3. Psych Major Syndrome

Psych Major Syndrome, by Alicia Thompson (2009, August)

Light reads are really appealing right now, while I'm super busy at work, reading some more serious stuff, and just looking for fast, easy entertainment. Psych Major Syndrome was a good choice. It's about Leigh, a freshman at a small liberal arts college in California, who is majoring in Psychology. She's going through some drama with her high school boyfriend, who also goes to her college. Andrew, the boyfriend, is a total ass, and really believable. Leigh is a great character, because she's likeable, but not perfect or even totally clued-in to what's going on around her.

There's not much to say about the story, other than I enjoyed it. It was also nice to read a young adult novel with college-aged characters for a change.

2. Absolutely Maybe

Absolutely Maybe, by Lisa Yee (2009, February)

I came home from ALA Midwinter with a huge stack of galleys, as usual. In fact, my stack was even huger than ever because we drove down to Denver and I didn't have to worry about how to get it all back with me on a plane. Also, the vendors were practically shoving books into my hands this year.

This one's about a kind of typical outsider girl in Kissamee, Florida named Maybelline "Maybe" Mary Katherine Mary Ann Chestnutt, who runs away from her trainwreck of a mother in search of her biological father in Hollywood. She and her odd-duck best friend Ted tag along with "Hollywood," their only other friend, who's headed for USC for a summer film school program. Hijinx ensue, of course.

The series of events is too neat and implausable for me to suspend my disbelief: Hollywood is indeed a film prodigy, Ted goes to work as the personal assistant for a famous movie vixen of old, and Maybe lands on her feet in ways I won't spoil. Still, unrealistic events aside, I liked these kids and th0ught their relationships and the way they spoke rang true. Maybe's likable, but kind of an ass sometimes--just like a real teenage girl. It was a fast read and I enjoyed it. I might check out Yee's three previous books at some point. Probably after I finish the four dozen unread books sitting in my living room alone!