by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen
299 pages
This book is interesting because it is written in the form of letters, and it is set in 1982-1983. Life long best friends, Catherine and Scott, are exchanging letters as Catherine spends her first year away at college (Wake Forest) and Scott stays home working in his father's clothing store.
The writing is funny and the character's personalities really take form immediately. Catherine is a hard-working student who's life is flipped upside down when her father has an affair with his secretary. Scott is an "underachiever" who starts a rock band. The two grew up across the street from each other and know each other better than anyone else.
Through their letters (their two different voices), we are able to see how they interact and how they each grow during this school year apart. While I will admit, I think the ending was pretty predictable, the story was entertaining. Sure I wasn't quite alive at the time the book was set, it was still fun reading about things like the release of Michael Jackson's new album, Thriller, as if it just happening now. That was cool.
Anyway, I'd recommend this book if you want something funny and fairly light (there are still some downers).
3.5 Stars