English as a Second Language 
By Megan Crane

     Uproarious, fast-paced fun! Grab a pint, get comfortable, and prepare yourself for the time of your life!

     Supportive friends and decent parents are nice, but they're hardly fulfilling. When Alexandra Brennan realizes she spends most of her waking hours slaving at a dead end job and yammering about an ex boyfriend, she knows it's time to make a change.

   And what a change she makes!

    Alex accepts the ex-boyfriend's challenge to apply to an English graduate school. During her trans-Atlantic flight, she decides to reinvent herself as "Happy Graduate School Me", but she soon finds her real education takes place outside the classroom. She makes new friends, suffers a schoolgirl crush, and enjoys a bevy of blokes and beer. Along her search for adulthood, Alex discovers goals may give her direction, but the journey makes life an adventure.

     While the plot and subplots are fantastic, the cast of characters is magnificent. Ms. Crane has put great effort into giving each character a unique personality and agenda. Alex's misadventures, including her reconnaissance missions and run-ins with British culture, are sure to spark gales of laughter. Her profound moments invite empathy without detracting from the overall humor. Dialogues are fast and furious, but readers are never left guessing who's saying what. "English as a Second Language" is a tough act to follow, and I hope Ms. Crane is up to the challenge. She's definitely an author to keep an eye on!