I really wanted to adore Freshman Year by Sarah Mai. I liked reading it and the story, especially its connections to Milwaukee and Wisconsin, but I felt as though the storyline was quite shallow and I could not connect with the main character.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Very relatable and well-thought out graphic novel that will be perfect for kids going away to college to let them know that their struggles in a new academic and living environment are not unique.

Mai presents a warts-and-all look at that all important first year of college. From making new friends, to struggles with classes, and even romantic entanglements, she entertains and intrigues with her story. It makes me feel like I really missed a lot by commuting from home instead of living in a dorm.

This would make a great addition to any library's young adult graphic novel collection.

Freshman Year (A Graphic Novel) is YA graphic novel that is loosely based off the author's Freshman Year of college. Throughout the novel, Mai fully fully captures the seemingly endless decisions that goes through the mind of every fresh-out-of-high-school young adult.

Since the graphic novel is based off Mai's personal experiences, the plot, the emotions, and the characters feel real and relatable. This novel can serve as a resource for young adults who might think that they are alone as they start navigating the world of "adulthood" as this novel shows that it anything but that.

The novel has comic book style illustrations and I found that the artistic style fits the story and characters really well and are easy to follow.

3.5 stars

Freshman Year is a book that spoke to me in so many different ways. Loosely based on the author’s own experiences, this graphic novel tells the story of a young woman named Sarah who is struggling to understand who she is and how she fits in the world.

The issues that Sarah encounters in her first year of college were definitely ones that I could identify with. Like Sarah, I was a girl who never felt like she truly belonged anywhere, always afraid that no matter what I did, I was always doing it wrong. In fact, these are feelings that I still struggle with on a daily basis.

If I were to describe the flow of the storyline in this novel, I would say that it’s hectic in the best way. There never really seems to be a set plot that we’re following, much like how life is constantly throwing curveballs our way, regardless of how much we try to plan it. I will say that I wish that this was illustrated in full color, because I found myself confusing characters with each other multiple times during my time reading. The fact that it’s in a kind of monochrome color palate made it harder for me to recognize the differences between characters who had similar haircuts and/or glasses.

Sarah’s story doesn’t have any real resolution at the end, and as someone who deeply struggles with mental health issues, I was a bit disappointed by this. I understand that the author’s point was that life goes on and we can only keep trying, but I prefer my books to offer me an escape from the monotony of trying (and often failing) to figure out who I am in this world.

This was a really relatable coming of age story. If you were awkward and waiting for your life to magically get better your freshman year of college, then this might be the book for you. This will help kids who are going through this feeling of okay I'm here now, why isn't everything awesome? Why am I still the same person? You can't magically be different with a new environment. You have to plant yourself and grow. This was a good portrayal of that.

4 out of 5 stars

Freshman year is a fantastic graphic novel, perfect for graduating seniors. The transition from high school to college can be hard and everyone experiences this time in different ways. Add this to YA collections and place it in graduation displays.

I love realistic graphic novels. Freshman Year was a spot on depiction of what a person goes through after high school graduation and through their freshman year of college. I did not go away to college. I did community college. But, all the emotions and hardships the MC had in this book I went through. The illustrations in this novel were so esthetically pleasing and beautiful. I love that the author made her personal experience into this novel. This book is perfect for people just starting their college experience.

3.5 ⭐

Freshman Year by Sarah Mai is a graphic memoir recounting the author/illustrator’s first year as a college student. Mai succeeds in creating a reading experience that mimics the experience of being a college freshman—the breathless pace at which time flies and the empty pit in your stomach that forms with the knowledge that the two places you call “home” are not truly yours.

Just like the unyielding flow of assignments and exams, this story rolls from one challenging situation to the next with little to no break. Freshman Year does not feature chapters or structural sections of any kind. Time is marked in tiny narrative descriptions that indicate months, holidays, and various points in the academic calendar like midterms and finals. This aspect of the narrative—along with the lack of a true plot arc—made the reading experience, honestly, a slow trudge for me. Mai acknowledges this issue in an author’s note at the end and explains that she did not want to manufacture an artificial plot structure for her real, lived experiences.

I definitely enjoyed my time with Mai’s art. Both her visual and written storytelling made me feel things thinking back on my own challenging first year in college. However, I will say that the marketing toward “fans of Heartstopper” is way off base. They are both graphic novels about young people who are struggling—and that’s where the similarities end. Also, the marketing that suggests pairing it with Oh, the Places You’ll Go! as a graduation gift is…worth considering. Just know that this book portrays the harsh reality that freshman year is full of tears and personal crises. While it is ultimately hopeful, the picture it paints is more honest than inspirational.

Full review posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5917040236

3.5💫

Freshman Year gives us a glimpse into Sarah's journey at college away from home. It's a completely relatable story of the highs, lows, and unknowns of stepping into the next chapter of life after high school graduation. This work of words and graphics should definitely be available in high school classrooms and libraries!

It's freshman year in Minnesota for Sara, traveling there after a life in Wisconsin. She hopes her sinuses and allergies won't flare up, given that she can't even be in smoky rooms. And more importantly, that she has a very good year after working and dating her boyfriend all summer.

