Up Over Down Under

Students Across the Seven Seas

by Micol Ostow, Noah Harlan

A super-special S.A.S.S. exchange novel offers romance in the land down under?and right here in the U.S.?when two exchange students swap places! Eliza Ritter has high expectations for her semester in Melbourne, Australia. Sure, she?s participating in an environmental program, but really she hopes to spend her time meeting cute boys. So when she meets a hot surfer, she is thrilled! Aussie Billie Echols, on the other hand, actually does have an interest in the environmental program she?s signed up for in Washington, D.C. But the States are nothing like she expected, and soon Billie is caught in the middle of an unexpected controversy. Being an exchange student gets a whole new meaning in this first-ever SASS book of its kind.

Genres: Young Adult, Travel, Romance, Fiction, Australia, Chick Lit, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2010

About the author

Micol Ostow has been writing professionally since 2004, and in that time has written and/or ghostwritten over 40 published works for young readers. She started her reign of terror with Egmont with her novel FAMILY, which Elizabeth Burns named a favorite of 2012 on her School Library Journal-syndicated blog, A Chair, a Fireplace, a Tea Cozy. Micol's graphic novel, SO PUNK ROCK (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), was named a 2009 Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth Selection, a Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth Selection, and a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens. She received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Her young adult horror novel, AMITY, will release from Egmont in August 2014, and her first chapter book series, LOUISE TRAPEZE, will debut in Spring 2015 from Random House.

She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, alongside her Emmy Award-winning husband, their daughter, and a finicky French bulldog. Visit her at www.micolostow.com.

Reviews

[Jesten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book yet, it just kind of fell flat when I was actually reading it. The characters weren't all that great, and the writing wasn't extremely striking, though it was charming.

[Camilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, however I wish that it was just about Billie. I almost always wanted to skip the chapters about Eliza and I just really didn't like her character; she just keep making bad decisions that were hurting everyone.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book from my library’s used bookstore because it looked cute. It’s the story of two girls taking part in an foreign exchange program based on environmental issues. Billie from Australia is swapping places with Eliza from Washington, DC.

I expected this to be a cute read and maybe learn a little about Australia in the process. I thought it would be about the girls trying to fit in with their new environments, and it kind of was, but mostly it was about their environmental projects.

The first half of the book is setting the stage, getting to know Eliza and Billie in alternating chapters as they acclimate to their new home for the semester. HALF. THE. BOOK. Nothing happened in the first half except what we knew was going to happen, the girls swapped homes.

Finally, a little after halfway through it started to get better, but the plot was still entirely lackluster. Eliza takes the chance away from her home and strict parents (her dad’s a big wig with the EPA, reputation matters) and gets into trouble. Meanwhile Billie, always straight and narrow, rebels in her own way by taking a stand against the actions (or lack thereof) of the EPA.

Really, this book is like an after school special. Maybe if I were in middle school I would have enjoyed this story, but in the end, I wonder why I wasted my time. I guess I figured by the time I hit 50%, I’d already invested so much in reading this I may as well just finish.

I gave it 2.5 stars because the characters were mostly likable and the writing was decent. It was the lackluster plot that deducted the remaining 2.5 stars.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading Up Over Down Under was like pulling teeth. I was determined to finish this torture machine only because I wanted it featured in my book blog, that's it. This was a special double feature that featured an Australian and American teen switching places. With those extra pages begat extra drama. Micol Ostow wrote Westminster Abbey and I was aware of how poorly I received that book. This was worse. The SASS books are all mediocre, but this one took the cake. The American student was vapid, selfish, and her antics involved the police. She was incredibly frustrating to read as an adult and I can't imagine the poor impression she must have had on teens reading this book. The Australian teen was fine in comparison, but her treehugger tendencies were cranked to 11. I had a really awful time reading this and I stubbornly stuck it out. Here's hoping the future books are tolerable and don't make me embarrassed to be American.

