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Trouble Is a Friend of Mine

(Trouble #1)

Stephanie Tromly

3.98 · Rating details · 4,574 ratings · 974 reviews

Of course I didn’t like Digby when I first met him. No one does.

The first time Philip Digby shows up on Zoe Webster’s doorstep, he’s rude and he treats her like a book he’s already read and knows the ending to.

But before she knows it, Zoe’s allowed Digby—annoying, brilliant, and somehow…attractive? Digby—to drag her into a series of hilarious, dangerous, and only vaguely l ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published August 4th 2015 by Kathy Dawson Books

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My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

2015 Contemporary YA

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YA Novels of 2015

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Jun 03, 2018 Lola rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish, mystery

This story is absolutely ridiculous.

As are the characters. I kept waiting for them to warm up to me, or make me realize that they aren’t just characters from the author’s mind but actually real people that I can connect with and that could potentially, if I were a book jumper, become my friends.

That never happened. Digby is still, at the moment, an annoying and disrespectful son of a b*tch, and I understand Zoe doesn’t have many friends, but she’s letting herself be manipulated one too many tim ...more

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Sep 08, 2015 Lindsey Rey rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, funny, 2015, young-adult

[4.5 Stars]
OMG IS THERE A SEQUEL???? I NEED A SEQUEL. I AM GOING TO BE UPSET IF THERE IS NO SEQUEL. GOODREADS IS NOT SHOWING ME THAT THERE'S A SEQUEL. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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Jun 18, 2015 Max Baker rated it did not like it

Shelves: dick-with-chicks, i-reviewed, read-as-an-arc

I received this eARC from Penguin First To Read in exchange for an honest review

I hated this book. I loathed this book in its entirety, but I will bet all the Monopoly money I have that this book will be one of the most highly praised books I've ever seen. People will rave about how funny and likable the characters are and how brilliant the dialogue is and how the narrative flows so easily. This will undoubtedly become one of those over-hyped books that everyone will love.

And all because the mai ...more

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Jun 10, 2015 Sue (Hollywood News Source) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-own, mystery, high-school, authors-of-color, filipino-authors, crime, audiobook

Second read: November 23, 2016
Rating: 4 stars

I'm adjusting my rating because I realized I really really like this book despite its satire tone bordering offensive at some aspects. No book ever made me laugh as much as this series did and Crazy Rich Asians. I'm excited to read the sequel!

Initial read: August 3, 2015
Rating: 3 stars

Trouble Is a Friend of Mine is not for everyone. The opening was slow, there is some concerning offensive content. In spite of its shortcomings, I still genuinely ador ...more

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Jun 08, 2015 Jaylia3 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, 2017, 2017-re-read

With snappy dialog, off-beat teen characters, and a whip-smart high-speed plot, this book took me on a wild ride that I didn’t want to end, so the only thing that disappointed me was reading the last page which made me long for a sequel. I’m not sure if one is planned, but some questions are left hanging and the story could definitely continue.

Zoe Webster’s parents have just split up, forcing her to move to a small town with her mother, though she’s always been closer to her type-A father, and With snappy dialog, off-beat teen characters, and a whip-smart high-speed plot, this book took me on a wild ride that I didn’t want to end, so the only thing that disappointed me was reading the last page which made me long for a sequel. I’m not sure if one is planned, but some questions are left hanging and the story could definitely continue.

Zoe Webster’s parents have just split up, forcing her to move to a small town with her mother, though she’s always been closer to her type-A father, and leaving her feeling displaced, resentful, and bored. Trying to make inroads into her new high school’s insular social scene has been a disaster, and then neurotic, intrusive, super-smart, utterly idiosyncratic Philip Digby shows up with his crazy ideas and rash schemes and things get even worse.

It’s not that trouble follows Digby, he chases it and for some reason includes Zoe in all his plans. She could refuse--and sometimes she does or tries to--but Zoe’s got nothing else to do, she’s tired of obsessively trying to strategize her future, and besides she’s intrigued. The book opens in the middle of their story with Zoe desperately and inexplicably trying to get inside a house wired with enough explosives to level the block, then jumps to the first day of school and Zoe’s initial aggravating, unsettling encounter with tell-it-like-it-is-to-the-point-of-rudeness Digby.

