Roomies

by Sara Zarr, Tara Altebrando

The countdown to college has begun.When Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment at the beginning of summer, she shoots off an email to coordinate the TV, microwave, mini-fridge. She can't wait to escape her New Jersey beach town, and her mom, and start life over in California. That first message comes as a surprise to Lauren in San Francisco; she had requested a single. But if Lauren's learned anything from being the oldest of six, it's that you can't always get what you want, especially when what you want is privacy. Soon the girls are e-mailing back and forth, sharing secrets even though they've never met. With childhood friendships and family relationships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives...and each other.With humor and heart, Sara Zarr, National Book Award finalist for Story of a Girl, and Tara Altebrando, acclaimed author of The Pursuit of Happiness, join forces for a novel about that time after high school when everything feels like it's ending just as it's beginning.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, New Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 24, 2013

About the author

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of ten books, most recently Goodbye from Nowhere, and Courageous Creativity: Advice and Encouragement for the Creative Life--a book on creativity for the young and young-at-heart. She’s a National Book Award finalist and two-time Utah Book Award winner, and is the host and producer of the This Creative Life podcast. Her first book, Story of a Girl, was made into a 2017 television movie directed by Kyra Sedgwick. She lives with her husband and cat, Mr. Donut, in CA and UT.

How I use goodreads: To log books I read in a year, books I want to read, and books by authors who were on my podcast, This Creative Life. (Those also turn up on my read shelf though I haven't necessarily read them!) I don't use the rating system but I will jot some notes about the books if I remember!

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think many people would describe me as being overly sentimental, but man, this book just brought out the emotions in me.

The writing flows. The characters are realistic. Their voices are believable. Their fears, their insecurities, their choices are so realistic, so relatable. Ok, it's a bit overdramatic towards the second half, but for the most part, this book was a really, really good read.

If you are a young woman growing into adulthood: you need this book. It will tell you that change is sad, change is inevitable. It is ok to feel like a fish out of water. It is ok to both want to leave the nest, and simultaneously, it's perfectly fine to fear spreading your wings and taking that initial flight. Friendships will end, love will end, but many more will take their place. It's ok to resent your family, and still want to cling on to them.

Hell, even a grown-ass woman like me enjoyed this book. It brought me back to my own years as a teen. I don't think there's a single grown woman out there who hasn't gone through this process of change, of growing up. This book was so beautifully bittersweet for me, it was the most wonderful of surprises. I know my friendships ended. I know I was hurt. Going into college is such a big deal, it's such a tremendous change from childhood, and I thought this book portrayed the experience perfectly.

I don't do contemporaries. I just don't. I find them trite. I find them boring. They make me yawn. Fuck, man, if I wanted to relive teenage high drama, I'd listen in to my sister's friends' conversations. There's enough materials in there for me to write several volumes of books (that nobody would ever want to read). Yeah, cute, but I'll pass.

Which is why I'm incredibly shocked at my reaction to this book: I LOVED IT. What? WHAT? Where did this come from? Did my heart grow 3 sizes over Christmas or something? No. But seriously, I really, really liked this book. It reminded me of why I love a good coming-of-age novel. The two girls in this book stand at that ever-so-precarious cusp of childhood and adulthood; this book is well-written, I felt it was realistic, and the emotional turmoil was believable. I've seen other reviews that complained about the portrayal of race and of the stereotypical "gay dad runs off to be with his lover" thing offensive, personally, I didn't have a problem with it. Ebb's got issues with her dad, yeah, but it's more due to the fact that he ran away than anything relating to homophobia, and her mom's not exactly the most wonderful of role model herself. Parents aren't perfect (gasp). They sometimes suck, and no, being gay doesn't automatically make you a perfect, awesome dad. Gay people, like straight people, can be assholes, too.

I know that interracial romances aren't a big deal anymore and race shouldn't be an issue, but really, it's still a sensitive issue, whether you like it or not. I love the fact that a main character has an interracial romance. I found it funny that her e-mailed buddy wonders "Omg, am I insensitive if I ask about her race because her boyfriend's name sounds black?" Please. I do that, I think we all do that, as a way of trying laughably hard to be inoffensive to someone.

Let's say I just made a new friend, she's telling me she's dating someone named "Kim," offhandedly. In my mind, I'm going, shit, shit, shit, is Kim a guy or a girl? I don't care if my new friend is a lesbian but I want to know so I don't inadvertently make a wrong assumption and offend her! WE ALL DO THIS, GUYS! It's one of those things that nobody ever admits to, and I find it realistic enough and well-written enough not to be offended by it.

Summary: Simple enough. Two girls, Elizabeth (EB) and Lauren (Lo) gets assigned to be each other's roomies next year at University of California, Berkeley. It is June, and they've been given contact information so that they can get to know each other before school starts.

It doesn't start out that well. EB grew up in New Jersey, she is an only child, her mother is a bitter real estate agent with a weakness for married men. It is a quiet, isolated, lonely life. Her father came out of the closet (after he got married and had kids), only to run away to San Francisco, leaving his wife and daughter. EB is the warmer character, she is the first to reach out to Lauren, oversharing a little bit as she goes. She is excited to start school, she is enthusiastic to meet her roommate, Lauren...

...who doesn't really want to be roommates with EB.

When I got the full scholarship I knew it would probably be pressing my luck to ask for a single, but the box was there to check so I checked it. A “roomie” is really not what I had in mind. Really not what I had in mind at all.

You see, Lauren's kind of had it up to HERE with sharing a room. She wanted a single room (pfft, good luck getting a single room as a freshman at any of the UCs). The last thing she wants is a roommate---why? Because she's been sharing a room for most of her life. Lauren's life is chaos, because she's got five younger siblings. She shares a room with two of them, one who is barely more than a toddler. She has parents, but they are up to their neck in work in order to support such a large family, and Lauren acts more like a parent to her little sisters and brothers, more often than not. She also holds two jobs; getting the scholarship to Berkeley was her way out of her chaotic home, and Lauren was looking forward to peace and quiet until the email from EB came along.

We hear from the two as they get off to an awkward start, with misunderstandings as neither of them want to come off as the "strange" one. They grow with each other through the summer, as they slowly open up to each other about their lives, their fears, the events in their lives.

It's not all smooth sailing. Their relationship, as with all long-distance relationships, are full of miscommunications, and things they wish they said, or didn't say. Overall, it is a beautifully written book, with wonderful dynamics between friends and family.

The Characters: This book stands on the merits of its main characters. I loved both characters in this book, along with their respective love interests. Douchebags? Nope, no douchebags here. The guys in this book are wonderfully supportive, and so freaking sweet and nice.

We see things from their respective POVs throughout the book, each girl has her alternate chapter, told in their first-person narrative voices. I never got lost between the girls, I never had trouble telling who from whom. Really, the characters and their coming of age was a joy to read. I understood EB's feelings about her boyfriend...you know, that high school sweetheart you once had. What will become of that relationship once you are separated?

I should break up with him, I know. Because I don’t feel that way about him anymore, if I ever did. But it hardly seems worth the effort when college can do the breaking up for me. The path of least resistance is a path I know well, having trod it in circles around my mother for years.

And not just the boyfriend, the friends. The best friend. What will happen to you when you are separated by distance, leading separate lives?

She’ll be going off to Seattle University soon, anyway. In some ways it feels like no big deal. We’ve had our good years and our bad years and always wind up as solid as ever with no major drama. In other ways, it seems we’ve already started to say good-bye.
A lot of our conversations are about memories.

I've been there. We've all been there. Best friends, good friends. One day, you're best friends, the next time you see them at Thanksgiving break, they're almost strangers. It is a shock to the system, and it is what this book does so well. It reinforces us.

Really. My feelings. They're just all over the place right now.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

I usually don't get very personal in my reviews because I'm sending it off to a publisher afterwards and whatnot, but for Roomies I have to make a small exception. So the first half of this post is going to be a normal review, telling why Roomies is awesome and why you should totally consider buying the audio version. The second half will be just my general feelings and what this novel meant to me personally. I shed a few tears, guys.

“Live in the present. Take care of the relationships in front of you now. Most friendships have a natural life, and when they've lived that out, you'll know.”

I was initially drawn to Roomies because it had such an interesting cover and premise. I loved the idea of two strangers getting to know each other over one summer before college. But what I didn't expect was such a complex cast of characters, heartbreaking relationships and two coming of age stories that felt so realistic and utterly honest. I underestimated this novel, and boy what a mistake that was.

Elizabeth, AKA EB, lives with her mom in New Jersey and is excited to move away to California for college. On the opposite side of the country is Lauren who is the oldest sibling out of six, who can't wait to finally have her own space in college. Unfortunately for Lauren, she ends up getting a roomie despite requesting a single. Elizabeth is excited at the thought of having a roommate since she's always been an only child, so she begins emailing Lauren. Over the course of the summer they learn more about each other and their selves. It's the story of how an unlikely friendship can completely change your outlook on life and your future.