[Alycia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for teenagers interested in DC and/or Australia. Just a fun book.
There were some errors about DC that were puzzling. Surely the author and editors knew that Dulles airport isn't in Maryland and that DC has a very strict rule about how tall buildings can be. Nothing important but anyone who reads this book familiar with the area would give it a couple of good eye rolls. Maybe there were some Australian mistakes too.

[Clodagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this series, but it's obvious that neither of the authors are Australian. I know way more about Australia than they do, and I've never been there. NO one from this part of the world confuses Marmite with Vegemite. NO ONE! I'm so glad that the book wasn't set in NZ, because then I would be even more offended than I am.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did like this, in spite of all my nitpicking! I do just wish they'd gotten an actual Melburnian (or even just any Australian) to proof read this because there were a number of itty bitty details that just irked me... although the attention to detail that was correct WAS nice! I liked both girls and enjoyed reading about both of them. The Parker/Billie romance did seem a bit forced and unnecessary though, and I would have enjoyed more to the story as it seemed to end with a lot more still to happen! 100% want a sequel. Do the girls manage to meet?? Like does one go home a few days before the other has to leave so they can at least hang out once? I want that to happen!

[gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!!! Loved how each chapter would alternate between Eliza and Billie and their respective situations in Australia and Washington. I also liked how I felt like I was with them during their first internships.

Loved how Eliza just told Parker the truth and let him get together with Billie since if it happened otherwise then it wouldn’t be fair after what happened with her and Macca.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I’ve just outgrown this book, but I also feel like it was never good to begin with. slow story, over focused on boys and finding love, and I felt like it would really be a waste of time to continue on, it was tooooo long winded, it was hard reading about 1 girl, but 2 girls? I can’t.

Boring.

[Kristina Peroni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was cute with the two main characters instead at one. I thought some of the characters were ignorant and annoying but some were actually funny and heartwarming. I wouldn't recommend this book but other books in the series are better.

[Kimber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.

Eliza and Billie exchange places for a semester as they embark on their S.A.S.S. experiences. Eliza, the daughter of a politician, is thrust into the world of fieldwork and surfers when she heads to Melbourne, Australia. Bille, a proactive greenie, heads to Washington D.C. and faces the world of office work and protests. Can they successfully make it through the semester without causing strife in their homes, or worse, getting deported?

This book was definitely worse than the other S.A.S.S. books I've read. It was just boring and not a whole lot happened. All I wanted was to finish this book and move on.

The plot is pretty standard, two girls go to foreign countries and fall in love. It has no twists or turns, and practically no action, so it's just boring. Honestly even the romances were so lacking in these ones. Both of the guys were dull and their wasn't any spark. It just left me wanting more. So with no romance and no action what was there to this plot? Mostly just a lot of talking about stuff over and over repetitively until you're left snoring. The Billie plot was probably less terrible for me, but still beyond boring.

The characters were really dull. They were both very boring with no notable qualities. They're also both pretty judgmental. The two love interests were the worst characters in the book. They don't have any spark as characters which leads to romances with no spark. The parents are just about the only characters with any character to them. They're fairly well developed by comparison to the teenagers.

This book was so dull I can't really muster up much to say about it beyond that. There wasn't much of a story and the characters were boring. I wouldn't recommend you read it if I'm completely honest. I'd probably read the rest of S.A.S.S. but that's mostly just to humour myself.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this version of the S.A.S.S. world, Eliza has fled Down Under for the chance to let loose a little, while Billie has gone Up Over in the hopes that being in D.C. will allow her to save the environment once and for all.

More than ever I wish I knew more about the writing guidelines for the series -- there's a lot of variation in how the programme works. In some books, students are placed with families; in some books, they're in dorms; sometimes they rarely interact with anyone outside S.A.S.S.; sometimes they have a local-exchange deal going on. This is the only book in which students perform something of a body swap -- although the environmental themes of Up Over Down Under do run through some of the other books.

