Freshman Forty Blog Tour: Review
Author: Christine Duval
Release date: February 21st 2013
Publisher: Amazon
Series: Freshman Forty # 1
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Add to your library: Goodreads
When eighteen-year-old Laurel Harris discovers she’s pregnant four weeks into the start of her freshman year at prestigious Colman College, she has all intentions of telling her father. But being away at school makes it too easy to hide. And while she can’t explain to her friends, or to herself even, the reasons why she doesn’t want the baby’s father to find out about the pregnancy, the rest of her world begins to unravel.
Freshman year is hard enough. Most girls get through by forming close friendships, finding new boys and a phone call from mom or dad on Sunday. Laurel has to navigate all of it while hiding an unplanned pregnancy from a summer fling...
An imperfect heroine plagued by bad choices and haunted by the memory of her deceased mother and grandparents, readers are sure to identify with Laurel as she navigates teen pregnancy, in secret, in a remote college setting. (via Goodreads)
Freshman Forty deeply reminds me of Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. Though there are a lot of differences between the two, both are centered on teenage pregnancy. I signed up for this blog tour because well, I was so intrigued as to how Laurel will cope with the pregnancy given that she was a freshman college student and her reason for not wanting to tell the baby's father. Sure enough, I got only one answered. Although I was waiting for the other one to be answered, it's okay since this is a series anyway.
How Laurel cope with her pregnancy while she was a freshman in college was so painful. Just by deciding whether to get an abortion or not was truly a life-changing moment. I know what Laurel's decision will be given that cover! Still, I was nervous because either choice will bring her lots of struggles. But I absolutely admire her for pushing through with it. Despite the facts that she didn't give out her insurance card to the clinic (prenatal check-ups and tests are so expensive, mind you), no one knows about her pregnancy and that she was really all alone in college.
The feel that it was all realistic was heartbreaking in a way because really, freshman year is hard enough. What more when there's another life inside you? I think it was an impulse that she wasn't really that careful at first. I don't blame her that much given her situation. Especially that it's not just her pregnancy and first year in college that was in line, her relationships with her dad and her new friend Mike (who she obviously likes and who likes her as well) were also at risk because she was hiding her situation. But Laurel was such an independent MC. She really did get out of it alive.
What I find so unsettling in here was that she was able to cover up her belly for more than 5 months. I don't know. But I just think that it's kind of impossible since I imagined her slim and even if she wore big shirts for that matter, it can't hide the fact that her belly was that round. Or I guess she was just that good in hiding. STILL. Unsettling for me.
Honestly, I was disappointed that I just got to know that name of the baby's father! Haha. No kidding. I wanted MORE. But I guess I'll get that from the second book!
Freshman Forty is really an inspirational read to every teenage pregnant girl out there and even for the ones who aren't. It'll open your eyes as to how pregnancy can make a BIG difference to one's life. It'll also give you hope that teenage pregnancy isn't that bad. Laurel will inspire you because she is that independent and strong.
About the Author
Christine Duval has been writing creatively since the fourth grade when she penned her first short story entitled "London Terror," a mystery about the murder of a cat in London.She attended college at a small school in the Finger Lakes - the inspiration for Colman, Milton, and Kashong Lake in Freshman Forty. It really is cold, wet and grey there - OFTEN! But when the sun comes out, boy is it pretty.
She lives in New Jersey with her family and loves to hear from readers either on Goodreads or Twitter @christineduval1.
2 comments
Oh I read my first Sarah Dessen book last month and I really enjoyed it. From what I've seen i'd really like this one too it's my kind of story with realism and relatable problems. Glad you enjoyed it, Nina!
REPLYThanks, Giselle! Glad to be a part of the blog tour. :)
REPLYHey, there! Thanks for stopping by my blog! Feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you! I'll reply as soon as I can! ;)