It turns out there’s some reason in Digby’s mad schemes, but we don’t find out what that is for a while. Digby has a difficult family situation and an unresolved tragedy in his past that drive his actions, which makes it sound like the book might be heavy but it’s almost absurdly funny.

A religious cult, a skeevy gynecologist, high stakes crime, and the jungle politics of high school all figure in the plot. There’s some romance, but it’s far from typical, and a crime is solved, but a mystery is left hanging. Front and center is Zoe’s maddening, enlightening relationship with Digby and their harebrained, rapidly evolving adventures. This is a debut novel--can’t wait for the next book. ...more

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Oct 17, 2017 Giselle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, filipino-authors, age-young-adult

This book you guys...couldn’t stop laughing. I have never read about such a smart, witty, yet annoying and loveable guy before. I too loved Zoe because she wasn’t the typical main character. Full review TK

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Mar 22, 2015 Amy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-contemporary, ya-mystery-espionage, ya-romance

Like a love child of Veronica Mars and John Hughes, TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE is a madcap mystery, a fresh coming-of-age, and an unlikely friendship story in one! After a divorce and ensuing custody battle finds Zoe reluctantly starting her junior year in upstate New York, oddball and outcast Phillip Digby appears on her doorstep, subsequently dragging Zoe into his search for a missing teenage girl. With fresh, infectious characters and a thrillingly zany plot, TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE is a ...more

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May 18, 2018 Alexandra Christo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp, mystery, romance-focused

That was just what I needed. Digby is a shit, but he's also an awesome one. Zoe is also awesome. Their banter is awesome. Idk I just really liked this one and am going to go and order the sequels stat (is it cool to say stat? I'm going for it. STAT. SEQUELS. Huzzah)

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Oct 04, 2016 TL rated it it was ok

Now this doesn't mean I hated the book or didn't enjoy it in parts... I did for the most part. I loved Digby's wit and Zoe was awesome (Henry, so-so). There were quite a few moments of me laughing out loud in the break room at some of the stuff that was happening/being said.

So the rating? A "been there done that" type of feeling... I kept comparing (without really meaning to)this with Ellie Marney's series. At times I was successful at putting it out of my mind and going on with the story but st ...more

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Aug 27, 2015 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-debuts

I thought I reviewed this already! Finished sometime in September.

Main character -- Zoe -- was a bit dry at first, but I grew to love her! Digby was definitely a love-at-first-mention for me. And I'm glad he and Zoe became friends because they -- along with Henry -- have some crazy adventures involving attempting to solve the disappearance of a missing girl. There are a few twists near the end having to do with the missing girl as well as Digby's story. AND we see some great character growth fo ...more

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Jan 09, 2015 Meg rated it really liked it

You know those books that are maybe not objectively the greatest but are still quite solid and tons of fun so whatever nothing’s perfect? Trouble Is a Friend of Mine is one of those books (for me at least, I’ve seen other reviews calling it both flawless and irredeemably awful so perspective and all of that).

Let’s get the negative out of the way first, shall we? I figured out the mystery within four chapters (something I am often times utter crap at), Zoe, the main character/narrator’s character ...more

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Aug 30, 2015 Caroline rated it it was ok

HMM I'm gonna say 2.5 ish rather than 2. This story was entertaining and all that but I just didn't enjoy it. I found the characters to be kind of annoying. Digby especially was just rude. Like I have the kind of friends who make fun of each other and all that, but there's a line and he just seemed to cross it. He would point out legitimate insecurities and think nothing of it. Like no man, that makes you a dick.

Some of the dialogue between characters was genuine and funny. I think my main probl ...more

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Jun 10, 2015 Jaime Arkin rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015, on-my-real-shelves, contemporary, read-in-2015, suspense, ya

I wanted to love this book more. I really, truly did. I mean what book touted as a mashup of Veronica Mars, Sherlock Holmes & Ferris Bueller’s Day Off wouldn’t be amazing?

For me… it was this one.

It started out wonderfully, but as the story progressed I just found myself losing interest more and more.

