Freshmen is a classic NA college novel, the pages filled with partying, hook ups, and an occasional class. Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison take the fun a step farther by exploring loneliness, homesickness, and shameful events that can make or break the college experience. I really connected with both Phoebe and Luke, their experiences similar to my own four year adventure. It was a fun-to-read novel, the sort that gets you out of reality, but doesn't challenge you too much. I laughed quite a bit, appreciated the focus on events beyond drinking and one night stands, and ultimately found this book to be a really great, positive new adult read. It was a very authentic portrayal of college that took me back in time.

Though Freshmen is labeled as a YA novel, I'd put in more in NA adult territory. There is a lot of drinking, time spent between the sheets and literally everywhere else, and a serious, thought provoking question of appropriateness and questioning what everyone else is doing. I really appreciated the secondary characters, but they seemed more well rounded than Phoebe and Luke at times, their voices more mature and adult than that of the narrators. Additionally, the end left me feeling like it was unfinished, like maybe there must be more to the story, a happier ending. I wish there had been an epilogue that revealed all is well for the characters after a dramatic freshman year.

Freshmen is a must read for young adult and new adult fans, I mean, I want to hand it out to freshmen on college campuses right now. It was so accurate, funny, and had a very smart message to it.

This book was pretty funny.
I have always British culture so this was fun to read.
Frankie was by far my favorite person.
It had a great plot line and I really enjoyed this book.

Being an American it was hard to really understand this book from a British point a view. The two college systems are vastly different and ghat likely influenced my viewpoint on this book. It was a solid book, just was not really what I was expecting. The cover led me to believe I would be reading a wild frat romp, what I got was a coming of age novel. For what it was it was great book, I was just slightly disappointing because I thought I was going to be reading a "van wilder" or "animal house", but instead I was really reading a "10 things I hate about you" novel.

Fun and entertaining read! Very truthful and a quick read. Will recommend to my students!

I had a lot of emotions while reading this book, but the strongest of them was anger. Anger at how, in this day and age of the "#MeToo" movement, something so disgusting could be thought of and written.
I'll be real here - I actually enjoyed the plot of this book whenever it was just about Luke and Phoebe, and their first semester of college. I would have enjoyed the book even more if there had been no Wall of Shame, completely demoralizing of women. It was disgusting, and I closed the book multiple times because I was so mad. I could see where the plot was going, I knew who all the scumbags were. I only continued on when I thought "maybe I'm wrong here."
I wasn't wrong. There wasn't really a hapy ending. Which is fine, not every book needs one, but the ending felt cut off - nothing was really... finished? One problem was focused on, and all the rest of them were just left unanswered. Characters who strived for a certain ending didn't get one. Frankie deserved more. Becky deserved more. Arthur and Rita deserved more. Will deserved less.
Anyways, I'm still angry.
It was a good book otherwise, and I'm not going to let this chip on my shoulder keep me from recommending the book to people who enjoy books like this.

I enjoyed this book. It took me longer than normal to finish. I just couldn't get into the story and characters, but it is well written and has a good story.

This book was a bit of a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed reading it! It gave me a bit of insight of what college is like in England which was cool to read about.
Freshmen is about two students from high school who end up at the same college and their journey with relationships, friendships and school.
This book had good character development and I felt like I was able to fully understand each character and their thought process. With the two main characters Luke and Phoebe, the in depth writing helped us understand the book better.
Sometimes with books, multiple viewpoints leave me feeling a little iffy, but I feel like the two viewpoints of Luke and Phoebe helped us understand the characters and fully understand their thought process.
However, I felt like their were multiple conflicts in the book that were all wrapped up with one big conflict. The only problem was because the author tried to incorporate so many points of conflict I felt like it wasn’t well developed and the resolutions felt sometimes rushed. I felt like the end of the book was very rushed and kind of crammed together at the end and it ended too soon after drawing it out.
The book was a pleasure read and I finished feeling happy and all in all it was a great read!
Also the cover is so cute!!
I received this book on NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

As a reader, I loved this book. Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison did a fantastic job of evoking all of the emotions of your first semester of college (except that mine involved substantially less tea...and cheese). Freshmen brought me right back to the friendships, heartache and craziness that was college.

As a mom of a daughter, aaakk! I know that the world is full of Wills, and I dread the day my daughter has to encounter such awfulness. I can only hope that, with our current national movement of calling men on their grossness, that my daughter will not have to go through what so many have before.

Freshman is the perfect read for anyone who has gone to college, will be going to college, or will be sending someone off to college.

A great, realistic story about college life. This book gives you a little bit of everything. Nothing is perfect and that includes the ending. It's a great read and my first from this author.

This was a FUN read.

What I loved: This book brought back SO many college memories. Seriously kids, live in the dorms! It's so much fun!! The characters were relatable. If you've been to college, you probably knew someone like every character in the book. If you haven't been to college yet, be prepared for all the characters you will meet!
What I liked: There wasn't a picture-perfect ending....it ended the way most things in college end, with the realization that nothing goes quite as planned and you just keep going and growing and evolving and learning.
What I didn't like: I'm not sure there was one thing that I didn't like.

Seriously, a fun read!!