This review originally appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.

A few things to note about Psych Major Syndrome: Leigh, the main character, is charmingly awkward, there’s a fantastic love interest, and the book is overall just hilarious. Psych Major Syndrome definitely gets bonus points for the college setting as well. If you’re one of those readers who likes the idea of the new adult genre but want more than the focus on the physical romance, I would totally recommend Psych Major Syndrome. It’s more in the vein of books like Just One Day by Gayle Foreman(though less serious than that one), and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Leigh struggles with her classes and assignments, taking the next step with her boyfriend, and dealing with frustrations like parking tickets. I think perhaps part of why this book has flown under the radar is that it was published before this push for college-aged stories–otherwise, I think it would be much better known than it currently is.

Leigh is. . . well, I can’t say she’s exactly a girl after my own heart, but she is adorkable and smart but also dumb at times and just a really well-rounded main character. Some of the things she says are so painfully awkward I couldn’t help but to feel for her, but she also has a great sense of humor(most of the time–there was a time or too when I thought the humor in this book was too mean, so it does lose a point for that). She makes great decisions at time, but is also completely unaware of problems at others, especially in her relationship with her high school boyfriend, Andrew. They’re at the same college, and a big focus of the book is the strain on their relationship, and how it manifest itself physically. I really loved this storyline. I loved how Leigh and Andrew had frank talks about intimacy, and how many issues that come along with that were addressed subtly over the over the course of the book.

But now only was Leigh great, most of the secondary characters in Psych Major Syndrome were wonderful as well. I loved Rebekah, the girl that Leigh ends up mentoring, and their discussions about life and boys and everything else. They warm up to each other and end up having a give-and-take relationship for sure. But one of my favorite characters in the book was Ami, Leigh’s roommate. Ami is an art major, and on paper it’s not an ideal roommate situation at all. But somehow, Ami and Leigh become great friends. It just reminded me so much of how I went into my freshman year of college totally blind to who my roommate would be, but all the adventures that ensued that year. Having a good roommate really can make all the difference, and while I loved the romantic storyline, I thought the roommate dynamic was the best in the entire book.

There were only two things that kept this from being a 5 star read for me(not that a 4 star rating is bad at all!). One, during the middle of the book, there’s a Chinese character who is heavily stereotyped and played for laughs. In a book full of actual hilarious moments, it falls sadly short. The second minor issue was that while I did like the actual ending, the few chapters leading up to the end seemed to be there only to exaggerate the problem. I feel the resolution could have happened a chapter or two earlier than it did. Still, these complaints only slightly lessened my enjoyment of Psych Major Syndrome. After Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, it’s probably my favorite book with a college setting.

Final Impression: Psych Major Syndrome was a hilarious and witty read that dealt incredibly well with the normal problems a freshman in college might experience. Leigh was a completely likable protagonist, if not a little obtuse and awkward at times. I laughed out loud several times while reading. I’d say it’s a cute book, but it also manages to deal with some pretty serious decisions as well without ever feeling heavy. ( )

In the movie So I Married An Axe Murderer, which is mega-quotable, Mike Myers’ dad (also played by Mike Myers, but with a Scottish accent) says that he believes there is a pentaverate of rich people that run everything in the world. My favorite member of the pentaverate is Colonel Sanders. (“because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly, smartass!”) Anyway, I’ve started my own collection of people—the hilarious YA authors. Remember that old show called “Celebrity Poker” where we’d just watch a bunch of random celebrities play poker and shoot the shit for an hour? (or at least I did that?) Well, I’d love to watch the hilarious YA authors do their thing in an enclosed space. Who’d be funnier? I really don’t know.

