Roomies- Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

 

Roomies is a YA book exploring the transitional period between leaving school and going to University.  Elizabeth and Lauren are two very different people who are allocated a room share.  They wonder if they will get on at all, but over a summer of emails they begin to open up, talking about their hopes and fears.  I loved how the power of the internet and the opportunities it offers for developing friendships before meeting in person is explored in this book.

Roomies captures the teen angst perfectly, the self doubt, the worries about relationships, the uniqueness of this time where you are no longer a child but not quite an adult.  Roomies tugged on my heart strings and took me back to that time in my own life.  It would be a great read for anyone who is preparing to go to University this Autumn. 

The strength for me lies in the depth of Lauren and Elizabeth's personalities.  They are very much temperamental teens-not always the most likeable, yet always relatable.  Because Roomies is written partly in emails and partly in insightful prose, the reader really gets to know the girls, and as they the book progresses I felt more and more empathy towards each of the girls and their insecurities.

I really enjoyed Roomies, a modern take on the classic coming of age genre.  It has a large dose of friendship, a smattering of relationships, a sprinkling of sex and a whole load of family drama.  Overall, a touching and tender read.

Roomies is out now, published by Hodder and Stoughton.

8.5/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.