Bass Ackwards and Belly Up (Bass Ackwards and Belly Up #1)

Reader reviewed by Katie

Harper didn't get into her dream college, NYU. Or any collge for that matter. So when she deceives her friends into thinking she's putting off college in favor of her Dream - writing the next Great American Novel - they are inspired to follow their own Dreams. Sophie moves to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress. Kate plans to backpack around Europe. Becca decides she can go to college and follow her Dream at the same time. Meanwhile, Harper is living in her parents basement. The girls get themselves into numerous sticky situations. They each have their own romantic ventures as well. They discover that the road to finding themselves isn't everything they thought it would be.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't quite sure if I was going to like this book because I had a hard time getting into it at first. By the end, though, I was hooked. It was slow to start but it got a lot better as it went on. I found myself sitting there with a huge grin on my face at some points and laughing out loud at others. It takes place over a span of three months, which when you think about sounds like a long time but really didn't seem like it. Each chapter was written from a different character's point of view.

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series are alike in some ways. For example, they both have that group of girls discovering themselves thing going on. If you're a fan of the Traveling Pants then you'll definitely like this book. I recommend this book if you're looking for a light, funny read.

Reader reviewed by linda

Kate, Harper, Becca, and Sophie were all prepared to go to their pre-planned and parent approved colleges when Harper dropped a bombshell announcement. She was going to follow her dream of writing a great novel and she wasn't going to college that year. This sets off a chain reaction and causes Kate, Becca, and Sophie to realize their dreams. Kate goes off to Europe for a trip to discover herself, Sophie moves to L.A. to become an actress, and Becca is the only one going to college because her dreams happen to be exactly what she was planning on doing in the first place. All their plans get messed up by some of the guys they meet but they have chances at true love. In the end they realize that their dreams are a lot more important and can change their lives forever.

Reader reviewed by Ria

Four best friends, Harper, Kate, Sophie and Becca are all looking forward to starting college. At least, 3 of them are. Harper has decided to follow her "dream" and stay behind to write the next famous American novel. As she convinces her 3 angry friends to see things from her point of view, they begin to realize that maybe they aren't ready for college yet either. Sophie decides to put her college career on hold to travel to Los Angeles in hopes of pursuing a career in acting. Harverd bound Kate, the one person who always does what's right, decides to take the year off and travel to Europe, which leaves Becca alone. Becca is the one person going to college, Middlebury, to ski for the best coach and find love.

As the months go by, the four girls learn a lot about their families, life and love. They lose people who were important to them, but they also find new people who truely care.

When I first saw the title and cover of the book, I honestly didn't know what to expect. But I started the book and really got into the story. Being a college student, I could relate to what some of the girls were going through. It was great to read a story from the view of college students, as not many books out there feature main characters around that age. This book reminds me a lot of The Traveling Pants books by Ann Brashares. Yet it's a refreshing twist on not doing what everyone expects you to do and finding out your true personality. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend this.