roomies

co-authored with Tara Altebrando

original hardcover with Josh Cochran illustrations

The countdown to college has begun.

When Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment at the beginning of summer, she shoots off an email to coordinate the basics: TV, microwave, mini-fridge. She can’t wait to escape her New Jersey beach town, and her mom, and start life over in California.
That first note to Lauren in San Francisco comes as a surprise; she had requested a single. But if Lauren’s learned anything from being the oldest of six, it’s that you can’t always get what you want, especially when what you want is privacy.

Soon the girls are emailing back and forth, sharing secrets even though they’ve never met. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives … and each other.

Honors

An Amazon Best Teen Book

An IndieBound Favorite

A Bank Street College Best Book

SELECT QUOTES

★ “The authors give the story big doses of humor, sensitivity, and sweetness, along with a complex and realistic cast; EB and Lauren's stories amount to two great novels in one."    – Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ ” With authentic and distinct voices relayed through a combination of emails and first-person narratives, the authors create a modern and meaningful epistolary novel. ... a resonant story perfect for any teenager going to college--or simply struggling to make peace with herself and her world.” – Bulletin for the Center of the Study of Children's Books, starred review

"Authentic and drama filled, this novel offers reassurance to all teens who, regardless of destination, are facing the next chapter in their lives: leaving home.” – Booklist