Freshman Dorm!

I’m one of those Gen-Xers who collects series YA from the 80s and 90s. Some I saved, some I (foolishly) dumped and later went looking for*, some I never owned until I went looking to complete the series. And yes, I have an entire bookcase devoted to these series.

So, just a few days ago, I noticed there was some free space at the end of the Freshman Dorm shelf. “And there are a couple of super editions I don’t own,” I thought. “Maybe I should order them.” Two days later, I dropped some stuff off at the Goodwill, then went in to browse the books (natch!) and I found this! A Freshman Dorm super…that I hadn’t even known existed! 

I’ve ordered the four remaining supers, and while I’m waiting, I’m going to review the series, book by book. I so vividly remember buying the first one! Waldenbooks, downtown Pittsburgh, fall 1990. I’d recently dumped my (incomplete) collection of Campus Fever and (complete) collection of Roommates, in the misguided belief that I had to do so in order to be grownup. But I saw this, paid my $3.50 and got sucked in all over again.

I like the tone. Roommates was often too much outside the characters, and telling us what they were feeling instead of showing it. Plus, most of them were so conservative they felt like throwbacks.  Campus Fever had a soap-opera feel to it: the good characters were too good, and the antagonists were just evil. These characters seem like what they are: 18 y/o freshmen in the early 1990s. It’s done with characterization, not pasted-on pop culture references. First breakfast in the dining commons: I’m there; I know the feeling. 

So as soon as I know my way around this site, I’ll post a review of book 1!

*Try AbeBooks. Prices are super low, and often shipping is free!

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