Let’s meet the lineup:
Well, since you are reading my [b:Psych Major Syndrome|5941380|Psych Major Syndrome|Alicia Thompson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255657795s/5941380.jpg|6113883] review, I bet you know the first player: [a:Alicia Thompson|2726745|Alicia Thompson|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]. Next up is [a:Lish McBride|3484883|Lish McBride|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1273511640p2/3484883.jpg], who rocked my funny bone in [b:Hold Me Closer Necromancer|8041873|Hold Me Closer, Necromancer|Lish McBride|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308800625s/8041873.jpg|12671757]. In corner number three, [a:Leila Sales|3390621|Leila Sales|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1286822287p2/3390621.jpg], who cracked me up twice, first in [b:Past Perfect|291332|Past Perfect A Novel|Susan Isaacs|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173459109s/291332.jpg|282655] (which is actually her sophomore effort coming out in a few months) and then in [b:Mostly Good Girls|7775824|Mostly Good Girls|Leila Sales|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301784343s/7775824.jpg|10682660]. The fourth corner is saved for [a:Megan McCafferty|79922|Megan McCafferty|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1197190097p2/79922.jpg] and the first few Jessica Darling books. (don’t fault her too much for the later ones!) I haven’t read her books in a few years but I think 18-year-old Flann might come after me with a cleaver if I don’t include her since she was my original funny YA love. Oh, you thought we were in a four-cornered room? Well, the joke's on you because I’m also including [a:Louise Rennison|65189|Louise Rennison|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1217261779p2/65189.jpg] in our pentagonal room. Her Georgia Nicolson series, though I’ve only read a few of them, is pretty hilarious. Some might try to argue that [a:John Green|1406384|John Green|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1300041951p2/1406384.jpg] belongs in here. Shush your mouth because while he is funny, his books aren’t consistently hilarious—it’s just every once in a while. A special mention must be put in here, though, for the Aussies. Their sense of humor always gets me. I particularly enjoy [a:Lili Wilkinson|1959059|Lili Wilkinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1253516155p2/1959059.jpg]’s jokes as well as the queen’s (The double-M, as if you didn’t know) and [a:Laura Buzo|3498017|Laura Buzo|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1294651508p2/3498017.jpg]'s. If I hadn’t decided before I wrote this paragraph that there would be 5 people, Wilkinson would be a shoo-in. I guess she’ll just have to guest star all the time. I’m only going to talk about Ms. Thompson from here on out but I’m really curious to know who you all think is the funniest YA author out there. Any of these ones? Someone totally different?

In [b:Psych Major Syndrome|5941380|Psych Major Syndrome|Alicia Thompson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255657795s/5941380.jpg|6113883], Leigh Nolan is attending a small college in California where they do a lot of hippie things like let you decide how you’ll be graded and invent your own everything. (I’m still bitter about taking Development of Western Civilization every day for two years) She quasi-followed her high school boyfriend, Andrew, there and the relationship is less than ideal. This book follows Leigh for a few months during her freshman year as she tries to adapt to all the personalities that surround her—the uptight studyhard in the psych department, her flighty and fun art major roommate, the sassy junior high girls she is mentoring, her boyfriend, who only seems to care about schoolwork and not her, and last but certainly not least, his roommate who has taken a particular interest in Leigh. (that sentence has too many commas but you’ll get over it) While I wanted to slap Leigh upside the head for staying with Andrew for even one minute after getting to school, I (sadly) know people in relationships just like Leigh and Andrew’s. Gross. The whole plot of this book is rather well-worn territory and just by introducing the cast in one sentence, I bet you can see where it goes-->Obviously she gets with the roommate, who appreciates her for who she is. What makes this book so enjoyable is the narrator.

Everything I thought, Leigh thought. Everything I wanted a character to say (with limited exceptions), they said. Leigh is snarky, realistic, and hilarious. She’s definitely flawed but I found her immensely likeable. And Nathan? Swoonfest 2K11. Even though I kind of feel like a pedophile when YA guys are all over the place with no shirts on, at least this one was set at college so it wasn’t the worst of the worst. (He’ll definitely be joining the back of our Cougar Shirt—forgot about that thread, didn’t you? It WILL be happening, I just don’t know when) It felt like this book was written just for me. I love when psych majors overanalyze everything. I love Tom Waits and TMBG! I love when teenagers drive old cars in a non-hipster way, and I especially love pop culture references. (Hollaback Girl;-)) Oh, and I love reading about people being mortified in public speaking situations.

4.5 stars for the entertainment value and the laughs (and Nathan). Don't go thinking that I'm gushing all over this book and want YOU/EVERYONE to read it. I don't. It's YA contemporary romance with snark. If that's your bag, then I rec it to you. ( )

Not only is this a solid YA contemporary romance, but it is also hilarious! It had me laughing out loud and doubling over with laughter. I expected it to be a sweet, typical contemp and I would have thoroughly enjoyed it if that's all it was, but the added humor made it all the more fun!