What I loved most about Roomies was the honest character portrayal. Both Elizabeth and Lauren's voice was realistic for their age and perfectly highlighted the feelings of a teen leaving their family for college. There are feelings of excitement, uncertainty, regrets, fear, homesickness, etc. But these never felt overpowering and flowed so well from page to page. The reader or listener, learns more about the characters' lives as they learn more about each other. I've read my share of dual POV novels before and I believe this may be one of my favorites. I cared about both girls equally and got excited each and every time the POV flipped. I think this is also in large part to the AMAZING narrators Becca Battoe and Emily Eiden, whose chemistry was perfect. There aren't a lot of YA novels that take place right after high school and before college (I'm not talking about New Adult). Someone FIX THIS because it needs to be a thing.

And then we have the love interests. GUYS, *SWOON*. The best part of the dual POVs was seeing two girls find two equally amazing guys that both complimented them and encouraged them positively. Lauren's love interest, Keyon, was hands down my favorite (more on him in a bit) because he really caused both Lauren and Elizabeth to challenge their feelings on race. This book isn't about race, not by a long shot, but I really appreciated that dynamics of Lauren figuring it out. However, Elizabeth's boyfriend, Mark, is not to be forgotten. I really loved how, after being in a relationship that didn't sit right with her, she found this guy who was willing to wait for her. Mark was the kind of guy that I'd want all girls to end up with. The sweet guy who is concerned for who you are instead of what you can do for them. The contrast between the undesirable guy and the awesome guy was a great aspect of the novel, one that I wish I saw more of in YA.

Finally, there is the ending. I love how it ends with the promise of hope. It's realistic because both girls are entering into a part of their lives where anything could happen. Yet, instead of them having these feelings of uncertainty that we saw in the beginning, they are confident and read to conquer what comes ahead. I truly loved this book and it's the first contemporary audiobook that I actually really enjoyed.

==========================

Steph's Outtakes

This is something that I want to do more at the end of my reviews where I just talk about something that really hit my feels pretty hard. I don't always want to put it in the review that I'm sending to the publisher--though I have no issue if they read it anyway--because it's more personal and less objective. But at the same time, I don't want to write another post about the same book, so Outtakes has been born.

My feelings. Guys, can we talk about misrepresentation in YA for a minute in honor of Black History Month? I have this thing where when I run across a black character in a novel and put them under a microscope. It's not something I mean to do or even realize I'm doing, but I am more critical of seeing how my race is portrayed in novels. I can't help it.

So there's a black character in Roomies named Keyon. While he's not really a major part of the novel, I felt his character and mannerisms were so accurate. It's not only that, but the way Lauren, Elizabeth and others reacted to him. When Lauren first mentions him in an email to Elizabeth, she doesn't mention his race, only his name. This leaves Elizabeth wondering if Keyon is black because she guesses that Keyon is a black name. But then she realizes how horrible that sounds and checks her privilege at the door. After that, there are a few times were Elizabeth has moments of deep thought about race and how little she knows about the world and other cultures. And I loved that moment because it was a moment of growth for her to say, "Hey, I've just realized I don't know anything, but I want to learn." She also thinks about how she doesn't have any black friends, how terrible she finds that and how she wants to widen out her social circles when she goes to college.

Then there's the part where Lauren is meeting Keyon's parents and she says:

"Keyon and Joe Junior were adorable kids. I’ve always thought black babies were the cutest, and I almost say that to Sue before realizing there’s no way to say it without being totally offensive or making Sue think I’m an idiot. Race. It’s so tricky, even though we’re all supposedly enlightened and color-blind. I don’t want it to be a Thing. But it kind of is a Thing, isn’t it?”

Right as I heard that, I knew some might be offended by this. And I get because it sounds wrong, but I know some people think this. Years ago, my aunt, who is white, made a similar comment, saying she thought black women were prettier than white women. I chucked at it then because it was such an awkward moment and she was really trying hard not to offend anyone. But back to Lauren, I liked how she thought about what she was going to say before she did. As much as we all want to pretend that race isn't a Thing, it still is. And what you say to a person can be offensive even if you don't mean it like that.

That was clear especially when Keyon met Lauren's parents for the first time and she was a little nervous about it. Lauren's dad is none too thrilled about their relationship partly because he's being a dad and that's just what dad's do, and partly because Keyon is black. Keyon knows this and Lauren knows this, but Keyon just takes it in stride as just One of Those Things That Sometimes Happens When You're Black. I'm not saying Lauren's dad is a racist. He's not, however, it's that ingrained prejudice that still lingers in our country that still makes race a Thing. It's unfortunate, sure. But it's still there and probably will be for a long time. (Hell, before I started using a picture of my face as my avatar, you should have seen some of the surprised faces I got at signings. Fun times.)

Random Personal Story: Okay, so story time really quickly. When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store as a Courtesy Clerk. Basically, I bagged groceries, carried them out to people's car and retrieved carts from people who felt the need to leave the all the way across the parking lot. I used to get a lot of strange backhand comments. Like the one time I helped a lady with her groceries. I noticed she had two toddlers and told her I thought they were adorable. Instead of taking that compliment like a normal person, she said, "Thank you! Do you have any kids?" Did I mention I was in high school? And no, I don't have the face of an older person. In fact, I still look like I'm 16, which is awesome. I just blinked at her because how do you respond to that? Upon realizing her stupidity, she quickly backtracks by saying, "Oh I just thought..." We both knew what she thought.

But my favorite still remains the old white dude who told me not to spend all my tip money on drugs at once because clearly that's what all black kids do. Good thing he caught me right before I visited my drug lord*. So, yeah, I quit that job.

*I've never smoked in my life. Don't do drugs, kids.

And then there's Keyon himself and his side jokes about his own race. Now this is something that some might not get unless they grew up around black people or have black friends or maybe have seen The Chappelle Show, but satire is an awesome thing. Sometimes you make jokes about serious things as an icebreaker in a particularly uncomfortable situation. I do this all the time because otherwise, I'll cry and that's no fun. Keyon, a one point, is trying to find out how Lauren feels about them as a couple. He can tell she's hesitant, and while her hesitation is not exactly race related, she does think about it. She finds him beautiful and is surprised he is interested in her at all, being an ordinary white girl. So he says something along the lines of, "...unless you don't date the brothas?" and she, flustered, replies, "Oh! I date the brothas..." And I thought it was such a cute moment. Two kids walking the line of uncertainty, both thinking they aren't worthy of each other.

So when I think about Elizabeth and Lauren challenging how they've viewed race and whatnot, it's well-done. I know some reviewers disliked how much Keyon's race was mentioned, and I suppose it may have made some people uncomfortable, but it was real. Because it's exactly what happens in real life. People every day think what Lauren and Elizabeth thought. And people like Keyon exist and go through these things everyday. Keyon was just such a well-done character that I actually cried for a moment. It was the way he talked, the things he said, how he and his family were portrayed in such a positive light. This is by far not a sad book, and I don't even know if the authors intentionally set out to do this, but it's always nice when someone takes the time to get it right.


This audiobook was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I was not paid for my opinions, but wouldn't that be awesome?

More reviews and other random, awesome things at Cuddlebuggery.

[Neil Franz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Life is one of those experiments meant to be conducted in a stimulating, messy environment.”

Roomies, as the title speaks for itself, was about these two girls (Elizabeth and Lauren) who assigned to be roomies at the dormitory of a university they will be attending since they were college now. But the thing was they didn't know each other and that was the story went on.

Individually, both Elizabeth and Lauren had so many issues in life, so many stress and undertakings about leaving their families and friends behind and heading to college. Yet, those was the reasons I found the book immensely good.

I was hesitant to read it at first, since I assume it was all about just girls and stuff but I'm wrong (as always) because Roomies is full of "what the girls do before pursuing their studies away from home" which I found enjoyable and saddening to read at the same time.

Family, friendship, boyfriends/girlfriends, part-time jobs, career, college and everything normal about the everyday life are in this book, thus, it seemed real, it felt real. The characters are pragmatic and their voices are plausible.

And what I always eager to read in every chapter was their e-mails (Lauren's and Elizabeth's) with each other that actually pioneered their acquaintance and friendship. These e-mails which I found engaging to read, served as the bridge to know each other and to talk about hidden stuff they didn't want to share with the people they know in real life. And, unfortunately, the cause of some not-so-good instances for their blooming friendship.

It is really difficult for me to review realistic fiction especially this one but seriously I recommend this to everyone, not just for people who already attended or will be attending college away from home.

