“HEY, HI, HELLO THERE. MY NAME IS ELLIOT MCHUGH, I’m eighteen years old and hail from Cincinnati; I’m a Leo, a (mostly) chaotic-good extrovert, a freshman at Emerson College in Boston, and I have no idea what the hell I am doing right now. You know those epic battle scenes in fantasy movies when hundreds of dudes are fighting and it’s total chaos and the young, inexperienced main dude is in the middle of it all, looking like he’s about to shit his pants because he’s just trying to figure out what the hell is going on while also, you know, not getting killed? That’s a lot like what the first day of college feels like.”
Some stories get you hooked by the end of the first paragraph and Fresh certainly is one of them. In this book, we follow Elliot McHugh, a spunky, provocative, bisexual, and messy AF protagonist during her freshman year at college.
Have you ever heard someone say “I couldn’t quite pin down the voice of the character”? Yeah, reading Fresh was the exact opposite of that experience. Elliot has such a strong voice throughout this narrative (including in footnotes that make for hilarious reading moments) that at times, I could anticipate how she would react to situations and I don’t know if that’s something that floats your boat, but I love that—when you know a character so well that you feel like you’re really in their head, that’s when you know it’s great writing.
What I enjoyed most about this story was how authentic it was. I’m so glad we’re getting more traditionally published books about people in their first college year because it’s an incredibly difficult era of your life. For most, it’s being away from home for the first time, overwhelmed with all the new freedoms and possibilities that come with living on campus, and being responsible for yourself in a way you never were before. Wood delivers a refreshingly stimulating narrative here, from mundane tips like not eating junk food all day every day (advice every college freshman ignores initially, trust me) to the harsher truths that just because you have free rein doesn’t mean you don’t have to take responsibility for the shit you mess up—there are a lot of life and college lessons to be found for readers.
Elliot is by no means a perfect character. She’s flawed, she makes mistakes and most of the time, she’s still trying to figure herself out—from her undeclared major to her difficulty with intimacy, Elliot has a lot on her plate. But instead of shying away from that, Wood buckles down and offers up a character that’s genuine and that you feel for, even when she’s being immature or downright reckless (we’ve all been there) and you can’t help but root for Elliot to find her way through it all.
On top of great characters, you also have a sex-positive story that tackles misogyny, friendship and first heartbreaks, as well as a seamlessly interwoven enemies-to-lovers romance that doesn’t take centre stage but makes you bite your knuckles to the very end as you wait to see whether they will find their way to each other or not. Overall, though, this is a story about figuring yourself out in your first year of college and I recommend this to everyone who’s nervous to start that experience.
A laugh-out-loud and vulnerable coming-of-age story detailing the messy life of a college freshman, Fresh is perfect for fans of The Exact Opposite of Okay and Sex Education!
Fresh is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 19th 2021.
Will you be picking up Fresh? Tellus in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experiences––and missteps––of a girl’s freshman year of college
Some students enter their freshman year of college knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Elliot McHugh is not one of those people. But picking a major is the last thing on Elliot’s mind when she’s too busy experiencing all that college has to offer—from dancing all night at off-campus parties, to testing her RA Rose’s patience, to making new friends, to having the best sex one can have on a twin-sized dorm room bed. But she may not be ready for the fallout when reality hits. When the sex she’s having isn’t that great. When finals creep up and smack her right in the face. Or when her roommate’s boyfriend turns out to be the biggest a-hole. Elliot may make epic mistakes, but if she’s honest with herself (and with you, dear reader), she may just find the person she wants to be. And maybe even fall in love in the process . . . Well, maybe.