As other reviewers have said, I might have liked this better had it been solely from Billie's perspective. Eliza does make herself difficult to like for some most of the book. No real sense of growth for her as a character. Billie comes in a bit more well rounded and also ready to...go with the flow. She doesn't always agree with her hosts (Eliza's parents), but she does have enough maturity to talk to them rather than sneaking out, running away, et cetera. Her story does feel a bit unfinished, though -- more energy given to the love triangle than to conflicts with less predictable outcomes -- and I wish there'd been more displays of culture both Up Over and Down Under. Okay story, but it really could've taken place anywhere. Erm, in two anywheres.


More general look at the series here.

[Allie Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after I had finished the anger S.A.S.S book called When Irish Guys Are Smiling. I thought this would be just as good as the one I read but I was sorely disappointed. I found this book hard to read because of Eliza and all her antics. My only reason to keep on reading was Billie.

Billie is a greenie, surf addict, hippie, save the whales type of girl. Eliza is more off a pink, boy crazy, girly, I care more about myself then other people type of person.

Throughout the whole book Eliza made some pretty bad decisions. I mean, if I had an opportunity to learn over seas I would be really into it. Eliza just signed up on the program because 1) she wanted to be "free" and 2) she wanted to meet boys. She didn't actually care about the green eco learning experience. She signed up knowing that her important ecological businessman dad would guarantee her acceptance. I think that's just wrong, it's practically cheating or bribing to get in!

Billie was a breath of fresh air compared to Eliza. Billie was a model student who balanced friends and potential love interests. I also think that Billie made better choices than Eliza. Billie's romance also ended much better than Eliza's.

Overall I gave this book three stars. If this story was just centered on Billie in Washington D.C it would have gotten better reviews all around. But then again I guess it wouldn't make much of a story if Americans read a book about a foreign exchange student program in America.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Eliza's dad works for the EPA in Washington, D.C. His is a highly respected position, which means Eliza's behavior plays a factor in his profile. As a result, she's been the perfect daughter, but when an opportunity arises for an exchange program, she's thrilled to be on her own Down Under.

Billie, on the other hand, can't wait to become involved with the political aspects of saving the environment. She's taken a hands-on approach in the past, but now she can actually make a difference.

Both girls couldn't be happier about the exchange, but things don't turn out as planned. Eliza gets herself into hot water breaking the rules for a boy, while Billie grows frustrated with the time it takes to make anything happen in the political world. Before she knows it, she's headed for trouble.

Will the time in different countries change the girls' outlook on life and jeopardize their place in the hosting home?

UP OVER DOWN UNDER is part of the S.A.S.S. series, mostly written by different authors and very fun reads. As a bonus book - two stories in one - this is double the fun. I loved how the stories intertwine because it deepens the plot. I always enjoy exploring new countries, new friendships, new families, and new boys.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the S.A.S.S. series becuase most of the places profiled are places that I dream of visitng. This was a bonus because I;ve been to D.C. a few times and I love it, so I enjoyed reading more about the city. And I've always wanted to visit Australia. I've read two or three YA books st in Australia and never been able to grasp the concept of footy. This book explained it all in a way that made sense to me ;)

I also really liked that this book in the S.A.S.S. series had some more depth to it in a non controversial way. All of us can agree that we need to take care of the Eearth and so having Eliza and Billie focus on environmental issues was a cool way to add some substance to a fun book.

The only bummer was that no mention was made of Australia's ethnic diversity. If you love to travel by armchair/sofa/bed, the S.A.S.S. series is perfect for you and this book is a must-read if you're looking for a ligher-read that still touches on environmental issues and the stagnation of Washington D.C. politics. I enjoyed getting to know the "hippier" parts of D.C. and learning the lingo of Australia.

Where you going? (means How's it going? essentially) :)

[Ashley - Book Labyrinth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute S.A.S.S. adventure, this one involving Eliza (the Yank in Australia) and Billie (the Aussie visiting the USA). I have to say, I found Billie's character and plot line a lot more enjoyable than Eliza and her escapades. Maybe this is because Billie actually cared about the environment and making a change in the world, while Eliza mostly cared about working on her tan and trying to party without getting caught. I enjoyed reading a bit about the differences the two girls experience, living in a culture completely different from their own, though I would have liked even deeper descriptions of Eliza's time in Australia. I also didn't like how the whole last month of the exchange was pretty much ignored, when it felt like everything was basically leading to that point. There was some resolution to the story, but I would have liked to see how the whole exchange period played out. Overall, though, an enjoyable book that involves the fun ideas of student exchanges and travel, as well as some romantic subplots.