What did I like? I thought that at times, this was actually really funny, and witty. I truly enjoyed most aspects of Zoe & Digby’s friendship and the development of their characters. I would ...more

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Jan 22, 2015 Stacee rated it did not like it

Shelves: theyre-tattoos-not-ink-or-tats, read-in-2015

1.5 stars

I'm not even sure what I just read. I loved the idea of it, the synopsis sounded exactly like my type of book and yet I'm sort of confused about the whole thing.

Zoe and Digby are interesting enough characters. She comes across as a people pleasing pushover and he seems super manic. There were some secondary characters who were mildly entertaining, but it's almost not even worth mentioning them.

For me, the plot was really repetitive and I don't even know what to say about the ending. ...more

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Nov 24, 2016 Maddie rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs

Review originally posted on Heart Full of Books!

I’ve had this book on my shelf for a while, and that’s mostly because the Goodreads reviews shout that there needs to be a sequel. This can only mean there’s one heck of a cliffhanger, and I wasn’t ready to be unsatisfied…until I found out there’s a sequel, coming out in the week!

So, I was ready to dive into Trouble is a Friend of Mine, safe in the knowledge I could jump right over to the second book straight after. No guesses what I’m reading now. ...more

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Jun 17, 2015 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook, got-in-2015

3.5 stars

The best way to describe this YA novel is cute and quirky. Filled with fun dialogue between a girl who moves to a new town, a new school, and runs into an unusual teen boy who is always up to no good as he's trying to solve the town's crimes. There are other teens, all different personalities - the good guy next door; the stuck up rich girl no one likes; the nerdy, small for his age boy who's a genius; the mom who tries to reclaim her daughter's affections; the distant and controlling d ...more

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Jan 21, 2015 Lisa rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2015, netgalley, audiobook, finished-copy

2.5 stars

“Sherlock meets Veronica Mars meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is EXACTLY on point with how I would define this book. I think people will flock to this book and totally love it! I think it will be a big hit! Sadly, for me that didn’t happen. I finished reading this book, put it down… and just kind of stared at the wall. What had I just read?

Zoe’s parents are recently divorced, causing her to relocate to a new school. Her father is urging her to go to a new preppy school, and she tends to 2.5 stars

“Sherlock meets Veronica Mars meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is EXACTLY on point with how I would define this book. I think people will flock to this book and totally love it! I think it will be a big hit! Sadly, for me that didn’t happen. I finished reading this book, put it down… and just kind of stared at the wall. What had I just read?

Zoe’s parents are recently divorced, causing her to relocate to a new school. Her father is urging her to go to a new preppy school, and she tends to agree with whatever her father suggests. Digby shows up at her house one day asking some pretty strange questions, which is how these two meet and eventually become friends. Digby is pretty quirky and comes up with a plan, with the help of Zoe, to find a teenager that recently went missing. This starts their adventure, which is filled with all kinds of drama, sticky situations, and even a bit of criminal activity.

What I liked: It was pretty darn funny at parts. Digby is totally hilarious and it’s impossible not to laugh at some of his dialog. What I didn’t like: The parts that weren’t funny were just… boring. Like it was a movie that you play in the background while cleaning the house because it’s better than silence, but that you’re not really fully invested in and kind of not paying attention to in its entirety. (Does that make sense?)

A totally random thing that irked the bejeezus out of me… the constant use of “he said” and “she said”. I know, pretty nitpicky for me to even bring this up, right? But when I’m listening to an audiobook and every sentence ends with “he said” and “she said” constantly, it really gets annoying for me. It got to the point that I was only hearing those phrases and it was grating on my last nerve. I suppose this was done as a way to speed the dialog up a bit, which was successful since the dialog was extremely speedy. But I just have this pet peeve when so many sentences in a row end with these phrases. It’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. *shudders*

I truly believe others will enjoy this more than I did. And there’s proof over at Goodreads since it has received a few 4 and 5-star reviews already. I’m just not one of the few that really enjoyed it. I’m so sad about this because from the synopsis I was sure I was really going to love it. It just wasn’t a book that I really felt impacted me in any way, and I really didn’t care much about it while reading. Like I mentioned earlier, it was just kind of playing in the background and I didn’t feel as though I was invested in the story at all. (This is most likely a case of “it’s not you, it’s me,” so don’t let my review sway you away from reading this book. Check out the other reviews on GR before making your decision.)