[Jasprit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year has certainly been the case where books which I’ve had high hopes for have ended up being somewhat disappointing and books which I’ve picked up on a whim have ended up surprising me the most. This was exactly the case with Roomies, I decided to pick it up one day, thinking I’d read a couple of chapters, but ended up staying late totally absorbed by our two main characters Lauren and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Lauren ended up being assigned as roommates at college, Lauren had requested a single room, so is none too pleased about this arrangement, but Elizabeth is ecstatic, she’s an only child and so is extremely looking forward to sharing with Lauren. Whereas Lauren has five younger siblings and so needs her own room to be on her own. But things end up going differently than both girls had imagined, they’re given each other’s email addresses to get in touch beforehand and what starts off as rambly over excited email slowly develops into a friendship neither girl could have hoped for.

I’ve read books before which have been set up in an entire email format (Meg Cabot’s Boy series) and I had a lot of fun with it, as it didn’t read like a email at all, but flowed as a proper story. The same could be said about the emails Lauren and Elizabeth sent each other. Each alternative chapter was set as a pov from Elizabeth and Lauren, we would get to know about their lives and what was going on with them with their preparation with their big move and then an email was sent to each other at the end. To be honest I loved this entire story, but the emails were definitely a highlight to each chapter. Both girls had people around them that they could turn to with everything going on around them, but I felt that as the girls began to get to know each other, the more they were able to share their deep fears and secrets that they weren’t comfortable sharing with others. Although there were a few bumps along the way, the friendship that developed between these girls was one of the best ones that I’ve seen around.

At first when I was reading the alternative povs, I did favour reading Elizabeth’s story, things were crazy with her boyfriend constantly pressurising her, her being distant from her friend and her mum messing around with a married guy. I felt Elizabeth deserved much more than this and it was horrible watching her stumble along through this alone especially when her mum could be self-centred at times. Also Elizabeth for me was open about what she wanted, she wouldn’t hold back on her feelings and so it was easier to connect with her character more quickly than Lauren’s. Lauren for me was really distant at the beginning, she never displayed enthusiasm as Elizabeth did and it took me a while to get to know her character properly. But halfway through this book I found myself addicted to both girls stories, Zarr and Altebrando have created two great characters in Elizabeth and Lauren, that I did find myself getting a bit choked up too by the end when I had to say goodbye to them.

Both girls displayed a huge amount of growth over the course of this book, a lot of this was because the support and relationship they had established through their emails, but also because of some great secondary characters some which I had been rooting for from the beginning (Mark & Keyon) and some which came through in the end. Mark and Keyon were the sweetest ever love interests, they were guys who were so in touch with their feelings and actually went about doing things to express them in a meaningful way. Don’t get me wrong I love my tattooed bad boys, but these two guys went out of their way for both Lauren and Elizabeth on many occasions, it’s sad that they were only able to get to know the girls just a little time before they went off to college, but with the way things were I had a good feeling that both relationships would be able to withstand the long distance between them.

Roomies was a book which was left with an ending for you to make your own interpretation of. Whilst this would annoy certain readers, I think this ending was the best way to go for, as it leaves the reader with a lot of hope for what could happen next. Also with the way things were left, this book can leave readers with the hope that these two great authors will return to this story one day in the future and continue with where they left off. There are still a lot of things that I’d love to find out about, so would extremely look forward to a follow up book.

Roomies was a book which left me with warm fuzzies, it was a book which both authors dealt with so many real life issues in a realistic way, but was also a book which on many occasions left me with a huge smile on my face. This was my first book by Sara Zarr and Altebrando, but after the great impression this book left with me it certainly won’t be my last.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An effortless, light read about college, friendship, family, and romance, Roomies is your everyday chick-lit that offers a few hours of entertainment.

I’ve always enjoyed stories that take place during the summer right before college. A time where you're still young and mostly clueless, but starting to get out of your shell. That was Roomies’ main charm for me. We get two parallel stories with two separate girls who are leaving behind two completely different teenage lives. With that said, it's a bit unfortunate how similar the character voices are. Still, both girls are easy to fall in-tune with, having that easy-going narration that makes it a breezy read. We've got Elizabeth - EB - who’s leaving a strained relationship with her mother who dates married men. Whereas Lauren is leaving behind a house full of very young siblings to finally have some quiet time - but is that what she really wants

These two girls form a particular relationship via email when they find out they will be each other’s roommates in college. This is a good display of how email communication can sometimes be perceived so differently on each end. There are no facial expressions or tonality; things can appear completely different from what you actually meant. Even moreso when both parties are living such different lives with opposite priorities. As you’d expect, this causes a few disagreements. While this is happening we get to know both girls individually, bringing understanding behind each dry reply, each dramatic reaction, and each judgment call. It was fun to get an outsider’s perspective of an online relationship. While I didn’t form a deep connection with either of them, I found myself relating much better to EB, and in turn enjoying her chapters more. Lauren, on the other hand, came off as quick to judge - or as EB would say: morally superior - minorly irritating me a time or two.

It’s no surprise that a book like this includes a romantic plotline - or two. This is one area where I preferred Lauren's story. EB’s being more insta-love, more blasé about sex and the fact that she was leaving. In the end, though, I wasn't swept off my feet by either romances. Them being simply a cute part of the book. In addition to the romance, we've got great - and crumbling - family dynamics as well as old and new friendships. Ultimately, it’s a book about growing up.

Quick note on the ending: I really really wanted to see them meet. Urgh!

If you’re looking for a light-hearted chick-lit read with girl-next-door personality and charm, Roomies is a good afternoon read. Imagine Sarah Dessen’s The Moon and More with a lighter touch.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a strange feeling to see the words in your head written down on a piece of paper - typed, to be more accurate - by hands that were not your own. For me, Roomies was like a pensieve of thoughts; it's as if Tara Altebrando and Sara Zarr snatched the phrases out of my mind and breathed life into them, creating two characters who are not like me in the least, but at the same time, totally are. As a high school senior, Roomies hit all the right notes and while it did have its share of flaws, I found myself hooked to the page, unable to leave behind these girls who have, slowly but surely, become my friends.

R: Romance

Although I'd usually leave the romance till the end, it just so happens that romance begins with the letter 'r' so...there goes that plan. Still, the romance in this novel is well-developed, particularly as there are two romances, one for each of the female protagonists. However, I felt as if these love stories started off better than they ended. I certainly didn't mind reading about them, but they weren't the highlight of the story - not in the least. A good romance is always the icing on the cake of any novel, and the blooming summer romances in Roomies are messy, complicated, and real. Moreover, they are different but feel right for each of these girls. And yet, I felt as if my involvement with this aspect of the story waned towards the end of the novel, sadly.

O: Order

I feel as if order was integral to the style and format of this book. Roomies is told in a dual narration from the perspectives of Elizabeth, an only child from New Jersey, and Lauren, the eldest of six children who lives an hour away from Berkeley. Although I often struggle to become emotionally entrenched into a novel with multiple points of view, Roomies worked really well because of the inclusion of an e-mail in every chapter. As future roommates, Lauren and Elizabeth start up an online correspondence and being able to read not only their thoughts, but also their words to one another and the impact those e-mails had made the novel come alive.

O: O-thenticity 

As a high school senior, I feel fully qualified to say that Roomies is, in fact, a very authentic portrayal of the mind-set during this time. Although I'm not quite there yet, I was able to connect with the complexity of emotions that both Lauren and EB felt. What I appreciated most, though, was the fact that Altebrando and Zarr never tried to shove their opinions down your throat. It's almost a guarantee that when a teen meets an adult, that adult tells them that they must be so excited about college or tell them that they should know what they want to major in already. Thankfully, Altebrando and Zarr do no such thing. If anything, Lauren and EB undergo a spectrum of different emotional growth arcs; Lauren realizing that the family she is often so tired of taking care of is what she will miss the most while EB comes to terms with the fact that though she may think she is ready for change, she might not be after all. Altebrando and Zarr tackle these issues so effortlessly, though, proving that no matter what doubts we go to sleep with, in the morning, we just have to be ready for the day ahead, no matter what.

M: Mothers (and Fathers too!)

One of the most interesting aspects of this novel, for me at least, was reading the stark differences between Lauren and EB's family units. Lauren, as I've mentioned, has a large family and though it often seems as if she's another parent, her real parents are extremely supporting, constantly there for her though they can sometimes heap too much responsibility on her shoulders. On the other hand, EB hasn't heard from her gay father for nearly a decade and her mother is one of the reasons she is so eager to escape New Jersey. I really liked that both Lauren and EB lived such different lives because of the scope of issues these authors were able to flesh out. It was also a relief to see that though the relationship between Lauren and her parents wasn't bad, it wasn't ignored either. All too often, a healthy parent-child relationship is mentioned and forgotten because it doesn't pose any conflict, so it was a refreshing change to see this one explored more.

