Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)
Praised by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle as “hilarious, moving and flat-out fun,” and Kirkus as a “pitch-perfect rendering…of the teen experience,” Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) has captured the hearts of critics and readers alike.
Fans of Sarah Dessen, E. Lockhart, and Maureen Johnson will love this hilarious and heartwarming tale of a girl on her own for the first time.
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), “Buying a Hot Tub” (#4), and, um, “Harboring a Fugitive” (#7) is a mystery to them.
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.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
So, on with the plot! The main character is called April and she's a normal teenager who lives with her dad and stepmother. She thinks her life is awesome (she has a great boyfriend, friends, plays soccer) and then her father surprises her by announcing that they are suddenly moving to another state. She's devastated and quickly comes up with a flawless plan, she'll stay with her best friend Vi! But, there's a tiny little problem, Vi's mom is a theatre actress and she's not going to be home and April's dad is not going to allow that. So they do the very first thing they shouldn't have, lie to their parents.
The book continues with a series of crazy events that can only happen when you have two inventive girls with a house all to themselves and no parents. They buy a hot tub, lose their virginities, adopt a cat, have a wild party and other crazy things.
I could relate a lot to April. She was a great character and tried to do her best with what was going on. Also, I think she grew a lot during the book and finally faced her issues. Vi was also a very fun character and worked perfectly as April's opposite. I really like the supporting characters too, they didn't feel flat or fake.
I loved that in this book the girls planned how they were going to lose their virginities, that they went to the doctor, started the pill and bought condoms. I think it was a great example. Yes they're going to have sex but at least they're thinking about it and getting informed and knowing the risks. And I also think that the situation with the STD was a great twist a had an important message: Don't have unprotected sex without getting tested!! Because your partner might be an idiot and totally cheating on you
The book has a very interesting style, with flashbacks to explain things that I personally found very cool. The plot was quite simple but it worked perfectly. There is of course a romance plot line that integrates with no problem but I think that the book is mostly about the way these girls deal with things and grow. They learn to ask for help, to let go and that they're not alone. Special mention to the end for being everything I ever wanted. April confessing to her dad? Fabulous way to end it!
Overall I loved this book. A great light, happy and fast read.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.