Review: Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Title: Roomies 

Author: Sara Zarr and Tara Alterbando

Publisher:  Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Publishing Date: December 24th 2013

Pages: 288
Genre:  YA Chic-Lit

Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audio

  

It's time to meet your new roomie.
When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.
As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.
When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

This book was a  bunch of fun for me. A few issues were worked through in the story but basically it was a cute, light read. I enjoyed how the book was written from two different perspectives and emails. It was almost like reading two different books. It was a good story about friendships, growing up, family, and of course some romance. 

Elizabeth lives in New Jersey, Lauren lives in San Fransisco. They will both be attending the same college in the fall and they will be roommates in the dorm. Elizabeth decides to get to know her new roomie but sending her an email. This leads to a string of emails tying the girls together in a pretty close knit friendship. They use each to other work out their fears, dreams, and current issues. The emails start from the beginning of Summer and last until the day they meet at the dorms. During this summer each girl goes through family issues, boyfriend issues, and friendship issues, bother learning a bit about growing up and moving on. 

I really liked this book. It was good. There were a few things that were a bit buggy for me, but for the most part, I had a lot of fun listening to this book. The narrators did a wonderful job portraying each character. I felt I was able to connect to each character individually and I knew them pretty well. Each of the main characters had strengths and flaws. The issues they faced, the decisions they made, felt real and believable for their age and they place of their life they were living. 

Lauren was my favorite out of the two. She came form a pretty big family and had grown up with a ton of responsibility. She lived in San Fransisco with 5 younger siblings from the ages of 9 months to 6 years old. She worked two jobs and still used an old phone with only the number pad to text with. She didn't use any of the social networks and spent most of her time babysitting her siblings. She was only going across the bay to attend school but to her it felt across the country. An hour away from her family felt huge. She was excited to go away and finally get some privacy and that was why she asked for a single room. The day she received an email from her new roommate was the day her future changed. She was a bit selfish over her time but for the most part she was a very responsible, caring, family girl.  A little to serious at times, but she knew what she wanted and couldn't wait to get her life going. 

Elizabeth was a bit harder for me to find likable. She had her good qualities. She was fun, lively, and pretty self sufficient. She lived with her mother, no siblings. She was a bit more selfish, never having to share a thing and getting pretty much what she wanted, she learned early in life her world revolved around her. She felt a bit smothered by her mother and chose to attend college across the country. The decision of which college was made on the simple fact her estranged father lives in the same city. Probably wasn't her best move, but she had high hopes. She was excited to get an email in regards to her new college roommate and had hopes of becoming close. This started a long chain of events that included boys, fights, and bonding. 

The book was very fast paced and written to tell the tale of two girls with different problems and living in different worlds. The plot was much other than how these two girls help each other through a very transitional time in their life of leaving one world behind to move onto another. I liked the fact that there were never any scenes with the girls face to face. Once they meet the book ends. This was a very well done representation of the journey not the destination. I would love to see a second book written of their college tales. 

It was a good chic lit, moving on, learning about life tale. 

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of four novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), Once Was Lost (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009) and How to Save a Life. Her short fiction and essays have also appeared in Image, Hunger Mountain, and several anthologies. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, and online at www.sarazarr.com

I grew up on Staten Island, NY, and currently live in Astoria, Queens, with my husband and two young daughters. For more about me visit www.taraaltebrando.com.