Audiobook Impressions:
This is the first narration I’ve listened to by Kathleen McInerney. And while I wasn’t blown away, I also don’t have any issues with it. She did a consistently good job, performing each character and making it unique enough to always know who was speaking. No complaints here.

(Thanks to Listening Library & Kathy Dawson Books for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

...more

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Jan 22, 2017 Nazeefa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-releases, squad-goals

WHAT EVEN. I was not expecting what I read.
I absolutely loved this!
I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Stephanie Tromly is a genius at witty, smart humour and this was the most perfect old-fashioned mystery/crime solving YA that I never knew I needed.
There was tropes that could have been dealt with better and the language was ableist at a few instances. So I hope Stephanie Tromly changed that in the sequel.
But overall, I adored this. Zoe and Digby are my new kids, I love them. (Digby remi ...more

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Feb 20, 2017 Lina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Have you ever tried to supress laughter because someone is sleeping ? It's painful ! You start to make weird noises and your eyes tear up. Your cheeks hurt from your smile and you just have to let it go and laugh. This is the book that makes you feel like that.

I can honestly say that I don't remember laughing harder with any other book. Trouble is a friend of mine was incredible. It has an incredible cast and the dialogue is swoon worthy in a really smart way. I can't say much, except that I wa ...more

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Apr 01, 2018 Jen rated it liked it · review of another edition

2.5

Easy to read and fun.

Though filled with mysteries to uncover, adolescence and events both structured and random.... there as something missing with this book that won't quite allow me to give it a full 3stars, and I think it has to do with the main characters; Zoe. Her personality was all over the place and considering the book is told from her point of view she took a back seat to Digby - who is also a main character.

Described as "Sherlock meets Veronica Mars meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" ...more

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Jun 10, 2015 carolina ☾ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: best-secondary-characters, bullying, contemporary, female-characters, gems, good-romance, i-will-always-love-you, male-characters, mystery, otp

Loved it! So unpredictable. I want more!

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Sep 16, 2017 Andi rated it liked it

I saw this recommended for people who like Veronica Mars. It seemed interesting. The reviews seemed promising.

While I enjoyed the mystery, the character Digby drove me up a fucking wall and I really can't see them chemistry between him and Zoe. I feel that's the way it's going, since that ending happened (and my book had bits and pieces for the next installment..).

I loved the story. I love how mad-cap, zainy, hilarious and dark everything was at times. But honest to god, the romance/relationshi ...more

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Jul 11, 2016 Claire (bookscoffeeandrepeat) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, favorites, re-reads

I want to give this book 5 stars, but alas, I can't. It's not plausible. In fact, it's unbelievable! Also, one of the main characters named Digby, reminds me of a manic pixie dream boy with a little bit of Sherlock. It's plain (as vanilla) obvious that he's only around when things are fun. He also notices things that other people wouldn't normally notice. My other issue with Digby is that he's got problems (like the normal Sherlock in the show) and other issues too... You know, I love my perso I want to give this book 5 stars, but alas, I can't. It's not plausible. In fact, it's unbelievable! Also, one of the main characters named Digby, reminds me of a manic pixie dream boy with a little bit of Sherlock. It's plain (as vanilla) obvious that he's only around when things are fun. He also notices things that other people wouldn't normally notice. My other issue with Digby is that he's got problems (like the normal Sherlock in the show) and other issues too... You know, I love my personal space. I honestly don't know what Digby's personal space is like. For starters, he reads Zoe's (the other main character) diary.

“Wait. That was in my diary. You read my diary?’
‘I didn’t read it… much. I skimmed it. You know, you’re way ahead of the game. Most people don’t have their identity crisis until their forties. You’re wrong, by the way,’ he said, and he quoted: 'Medium-length brown hair, brown eyes, medium height. All I see in the mirror is a medium brown blur.'
I lunged at him.
‘You don’t really think that, do you, Princeton? Because that makes me want to cry. And also … Henry gets “hero handsome” and all I get is “Jehovah’s Witness?”

Then, he stalks her. Finally, for some weird reason, I don't know he's able to get in her room at night. He also kinda reminds me of Margot from Paper Towns. Additionally, he has ways of doing things. How do I explain this without spoiling the book? He's too smart. Too smart for his age and it's ridiculous. There, I said it.

