Rose Glasses and Tender Chicken: FRESH by Margot Wood
Being an Emerson grad myself, this book felt like required reading when it started popping up in alumni Facebook groups. As a college of writers, novels from former students are not uncommon but the quintessential “Emerson” atmosphere promised was definitely tempting. So I gave in, and despite the glowing Goodreads reviews, I am absolutely disappointed. Let me explain.
The book starts us off with incoming freshman theater student, Elliot McHugh. Ordinary name, bisexual woman with androgynous undertones, and a typical freshman way of talking about sex—brash yet embarrassed. Not a horrible start for a contemporary YA book. From the first chapter, there is an instant need to be super relevant and trendy. It’s evident in the way the author writes, speaks, and describes the world around them, almost to say “Hey, I can hang with the kids” and it comes off just as outdated as that phrase. The footnotes don’t help. I understand the intention is to make this book a diary of sorts for the reader, but it doesn’t work.
Elliot immediately gets on my nerves. That’s not too uncommon for the first few chapters, still getting to know one another, but the childish anatomy references and coincidental friendships got old quick. The characters are all stereotypical art school tropes and fall flat, like they all just support that the basic main character’s view of herself as opposed to having actual personalities. The spoiled girl from Jersey that “basically lives in New York,” spent high school partying, and will claim she’s broke even though her parents pay her rent plus an allowance she decides to spend on a Y2House sale instead of food. The gay guy friend who you’re supposed to like but is not a very good person. And the hot upperclassmen you have a thing with (or aspire to) that looking back is actually very problematic. The feeling I get from this book is that it’s more about the plot that the story, which neglects my favorite part of reading: not what happens but how and why. And she incorrectly lists Kasteel Well as being in Amsterdam. Don't know why that bothered me so much.
Elliot does not take college very seriously. It’s more of something to do. In the beginning, she decides to write a sex paper for class, not actually too uncommon at Emerson. While working at a magazine on campus, I edited an article about a girl who set out to sleep with someone from every astrological sign and compare notes. But the way Elliot was talking about each sexual escapade made me physically uncomfortable, relating her libido to chicken and overall not seeming emotionally ready for the sex she was having. So, she turns to her RA, Rose, for advice.
I really enjoyed Rose’s character for a moment. She felt mature and empowered and centered. A true judgement-free confidant, like my own freshman year RA at Emerson. She was the only person who listened to Elliot after the sexual assault from her roommate’s film-bro stereotype boyfriend. At that point, I was basically skimming. Classy move for the writer to include a sexual assault scene, have everyone disown Elliot for being assaulted, require her to be outed and apologize in order for anyone to believe her, and then pretend it never happened. No apology. Nothing. But Rose was sweet and understanding and helped Elliot sort through her emotions and work to rebuild her life from the shambles of toxic rape culture. And then came the confession.
"I knew the moment I met you I was in trouble, so I tried to keep my distance, I tried to push you away. I scolded you and lectured you and I even made you take those string lights down - which were not a fire hazard, by the way - but nothing worked,” Rose admitted her attraction and affection for Elliot. “I want you beyond reason and with my whole heart.”
Although the declaration itself was sweet, I felt entirely taken aback. Keep her distance? The entire book, it felt like Rose was tempting closer, purposefully inching between the lines of the narrator’s growing attraction, in a platonic way. To hear Rose admit that she has been purposefully sparing with Elliot, writing her up for false rule breaking, putting her housing in jeopardy, because she liked her and wanted to keep tabs on her and be flirty felt very off to me. Suddenly the mask of this protective older-sibbling-type character came off and underneath was an upperclassman manipulating a very obviously emotionally immature freshman into a sexual relationship, knowing the trauma they’d endured. RAs are, yes, students, but in a position of power, one Rose used to make sure Elliot heard and saw and remembered her presence constantly. I have never read or watched “Emma,” the Jane Austin novel this book is based on. This ending and “twist” may well be based on it. But that doesn’t justify Rose and Elliot’s blooming relationship in my eyes. This book gave me all kinds of ick. I think it’s cool that an Emerson alumni based a whole book around our alma matter, but I would not recommend this book.
1.5 stars
I’m sure Wood’s writing will get better, and there is a place in YA for this. Thousands of readers disagree with me, currently standing at a 3.95 starts on Goodreads. I just wouldn’t have even picked this up if it wasn’t “about” Emerson.
