Kirkus Review
A high school trip to Washington, D.C., borders on bacchanal in Benincasa's (Great, 2014, etc.) new novel. Alicia Deats, a rookie teacher at Flemington High School, has no idea what she's getting herself into when she volunteers to chaperone the sophomore class trip. Though only 23 years old, she's a hippie holdover, decked out in flowing skirts, political T-shirts, and Birkenstock sandals. Her motivations for signing up to chaperone, however, have little to do with the well-being of her students and more to do with the fact that Brian Kenner, the dreamy yet aloof math teacher, will be along for the ride. Much of the drama that occurs on the tripincluding drug use, vicious fighting, and breaking curfewoccurs at the hands of two groups of rival teen girls. The action follows Rachel, Gertie, and Sivana tightknit though oddly matched groupas they sneak out after dark to try to make contact with Gertie's crush from summer camp, who just happens to be in D.C. Along the way, they face off repeatedly with Brooklynn, Peighton, and Kaylee, the members of an enemy clique. The other students are mostly filler, though there are some touching scenes between the nerdy Carter Bump and the handsome and popular Brock Chuddford. The story of what occurs on the trip is framed within two emails sent by Alicia eight years later, an unnecessary structural choice that distances the reader. While Benincasa is well-known as a comedian, much of the humor feels contrived. The wordplay falls flat as many characters end up sounding the same: crass and sarcastic. Despite the dependence on a wide array of swear words, the teenage storyline feels juvenile, while the teachers' comes across as uneven. A promising concept from a talented writer, though the novel fails to deliver. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
High school teachers Alicia Deats and Brian -Kenner are chaperones for the sophomore class's trip to Washington, DC. However, after an embarrassing sexual incident at the annual teacher mixer, they aren't speaking to each other, nor are they looking forward to spending time together wrangling a bunch of teenagers. While Alicia believes in positive discipline and trusting the teens, Brian strictly abides by the "three strikes and you're out" rule. Their differing approaches are noticed by the clique of Gertie, Sivan, and Rachel as they battle it out with -Brooklynn, Peighton, and Kaylee, the mean girls who rule the sophomore class. The claws come out and bad behavior, involving drag shows, drunken nights at the Lincoln Memorial, and getting high (in the White House no less) ensues. Comedian -Benincasa (Great; Agorafabulous! Dispatches from My Bedroom) realistically captures the voice of today's teenager, complete with foul language, sexual confusion, and everyday situations. She simultaneously crosses back into adult fiction in the development of Alicia and Brian's relationship. This is a light yet deep novel that looks at the intricacies of both high school cliques and adult relationships. VERDICT A fantastic add to fiction collections, this would be a great YA crossover for older teens (profanity and sexual situations are dealt with very well).-Erin Holt, -Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
