Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Freshman Year 

 

Author: Sarah Mai 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 3.5/5 

 

Diversity: Side character who has a chronic illness and uses a wheelchair 

 

Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel readers, memoir, college, contemporary 

 

Publication Date: February 13, 2024 

 

Genre: YA Memoir Graphic Novel 

 

Age Relevance: 15+ (romance, slight sexual content, 1 HP reference, religion, anxiety, depression) 

 

Explanation of Above: There is some romance and slight sexual content mentioned in the book. There is 1 HP reference in the book in a discussion about separating the art from the artist. There are mentions and showings of Catholicism in the book. Anxiety is also showcased in this book a lot, as well as depression. 

 

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books 

 

Pages: 288 

 

Synopsis: Everyone gets a fresh start. Who do you want to be? Sarah is leaving suburban Wisconsin for her freshman year in Minnesota. She has high hopes for the  impress her professors, meet interesting new people, stay close to her best friends and boyfriend back home, flourish as an artist, and shed her lingering high school anxieties. What seems manageable at first quickly unravels into a Sarah’s high-achieving roommate puts her to shame, her summer love dissolves, and she is quickly overwhelmed by the freedom, the isolation, and all the possibilities that await in this new environment. Based on the author’s personal college journal and comics,  Freshman Year  navigates the inner workings of an 18-year-old girl in witty, honest, and heartfelt detail.  This graduation gift pairs perfectly with OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!.   Dr. Seuss's sentimental graduation picture book is beloved, but the one teens really need is Freshman Year.  This graphic novel debut shows the places students actually  do  go—the home goods aisle at Target; lavish libraries; grungy parties off campus; cereal-for-dinner at the dining hall. Whether you’re anxiously looking forward or nostalgically looking back, this is the perfect read for anyone who loves realistic graphic novels about the laughable growing pains of almost-adulthood, like  Check, Please!  and  Bloom . 

 

Review: So I never went away to college. I couldn’t really afford it, so I gave my nana’s address and spent my whole time at university traveling about 40 miles every other day to attend classes. So I didn’t have a typical freshmen year experience (and honestly my time was spent worrying about paying bills at home and getting enough hours but also trying to do homework while traveling at 6am to get to class but then going back home at 10pm at night). Regardless though, there are some universal things that every freshman in college experiences and I felt the author wrote them perfectly in this graphic memoir. The book showcased the anxiety and nerves the author faced when she left her town to go to college and how everything she thought would happen or expected was turned on its head. The book also expertly showcases how overwhelming the freedom to do whatever as an adult is when you are on your own to keep your expectations in place. I liked the artwork, the story was good, and the book made me cringe and feel things even though I’ve been out of school for almost 10 years now. 

 

However, I did feel like the story was a bit scattered at times and that there were some things that I didn’t really see in this book. I felt like this was a more PG showcasing of what college looks like, which is fine and might have been the author’s truth but is certainly not other’s. 

 

Verdict: It was good and I’d recommend it for those who are nervous about college.