Review : Sophomore Year is Greek to Me by Meredith Zeitlin
Sophomore Year is Greek to Me by Meredith Zeitlin
Pages : 336
Genre : YA, Contemporary
Stand alone
My Rating : 4/5
About the Book :
But when he announces they’re moving to Athens for six months so he can work on an important new story, she’s devastated— he must have an ulterior motive. See, when Zona’s mother married an American, her huge Greek family cut off contact. But Zona never knew her mom, and now she’s supposed to uproot her entire life and meet possibly hostile relatives on their turf?
Thanks… but no thanks.
My Thoughts :
Sophomore Year is Greek to Me is such a cute, sunny and fun YA novel!
Flipping through the first pages, I was immediately charmed by the fake articles narrating the events of Zona’s life (hilarious, though I would imagine some would possibly find them intrusive). Zona also had a great sense of humor, self-deprecating and very self-aware, without ever being too “bratty” or typical sarcastic teenager. Her character was fun and very likable, and I loved the close but slightly different relationship she had with her father.
And then, there was Greece. It was pleasant to experience a different culture, though I wish I could have experienced even more of it. Since Zona attends an English school, her direct contact with Greeks and Greece culture is mostly limited, until she gets to meet her family in the last half (third?) of the book. Which was my favorite part! Her family was big and loud, caring and entertaining, and I loved to see how Zona reacted to them. The hissing geese story was definitely a favorite!
There’s a lot happening in Sophomore Year is Greek to Me, maybe even a little too much. Issues about origins and belonging and family are delved into, but not deeply, and I would have loved to scratch more than the surface of Zona’s past and present. On the plus side, I appreciated that the romance was more like a tiny side story rather than the main plot, and I loved how the author tried to insert serious issues without making the book all about it. It made the characters feel real and important, without taking away from Zona’s entertaining adventure.
The blurb compares Sophomore Year is Greek to Me to Anna and the French Kiss, but I’m not too sure about that. Both books are really heartwarming tales of teenagers abroad, it’s true. And it’s been a while since I’ve read Anna, but Meredith Zeitlin’s brand of humor reminded me a lot more of Sophie Kinsella (which is a huge bonus, in my book!)
All in all, this was quite the fun book-trip, one I’d easily recommend to those looking for a cute, mostly fluffy YA story!
This looks and sounds adorable! I love the title.
I have this one on my kindle and I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. The first book was hilarious! Interesting about the Anna comparisons- from your review I don’t see it either. Sounds like a fun read! 🙂