There are certainly surprises, from the amount of medical care items that her parents sneak into her bag to the amount of language requirements per semester. Yet Sarah navigates her way through French despite taking Spanish, and spends time with friends. She knows life isn't perfect, but she can survive whatever is thrown her way.

A very charming memoir, and I adore every page of it.

First I would like to thank Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of Sarah's first year after graduating from high school. It covers the highs and lows of her summer all the way through to her freshman year at college.

What I liked:
Art, as this is a graphic novel I really enjoyed the art style throughout it was a unique take and I enjoyed it
Overwhelming, I think this story did a good job depicting how overwhelming the first year of college can be and just how different people deal with it
Real life, as someone who had to work in college I appreciated these characters also had to go through that struggle of finding jobs on/near campus and how it impacted their day to day

I think there were aspects of this story that was a little hard to relate to and believe. I know everyone's experience is different but I think cause I am so far removed from my freshman year of college some of the circumstances Sarah dealt with just wasn't relatable to me. If you are looking to get an idea of how the first year of college can feel, I think this would be a great book to read to try and prepare you for the experience.

In this graphic novel we follow Sarah as she leaves home for her first year of college. She's moving from her family's suburban home to the freshman dorms in Minnesota. We see her struggle with classes, assignments, loneliness, and trying to make friends. I loved this book! I was homeschooled my entire life and then went to a trade school college so I didn't have a lot of the experiences that are in this book. It was really interesting to see how Sarah's first year went and I loved that this is based off of the author's journals and comics from her college experience. It made everything seem that much more relatable.

I was interested in this book as someone who helps run freshmen and new student programs at my university. I was interested in finding a title I could recommend to students feeling homesick or going through the general growing pains of living away from home for the first time. I do think this is that book, but I personally wanted a bit more from it. There wasn’t much of a straight-through narrative with a big emotional end, which made the novel feel like a series of “mini-episodes” like a web series rather than a movie. And the art style made it hard for me personally to connect with the characters. But I do think my students are more likely to read a graphic novel than a traditional one and come away liking this one.

What a trip down memory lane this was!!!! This graphic novel PERFECTLY encapsulates the period of time between graduation and wrapping up freshman year of college. The entire time I felt a wave of nostalgia throughout my core being of my own experience as a freshman, down to the food in the dining hall. While some of those experiences were less than pleasant at the time, revisiting them through this book was truly a delight.

The excitement of college goes out the window as Sarah’s freshman year in college unfolds. Relationships end, comparisons begin, and making new friends is tough. Her new hope is figuring out how to make it on her own and we are privileged to watch it unfold in a unique way. Through delightful illustrations, the characters develop and grow continuously giving those about to embark on college life their own hope. Delightful. But I am a graphic novel junkie…

As a parent of three college-going kids, I found the book very realistic, especially from my point of view. Sarah Mai not only captures the anxiety that comes with transitioning to college life but also the nervousness that parents may feel when sending their kids out into the world. Questions like "What about a mini-fridge?" or "Have you packed enough pillowcases?" and excessive advice-giving during the car ride to college feels eerily familiar.🙈

I also enjoy how Freshman Years captures snippets in time - the parties, the movie nights, and reconnecting with hometown friends on break. But also fully explores the anxiety of making new friends, picking a major, and finding your place in college. I appreciate how Sarah acknowledges how unequipped she feels in answering, “How’s college?” With all the ups and downs of freshman year, how do we expect 18-year-olds to give an honest answer?

Sarah Mai creates the illustrations for her graphic novel. The illustrations enhance the story, by conveying emotions, adding humor (such as the Minnesota Mom t-shirt - I don't own one "Mom" shirts 😂 from any of the three colleges my kids attend), and offering a realistic depiction of college life. If you're a fan of graphic novels, you should definitely consider adding this one to your collection!

I don't read many Graphic Novels which are drawn in Black and White and this is the main reason why I wanted to read Freshman Year and it was a memoir of Sarah's own Freshman Year.

On the whole I did enjoy the story but felt that the whole story was a bit higgle piggle and sometimes I was not sure who was who and what was going on. Maybe Chapter headings would of been a good idea.

I also would of liked to get to know more about her Parents as you get a real feel from that kind of relationship.

For me as a Brit it was fascinating to get an insight into American Education.

For all the above reasons Freshman Year receives 3 stars

In any contemporary/non-fiction-esque story, I expect to have a fair bit of slice-of-life content. I expect to see/read waking up, brushing teeth, going to class, eating lunch, and vegging in a dorm. I even expect tidbits of normal boring conversation like lectures and “hey how are you doings?”

But there was too much of that in Freshman Year. I kept waiting for everything to crash together, Sarah’s breakup, her sort-of crush on her TA, a fight with her roommates, but at more than halfway through, that explosion just didn’t happen.

So while, yes, Sarah went to class, Sarah had a few philosophical moments about life, and Sarah got dumped at 8:47 am (seriously, who does this?), it never hit that pique overhwelming moment that I was promised in the back copy.