Leigh is a freshman at the same college of her high school sweetheart, they have been together over a year and as far as she is concerned, they are very solid. I liked Leigh, she had a great sense of humor and she was basically just a nice person, but that girl was crazy naive. Her boyfriend, Andrew, was an ass. I didn't like him from the go. He was disrespectful and dismissive to her most of them time, and then as it suited him he was demanding and stubborn. Of course Leigh was pretty blind and could only see what she wanted to be there. Her best friend and roommate, Ami, hated Andrew and didn't hesitate to let him know it. Ami was a trip, so much of the comedy came from scenes when her and Leigh were together. She is artsy, free spirited and fun. The two of them balanced each other out so well. Nathan was a gem! Initially Leigh assumes he dislikes her, just like Ami can't stand Andrew, but we start to realize that he is really just concerned for Leigh. He is the perfect boy for contemp romance and my new book crush. He was sweet, considerate, caring and protective, but he also wasn't one to sit around and take crap.

As far as stories go, this one was predictable, but that didn't matter because it was such a fun read all the way through. I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a sweet romance with a heaping dose of comedy thrown in! ( )

Cognitive Fictional Character Association: A common affliction wherein an avid reader becomes highly sympathetic of a main character due to the numerous similarities in characteristics, experiences and habits.

Just in case you’re wondering, yes I made that condition up, but it best describes why I enjoyed Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson so much. This book caused some serious tear-inducing laughter with its hilarious and snarky narrative and awesomesauce characters and their romantic moments. I had this book sitting on my shelf for a couple of months and if it wasn’t for my trusted Street Corner Bookers, I would never have known it needed to be read ASAP (pronounced A.S.A.P not A-SAP... just saying). :D

In Psych Major Syndrome Leigh finds herself struggling to adjust to the demands of college life. She’s attending Stiles, a smaller more independent style college with her high school boyfriend Andrew. Among her list of challenges include a highly competitive fellow Psych major, a boyfriend who she can’t seem to move to the next level with, a mentee with an honest opinion of Leigh and a bag load of issues of her own, and her boyfriend’s shirtless roommate that’s played the starring role in an interesting dream of hers. Well as you can see, her first semester in college proves to be full of demands and possibilities for change, so how does Leigh respond to these confounding variables? You’ll have to read it to find out. :P

Leigh has moved to my list of top favorite female fictional characters. I had so much in common with her that I felt a sense of connection that I often crave when reading books, which made me enjoy it so much more. Here’s just a small list that had me shouting... me too!! me too!!
Scored a J on the Myers Briggs personality test = check
Drove to college in what others would classify as a cringe-worthy vehicle = check
Attended the university with my high school sweetheart boyfriend = check
Suffered from food envy when going out with friends = check
Reluctant to submerge head under suspicious lake/beach/pool water = check
Procrastinated on projects but still delivered quality papers = check
Took Psych 101 my first semester of college = check
Becomes emotional over books and music = double check
Ain’t no Hollaback Girl = triple check

I could go on and on, but those are just a few of the things that had me smiling and laughing out loud as Leigh shared her story. Also, I loved the mini-road trip and the relationship between Nathan and Leigh that developed during that little episode. It was nice to see they both had a vulnerable side they were willing to share with each other. They were definitely a great pair.

So in conclusion, let me leave you with one last psychology term that happens to be fact:

Pleasure Principle: In Freudian psychology, this is the psychoanalytic concept describing people seeking pleasure and avoiding suffering (pain) in order to satisfy their biological and psychological needs. (Example = Psych Major Syndrome) ( )

Leigh Nolan is a freshman at the not so average Stiles College (students sign contracts saying how many courses they'll pass in a given semester, create classes, etc) and is taken Into to Psychology. She knows how to psychoanalyze everyone else but it just might be Leigh that needs the analyzing.

With the boyfriend from high school she's been dating for over a year (who's attending Stiles as well) but hasn't had sex with and the eccentric parents who read Taro cards and run an eccentric bed and breakfast, Leigh's far from normal.

But things are about to get ever more confusing when college really gets going and relationships change and new ones form.

Psych Major Syndrome isn't the easiest book to summarize because it's really just about Leigh's first year of college and how her life changes and how her Psych class works into it all. I wasn't really sure I wanted to read the book at first--probably because I was so unsure what it was about. And I'll admit that the first half of the book took me a while to get through but the second half of the book is where I really started to enjoy it.

Leigh's family and her roommate Ami are kind of crazy and the other maybe five secondary characters all have little neuroses of their own that make it fun to have them included in the story.

The book was well written and humorous and also realistic, but as I said, the first half of the book was slow for me. I don't know if it was the plot or that it was setting things up...or something else but I definitely enjoyed the end of the book much more.

7/10 (though really it's more a 6/10 and an 8/10 that average to a 7) ( )