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Like a typical first-year college student, Adam frequents parties, spends time with his friends, and finds himself through his first taste of independent living. Fancying himself as a bit of an outcast or someone who marches to the beat of his own drum, he still attends parties with his popular best friend, Kevin. Together, the two of them decide to help Adam take a massive first step toward adulthood: a girlfriend and the shedding of his virginity. What seems like a natural transaction that his peers engage in routinely suddenly proves to be more complicated than Adam would have anticipated. When the right girl comes along, suddenly a callous act of give-and-take proves to have higher stakes, and the wrong move could result in something much worse than an unwanted reputation.
Coming-of-age stories can take as many forms as there are unique human experiences. Still, there are always certain touchstones that almost everybody can relate to, perhaps none richer than a challenging first love. Adam's story is one that feels familiar but with the unique outlook and narrative worldview that the author does a strong job of presenting. Readers familiar with this type of story will expect to be able to count the story beats as they appear but will be surprised to find romance where they expect comedy and heartbreak where they expect romance. Honest and human, this tightly crafted tale will have readers quickly falling into the quick dialogue, snappy pacing, and vivid scenes that will keep pages turning until the very end.