Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.
If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.
In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Goodreads Summary

This book describes a disaster waiting to happen.  The main character, April, was not happy with her parents' divorce and father's remarriage.  When her father decides to move, April, at first, refuses to go with.  Amazingly, her father allows her to remain with one of her friends; of course, he believes that that friend's flaky mother is there too... 

April and her friend get in trouble not long after April moves in.  April finds herself with a new kitten...one that will rack up a major vet bill; she buys a hot tub with money given to her to pay for her "rent, food, etc..." from her father, she has some very awkward scenes with her boyfriend, and some very rowdy parties...one ending with the police.  For awhile, even April's other best friend comes over to live with April and her friend-a scene with three bored and flighty girls? Not a good idea.

This book was a riot.  The characters, particularly April, were hysterical...the reader will love reading April's thoughts and watching her decisions pan out in the novel.  She's actually a sweet, nice character.  The secondary characters are just as notable, from April's "must. get. laid." friend to the potential love interest, the reader will enjoy them all.  There are quite a few surprising twists in this book, typical for Mlynowski, that the reader will love and be horrified at the same time.  This book is recommended for young adults/teens who enjoy funny, somewhat random novels.

4 Stars