It’s ’86, the era of Pop Rocks, Jelly shoes, and big hair bands. Rachael O'Brien's freshman plan seems simple: Attend a southern college away from her hometown of Canton, Ohio, earn a degree, party, and meet cute guys—hopefully acing the latter two. But being threatened by a jealous She-Devil, avoiding the advances of a thirty-something redneck, and discovering an art fraud scheme mess with her “to do” list. Her problems deepen when her compulsion to reveal a fake take her on a dangerous misadventure. Bad decision-making, law-bending behavior, and surprise romances make freshman year more challenging than expected in Paisley Ray’s DEEP FRIED AND PICKLED, a quick-witted, south-of-the-Mason-Dixon romp.