Besides that, at least Digby is hilarious. If it weren't for his sarcasm and deprecating humor, I wouldn't be able to enjoy this book. You see, our other mc has no personality. This is literally PLANET DIGBY. Everybody else are just side characters and were seeing things in the eyes of our plain mary jane. I wish she had something going on for her, but sadly, she lives in the shadow of her father. That's the only thing I can infer from her personality. I guess you can also call her mean and judgmental. She seems to hate every girl she comes across, or another girl bites her at the back (figuratively speaking). Seriously, this book lacks female friendships!

“I’m always shocked when rich girls aren’t pretty. How could you be unattractive if you had all the nicest clothes and makeup? It didn’t compute. But I guess there really were some things money can’t buy. Ursula was a hatchet-face. Even wearing a straw hat and a gingham bikini, she looked like she’d just murdered someone and was calculating how to dispose of the corpse.”

Digby had a lot to say about Zoe but I'd rather let you guys read the book for yourself. The other characters in this book are the usual YA trope types. You have the hot jock, the mean girl, the nerd, etc. Great thing is that it doesn't take the fun away from the book. Needless to say, this wasn't what I was expecting. I really enjoyed this.

Just to add to my predictability, of course I ship Digby and Zoe!

“By the way, Princeton, I’d describe you as a classic wide-eyed American girl next door with a nice-to-meet-you vibe who’s hiding behind a disappointed divorce-kid downer persona,
And looks-wise, I’d say a young Anne Hathaway.’

Digby stepped out onto the tree. But, just in case that left me feeling too good about myself, he ducked back in for an encore.

‘Except horsier. Seriously, Princeton, wear your retainer.”

...more

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Sep 27, 2015 Rashika (is tired) rated it liked it

Shelves: finished-copies, read-2015, disappointing, would-have-blown-my-mind-but, brain-candy, humor, mystery-thriller, decent-characters

***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads

If you like your Sherlock re-tellings full of lots of wit, humor and fun; Trouble is a Friend of Mine is for you. This book was SO MUCH fun to read. I was giggling most of the time, I liked the characters, I liked the plot, I liked the relationships. This was a great brain candy book but my problem with the book was how ignorant and privileged the characters were.

We are constantly reminded that the characters live in a very white neighborhood ***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads

If you like your Sherlock re-tellings full of lots of wit, humor and fun; Trouble is a Friend of Mine is for you. This book was SO MUCH fun to read. I was giggling most of the time, I liked the characters, I liked the plot, I liked the relationships. This was a great brain candy book but my problem with the book was how ignorant and privileged the characters were.

We are constantly reminded that the characters live in a very white neighborhood with no diversity and I would assume that that would at least mean that the MCs weren’t completely ignorant and flippant about certain issues but that’s sadly not true. Even though Zoe moved from NYC, a very diverse city, to a white suburban neighborhood. It isn’t just a case of slut shaming (although that is definitely present) though. There are some very privileged attitudes in this book about class, prison (and the entire system) and just diveristy as a whole. Philip Digby even mocks what it means to be a transgender teen and reduces that experience to stereotypes in movies. That actually hurt because Philip Digby is a great character, I expected more from both of these characters.

So, given all those issues, WHY did I like the book? Well for starters, it’s one of the few (if not the only) Sherlock retelling I’ve read that actually addresses mental health. I wish mental health had been explored a little more in the book than merely being stated, but I love that Digby’s habits aren’t just attributed to ‘quirks.’

Also Zoe’s relationship with her mother was kind of awesome. Zoe constantly berates her for not being a good parent but I love the ways in which the author makes the reader aware of the fact that Zoe’s perception might not necessarily be true.

My favorite thing was that even though Digby and Zoe were solving the mystery by themselves, they actually had help from adults. WHO WEREN’T THE ENEMIES. I know. I KNOW. And when I saw adults, I mean police adults. I was really excited about that. Especially since the two characters we met were hilarious and great. This made it a lot easier to believe in the plot and the mystery. Everything mixed together very well and the author connected the various threads together beautifully.

The characters, when they weren’t being ignorant, were also pretty great. I loved seeing Zoe find her place in a community where she felt left out of and I liked that over the course of the book her attitude changed from “Not like the other girls” to “they aren’t so bad.” Baby steps? Philip is also adorable and I’d really like to find out more about him in a sequel.

