Bass Ackwards and Belly Up

Teens stressing over college decisions will find much comic relief in this novel about four girlfriends in Boulder, Col.—Becca, Sophie, Kate and Harper—following their post-high-school dreams. The fun begins when Harper (who is too embarrassed to admit she has been rejected by the only college to which she applied) announces that instead of attending NYU, she's going to move into her parents' basement and "write the next Great American Novel." Much to her surprise, two of her buddies are inspired by her impulsive change of heart and decide to follow suit, ditching their collegiate plans to follow less conventional paths. Sophie opts to move to L.A. to become an actress; Kate plans to head for Europe in hopes of figuring out what it is she really wants in life. Only Becca, the most focused of the bunch, holds fast to her original plans: going to school at Middlebury with the intent of helping its ski team "keep its reputation as the best on the East Coast." Alternating the girls' perspectives, dynamic co-authors Craft and Fain wryly convey four different but equally bumpy rides toward adulthood. Full of romance and adventure, laughter and tears, their story is a vibrant reminder that veering from the straight and narrow road doesn't always lead to a dead end. Ages 15-up. (May)