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took five or six chapters for me to get more into it, but once I got past those chapters, the book flew by. I loved the juxtaposition of Eliza (from Washington, D.C.) and Billie (from Melbourne, Australia). It was fun watching them delve into each other's lives, even though they had never actually met. I truly felt worried for each of them at certain points, based on predicaments that they found themselves in throughout the novel. All of the S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) books, which amount to fourteen in total, were well worth reading. My only qualm with this one was that the landscapes and tourism of both host countries (the U.S. and Australia) were not really explored too much, which is part of what I loved so much about some of the other books in the series. I hope there will be more one day soon!

[Nielson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the latest installment of the S.A.S.S.(Students Across the Seven Seas) series, native Aussie Billie Echols and American born Eliza Ritter exchange homes and lives for a semester abroad. While Billie is serious about her experience abroad, anticipating to make a mark in the environmental world, Eliza is only interested in Australian boys and beaches. In alternating chapters, we discover they both get what they want but in a way they didn't imagine! Cute book but I wish there were more about Billie. It got annoying to read about Eliza's escapades that ultimately hurt people and broke their trust in her. Maybe Eliza's American ways are what some people perceive Americans to be like?? I think young adults would really like this book though.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was slow getting through the flight over from their home countries, then Eliza's story sped up while Billie's stayed pretty slow to me until halfway through. I like that Bille was more interested in the real reason for the trip in the first place. She was interested in helping a cause. Eliza just wanted a tan and to go to the beach, which for me is understandable since I live in Florida :). If I picked between the guys, I would totally go for Macca ;). I think for the most part I like Eliza's story more though, she really did the 'you only live once' thing and took chances even though she could have been shipped back to the states. I really admire that about her character. But I also really like that Billie stood up for what she believed in and stood up to the Ritters.

[Istiningdyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reread for me.
I remember not enjoying this book the last time I read it because I had a book hangover.
I'm glad that I enjoy reading this book a lot more.
This book is quite different from other sass books as we have two main characters here, Billie and Eliza. They do the sass exchange program for an environmental internship. While the subject of environmental is interesting, most of this book rather talk about the girls' rebellious adventure. Billie is a passionate eco-warrior and ready to make a stand for what she believes in. I admire her for that. While Eliza is ... err... not my fave of the two. She seems irresponsible and doesn't think anything through. It's still a fun read though.

[Jordan Clouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up Over Down Under was a very good book. I enjoyed this book a lot. It was very romantic and adventurous. This book was very long though. Other than that it was very good. I enjoyed the swapping between the characters.

Eliza and Billie the two main characters switched places. Billie went to America. Eliza went to Australia. They were two completely different places. I enjoyed them going back and forth between chapters.

I recommend this book to girls only. It's romantic and fun. I enjoyed it a lot but I had to read half of it in one day. It was long but good. So I would read more of the series which I'm excited about.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that this S.A.S.S. book involved two different exchange students, that was interesting to layer their stories. Was left wanting more at the end...seemed to come to an end quite quickly without too much resolution.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like it very much, especially how the American was written as being more interested in partying and having fun and using her father's position to get in the program than actually learning something.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing two characters exchange from both their points of view was fun.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it really fascinating to read about two people who lived at each other's houses for a semester and how different it is to experience what another person has to deal with ever day.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked seeing America from a foreign persons point of view and i enjoyed learning Aussie slang.

[Fizza]

nice ending..although eliza got into soo much trouble!!
the ending was sweet..i like bellie's story better in the US..

[Zahraa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt it was a bit boring at the begining but later on i felt it was a bit good not excellent nor very good

[Christina Borgoyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book series a lot.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to see if we should keep this series at my library. Overall, 2.5 stars.