Review by Booklist Review
YouTube stars Raskin and Dunn have brought their witty, pop-culture-laced banter to the page with this debut, which challenges stereotypes and assumptions as much as expectations of format. Best friends Ava and Gen have been inseparable since elementary school, but now Gen is moving across the country to pursue a career in journalism at Emerson College in Boston, while Ava attends the USC film program an hour away from home. The authors' real-life friendship informs this unconventional narrative, told through a series of e-mail exchanges and text messages (complete with cartoon avatars denoting each speaker). The book's format necessitates that most of the action happens off-screen or is recapped quickly, but the upside is that it foregrounds the girls' relationship. Ava and Gen's honest dialogue about mental health, exploring their sexualities, and even just surviving a tough day of classes celebrates those friendships that seem more like family. The faux-digital format might not be for everyone, but the engaging themes of exploring one's identity and maintaining a friendship certainly are.--Kling, Caitlin Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
YouTubers Dunn and Raskin craft a humorous look at friendship and college life in their debut novel, told through emails and text messages exchanged between two best friends and college freshman. Gen Goldman, a journalism major, and Ava Helmer, a film major, are attending schools on opposite sides of the country, but they correspond constantly, updating each other about events and thoughts both mundane and profound, as well as seeking advice on how to handle their increasingly complicated social and sex lives. Fans of Dunn and Raskin's YouTube channel, "Just Between Us," will probably recognize the authors' influence on their heroines, but Ava and Gen stand on their own as multifaceted characters. The tension between neurotic Ava and uninhibited Gen regarding sex and sexuality is especially engrossing; Ava's many missteps regarding Gen's sexual experimentation can be cringe-worthy, but they lead to meaningful conversations and growth. Thanks to the rapid-fire exchanges between the girls, it's a fast-moving celebration of a friendship transformed by distance, change, and burgeoning maturity, but still stubbornly strong. Ages 14-up. Agent: Sasha Raskin, United Talent Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-This contemporary coming-of-age story of two friends on opposite shores explores difficult topics in a relatable tone. Ava and Gen are best friends whose relationship defines the maxim that opposites attract. Ava, the perfectionist, joins a sorority because she thinks that's what college students should do. She struggles with balancing her social life, anxiety, and class load. Gen is studying journalism and places herself in the thick of things by writing a controversial article as soon as she joins the school paper. She is queer and proud of it, but finds that her relationship with one of her teachers complicates matters. Narrated via texts and emails between the two main characters, this book will appeal to a wide range of teens. Ava and Gen wrestle with mental health issues, relationships, alcohol and drug use, and other typical aspects of college life. The text's light, conversational style allows readers to explore tough topics without getting bogged down. The character focus in this story takes the place of a compelling plot; however, fans of the authors' YouTube channels will find themselves turning pages quickly. Give to fans of Robin Talley's What We Left Behind or Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries serving older teens.-Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Through emails and text messages, best friends Gen and Ava share their freshman-year experiences--including Gen coming out and Ava losing her virginity--while attending colleges on opposite coasts. The epistolary style moves the story along at a brisk pace, but it's heavy on exposition and light on action. This new-adult novel will be most appreciated by fans of the YouTube-comedienne authors. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A frenetic epistolary novel of friends weathering their freshman years of college. Best friends Ava and Gen (thinly veiled fictionalized versions of YouTube comedy duo-turned-authors Dunn and Raskin) couldn't be more different. Ava is a straight-laced, straight, white aspiring screenwriter who suffers from anxiety and comes from a loving family. Gen is a free-spirited, queer, white budding reporter who isn't afraid to take risks and has largely absent parents. While Ava is at the University of Southern California and Gen is attending Emerson, they maintain their long-distance friendship through continual, hyperbolic emails and text messages. Ava rushes a sorority, writes and produces a short film, and loses her virginity, while Gen joins the newspaper staff, has an affair with a teaching assistant, and tries cocaine for the first time. There are rapid-fire accusations, misunderstandings, and apologies as each young woman tries to manage the consequences of her own actions while still supporting and responding to the actions of her friend. While the authors explore real issues here, including cutting, alcoholism, and gender identity, much of it is lost in the manic back-and-forth dialogue that seems more concerned with cracking jokes than plumbing depths. What might be funny in a 3-minute video quickly becomes wearying in a 300-page novel. Fans will be delighted, the mildly curious exhausted. (Fiction. 14-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