I definitely had issues with this book but I still think it’s a great read if you’re looking for something light to get you through the day or if you need a palette cleanser. It’s so cute and quick!

Note that I received a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ...more

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Dec 22, 2014 Tanja Voosen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Digby wurde im Vorfeld schon von vielen Lesern gelobt, deren Blogs ich auch gerne verfolge. Alle waren sich wohl einig: das Buch ist lustig. Dem kann ich auch nicht komplett widersprechen, denn der Roman hat wirklich seinen eigenen Charme. Im Zentrum der Handlung steht die Suche nach einem vermissten Mädchen, welches die Schwester von Titelgeber "Digby" ist. Zoe, die eigentliche Protagonistin stolpert in etwas hinein, das sie eigentlich gar nicht will, aber sie kann sich dem Bann von Möchtegern- Digby wurde im Vorfeld schon von vielen Lesern gelobt, deren Blogs ich auch gerne verfolge. Alle waren sich wohl einig: das Buch ist lustig. Dem kann ich auch nicht komplett widersprechen, denn der Roman hat wirklich seinen eigenen Charme. Im Zentrum der Handlung steht die Suche nach einem vermissten Mädchen, welches die Schwester von Titelgeber "Digby" ist. Zoe, die eigentliche Protagonistin stolpert in etwas hinein, das sie eigentlich gar nicht will, aber sie kann sich dem Bann von Möchtegern-Sherlock Digby eben nicht entziehen und so startet das Abenteuer...

Zoe war für mich leider eine sehr austauschbare Protagonistin, die neben dem eigentlichen Star des Buches (Digby) sehr blass erschienen ist. Ich fand sie auch nicht unsympathisch, aber ich finde, die Autorin hat ihren Charakter nicht besonders gut beschrieben oder ihr gar eine Persönlichkeit verpasst. Zoe ist nicht dumm und auch überhaupt nicht auf den Mund gefallen, aber für war sie leider nur der Watson zum Sherlock. Klar, gute Sidekicks muss es auf jeden Fall geben, aber warum dürfen das denn immer nur die strahlenden Helden sein? Das fand ich im Verlauf des Buches echt enttäuschend.

Gefallen haben mir dafür aber die witzigen Schlagabtausche zwischen den Figuren, denn die Autorin besitzt doch eine Menge Humor! Doch auch hier war der "Indikator" für die Sprüche wieder Digby und zeitens hatte ich das Gefühl, der Junge besteht nur aus seinem Hobby und seinen Sprüchen. Ich hätte mir an vielen Stellen doch etwas mehr Tiefgang gewünscht, zumal das Verschwinden seiner Schwester jetzt ja auch nicht so das mega locker-leichte Thema schlechthin ist.

Der Plot des Romans hatte immer mal wieder Durchhänger, wie ich fand. Ich wurde zwar gut und auch konstant unterhalten und hatte das Buch schnell durch, aber viele Stellen lasen sich doch gestreckt und konnten in diesen Momenten durch nichts Besonderes punkten. Der Schreibstil der Autorin war auch gut - gut halt, nicht überragend. Alles in allem war "Digby" für mich eine flotte Lektüre, die ich okay fand, aber mich eben durch viele Schwächen nicht begeistern konnte. Lange im Gedächtnis bleiben wird sie mir wohl (leider) nicht.

Für junge Sherlock-Fans, die etwas Schnelles und Einfaches wollen :) ...more

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Jul 01, 2015 Liviania rated it really liked it

TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE is an incredibly fitting title. When Zoe Webster's parents divorce and she moves to a new town and school, her first new friend is the enigmatic Digby. Digby gets her into all sorts of trouble, including the sort that convinces her to run back into an exploding building (and that ends up on her permanent record).

TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE is a very over-the-top book. The personalities are large, the plot is fast paced, and the interweaving tales of sordid crime are t TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE is an incredibly fitting title. When Zoe Webster's parents divorce and she moves to a new town and school, her first new friend is the enigmatic Digby. Digby gets her into all sorts of trouble, including the sort that convinces her to run back into an exploding building (and that ends up on her permanent record).

TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE is a very over-the-top book. The personalities are large, the plot is fast paced, and the interweaving tales of sordid crime are told as a slapstick comedy. It was perfect reading for waiting to get on a plane. It was quick and funny and didn't take itself seriously, but the subject matter still got under my skin.

It helped that I really liked the characters. Zoe is struggling to define who she is, especially now that she's living farther from her overbearing father and starting to realize that her spacey mother maybe isn't so oblivious. (Hint to most teenagers: your parents probably are less oblivious than you think.) Digby is the sort of person who only exists in books, but he works here. I like how as the truth is uncovered, more and more of his actions make sense. I also liked his former/current best friend Henry, who gets wrapped up into helping them and getting into trouble with them. He makes for a nice contrast with Digby as the second male lead. I thought the supporting cast worked well too, including the mean girl who goes along for the ride during the climax.

Zoe and Digby's search for a missing girl throws them into the path of a pervert, local (and not-so-local) drug dealers, rogue cops, a cult, and a flat-out bully. It also livens up their night at the school dance quite a bit. Pretty much all the trouble the teens get into is preposterous, but the characterization and neat plotting keep TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE clicking along.

I hope that Stephanie Tromly plans to write more of these three characters, although she does leave them in a good place. Even if she doesn't, I'm sure her next book will also be a riot. ...more

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Jul 21, 2015 Stefani Sloma rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss

Trouble is a Friend of Mine is ridiculous. The characters, the plot, the mystery? All ridiculous. The funny thing is that some of that ridiculousness really worked for me – especially when it came to the characters. But that also means that some of it didn’t work. Let’s break it down into strengths and weaknesses.

STRENGTHS

– The book is hilarious. I had A LOT of laugh out loud moments at the dialogue or characters.
– It’s well-written, easy to read, and fast-paced, which made it super enjoyable fo ...more

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Jun 10, 2015 Eri rated it liked it

Shelves: i-spy-things, asian-authors, authors-of-color, contemporary

This book could be quite questionable at times, but was still oddly compelling and I confess that I rather adored major aspects of this book.

This is my second attempt at reading this, and surprisingly, after the hurdle of warming up to these characters, I am in love with them. Digby and Zoe are an oddly enthralling pair, and while I did not condone some of their actions, it was a zippy ride and I am glad that I gave this book a second chance.

I'm rather disappointed that there was a need for the ...more

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Jul 28, 2015 Hannah rated it really liked it

Shelves: contempora-yeah, im-a-marshmallow, laughing-out-loud, mystery-machine-material, realistic-characters, read-in-2015

If you're looking for a fun, quirky, suspenseful, comical, with a dash of romance mixed in read, this is the book for you! Click below for my full review:

http://abookishlifeforme.blogspot.com...

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Nov 25, 2016 Mary H rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, my-books

Full review can be found here.

Initial thoughts 11/25/16:
Oh my gosh, that was absolutely delightful. I wasn't sure if it was 5 star worthy, but reading Trouble was just so much FUN! The comparisons to Veronica Mars are absolutely true; Digby is a slightly more awkward Veronica, and Zoe is totally Wallace (but with V's attitude): at first she's just going along for the ride, but then she's in it to win it. I really liked the misfit Scooby Doo gang Digby and Zoe assembled, and wow, what a caper! Wh Full review can be found here.

Initial thoughts 11/25/16:
Oh my gosh, that was absolutely delightful. I wasn't sure if it was 5 star worthy, but reading Trouble was just so much FUN! The comparisons to Veronica Mars are absolutely true; Digby is a slightly more awkward Veronica, and Zoe is totally Wallace (but with V's attitude): at first she's just going along for the ride, but then she's in it to win it. I really liked the misfit Scooby Doo gang Digby and Zoe assembled, and wow, what a caper! While the plot is a little far-fetched for teens, I appreciate that the characters (for the most part) sound like real teens. I was definitely laughing out loud for much of this book. Highly recommend!

Full review posted 12/12/16:
I heard about Trouble is a Friend of Mine last year, when it debuted, but I didn't hear about it, if that makes sense. I didn't see my friends reading it; if they did, I didn't hear them gushing. It slipped by the wayside, and I'm so sad it did because I recently received both a copy of Trouble and its sequel Trouble Makes a Comeback, and I ADORED them! So I want to put this review out in the universe and tell everyone that if you've skipped Trouble on your TBR, you need to push it back toward the top.