In short, Roomies is not to be missed. A frank, honest portrayal of the teen mindset during this time period is hard to find and I am thrilled Altebrando and Zarr chose to write this. Except for a few downs towards the end, specifically with the conflict between these two girls blowing a little out of proportion and one or two cheesy romantic scenes, this book delivered beautifully. (And I know my acronym spells "room" and not "roomies", but I couldn't figure out how to write this review and didn't fully think through the acronym concept until the end... Oops!)

You can read this review and more on my blog Ivy Book Bindings.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly preoccupied with moving away from home to college and even more - losing of virginities. Not particularly deep, but reasonably entertaining. Lauren's POV (developed and written by Sara Zarr) is much better, although not quite to Zarr's ususal standard.

[Ash Wednesday · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

Roommates do not need to be best friends.
- Getting to Know Your Roommate

So this was pretty interesting.

Roomies delves into a very specific and yet underexplored relationship territory in New Adult Contemporaries. Well I suppose it does get some attention, usually presented peripherally with the supportive-quirky-roommate of the heroine, but not usually as the focal point of the story. What sets this further apart is that the entire book is about the time BEFORE either characters become actual Berkeley roommates. So it's more of two strangers with that awkward situation that looks a lot like friendship but is really more about the cohabitation looming ahead of them and the events that leads up to it.

Because The College Roommate is quite a distinct animal. I mean it feels a lot like circumstantial friendship, but you live long enough with that person that there would be days that would make it seem like she's your best friend, your worst enemy, your mother, your priest, your personal bully… So I understand both these girls' anxiety towards each other and the gravity of the things that happen to them before all that takes place.

This was told in the alternating points of view of Elizabeth (Ebb) from New Jersey, Lauren (Lo) from San Francisco, the opposite lives they lead and the unifying issue of change in those particular lives. Ebb comes from a family of one with her mom and not with her gay dad. Yes, she leads the soap opera lifestyle. Lauren on the other hand leads the charmed and raucous life of coming from a family of 8. Both can't seem to wait to get out of their routine teenage problems and get a fresh start. Until boys and parental issues came into both their pictures and complicated things. The story moves along through their exchanges of increasingly personal details in their lives with one's current dilemma propelling the other to examine her own.

I liked that it was quite a new dynamic to look into and presented some interesting insight on the ethics of internet stalking (because, let's face it, everyone does it). It was a gradual progression and the email correspondence between the two of them was realistically paced and worded. From awkward online acquaintances to reluctant virtual confidants. Both ends are dealing with unique dramatic turns in their lives, (because much as we'd like to forget, at that age, we do like to drama. A lot) and I really liked how this captures that developmental checkpoint where we start to see our parents as peer than superior, wiser beings holding all the answers to our questions. That bittersweet moment when you realize they are just as vulnerable as you, make wrong presumptions and commit stupid mistakes just like you and how that relationship evolves without losing trust and respect.

Take care of the relationships in front of you now. Most friendships have a natural life, and when they lived that out, you'll know.

Seeing as this takes place at a point of drastic change in their lives, there was much tension from the temporary nature of both girls' newfound relationships. I should gripe about Keyon and Mark but they served their purposes in the story quite adorably. They are both such girls, I swear.

I did feel Mark and Ebb's situation teetered a bit to close on soap territory which was a bit of a contrast to the seemingly realistic feel of Keyon and Lauren's who are dealing with the implications of interracial dating. Though thankfully, both couples handled their issues in a very pragmatic manner. I am a little bit more charmed by Keyon's quirks though (Pro Tip: knowing the words to The Lion King Soundtrack will always get you the right kind of girl) and there's some heartfelt sentiments between them that makes you hope they'd end up married somewhere down the line just so they could have family barbecues together (both their dads are way too awesome for them not to be best buds).

I look forward to a million adventures with him, even if they never happen, even if we only manage a few.

Can I get an…



My one complaint is that I had a hard time keeping track of who's who in the story. I literally have to make a table between Ebb and Lo just to remember who has this best friend and which one gave up her v-card. Maybe its the generic names or maybe the contrast between their voices is not too sharp. This was written by two authors, and I'm not familiar with either their backlist so I'm not sure how similar their writing styles are. If one author wrote for one girl, I fail to make that distinction and I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con in this case but it certainly bugged me when I set the book aside for a while and pick it up again feeling a little lost and confuzzled. I liked that bit of believability on how things stands at the moment for both couples but being as old as me and having my fair share of Long Distance Relationship experiences I kinda want to preemptively comfort and hug one girl and congratulate the other. I do feel like some messages were better cut across than others and both story lines don't fit as perfect opposites nor parallels of each other which again adds to the believability, though the tight delivery may have suffered a little.

I read this on the heels of a massive book hangover and for a mellow and character driven read, this accomplished what it set out to do with very minor scratches and dents on the way.

Taking a page from Lo and Ebb:

Yes: The Lion King. Bakelite. Nice boys. Cute kids. Veronica Mars.
No: Soapy drama. Teen Angst. Asshole parents.
(huh, I guess I'm pretty obvious which half I enjoyed better)
Maybe So: New Adult without the Graphic Sex? (it changes by the hour)

Also on BookLikes.

ARC provided by Little Brown and Co. thru NetGalley in Exchange for an unbiased review. Quotes may not appear in the final edition.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beyond fantastic. Lauren and EB were so very real in ways that only the very best fiction can capture. Zarr and Altebrando not only draw you into their story, but they surround you with that time on the cusp of adulthood that is the summer after High School graduation.

And I particularly liked how the novel explored love and relationships and their ephemeral but intense immediacy but absolutely owned the friendships, family, and integrity as its core. This book has some of the best female friendships I've read, with all their multi-dimensional vectors of care, competition, and support. Ditto families.

And try as I might, I can't come up with anything negative to say. Which makes me wonder about rating this at four rather than five stars. I think it comes down to personality and aesthetic preferences in ways that are all on me and not at all detrimental to the book. I'm a romantic at heart and prefer my stories tied up in neat packages (even though I know that makes them less "real" and/or relevant). Don't get me wrong, this book ends entirely satisfactorily and exactly as it should. It's an excellent culmination of the story told and I wouldn't have it any different. It's just that while I admire its excellence and am heartily glad I immersed myself in it for a time, it just isn't my favorite type of story. In other words, "I really liked it" but can't quite bring myself to "it was amazing". It was amazing in many legitimate ways, just not in my highly personal and deeply subjective way.

[Heather Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute book. Follows 2 soon to be freshman in college as they get to know each other thru email before arriving at school.

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!

Roomies caught my eye when it was first released on Netgalley last year, because of the two girls from the opposite sides of the country getting to know each other through email, and becoming close friends. This is something I can definitely relate to with my gaming and book friends that I've gotten to know over the years.

While I enjoyed the dialogue and email communications between the two girls well enough, there were a few problems that I had with the book, one which I'll explore in depth today - the race discussion. Both Elizabeth and Lauren are your average middle class caucasian Americans, who have their variety of problems when it comes to family and men. There's a lot of drama in the book as they discuss their problems with each other, including Lauren dating a guy called Keyon. And yes, he's black.

When Lauren discusses Keyon, at one point she talks about how he's black and how it's kind of new to her, because she has never really interacted with any black people before. Elizabeth asks whether it's something that people in San Francisco make a big deal out of, and Lauren replies that it's something that they pretend not to be but sometimes they notice it anyway. The two girls will explore the race discussion in their communications which each other, which begs the question: Why is it such a big deal that Keyon is black?

With such a massive African American population in the US, and with Elizabeth living in New Jersey which has a massive black population, they seem to treat it like it's a completely new and novel thing. 'I've never really had a black friend before' one of them says. When Lauren introduces Keyon to her parents, they overreact by treating him super politely because they want to make sure that he's welcome and they aren't showing any signs of prejudice at all. It was all a bit over the top and weird for me.

While the book has an inter-racial relationship and is far from racist, the way Keyon was treated in Roomies is something that I could not understand at all. As far as I know, encountering someone of a different skin tone or culture in Australia is fairly normal here and I don't think of treating them any differently as I would to anyone else. I have never looked at an interracial couple and thought "interracial couple!" I would have thought Elizabeth being from New Jersey would have been in the same classes as black people and would be more open minded about them. The girls sound kind of sheltered to not have been exposed to it in the past and yes it should be discussed and acknowledged, but I just couldn't see why they treated him any differently at all.

Roomies was a fun and honest account of two girls becoming friends over email. It's filled with lots of drama, judging someone that you don't know and the uncertainty of sharing your deepest thoughts with someone online. Overall, it was and entertaining and dramatic read, even though it addresses race in a weird way that I couldn't connect to.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I went into Roomies expecting a great read and I was not disappointed. Sara Zarr co-authors Roomies along with Tara Altebrando. Zarr is one of my most favorite authors. Her books are so genuine and real, it is as if she is providing the reader with a window into the characters' lives. The voice she gives her characters is just so tangible. Roomies is not a light and funny read. While it is young adult and is centered on the beginning of an exciting time for two young girls it deals with heavy topics: saying good-bye to parents, moving on, leaving friends, first sexual encounter, economic struggles and family tension.

