Come As You Are

Gr 7 Up–After her sister, best friend, and boyfriend betray her, heartbroken Everett “Evie” Riley leaves her high school for a fresh start at a boarding school. When she arrives, she is mortified to find out she’s been mistakenly assigned to a room in Rumson Hall, the boys’ dorm. This unexpected housing assignment makes Evie the target of inappropriate comments and advances from her dorm mates. Still, she forges ahead, making friends and forming alliances with the other students, including Salem, Evie’s dorm mate, who is a grumpy, shy sophomore transfer student, like herself. Salem and Evie make a pact to help each other navigate the school, with Evie encouraging Salem to drop his bad-boy reputation, and Salem teaching Evie to be a bit more adventurous. As their friendship develops, a sweet chemistry grows between the two. Mature themes are present, as drugs and hookups (off-page) between characters are mentioned. Narrator Hutchinson-Shaw offers a solid performance, capably capturing the engaging banter between the characters. Unfortunately, however, her performance is somewhat diminished by ponderous pacing.