College flashback or flashforward, depending where you’re at, this graphic novel memoir is as current as it is poignant.
Sarah is starting college but does that mean she’s a new Sarah?
Captured through the atmospheric artwork, the unique self-doubt, angst, lows, but also humor of freshman year are all present. The old and the new friendships, crushes, doubts, experiences, and the one I remember vividly from mine: the what am I really going to do here, with these classes, with this degree?
It also once again proves my point that there is SO much in a graphic novel.

Freshman Year is a graphic novel based on the author's experiences transitioning from high school to college. I really appreciated how the book began with high school graduation and then progressed into the first year of college. I think a lot of the times, we view college as when things really begin to change, but in reality there are major changes that happen before that. I really love that Sarah experienced so many things over the course of the year without there being any single HUGE moment that stood out. This is a great visualization of how things that may look minor from the outside can have a larger impact on somebody, and also shows how a series of small events can add up into something major.

I think that this book will appeal to older teens that fit into the "new adult" category...those that are entering a similar life stage themselves will find plenty to relate to. Similarly, it could be a great gift for graduating high school seniors. Although they might not instantly related to everything in the book, it could help them see that sometimes people change when they go to college and sometimes not everything goes according to plan (and that's okay).

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to review this title.

Beautiful Illustrations In A Slice of College Life Story

Quote:📖
Mom, it’s called realism. It’s gritty.

Thoughts: 💡
I love the illustrations in this book. They’re all beautifully crafted with varying sizes and aesthetic placements. The story is different because it doesn’t progress the way a typical story would; it’s pace ebbs and flows and is true to the college experience just following the MCs first year of college. Which evoked a wealth of nostalgia while I was reading it. I would recommend this book for anyone that wanted a glimpse of what to expect their freshman year or wanted a break from the typical stories to read something different.

Stats:📊
Characters: 💙💙💙💙💙
YA Graphic Nove: Slice of Life, Coming of Age

this was my first ever graphic novel and boy, it was so awesome!! reading through this story was SO much fun and i found it to be surprisingly relatable as i read through.

📖i was on campus for while i attended college for my Associates degree (i was an online student for my bachelors), and can see where Sarah’s experiences really come to life in this relatable novel!

Just because things happened doesn't mean they'll make a good story. I expected more structure to this, and more of a conclusion, even if it was just revelation to the lead character. I also had a hard time telling the characters apart, given everyone's boiled-egg eyes and round heads. I found that style unappealing and off-putting, as everyone perpetually looked surprised.

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I loved this graphic novel. It looked at life and the anticipation of going to college and what college is really like.

Review to come during the tour on Feb 14th.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher/TBR and Beyond Tours for an honest review.

So I was so excited to read this. I love graphic novels. I love reading about the American College/University experience. It is just so different from here and I love it.

So first let’s get the not so good out of the way before going into the good. It was a bit more mental health/anxious/angsty for me at times. My mental health isn’t the best lately (and writing this after getting some news on the 14th of January my mental health took a dive further) and so it was at times a bit too dark for me and I struggled. Struggled with the things she went through (and I really wish she had gone for help instead of just struggling like this). Normally it wouldn’t hit this hard, but again, this was just not the right time to read this book and if I had known it was going to be this much I would have probably not read it until I felt better.

Also, as others have said in reviews the transitions between scenes felt a bit off, the pacing a bit fast. At times I had to flip back to the previous page to see if I had missed something, if my ecopy had eaten something.

But now on to the good parts! I really enjoyed the art it was so fun and pretty.

I loved seeing the before she went to college as well. See her graduate, see her have the best summer and really feel like an 18-year old for a bit, see her slowly get ready for college, see her friends and family.

I loved reading about the college/university our MC goes to, and I just adore their dorm rooms. Those bunkbeds? Sign me up! I just love that + that you still have room for other things, like a couch. It looks so homey and fun and I love how some people really make it their home and a place to feel happy.

The various classes/colleges and groups were fun to read about. I would have loved to be part of some of those classes. Not French though, thanks to high school and the evil teacher we had there, haha. I love that you can choose several courses/classes along with those required.

And I loved seeing the campus and see all the things that happened there.

Plus, it was fun seeing the MC being able to go back home during weekends or vacations. I know that this isn’t always the case, so I was happy that she had the chance.

Oh, and I loved seeing her make friends, discover new things, and try to feel a bit better about college life.

All in all, you see, I quite enjoyed this one and I am happy I read it despite that it was a bit too much for my mental health at points. I would recommend it if you like graphic novels + college/university life and all that comes with it.

I loved the nostalgia of reliving my college experience by reading this graphic novel. The book reads almost like a memoir of the author’s freshman year experience. And what an experience it is to move out of your parent’s house for the first time and into a college dorm room. I could see so much of myself in Sarah. The happiness, the anxiety, the depression, and the longing for acceptance into a new group of people.

I really enjoyed the illustrations and Sarah Mai’s engaging writing style. I thought it flowed well. I also enjoyed the open ended conclusion. I think many readers will be able to relate to this story. Young adults about to head out on their own for the first time and readers like myself, who graduated from high school twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, it still feels surreal to say that some days.

Highly recommend picking this one up if you enjoy graphic novels and/or know a young person heading off to college who does.