Roomies is told through two alternating point of views: EB and Lauren. Each girl lives on the opposite coast from each other. EB lives in New Jersey and Lauren lives in San Francisco, both are headed to Berkeley in the fall and have been assigned as roommates. Their communications and relationship is told through email exchanges and sometimes text messages. Their daily lives is told through the first person point of view.

The last summer before college. Each girl struggles with her next step in life -- to be independent, to leave her parents' house and to never again be a child. Some of this can be heartbreaking, I could not help but see it through the eyes of the parents (my own daughter goes off to college in 4 years).

Friendships change, people move on, keep an open mind. These are the messages I took away from Roomies. So often we communicate mainly or maybe even only through electronic means -- either with family, friends nearby or people we never met. But so much cannot be conveyed through a text or an email, while sometimes people say so much more through email or text that they never would have said in real life. I liked how Roomies danced around this issue, because whatever our take -- do you mourn the loss of letters in the mail? -- text and email or electronic communications is how people communicate now.

Roomies is a book that made me remember and made me cry.

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for me. Got a little emotional at times. This one I really wanted to read. But like most books recently, it seemed I wasn't in the mood for it.

You have two girls, going to be roommates and so have months before they start college. The writing was good. I liked the interaction the two were having through emails and that we got to know both of them. My favorite POV to read would have to be Lauren. And her siblings were adorable.

Glad to have finally got around to reading this. Love the cover.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good. An easy fast read with topics of friendship, family and romance, and how things change at a certain point.
It’s not really my experience, since I’ve never shared a dorm room with anyone (or a room generally since I was, like, 8 and stopped sharing a room with my brother), only apartments, and also where I live it’s not common to get to know whom you live with in advance, so none of this communication thing has actually ever been a thing for me, but that didn’t change that I totally could relate to some of the stuff. Mostly the loosing friends, how will it go, what will it feel like to be away from family and all these things. Not so much the romance/partner stuff because I never cared. But it of course didn’t matter, because I don’t think you actually have to have any of these experiences to enjoy the book.
I had some trouble in the beginning, and there were moments in between where I felt like stuff didn’t go in a good direction, but the story always turned around to be good again, and in the end I just really enjoyed it.
It was really nice how the communication between Elizabeth and Lauren went, but I also really appreciated how all of the other characters communicated and interacted as well. Yeah, there was trouble, but whenever I thought “this is going wrong” or was annoyed with how little communication there was or I was certain that some things would happen just for even more drama in this book, it didn’t end like I thought and it kind of worked. Was there too little communication? Yeah, totally, at times, but then they always kind of got it just at the right time to not be to late, I think. Was there a lot of drama? Yeah, absolutely, but the amount of it kinda worked and it didn’t feel like too much, just a lot, and I think that’s alright. Were there problems that could have been avoided? Yeah, 100%, but they were always kind of solved in the end, and it worked.
I didn’t like some stuff, especially towards the end of the book, and I didn’t like some characters, but they did feel like real characters, not flat, and I could understand where everyone was coming from, and even if I didn’t like them, it felt like they belonged in the story and I wouldn’t want them gone. I wish some stuff would have been a little different (for example I really didn’t like how angry EB was at Lauren) but I also totally understand why it didn’t and I wouldn’t say it was wrong. It was just not to my personal preferences.
Also, this might sound stupid, but I really appreciated that there was no attempted sexual assault in this book. (Not that I would have expected any, but in every recent contemporary book I read, there was at least one scene, so I was kind of afraid it would happen at any moment, but it didn’t, and I really really appreciate that this story didn’t feel the need for a scene like that.)

In conclusion: a very enjoyable book, even if some stuff wasn’t for me and I couldn’t relate to everything, and even though I didn’t like all the characters, but it worked and I had fun.

[Kribu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really liked this.

I'm not really a contemporary YA reader. I enjoy a lot of speculative YA, but frankly, sometimes I think I'm just too old for contemporary YA; without the "something extra" that speculative genres bring to the books, it tends to all sound like teen drama with a hefty helping of teen romance. I wasn't interested in teen romance back when I was a teenager myself, and I'm not interested in now.

Yet in the last few months, I've read not one but, now, two contemporary YA books, both dealing - to an extent - with similar issues: girls leaving home, leaving childhood, for college, for adulthood. Girls dealing with those first romances, girls dealing with roommates, girls dealing with change.

I enjoyed Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - that first book on this sort-of-similar-theme - a lot. But right now, right after having finished Roomies, I think I enjoyed this even a little bit more. (Not necessarily a fair comparison; in spite of superficial similarities, they're quite different. But still.)

Roomies felt ... genuine. There was little about it that I didn't like. Yes, the second half had perhaps a tiny bit too much drama, but then, people are like that sometimes. People overreact. People are quick to anger and anger can simmer for a long time, even when you've already realised it's silly, because that's what feelings are like. They're not always sensible, or logical.

For me, the book was also interesting as a glimpse into a very different world: going away to college, worrying about roommates, is not an experience I ever had (I live in a country with two university towns, and the one I wanted to go to is in my home town, 15 minutes by public transport, so there was no dorm experience for me). On the other hand, pre-university, I did spend two years as an exchange student in another country, which was a bit of a culture shock at first, so I do have some experience with leaving home and change, even though I spent those two years living with host families, not in a dorm.

In any case, while I'm not an American teenager and therefore don't actually know how authentic the characters were, to me both Lauren and Elizabeth (as well as the supporting characters) came over as both genuine and realistic. And, in spite of both of them having their own imperfections - as people do! -, likeable. I liked both of those girls, even though I felt like shaking EB at one point later on, during the whole father drama (the most soap-operatic part of the plot, but this, too, like most everything else, felt realistic enough - something that can and does happen in real life), telling her to stop being such a fool; all the while thinking, knowing, that there was a lot I recognised about myself in her.

I'm all too familiar with how easy it is to read entirely the wrong tone and intent into things said online, in emails or forums or chats, to be quick to take things into heart that were meant well or at least not maliciously at all. It's silly, and I'm aware of it as a problem, and yet it's not something one can just easily switch off. I think that was one of my favourite aspects of the book in some ways - the misinterpretations, the way it's so easy these days to get offended first and think later - that they felt so very realistic.

Lauren's relationship with Keyon was the one part of the book that made me wonder the most - made me think that it's one thing where readers' own experiences and interpretations will probably play a huge role. People who genuinely don't find interracial relationships a big deal (which is how it should be in an ideal world, but we're clearly not there yet) may well feel that part, the emphasis of Lauren being white and Keyon being black, was overdone.

Perhaps it was. It was certainly brought up enough times to point out it wasn't quite usual.

On the other hand, it also struck me as genuine and authentic - not, certainly not, the way all people would feel and act and react, but the way some people, people who don't have a lot of general experience with interracial relationships in their immediate circle of friends and family, might deal with it: that it's a consideration, that it's something that comes up, that it's something that is mentioned, but by and large, it's not a problem. It's not something that stands in the way, it's just something that, for some people, takes some getting used to.

In any case, I liked how their relationship developed, sort-of-slowly but steadily. I know the book is over, but I'm rather hoping it went on for some time. And I really liked that they became friends first.

Which leads me to another point: the romance. I actually - gasp! - liked both girls' romances / budding relationships. Mostly because both girls managed to pick boys who felt genuinely decent - not necessarily perfect, but nice, decent young men, not the possessive growly alpha types who've infested most of the speculative YA genres these days. Keyon and Mark both seemed like great guys - the sort of guys where even if the relationships don't manage to survive college and being apart, wouldn't end up maliciously hurting the girls, and vice versa.

And also, both relationships felt realistic. EB's was perhaps a little bit insta-love-y - but in that case, it was insta-love done right. Girl's going through major personal changes, girl meets cute guy, girl falls for cute guy and cute guy falls for girl, they don't have a lot of time so no going out for months before escalating the relationship - that's fine. That's not "our eyes met across the room and although he's bad boy, I can't stop dreaming about him and I know we're destined to be soulmates forever and I will now let go of the plot and become a dreamy damsel in distress".

Anyway. I loved this. I kept putting off reading the ARC for some time because I'd got cold feet and expected that it wouldn't be my kind of book at all. Oh, how wrong I was - I don't think I was more than 5% into the book before I knew I was very likely going to like it a great deal, and I'm glad that I was right.

* ARC of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thanks!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars

This book just wasn’t for me right now. I think I would have liked it much more when I was getting ready to go to college myself. I will however recommend this to any of those who are nervous about going away to college and about making new friends.

