Tori's Review: Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski

Then Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★★½
Pages: 368
Published by HarperTeen on June 7, 2011
Date Finished: August 10, 2013
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2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

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

To be honest, when I was halfway through this book, I was ready to give it three stars. But once I finished it, I discovered that this story is so much more than sex and having a wild house party while your parents are away. It's about relationships, trust, and wisdom. And by wisdom I mean the choices you make in life.

Throughout the majority of this book, April, our protagonist, made all the wrong choices, and to be blunt, she fucked up her life pretty bad. The first half was pretty lighthearted and fun, but once April's birthday party came around, shit went down.

I'm going to quote Lindsay and say that this book had a sad undertone. Although I disagree with the undertone being about her parents' divorce (sorry, Lindsay). I do agree that part of it was her parents' divorce, but the other parts were her living in her own and having to make real life decisions. Yes, she lived with her friend Vi, but Vi wasn't exactly the most responsible person on earth. She did the grocery shopping and the cleaning, sure, but she wasn't the older role model to April that she should've been. Then again she was just seventeen herself.

To be honest, I found April to be a very annoying character. The whole book I was basically yelling at her for making all the wrong decisions. And when Noah was talking to her at the party, she was being totally oblivious to him and ignored him. Although I can't say that I would do any different. (I have a way of ignoring the people that care about me the most, to be honest.) But I am in no way defending Noah's honor because he has no honor.

Hudson does though! Oh, Hudson. I love Hudson. I want a Hudson. And the name? I never thought the name Hudson could be sexy but on this Hudson it is. He's just amazing, blatantly put. Oh and his real job will make you laugh since all you people who just started the book probably think he's a drug dealer or some crazy shit like that.

I loved Hudson's brother basically just as much as Hudson himself. Dean was a pretty solid character, and I can't spoil the book for you but a certain something goes on between Dean and a certain other character that makes me want to burst in fury.

There were other characters in the book, but I don't know, I found them pretty irrelevant, you know? I mean, they weren't exactly flat but they weren't exactly fully fleshed out characters either.

The reason I knocked off half a star from this book's overall rating was because of the frivolity of it all. I mean, I understand that April is sixteen, but I'm younger than her, and I wouldn't do half of the shit that she did in this book. For one, I would not waste the thousand dollars that my dad gave me each month on a fucking hot tub and lingerie for my scumbag of a boyfriend to think I'm sexy. Just saying. I don't see how one teenager could spend so much money in a month. One thousand dollars. And it seemed like Vi didn't spend any of her cash until the accident happened.

Then again, to be honest I'd probably buy books, and April doesn't seem like that type of girl.

Overall, this was a pretty solid book, but it was a one-time read sort of thing. I'm really glad that I finally read it. I bought it in January 2012 with one of my Christmas giftcards. Yeah, never read it. Glad I didn't. I probably wouldn't have appreciated the "life lesson" as much when I was that age.

And actually I'm not really sure what the life lesson is. Don't lie to your parents? Sounds about right.

Seriously. Spoiler alert. This is the ending. It was pretty surprising, if I do say so myself. Not predictable in the least.
To be honest though this is more of a ranting area for me where I don't edit out the spoilers, so read at your own risk.

OH MY GOD, I CAN'T BELIEVE NOAH THAT ASSHOLE HE'S SUCH A FUCKING DICK HOW COULD HE DO THAT TO APRIL. Then again, April was in the wrong so many times as well. It wasn't all Noah's fault. I have to admit that April was really pushing the sex-with-my-loving-boyfriend idea. I mean, he seems like he doesn't want it. Stop pushing it.

But seriously. He gave her CHLAMYDIA. FUCKING CHLAMYDIA. Okay now I don't know about you but if I was going to cheat on my significant other (which I will NEVER do) I'd at least use a condom. Like, exactly how stupid was Noah?

Anywayyy, Hudson! I loved Hudson! And I had no idea what his job was, but when it was revealed that he was a babysitter, I pretty much died of laughter. Babysitter. Who knew being a babysitter paid so well? Go Hudson!

Oh and April, you should date Hudson. He can buy you as much stupid shit as you want. Because you know, that's pretty much all you buy.

Two words: hot tub.
Come on. Seriously?
At least check on the pH contents. Don't be an idiot.
-_-