Really enjoyed Freshman Year, a graphic novel by Sarah Mai!

This is such an authentic and open look at the craziness that is your freshman year of college. We are going through such huge upheavals in life at that age, and this graphic novel captured it all- breakups, parties, classes, finals, part-time jobs, friends, and more.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!

I absolutely loved this! I loved the story and couldn’t put this down. Highly reccomend

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Freshman Year!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
👩🏼‍🎓 just graduated from high school
📚 love graphic novels
😰 if you remember how stressful freshman year of college was
🥶 live in the Midwest

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Everyone gets a fresh start. Who do you want to be?  Sarah is leaving suburban Wisconsin for college n Minnesota. She has high hopes for the future: impress her professors, meet interesting new people, stay close to her best friends and boyfriend back home, flourish as an artist, and shed her lingering high school anxieties. What seems manageable at first quickly unravels into a tailspin and she is overwhelmed by the freedom, the isolation, and all the possibilities that await in this new environment. Based on the author’s personal college journal and comics, Freshman Year navigates the inner workings of an 18-year-old girl in witty and heartfelt detail.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a really interesting graphic novel that brought me a lot of nostalgia. While I didn’t go to a university for the first few years of my college experience, I still felt all of the stress and anxiety that Sarah felt as if I was experiencing it all over again with her. College is a hard thing, especially when you’re away from those you love most. I loved the drawings and all of the dialogue. The ending was a bit abrupt for my liking, but I enjoyed growing with Sarah as she traversed her first year of being an “adult.” I would love to see her other college years, so if this becomes a series, I’d be down for that!

Sarah Mai's graphic novel, "Freshman Year," takes readers on an authentic and relatable journey through the highs and lows of the tumultuous transition from high school to college. Drawing from her personal college journal and comics, Mai provides a witty, honest, and heartfelt exploration of the challenges faced by 18-year-old Sarah as she embarks on her freshman year in Minnesota.

The graphic novel captures the essence of the college experience with a keen eye for detail, from the overwhelming freedom to the unexpected isolation. Sarah's aspirations and initial excitement quickly give way to the harsh realities of academia and the complexities of new relationships. The struggles of a long-distance relationship, the pressure to measure up to a high-achieving roommate, and the search for identity in a new environment are all depicted with nuance and authenticity.

Mai's use of visuals enhances the storytelling, bringing to life the various settings and emotions experienced by the protagonist. The graphic novel format adds a dynamic layer to the narrative, making it accessible and engaging for readers of all ages.

"Freshman Year" is a perfect read for anyone who appreciates realistic graphic novels that explore the laughable growing pains of almost-adulthood. It earns a solid four out of five stars for its candid portrayal of the challenges and triumphs of navigating the unpredictable journey of the first year of college."

This graphic novel did a great job at showing what it’s like freshman year of college. This story really encompassed the college experience with all the ups and downs. I can see those getting ready to go off to college benefiting from reading this one.

This is a graphic novel about being a freshman in college, undecided, a new adult, and lots of self-doubt, angst, and a new-me attitude. In the case of the main character that means being vegetarian and artsy. That part hit close to home and I have to laugh out loud a bit.

The main character is Sarah and the novel follows her interactions with her friends from high school and in college - sadly for me, the art made them all look really similar and that made it hard to differentiate. I didn't love Sarah, she was kind of meh, but her issues and troubles were realistic and not too over the top, so they fit the time of her life and struggles that I also remember having in college. She deals with friends, lonliness, fitting in, regular long-distance boyfirend issues etc.

The pacing overall was ok, it was a bit slot really. There was also no color in my Advanced copy - I am not sure if there will be in the final but it made it hard to tell some people apart. I found it a bit strange that the characters were pretty expressionless - sad and happy often just looked blank and while I understand new-adult angst, this made it hard to feel what the characters were feeling and made the text read as monotone.

Overall it was an ok read. It wasn't the greated graphic novel, but it was very to the point and really felt realistic in its capture of the Freshman year experience.

review will post on blog closer to release date.

I'll preface this by saying I am not much of a graphic novel person. I'd like to be, in theory, but I never seem to connect with them the way I'd like to. That was definitely the case for me here. I can see this book really resonating with other readers, and I do like the idea of it as a graduation gift for incoming freshmen. I think I might have connected with it a little more back then.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC. I can’t wait to see the final product in print and the author’s notes at the end.

Freshman Year depicts a very common college experience— leaving home for the first time , mental health struggles, and having trouble navigating registration (seriously, why is the registrar’s office always the worst place?).

No two people who have been to college will have the same experience but I found Mai’s story to be relatable in many ways. I also enjoyed her art style even though I typically prefer full color in my graphic novels. As a side note, I checked out her other art on Instagram after reading Freshman Year and I love love love it!

A true and realistic view of freshman year of college, especially when you move away from home and don’t really have many friends you come in with. Brought me to tears but probably because of how closely it resembled my own experience. A good read for older high school or college students to remind them that college is not always as fun and perfect as it seems online.

I can see why some people would like this book, but it wasn’t for me. I had a very hard time getting through it.

I LOVE THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL. What a great read and I am obsessed with it. I could see the young adult patrons at my library LOVING this.