Let me paint you a picture of basically all “young adult” plots: There is a girl. There is a boy. There is a relationship. There are academic, romantic and family struggles.
If you are female, you have read this before. If you are male, you may have as well. “College Girl” is, in essence, the classic young adult novel about a girl who — you guessed it — is in college and facing the typical roadblocks one would expect.
Natalie Bloom is a transfer student going from a community college to her dream school, the University of Connecticut, on her own dime. When she finally finds herself at her beloved UConn, she spends most of her days in the library studying Russian history.
That is, until Patrick comes along and she finds herself questioning a new romance.
Author Patricia Weitz gives a look inside the world of what is described as a beautiful girl, who also seems to be overwhelmed by her own insecurities. While as a young woman I can identify with the idea behind the book, the exaggerations of stereotypical female traits seem to be a little extreme at times.
Of course we are all a little uncomfortable with some subjects, but the degree to which Natalie seems to be physically, mentally and otherwise mortified by the idea of anything sexual is a little unbelievable when wanting to sell the “average college girl” persona. Understanding that many individuals are uncomfortable with the topic, the young crowd that would most likely be drawn to this novel may get some inappropriately pessimistic views on something they should be deciding for themselves.
The book reminds me of something I would read when I was 13 and hope my mother didn’t see. Not that it is dirty, but there is definitely some crude language, keeping in mind the target audience.
While it is classified as a “young adult” novel, I would venture to say that it is more what a 12- or 15-year-old would want to read because it’s what they would think in the situation, but not a girl of Natalie’s age.
Weitz also does touch on themes such as family and suicide.
Although I can appreciate the tried-and-true recipe of a young adult novel, I have most definitely grown out of the age group. While I would not call it a stroke of genius, “College Girl” did keep my attention.
I’m going to try to slip into the shoes of my 13-year-old self for a minute.
The characters were likable, realistic and detailed while still being entertaining. While I can say this is clearly written by someone of a different age, it is a fun foray into the world of what I’m sure some college experiences are like.
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