This was a cute story about friendship that got better and better as it went. The story is told from two POVs: Elizabeth (EB) and Lauren (Lo), and their emails between each other before they start college as roommates. I thought that the emails were written in a way that added to the story and flowed into each chapter; you see both stories and what is happening in their life and they write emails back and forth at a natural pace. The characters were real and honest, even with their flaws and mistakes. They were a little immature for me today, but I could understand it in perspective to their age.

Overall, I thought it was a cute, fun, quick read and anyone looking for a light-hearted, YA story filled with friendship and real life would probably enjoy reading this.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When New Jersey girl Elizabeth gets her rooming assignment for her freshman year at Berkeley, she's comping at the bit to get in touch with this girl named Lauren who lives in San Francisco. But when she reaches out, she's met with short, clipped responses that raise Lauren's worries about what this year of living together would be like.

Little by little over the course of the summer between the end of high school and beginning at Berkeley, though, the girls exchange more and more with one another and find themselves revealing some of their deepest secrets with one another. How do you make the transition from high school to college? How do you -- if you do at all -- break up with friends? What about boyfriends? Do you take a chance on a guy who you know you'll only be able to be with for a couple of months? The girls grapple with these challenging questions via email and while it all seems peachy, things take a turn south when Elizabeth reveals one of the biggest reasons she wants to go to Berkeley: the long lost hope she'll be able to reconnect with her gay father, who left her and her mother when she was seven years old.

Elizabeth knows where her dad works, and when she slips that into an email to Lauren, Lauren does a little sleuthing -- unintentionally -- and while she hoped to keep it a secret from Elizabeth (who is under the belief her father can't see her before college starts since he has to vacation in Italy), Lauren spills the beans. And Elizabeth is not happy. How dare a girl she doesn't even know meddle in her affairs?

This book is light, but it explores SO much good stuff. It asks the hard questions about transitions and moving, as well as tough questions about what relationships are and how relationships develop. I think that both girls have really memorable voices and bring great back stories with them to their budding roommate relationship/friendship, and Zarr (who writes as Lauren) and Altebrando (who writes as Elizabeth) deliver incredibly authentic girls who experience the entire range of what anticipation feels like and looks like. There is a nice story about sexuality here, too, as well as budding romances for both girls -- though that never takes a higher place in the story than THEIR friendship. Elizabeth gets to enjoy losing her virginity and she divulges that to Lauren in a very real, very positive manner that leaves Elizabeth not feeling like she's missing out on something but that, instead, she gets to be there for her friend for HER big, life-changing-to-her moment.

There's also a nice set of stories about family here. Lauren comes from a massive family with little privacy, whereas Elizabeth comes from a family of just her and her mother where privacy is achieved through secrecy and deceit. Thus why both act and react as they do.

Many books that are worked through email feel like they're trying too hard, but it never felt that way here. It's very authentic -- and the way that Elizabeth and Lauren learn to trust and care for one another comes through these emails. Little by little they test the waters of how much they can share and how much they can pry, and they both put themselves out there as givers and takers. It's one of -- if not the -- most fascinating and true means of how friendships happen and grow. I love that Zarr and Altebrando weren't afraid to show that sometimes the most VALUABLE relationships are those which are the ones you get to create this way. And more than that, the way you nurture it IS NOT any different than those you have in your every day, in person interactions.

Hand this book off to readers eager for that next chapter in their lives, as well as those who love a good story about friendship or family. I see this being a GREAT book for graduation presents for girls who will be heading off to college after high school, but I also see it as the kind of book for any reader worries about changes in his or her life, period. This is a book about transitions and about the anticipation therein, which transcends the roommate situation.

Longer review to come.

[Jenni Arndt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5

After seeing the cute premise for Roomies and noticing that one of the co-authors is Sara Zarr I knew that it was one I had to get my greedy hands on. After taking the novel in I’m a little confused on my feelings for it. I liked it, and was excited to be reading it, I even had my fair share of swooney moments throughout, but there were elements of the story that felt out of place and the characters themselves got kind of grating at times as well.

Looking back at my reading experience with Roomies it seems fitting to start with what I did like about the novel because I was all about it in the beginning. The voices of these two girls, Elizabeth (or EB) and Lauren was something that I connected with immediately. Their tendency to overanalyze everything and search for a great deep meaning really reminded me of the narration in one of my favourite shows ever, My So Called Life. Just like Angela Chase these girls thought everything through meticulously which I really appreciated. I think because of the transitional time they were at in their life they thought about things in a more mature way than is often found in YA novels.

The relationships are also a bit more mature, which was great. Both Lauren and EB are in new relationships and we get to watch them blossom as the story goes on. Lauren’s relationship with Keyon felt like it grew much more organically so I came to really ship these two and want to see them get closer in their own time. EB and Mark move pretty fast, sex and tokens of affection coming pretty early on, but Mark was really sweet so I found myself wanting them to thrive as well. What really shines in the relationship department is the familial connections in this novel. Lauren comes from a large family, she has five siblings that are much younger than herself. As the summer wears on and she is faced with leaving her home we see her really struggle with saying goodbye to her brothers and sisters and we also get to see her parents try to make up for lost time. They realize that she was forced to grow up pretty quickly once the younger kids were born and this leads to some sweet parent/daughter moments that are really heartwarming. EB just lives with her mom but we watch her attempt to form a relationship with her estranged father and it leads to quite a bit of drama as well. While EB’s home life wasn’t as heartwarming as Lauren’s I still enjoyed watching her and her mom struggle to find common ground.

All of this has been pretty positive so far but there were some parts of the novel that bothered me and felt just a little off. There is this fixation on race in both girls’ narratives that felt really weird to me. Lauren and Keyon begin dating and it’s like in every situation that becomes a focal point of sheer awkwardness for some reason. I don’t think the focus on this ever lead to some big revelation in any of the characters of race not really mattering so it felt like it served no purpose when it was constantly pointed out. I mean, I can see that it was maybe used to form an authentic feel in the voices, showing that the girls are real because they have honest thoughts but it just felt thrown in there for no good reason to me. Also, EB’s dramatics began to really grate on me as the story wore on but this is why I always had guy friends growing up instead of girlfriends.

Despite my few issues with the novel this was a fun read that I really enjoyed. It’s pretty easy going and flows really well. I liked the end, which felt like the culminating moment of everything and left me with a smile on my face. If you’re looking for a read that just might pull at your heart strings this holiday season I think Roomies could be a great place to look.

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

You can read all of my review at Alluring Reads.

[Kate♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5stars

Okay this was actually pretty freaking cute ngl, and, reading this at the very end of July has just made me miss my own school/school friends SO MUCH I WANNA GO BACK SO BAD

But, anyways, this book follows two girls who get assigned to each other as roommates the summer before their freshman year, and they basically email each other the entire summer to get to know each other. There's drama, there's boys, there's family stuff - and, its all pretty ridiculous, BUT I must say I could actually relate to this quite a lot.

Lets start with the pros of this story:
1. Relatable AF
I'm pretty sure I could give this book to any girl whose gone to school since facebook has been a thing and she'll squeal at how much she can point to and be like "that was me." everything from the beginning of wondering if your new roommate hates you because she doesn't seem very enthusiastic over email, to being giddy with excitement upon meeting her for the first time is something that I could wholeheartedly relate to.
((also this is me personally but like EB had the exact same breakup story as me with my ex and I DIED reading it and sent it to a bunch of people and they were all like holy shit did you write this book kate???? lol))

2. Great main characters
I really loved EB and Lauren! They quite reminded me of me and my own roommate in quite a few ways, while also obviously being very different. I really enjoyed watching this story from both POVs though! And EB being a botany/agriculture major like YESSS that was wicked cool

3. The writing
The writing was somehow not bad at all?? like what?? The writing flowed very well between narrative and text message/e-mail exchanges that felt just very natural. I was not expecting it to be so enjoyable tbh since I don't like YA contemp writing very often for being too flowery and shit.

The cons
1. Awful side characters
While I felt very connected to EB and Lauren, I honestly was SO confused on the side characters right until the end. The parents/boyfriends/best friends all were EXACTLY THE SAME to the point I kept getting them totally screwed up and I gave up trying to figure out which characters went with which girl. It was really very confusing with how many characters there were man.

2. Weird race comments?
idk how to put this lol but like, there were several comments about black people/not white people that just didn't sit well with me? Lauren's little summer romance is a boy named Keyon who is black - and when Lauren tells EB about him her initial thought is to question whether or not Lauren is white and then she basically is like "I wish she was black because I've never had a black friend and that could be cool" like what?? that's kinda just as bad as being like "I want a gay best friend" or something?? and then when Keyon met Lauren's family I was just cringing so hard at her internal monologue about his race like idk there were just some things that made me quite uncomfortable that I'm surprised made it through editing.

