Review: “Ten Things We Shouldn’t Have Done” by Sarah Mlynowski {part of “Sweet Summer Challenge”}

 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, “Harbouring 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.

When I first saw this in the bookstore, my first thought was; why isn’t this already on my shelf at home?! The UK cover is just AMAZING and look at that blurb above…who wouldn’t want to read a crazy-funny-wild novel?! I was just so intrigued by this that I just swept it up with a few other books that caught my attention…but this one stood out SO much that I had to read it first.

April’s parents have divorced, and even though it may seem that it just ‘goes over her head’ and it doesn’t affect her, it does, and the only people to get her through that were her friends and boyfriend; Noah. She had a big past with her friend Vi (long name; Violet) and April is quite attached to their memories and friendship. Don’t even get me started on those Mermaid impressions when they were drunk…that goes down in book history for a literal laugh-out-loud moment.

The novel starts out with a hard choice for April. Her father and Step-Mother are moving to Cleveland and they want April to go, too. He has a new job there, and at first, I wouldn’t have thought there was a moment when she could compromise with him that she could stay with her friend; Vi for a while under some conditions, but he ends up saying yes (after Vi does some impersonations)…but reading about this incredible character that reminded me a little of Vee from the Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick. There’s that name similarity, but their personalities were so fun-loving and hilarious. But the real shock-factor is that Vi’s Mom is not going to be there at all when April is staying with her, which kind-of deals April and Vi three cards; a wild card, a lying card, and a OMG-how-did-I-get-here card.

“Sometimes you don’t need lightning to start a fire. Sometimes, it builds on its own.”           

 When the storyline builds in the beginning quarter of the book, April is suddenly thrown in this parental-free world where anything goes. She’s staying in the basement of Vi and her Actress-Mom’s beach house. It’s almost like her own little apartment, and she could easily get used to it…with all this freedom. For her, it’s almost too good to be true…and then things get real.

Sarah Mlynowski has seriously written the best summer read ever. With it’s witty and downright hilarious characters and lines, you’ll be turning the pages in laughter and shocked expressions. April gets a lot more than she bargained for over the course of the book, including some infamous characters like Hudson and Dean. By the end of this book, my impression of Noah definitely changed!–but you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out why…

Overall, this book was my fun-loving, friendship-filled book with bursts of excitement, chuckles and gawps. I am rushing to search Amazon for more of Sarah’s novels because I just can’t get enough of the amazing dialogue and style of her writing. It was just so true and she didn’t hold back on some of the things other Authors may have dodged or written differently. If I had a 5.5 rating to add an extra .5 for the giggles, I totally would. But for now, a huge five stars for this must read!!

Book one of my Summer Challenge is done! To anyone who is looking for a light, fun-filled book this summer…choose this! It’s highly recommended.

happy reading!