Author(s): Sarah Mai

Graphic Novels | RSO PLUS May 2024 Secondary 14+

A stylish graphic novel about the unique angst, humor, and self-doubt that comes with going away to college--perfect for fans of Heartstopper.

Everyone gets a fresh start. Who do you want to be? Sarah is leaving suburban Wisconsin for college n Minnesota. She has high hopes for the future: impress her professors, meet interesting new people, stay close to her best friends and boyfriend back home, flourish as an artist, and shed her lingering high school anxieties. What seems manageable at first quickly unravels into a tailspin and she is overwhelmed by the freedom, the isolation, and all the possibilities that await in this new environment. Based on the author's personal college journal and comics, Freshman Year navigates the inner workings of an 18-year-old girl in witty and heartfelt detail.

This graduation gift pairs perfectly with OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!. Dr. Seuss's sentimental graduation picture book is beloved, but the one teens really need is Freshman Year. This graphic novel debut shows the places students actually do go--the home goods aisle at Target; lavish libraries; grungy parties off campus; cereal-for-dinner at the dining hall.