Wurst Case Scenario

Courtney Von Dragen Smith #2

by Catherine Clark

This sequel to the hit Truth or Dairy offers another diary by the irrepressible Courtney Von Dragen Smith. This time, Courtney leaves home for college in America's Dairyland, where eating vegan is considered suspicious at best.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult Romance, Chick Lit

Library Binding

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

I love reading books for children, young adults, new adults and all the old people after that.

I love writing for pretty much the same audiences.

Reviews

[JenniferJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I sadly really really disliked this book. The one star actually is for the cute cover. I hate that I didn't like it because the synopsis made it sound soooo good and the cover is really cute but hence this is why one does not supposed to judge a book by it's cover.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the book has NO chapters but instead is divided up into long diary entries...long boring whiny diary entries that I grew sick of before I got into the book 50 pages but still I trudged on and listened to Courtney moan and groan about going away to college, hating her roomate, and sulking because Grant her boyfriend was having a wonderful time at his college without her. Heck I bet he sang Hallelujah on the day she left!

[Nathan Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Clark has certainly crafted a relatable, understandable, and attention-grabbing story with this sequel to Truth or Dairy. It starts off with main character Courtney Von Dragen Smith moving to a different state to attend college. However, she has left her boyfriend in her previous location. Not only that, but she found a lot more than what she expected in her time at her new place. She is a vivid vegetarian, but her job introduces serving meat. She is against destruction of the O-zone layer by harmful products, and her school chants "C-F-C". She decides to take action against the chant all while trying to keep her social life, love life, and vegetarian life together.
Clark does an excellent job at giving characters personality. Courtney is given a highly believable personality, with the way she writes unto her journal. The author shows Courtney's thoughts and her persona by the way she writes in her journal and how she interacts with others.

[Sin Yi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the first book banana splitsville and she was super annoying and whiny about her bf breaking up with her. I get that he was kinda wrong in it but she shoulda gotten over it. Instead she spend 80% of the time complaining about him leaving her due to college and wanting to meet more people. Then this book. Wowww was she annoying. She was even more whiny about everything. Being jealous of her bf having fun in college and shes just complaining about her college life not going the way she wanted because she wanted to be with him and etc. she was super self centered and closed minded the entire time. Calling her bf to complaine and cry and crying in general like no tomorrow. Like seriously, grow up. Then the whole situation with Grant was like a repeat of the first book where she can’t get over a guy.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Character is like every other flighty, insincere, ridiculous girl I had the unfortunate opportunity to observe in college. Hard to root for an idiot.

[Katarina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped for something funnier.
Wurst Case Scenario is narrated through the journal of Courtney, who is starting to study at an out-of-state college. Perhaps I would have liked her better if I had read the previous book, Truth or Dairy, but as it was, I found her extremely irritating. She was several things I can't stand, and probably a very realistic character because of that. Her hypocrisy, martyr mentality, immaturity, and poor choice of friends remind me of phases I have gone through and people I've known. She makes a huge deal about being a vegetarian because she believe in animal rights or something, but at the same time admits to a preference for leather. She is rude and unappreciative toward her roommate, but sees the girl down the hall whose stories are getting thinner and thinner as her only ally. She's so selfish I spent the whole book waiting for the crisis that would bring her down to earth and force her to look beyond her own issues. I was slightly disappointed when it did come-- it didn't knock her on track quite the way I hoped, and she was able to continue her selfish tendecies as she started to put things back together. In the end, she did grow up. But it just took longer than I really wanted.

[Loryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was okay. Glad I finished it. I thought it was going to be an adult-ish read, at least in the writing style, I didn't expect it to be a eye-opening, riviting read. The author wrote from the perspective of a diary-writing, eighteen year old college girl. And it was not what I was in the mood for! I don't know if I'd ever be in the mood for it. There wasn't a lot of background, no insight, nothing. Just diary thoughts, you know? It was an extremely quick read since most of the pages weren't even filled. I'd suggest this for someone looking for something to read on a plane or a car ride or something. As far as the story itself? The girl is trying for the whole book to stay in a LDR with this great guy back home... he even drives like 700 miles to see her when she got mad at him.. and then drove her back to school after break and all this, and then she dumps him right before he leaves! Didn't seem fair to him, nor realistic. She dumped him out of no where, just because she was stressed. Ugh. Teenagers.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wurst Case Scenario by Catherine Clark was a book I read one summer when I was in college. It's really fascinating to go back and read about college "way back when" now. Particularly given how technology has advanced, there are aspects of plots from the early 2000s (and before) that just wouldn't happen today. I mean, it all makes sense to me given I was there and lived that life, but man, this stuff is dated. Remember when chat rooms were a thing? And how we didn't have cell phones? And how that meant we could only get in touch with people on landlines in one location? Anyway. This book revolves around Courtney Von Dragen Smith who is off to college in rural Wisconsin. This means she's now in a long distance relationship with Grant Superior who is back closer to home at Colorado State. Told entirely through her journal, Courtney navigates life as a freshman with common challenges - roommate conflict, finding friends, getting involved, finding a job, homesickness, and becoming excited for a cause. It was a light read that was just okay. I enjoyed the nostalgia I suppose.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Courtney arrives at college 1,000 miles away from her home, her best friend, and her boyfriend. She meets her meat-loving science nerd roommate and immediately her vegan self thinks - this isn't going to work out.

She struggles meeting new people, making friends, balancing her job and schoolwork, and surviving a long-distance relationship.

With all her stress and worrying, Courtney wonders how she'll survive four years on her own.

Catherine Clark takes a long look at college relationships and how they can make you crazy, scared, cry, and laugh.

[Tori]

2004- Once again we meet Courtney Von Dragen Smith, who's all grown up and entering college...in Wisconsin?! Courtney is a likable character, and is shows in this diary of her first semester. However, I read Truth or Dairy (the prequel) earlier this year, and even I couldn't remember who some of the characters were she constantly mentions. It would have been nice if the author had woven in a quick explanation of who Jane and Beth were just to refresh our memories. I felt like this book could have been MUCH better, but instead, the characters are so thinly drawn that you never care much about them.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not original, yet I enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of my college days, where I moved miles away to a little small town and had to adjust. The style of a journal fit pretty perfectly. It was just the same as many other stories I've read.

Not bad for 50 cents.

[Andi (Andi's ABCs) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found Courtney even more annoying and whinny then she was in the first book. She is way too much for my liking. can't say I would recommend it at all. It was pretty painful to read because she annoyed me so much.

[Lauren Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to someone who appreciates a good Young Adult novel. The main character, Courtney, is honest and hilarious. I found myself not being able to put the book down and wanting to find out what happened next.

[Reader101 · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOOOOOOOOOOD book.

[Ry · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems to have a lot of imcomplete thoughts just floating around in the book.

[Laura Brumbaugh]

read this and the first one, Great books.

[Hannah Theriault · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really like this book that much...

[Ily · Rating 3 out of 5]

actually i've read this book but unfortunately i forgot the whole storyline.this story suitable for teenager.Its good. about college and stuff. so am re-reading it now...hehe. happy reading

[Jessica *The Lovely Books* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Umm well that was not entertaining at all. I am not a fan of journal entry type books, plus Courtney was annoying and whiny. How her Grant put up with her I will never know.

[Librariann]

Courtney Von Dragen Smith is back in this sequel to Truth or Dairy, and this time she's at college in the meat-and-cheese capital of the world: Wisconsin.

[stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the realistic college life and journal entries. College classes were a bit unrealistic but it was a good read! liked the roommate drama (we can all relate) and boyfriend worries.

[Tracy Fagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute story. Not a whole lot of complexity in the plot. I read it to see if the content was ok for my 10 year old, and I am fine with her reading it!

[Jen]

This was a really cute book:D Nice and short too:)

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about growing up, going to college, long distance relationships and friendship. Courtney and her college adventures were a nice read and escape.

[Rachel]

Released June 2008

[Marsela` · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd book to banana splitsville love it just as much