Synopses & Reviews
A hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experience — and missteps — of a girl's freshman year of college
Some students enter their freshman year of college knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Elliot McHugh is not one of those people. But picking a major is the last thing on Elliot's mind when she's too busy experiencing all that college has to offer — from dancing all night at off-campus parties, to testing her RA Rose's patience, to making new friends, to having the best sex one can have on a twin-sized dorm room bed. But she may not be ready for the fallout when reality hits. When the sex she's having isn't that great. When finals creep up and smack her right in the face. Or when her roommate's boyfriend turns out to be the biggest a-hole. Elliot may make epic mistakes, but if she's honest with herself (and with you, dear reader), she may just find the person she wants to be. And maybe even fall in love in the process... Well, maybe.
Review
"This delightfully modern take on a classic story is both fun and funny, sexy and sex positive, and if all that's not enough, I have two more words for you: Jane Austen." Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay and We Are Inevitable
Review
"Fresh is a book I wish had existed when I was a teenager: frank, laugh-out-loud funny, and a refreshing (pun intentional) peek behind the intimidating curtain that separates high school and college. The best part? Our intrepid narrator, Elliot McHugh: messy, imperfect, sincere, hilarious, and warm — a character you will miss long after the book is over." Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Divergent series"
Review
"Margot Wood's Fresh bubbles over with irreverence, humor, and heart, capturing teen spirit in all its incarnations and creating a new classic for a new generation." Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author
Review
"Eliot McHugh is the bold, funny, and sex-positive friend you wish you had with you to help navigate freshman year of college." Sara Farizan, author of Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
Review
"Unabashedly sex-positive and queer... A fresh, funny, college-set, coming-of-age tale." Kirkus Reviews
Video
Watch the Powell’s virtual event with Margot Wood and Gayle Forman!
About the Author
Margot Wood is the founder of Epic Reads and has worked in marketing for more than a decade at publishing houses both big and small. She is a graduate of Emerson College and once appeared as an extra in the Love, Simon movie. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Wood now lives in Portland, Oregon. You can find her online at margotwood.com.