3. Not what I was expecting
I, for some reason, thought this book was about Lauren and EB during their frosh year. Like, I knew it was about them meeting online over the summer but I didn't know it ONLY took place over the summer when they were emailing. I really wish we had actually seen them AT school.

but, overall, this was wicked cute. I HIGHLY recommend for people going into their freshman year because, like I said, this is V relatable and I feel like the girls both work through a lot of emotions most people have when going off to college for the first time!

[Trish at Between My Lines · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Roomies is fun, entertaining read about building a friendship on line. It feels like snooping through someone's emails or letters, so yes, that's fun!

My Recap of Roomies:

Two girls, 1 dorm room, and lots of emails and texts as the girls get to know each over the summer before they room together in college.

First Line of Roomies:
"Sometimes there are signs."

My Thoughts on Roomies:

I enjoyed the build-up of friendship between the girls, it was fun to see a female friendship start in this way. The pace was pretty good too, it wasn't insta-friendship! The correspondence was strained and tentative at the start until one girl decided to spill her heart one day and then they started to trust each other with some of the confusing details of their life that they aren't sharing with those around them in real life.

It felt believable to me. There is a weird temptation at times to unburden yourself to someone who doesn't really you know, all they get is your side as they don't know all the other players in your story. And that can be both good and bad. But this is a strange situation as they are going to be living together soon and once you tell someone something, you can't take it back. I don't think I'd have been as willing to divulge so much just in case I hated the person when I met them, it would make for a very uncomfortable year then knowing they know some of your most secret thoughts.

The narrative goes back and forth between the two girls and praise the Lord, each one is clearly labelled New Jersey or San Francisco so it was easy to know who was talking. Plus the characters were very different so again no confusion. I often feel disorientated in dual pov so I was delighted that wasn't the case here.

Both girls are relatable and have that girl-next-door feel about them. They are both scared and excited about college and freedom and I remember those feelings so well. I loved the setting of the book (the summer before college) and the way the plot was executed. Such an ordinary common situation but I have never seen it explored before. Elizabeth and Lauren are both in new relationships too, so of course a lot of their correspondence is about boy highs and lows, but not all of it. This book would easily pass the Bechdel Test as they also talk about college majors, family, racism, work and so on and this was another plus for me.

I did feel the book was a bit predictable and nothing in the book made me go wow. Also I was a bit disappointed at the end as I would have liked an epilogue or even one more page just so we could see both girls together. I feel like we saw the build up but not the climax and that left me feeling that the book finished a bit too abruptly.

Overall thought despite the issues above I did really enjoy this one. It's a light, uplifting, cheerful book and I'm all about books that focus on female friendship.

One quirk in the book I loved was a yes/no/maybe so at the end of their emails of what they would bring to college. So in honour of that:

Yes : To reading more books by these authors
No : To rereading this book
Maybe So : To finding more books like this in the NA genre

Who should read Roomies?

I'd recommend this one to fans of NA contemporary fiction; here is one with a difference for you as the focus is on building a female friendship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the explosion of sexy reads about twentysomethings is starting to bring about interest in books that are about life in college, or just before college, without necessarily being about an intense romantic relationship. I wish there'd been more books about this time of life back when I was in college.

ROOMIES is about the last summer before college for the alternating narrators, EB and Laura. EB a New Jersey girl is excited to move across the country to San Francisco and hopes to make friends with her roommate because, well, she won't know anyone else. Laura hoped for a single because she's moving out of her house with five siblings and just wants some alone time. EB's perky email introducing herself was not what Laura hoped for.

It's a great premise for a novel, because the roommate relationship is such a unique one and so very variable. You could be best friends with your roommate and hate living with them. You could hate them but think they're great to live with because they never eat your food or steal your makeup. Or anywhere in between! Pre-move-in email exchanges are basically the only thing you know about the person you'll be living with for a year before you make that plunge. (Unless you decide to room with a friend when you go off to college.) Plus, it's a situation ripe for misunderstandings. Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando clearly had a great deal of fun playing with the idea.

I found it a little hard to warm to EB and Laura at first because they were both determined to think the worst of each other based off of some pretty ungenerous readings of each other's emails. Then I started really getting into their stories. Laura's is the simpler one. She's preparing to move away from her close family, which is difficult even though it's something she really wants, and maybe starting a relationship with a coworker. Her coworker is black, and ROOMIES does a great job of dealing with how people act like they don't notice that but do. EB, meanwhile, is having to deal with her mom's affair with a married man, the new guy she likes despite having a boyfriend, and getting up the courage to talk to her estranged gay dad who lives in San Francisco. It is to the book's credit that it refers to this storyline as a soap opera but doesn't let it get too overly dramatic.

I really loved how many relationships are woven into ROOMIES. There is the girls' growing, fraught relationship, of course. But both of their family relationships are explored, as are their relationships with boys, and their relationships with their best female friends, all of which are changing because going off to college is a huge transition. It's very realistic, which helps keep ROOMIES moving smoothly along instead of feeling overstuffed.

I think ROOMIES will be a big hit with contemporary fans and anyone who is making their own transition to college. It's very positive while not ignoring potential negativity, and often just sweet and funny. Just don't be fooled by the cover: they don't make it to the dorm room until the very end. And you'll have to read the book to find out whether EB and Laura decide to live together after all.

[Lulufrances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hold this book even more dear because of the fact that my real-life roomie (oh my gosh, I was going to write homie at first) gave this to me - my sweet little sister! Thank you ♥

This was so lovely and realistic and nice, I spent the whole afternoon solely reading this book after my slight Ready Player One hangover.
I was a bit afraid that it would fall into the "sacrifice a good book to a book-hangover and thus make it mediocre" category, but no.
This book had it's own charms!
By no means perfect or the most earth-shattering read ever, but I loved it for what it was and even more than I'd actually anticipated, so that's making me quite happy.

It reminded me so much of the time before bibleschool - a big difference albeit being me not having a single clue as to who my roomies-for-a-year would be.
Certain aspects where so relatable and the ones I personally couldn't relate to were still all very realistic and I just found it a unique pre-university summer read that I haven't come across yet so far in my reading experience.
New Adult authors, get on it, more of this please.

Found the concept of two authors very cool, the main characters' voices were distinct and individual.
And they weren't cookie-cutter girls, but they also weren't over the top not- normal, übercrazy teens, if you know what I mean.
Especially liked the fact that their email relationship wasn't all daisies and butterflies and hearty-eyed emojis either.

This was real and I don't understand the low rating on goodreads to be honest.

[Jolene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth (Eb) and Lauren(Lo)have been paired up to be roommates at Berkeley

Lo isn't too happy. She lives with her parents and five siblings. She hasn't had any personal space since the younger children came along. She had requested a single room, but that was obviously denied.

Eb is thrilled. Its just her and her mother at home, and she's really looking forward to the "closeness" her and Lo are bound to share. She also hopes to possibly reconnecting with her father. He happens to own a Gallery in San Francisco. Eb excitedly sends off an email to Lo just minutes after receiving her roommates info.

This is one of the most adorable books I've ever read (or listened to). I absolutely loved both girls. Both were realistic, likable, and had their own distinctive personalities. I listened to the audio version, and while I think this would have been a great story to "read", I think the narrators are what really brought this book to life for me. Everything the girls have ever known is about to change. This is thrilling, sad, and at least a little terrifying. The narrators did a beautiful job with bringing each girl to life.

I have a hate/love feel for the ending. I really wished the book had gone on for one more scene. I almost feel cheated that it didn't. However, it really is the perfect ending to the book. I think ending it any other way may have taken away the special feeling the book gave me.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't what I was expecting at all, but I still really enjoyed it. The story follows Lauren and EB as they navigate the summer after the senior year of high school and prepare to be roommates at UC Berkley. Each chapter is written from a different girl's point of view and includes an email written to the other roommate.

That's really about it. I think I was expecting this to be like Fangirl. It wasn't. The girl's stories are told separately and their only interactions are via email. It sounds boring, but it had it all- family drama, friend drama, sex, first loves, break ups, summer jobs, worries about being a freshman at college. It read very real. Very non-PC. Like 2 18 year old, confused, and scared girls were actually narrating. I felt like I was experiencing the summer with Lauren and EB and was totally on their teams.

I know this is a short review, but the book really is very simple. It's less than 300 pages and a quick read. I would recommend it for when you're in the mood to read realistic fiction about young women in transition.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 4 out of 5]

When incoming Berkeley freshmen Lauren and Elizabeth get roommate notifications, they begin an email relationship sharing their vulnerabilities, fears and drama before the first day of college.

Though ROOMIES started slow, I fell in love with both young women, their triumphs and struggles and I didn’t want the book to end. I felt that impending dread of missing Lauren and Elizabeth, wishing for a sequel. Bestselling writers Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando each penned a different POV, alternating chapters between the girls. I connected more with Elizabeth, although she was the more flawed character. Daughter of a single, often neglectful mother and absent father, she struggled to connect with both. As under-involved her parents, Lauren, the eldest of six kids, was drowning in family responsibilities. I loved how her parents connected with her and were mindful about giving her independence.

