With the end of the semester right around the corner, precious free time is finally within sight. Although those hours of catching up on “The Office” will undoubtedly be entertaining, eventually, boredom sets in. Then what? “College Girl” by Patricia Weitz may just be the perfect thing to fill those hours of homework-free bliss. In this novel, Weitz tells the story of Natalie, a college student in the early ’90s. While the subject of this book is gleaned from the obvious title, this is one book that should not be judged on its title alone.
Weitz paints a typical college scene in all its glory: sleep deprivation, academic pressure, pimple anxiety and drunken hookups. Because of this, it’s easy to forget the novel is even set in the early ’90s. This is why it is interesting that Weitz chose not to set this novel in the present or leave out a time period all together. It might have made it a little more relevant and marketable, but regardless of the grunge style and the Ace of Base mentions, Weitz captures the emotions and thoughts of a female college student with honesty and clarity, without the stereotypes one would associate with a book with the title “College Girl.”
An over-achieving transfer student to the University of Connecticut, Natalie Bloom spends almost every waking second in the library. She keeps to herself, living inside her own little bubble, living and breathing by her meticulous routine. Panic usually ensues when her orderly life is interrupted — the reason she generally avoids social situations.
Natalie is instantly likable, her personality is believable, and her quirks are charming — one of these being her absolute mortification of still being a virgin at 20 years old, so she subsequently avoids thinking about, talking about or doing anything sexual. When Natalie meets a boy at the library, her world is turned sideways as he is just the distraction she strives to avoid. Up to this point, the novel seems fairly predictable. Girl is virgin. Girl meets boy. But this is where the predictability starts to wane.
As the novel progresses, Natalie’s character deepens, and the reader learns of her brother’s suicide when she was still fairly young. It is then evident how deeply this tragedy has affected her self, her personality and the way she interacts with people. Patrick, the boy she meets at the library, turns quickly from a potential boyfriend to a booty call. Natalie gives Patrick what she thinks she is supposed to, and she is convinced that this is love. This is what a girlfriend would do. Natalie changes who she is for a guy who doesn’t even like her much. As Natalie begins a downward spiral, she earns her first failing grades, loses her once incredibly strong drive and even begins to have suicidal thoughts herself.
The novel takes a sharp turn from a light read to a serious story of self-discovery and self-destructive behavior in the hopes for happiness. These topics are difficult to address, but Weitz doesn’t turn this into a sermon about depression and abusive relationships; instead she tells of a woman trying to find herself through a sea of realistic problems many college students face.
Just as you should not judge a book by its cover, “College Girl” shouldn’t be avoided because of its title. Granted, it does allude to a frivolous novel of drunken nights and girl fights. But in actuality, it is an extremely realistic college-based novel with believable characters and relevant themes. While this novel may be a little more serious than those “Office” reruns, it is definitely worth turning off the TV for.
5 stars out of 5
