friends that cared about me, just as April does.  You need people to pull you back down to earth to tell you when you screw up, but also to remind you that it's going to be OK.

I loved this book for many reasons.  Way more than TEN THINGS.  I laughed hysterically and read it from cover to cover in just about one sitting.  Though I keep commenting on how funny this book is, it was also emotional for me.  I identified with April in so many of her experiences.  I knew what it was like to have your parents leave you "on your own" when you didn't quite know if you were ready to be.  I also knew what it felt like to think you truly loved someone, only to be blindsided by it.  Growing up is tough.  There are some very messy situations you can find yourself in.  Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) is right up there with my love for the Jessica Darling series.  If you know me, then you know that is pretty high up there!  I'm pretty sure I need to read everything else that Sarah Mlynowski has written.  She captures the teenage voice spot-on, bringing truth, hilarity, and beauty.  I love that this book is so well-rounded.

P.S. for those who have read it - who is in favor of MORE HUDSON?!!!