More a character study than plot heavy, I usually favor stories with more twists and turns, ROOMIES kept me interested, more so with each page. I already miss Elizabeth and Lauren.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did since I am old enough to be the two main characters' grandmother. It took me back to my experiences with my first college roommate (not good) and how I felt when I left home at age 18 for university. Even though only 30 miles away from my home, the university I went to may as well have been across the country. It was exciting, yet scary to be "on my own." This book takes place via email over the summer before the two "roomies" actually meet and alternates chapters between each girl's emails and thoughts. I was so drawn into their lives and stories that I read this book pretty much straight through. I only wish we would have had access to email "back in the day." Maybe our roommate experiences would have been more successful had we known what we were getting into. This book was a thoroughly engrossing read - even for "grandma!"

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Very high approval for the unusual nature of the two protagonists' family situations/problems. But much less of it for all the talk about their virginity. Seriously, a line like "What can you give a guy, after you've given him your virginity?" required a *lot* of slack-cutting from me. One thing I've never done while reading a Sara Zarr novel is wince at the dialogue, but did several times in this.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

My original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.

♥ Initial Thought and Actual Rating: Actual rating of 2.5 stars because I liked both of the love interests in this novel and I can (maybe?) see how this would be beneficial to a reader who’s getting ready to venture into the world of “after high school.” That being said, I don’t think this book was for me. Roomies is told through alternating POV’s of both female characters and includes the exchanges they make through email conversations only. Though it seemed to work in the beginning, by the end, I felt it hindered my ability to connect to them. There was also the fact that I ended up not really liking either girl all that much. Sigh, I thought I was going to get a fun read, but it was a lot heavier and loaded with more drama than I was anticipating. I can see why others would enjoy this, but the writing style and both of the heroines’ personalities were not my cup of tea.

♥ The Lowdown: College and the anticipation of it all summer before you pack your bags and move away- learning to grow up, the building excitement of freedom and your expanding world, and sometimes leaving everything and everyone you know and love behind- is an exciting time in any new adult’s life. Just like in real life, all that is jump-started when you receive that email telling you who your roomie(s) will be!

Elizabeth, or EB to her friends, grew up on the Jersey coast and is excited to start college all the way across the country in San Francisco. In fact, she’s counting down the days until she can get away from her strenuous ties with her mother and her fizzling friendships with her two besties and relationship with her six-month-long jerk of a boyfriend. She’s getting anxious and when Berkley contacts her with her roommate information, she jumps at the chance to make her connection to the West coast more physical. But after a breakup leads to a quick rebound, love (and being spurned by her absentee father) makes her question how ready she is to make the giant leap across the US.

On the opposite coast, and definitely opposite of EB in every way, is Lauren. With a house full of siblings under the age of five (or was it four?), including twins in that mix, Lauren has never been more eager to fly the coop and finally have solace and a space of her own. Well, that is until she finds out that her request for a single dorm is denied. Lauren fills her last summer days helping her parents- like every other day- with the small kids, working two jobs, and navigating a new relationship. But just when she felt like she was ready to leave home and make the short jump across the bay, a pressure builds in her chest and she starts to feel suffocated. Change is harder for her than she thought it would be.

Through a series of emails where the girls slowly learn about each other and and themselves, a friendship will begin to form and college hasn’t even started yet.

♥ My Thoughts: I’ll admit, from the cuteness of the cover and the simplicity of the synopsis, I thought I was going to be in for a quick and fluffy “coming of age” read about two girls entering the second stage of their lives with new romances and a budding friendship. I guess it’s my own fault for going into it with certain expectations, but I can’t help feeling disappointed with the story that I got. Not to say there weren’t some lighter moments interspersed throughout, but a good portion of it- particularly in EB’s storyline- was overflowing with unnecessary drama. Aside from that, I thought this book was predictable and pretty forgettable.

As for the main characters, as I stated earlier in my review, I didn’t really care for them… or connect to them for that matter. I thought both were selfish in their own ways, and there was a major disconnect between them in the beginning and too much drama in some of their later emails. More to the point, there was a huge disconnect between the characters and myself. I didn’t get them as people or ever feel for their situations. Maybe this is because I went to a college near my home and I commuted; therefore, I never faced life with roomies in a dorm. But as it stands, I thought they both had a lot more growing up to do than what they experienced by the end of the novel. The best part of their narratives was the time that they spent with their love interests, Keyon and Mark.

I also felt really conflicted about how some of the situations were handled in the story. For one, EB’s dad was… *gasp* apparently gay. It always seemed to be this huge dramatic expression when EB shared it with someone and being that this is set in present day, I just didn’t understand the need to make it an issue. Maybe she hadn’t grown to terms with it, and if that’s the case, I would have liked to see her work through it since she was making it such a big deal out of it. Then there’s the case of Lauren dating a black guy. Again, it seemed to be this huge deal that- being in an interracial relationship myself- I just didn’t get. I don’t know if it’s only my personal experience, but it just seemed like the authors made the focal point of Lauren and Keyon’s relationship all about race and not about navigating the newness of it. It made me uncomfortable when they referred to him as a “brother” and he jokingly stated, “I love me a sad white girl.” Um… Then when she met his parents, there was this little passage:

Keyon and Joe Junior were adorable kids. I’ve always thought black babies were the cutest, and I almost say that to Sue before realizing there’s no way to say it without being totally offensive or making Sue think I’m an idiot. Race. It’s so tricky, even though we’re all supposedly enlightened and color-blind. I don’t want it to be a Thing. But it kind of is a Thing, isn’t it?”
-quote taken from my eARC of Roomies at 54%

The thing is, I don’t think it is “a Thing.” And again, this little rant may be a tiny bit self-indulgent, but I think the authors exaggerated the issue. It was only a thing because they made it one. I thought it could have been handled differently, both the sexual preferences of EB’s father and the interracial dating. (Which makes me sad because I was actually rooting for this book because I thought it was going to shine interracial dating in YA in a more positive light.) I can almost see why they made these “problems” an aspect of their novel, but ultimately felt rubbed wrong by both.

My last issue with the book is how it ended. All of these exchanges and the two girls getting to know each other and we never even get to see them actually meet. Seriously, not even one face-to-face conversation or an epilogue of them living up their college days as besties. Rather, it was abrupt, ending immediately as soon as Lauren opened the door for Elizabeth to welcome her to college life.

After all that, I would like to say that I liked Keyon’s family and that he could go to his father for advice. I also liked Lauren’s family, how present they were even if it was chaotic, and how they took an active role in their kids’ lives and promoted togetherness. They never passed up the opportunity to tell her (and the other kids) how much she was loved, as expressed in this one passage when Lauren’s dad shares a quiet moment with her:

“Everything was new with you, for better or worse.” He forces me to lean back a little so he can look into my eyes. His face is so sweet, even with the saggy smile lines and receding hairline. “We love all you kids–”

“I know.” My parents are good at telling us they love us. That’s never in doubt.

“Let me finish. We love all you kids. But you’ve given us a lifetime of first, Lauren. I don’t think you’ll ever have any idea how special you are to me and your mom.”
-quote taken from my eARC of Roomies at 85%

♥ Rec It? Probably not. The concept behind this story– forging new friendships through the internet (which is where most of my friendships are) and growing up the summer before college– was good, but in the end, I was generally meh about the whole novel. However, if the Goodreads reviews and ratings are anything to go off of, it seemed that other readers liked it more than I did. It was a quick read, so you might want to check it out from a library if it interests you.

♥ A very special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Bevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet, very real story about two girls facing college, and all the changes that come with it. I teetered a little bit between a 3.5 and a 4 through most of the middle of it, but in the end, I think it definitely deserved the 4. Throughout the story and their interactions with each other, Elizabeth and Lauren both make frustrating decisions and sometimes act a little catty, which wasn't always enjoyable to read, but the reality is that they are 17/18-year-old girls, and their growth as characters from beginning to end was so, so wonderful to read and definitely made up for it. This is a really great character-driven and honest story, perfect for readers facing a big change in their lives (like starting college!) and worried about taking the leap.

[BabyLunLun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roomies is about 2 girls who was gonna room together in university dorm get to know each other better first through email first.

They email back and forth sharing their life. At first I wonder what is the point of this book? What interesting things gonna happen? But then it starts to grow on me. A lot of their feelings hit home for me. Especially what (I forget is Elizabeth or Lauren) said about friends. I gonna leave for university anyway, why do I have to bother to keep in touch with my high school friends?

Then they both found boyfriends, just when they gonna move for Uni. It was very sweet reading about them. I love Mark , he is such a sweetheart

Well what can I say? This book is just so realistic and full of teenage feels