Hard-hitting yet humorous with a dash of magical realism, this young adult contemporary by debut author Morgan Vega is perfect for fans of Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour and Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon.
Foster care always promised her a bed. Now she doesn't even have that.
Coralee (Corey) Reed can't wait to trade her current foster house for Harmony Hall, the dorm for music majors. Corey arrives at Borns College with her pawn-shop violin and a borrowed duffle bag, ready to leave her foster care baggage behind.
But Corey's first day on campus starts on a sour note. She runs into her archrival violinist Dylan Mason, then her name's not on the dorm's roster. Worst of all, Corey can't live at Harmony Hall. Period. Because she's not yet accepted into the music program. Instead, Reslife shoves her into a temporary triple with two unsuspecting (and beyond different) roommates.
When one of her roommates does the unforgivable, Corey starts sleeping around campus-from air mattresses to random couches-while waiting for an open room. But how can she beat Dylan for first chair if she can't keep her eyes open? How can she pass her finals without a good night's sleep? Will college, the place she thought would launch her dreams of becoming a professional violinist, be the place her dreams end all too soon?
