Publishers Weekly - Audio
09/04/2017
Cohn sets her rowdy YA novel in the town of Rancho Soldado in Arizona. With graduation looming, high school senior Vic Navarro is feeling lost. She does not know what to do with the rest of her life, since she didn’t get into college. She is especially distraught to learn her favorite restaurant, Happies, a local institution for generations, is closing. Vic decides to channel her frustrations and lack of direction into throwing an over-the-top party at Happies for the senior class, but she has to do it secretly to avoid the wrath of the vengeful Miss Ann Thrope, a sadistic high school teacher and head of the city council. When bus loads of fellow Happies enthusiasts show up to join the out-of-control revelry, Vic can only hang on and try to contain the ensuing chaos. Actor Ezzo gleefully throws herself into the farce, milking the over-the-top comedy. Her Vic is melodramatic yet immensely likable; Vic’s love interest, Jake, sounds every bit the gorgeous-but-dimwitted hunk he is; and Miss Ann Thrope hisses and shrieks like a cartoon villain. It’s a fun, rollicking listen. Ages 14–up. A Hyperion hardcover. (May)
Publishers Weekly
05/08/2017
With high school graduation out of the way, Vic Navarro is ready to ditch her desert town of Rancho Soldado, but not before throwing an epic—and forbidden—graduation party at Happies, a kitschy restaurant and local institution that is about to close. Beyond being a raging sendoff, the party is also the best possible revenge against the Happies-hating Annette Thrope: teacher, realtor, town council chair, and longtime nemesis of the town’s teens. Cohn (Emergent) returns to her roots writing realistic teen fiction with snappy dialogue, a sassy go-getting lead character, a hard-to-attain crush, and best friends for life. Though Happies—and its long-closed nearby amusement park—is a memorable setting for a final hurrah, the misunderstandings, betrayals, and solutions play out predictably. Cohn’s rowdy humor and quirky cast are entertaining, but the story’s cutesiness can start to feel exhausting: nicknames abound, including the too-clever Miss Ann Thrope for the reviled teacher, and Vic and her friends are known as the Cuddle Huddle for their three-way hug sessions, a decade-long habit. Like Vic’s party, it winds up being a bit much. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, William Morris Endeavor. (May)
From the Publisher
"A fun read featuring a diverse cast of characters and a lot of heart... relatable and entertaining."— School Library Journal
"A bawdy and colorful outing that may draw fans of Bridesmaids and Broad City."— BCCB
"An entertaining and easy read, populated with quirky characters and absurd circumstances."— VOYA
School Library Journal - Audio
12/01/2017
Gr 10 Up—Victoria (Vic) Navarro is throwing the most epic high school graduation party at the now out-of-business Happies Restaurant and Theme Park. Happies has been a local fixture in Rancho Soldado for generations, and Vic is determined to give the place a final tribute. Naturally, Vic and best friends Genesis and Mercedes have to keep this party on the down low and make certain that Miss Ann Thrope (pun definitely intended), the meanest teacher in Rancho Soldado, doesn't find out, because she will definitely shut it down. Vic, a master planner, is scarily persuasive and pulls together this party in less than 12 hours, recruiting Mercedes's two brothers, Jake and Zeke, to respectively supply the beer and create the playlist. Vic has serious aspirations to end the night with Jake, but one crazy misadventure after another (a Happies fan club crashes the party, Miss Thrope is on the war path, and Zeke is proving to be a surprisingly good "date" for the evening) throw all her plans out the window. Lauren Ezzo's narration is hilarious and the novel offers many laugh-out-loud moments. VERDICT A funny, if at times raunchy, escapade that will do well with collections that need some lightweight fiction to balance heavier, emotionally charged realistic fare.—Suzanne Dix, The Seven Hills School, Cincinnati
School Library Journal
04/01/2017
Gr 10 Up–Victoria Navarro is determined to throw one last bash for the senior class, especially if it means getting some action from the hottest guy in town. It's time to say goodbye to high school and Happies, the local landmark restaurant. The party will be epic as long as Vic can keep her nemesis, teacher, and town councilwoman, Miss Ann Thrope from finding out. She didn't expect busloads and biker gangs of nostalgic Happies fans to show up and force their way into the adjoining theme park. Either way, it's going to be a night to remember. This 21st-century update on classic teen movie high jinks is a fun read featuring a diverse cast of characters and a lot of heart. Cohn perfectly captures the variable maturity of high school seniors in Vic's voice, referencing sex and drug use and sprinkling in plenty of realistic profanity. VERDICT A relatable and entertaining story, recommended for public and high school libraries.—Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, OH
OCTOBER 2017 - AudioFile
Lauren Ezzo narrates a campy romantic comedy about a high school student, Vic, who is planning the most epic after-graduation party the small town of Rancho Solado has ever seen. She also plans to hook up with her best friend’s brother, Jake. The party is held at Happies, a longstanding restaurant in the town, before it closes for good. The party must be kept a secret from Miss Thrope, a teacher, who will pull the plug if she finds out. Ezzo succeeds in showcasing the emotions of the colorful characters. Listeners will especially appreciate her portrayal of Vic, who evolves from a rebel who wants to run away to a more mature teen who must say goodbye to her childhood as she moves forward to adulthood. G.M. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-03-15
Over the course of two days in a desert California town, a high school graduation celebration challenges friendships and introduces post-graduation realities. Victoria "Vic" Navarro (white, Filipino, and generic "Native American") is throwing one final fete for her graduating class at Happies, the legendary local restaurant that has popularized Rancho Soldado but is now closing. With her two best friends, Genesis "Fletch" Fletcher (adopted from "Africa" by an interracial couple) and Mercedes "Slick" Zavala-Kim (mixed-race, Mexican/Korean), Vic has secured permission from Happies' owner to orchestrate a final hurrah, distracted Rancho Soldado's most villainous teacher Annette Thrope (called "Miss Ann Thrope" by her students), and landed her crush's assistance for the night. In Vic's account, alcohol flows, music plays, and pot brownies are consumed, while lustful teenagers tuck themselves in all corners of the property. After a large band of geriatric Happies fanatics crashes the festivities, the growing crowd morphs from a discreet rager into a grander, final tribute. Girls repeatedly refer to themselves as dumbsluts or bitches, and somehow these teens are well-versed in dated pop-culture references. In Cohn fashion, characters strike varying chords of teen attitude from idealistic to cynical, naïve to sophisticated. The diversity is pleasing to see, but it is skin deep—there is no plumbing of cultural nuance. Readers who find "dumbslut" endearing will likely enjoy the crazed teenager angst, but the rest may find themselves wondering why they should care about these hormone-charged characters. (Fiction. 14-18)