I'm usually extremely wary of comparisons (side-eying every outlet that compares contemp books to TFIOS or genre titles to Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones), and I'm especially wary when the comparison includes something I love. In this case, Veronica Mars. I am therefore delighted to say that Veronica Mars is an incredibly appropriate comparison to Trouble both in plot/tone AND execution. With mysteries and thrillers, I think it's easy to allow the story to get really dark since common mystery plots include disappearances, murders, drugs, etc unless you're reading Nancy Drew or The Boxcar Children. I'm so grateful to Stephanie for not shying away from dark topics–disappearances? check. drugs? check–but keeping the tone balanced with a quirky sense of humor. It's exactly what I loved about Veronica, Keith Mars, and their wacky friends and acquaintances on the show. This rarely happens when I read (although has happened several times in 2016, which is a good sign), but I found myself laughing out loud several times. I don't read a lot of mysteries despite having loved Nancy, The Boxcar Children, and other formula series as a child, but I thought the mystery/mysteries in Trouble were intriguing and the humor definitely kept me reeled in.

Zoe is a wry kind of narrator but not in that way where you feel like it's the author allowing their jaded life experience to show through. She's just a teenage girl whose parents have split, and, as the new girl in town, she's looking for a place to fit in. I love how real Zoe felt. I work with teens, and she felt like an actual teenager to me. She's a little self-deprecating but also has her pride (when Digby says offensive things, even offhand remarks, her feelings are hurt the same as any teenage girl). She worries about things like grades and her parents/their post-divorce romances as well as boys and her clothes. She also lets the guys know when something is not okay such as their really sexist and hurtful comments, Felix's horrible t-shirts, etc. Zoe allows herself to be taken along for a ride (because Digby is kind of a steamroller), but she digs in her heels just enough and at the right places to be curious yet sensible, never truly naive. Random: I almost died when Zoe talks about periods in front of the guys, and they prove her point (cis guys can't deal with periods) absolutely correct.

Digby is a little more (a lot more) inscrutable. He has a tragic backstory, and so many characters are divided between the sympathy and scorn camps. Most of the town suspects that he and/or his parents are guilty of a crime, but, as Digby points out, he gets away with a lot because people who pity him don't call him out on his bizarre schemes. Digby is also incredibly smart. He pays attention to small details, and I found that as I read, I started paying closer attention to the little things Stephanie drops throughout the story. I thought it was fantastic that this complex character who has more than a little bit of mystery clinging to him helped me be a better, more observant reader.

I think one area the story could be a bit stronger is in the descriptions. It took me forever to get a sense of who the characters were because of some conflicting descriptions. I didn't know how Zoe looked for AGES (I know the main character looking in the mirror is such a cliche, but it helps form an accurate-ish picture, okay??), and I honestly though Henry was in his 20s for a few chapters. I think it's a sign of how engrossing Digby is that he got a lot of descriptions, but other characters weren't as thoughtfully defined. He's kind of like a planet with a major gravitational field. Although making everything realistic and... I don't know... everyman? Understandable to different readers? is an absolute strength of the book. I felt like everyone would be able to relate to much of Zoe's experience and obswevation. I would just like more physical descriptions.

One thing I would be remiss not mentioning is that at one point Digby pulls Zoe into the boys' bathroom. Another student make a comment about how he "heard she was a guy." Zoe objects to this statement, and Digby turns the whole thing into a Lifetime-esque movie joke. Zoe stands up for herself in this instance, but I'm not happy that she didn't object to Digby's (and the other boy's) transphobic language. This whole book kept me laughing, but this was definitely an instance where the "humor" fell flat, which is disappointing considering the rest of that entire scene was so strongly written. I do still love this book, and I've been recommending this book to everyone since I read it, but this scene has not gone unnoticed. One of my teens picked it up after seeing my recommendation on Twitter, and when she told me how much she enjoyed the book, she also said she didn't like that scene. Zoe does give a sense of not agreeing with the joke but more that it's directed at her instead of not agreeing with the sentiment's offense. I've reread the scene several times, and I think these two paragraphs could and should have been rewritten. The not-actually-a-joke didn't serve to further the plot so I am disappointed at its inclusion.

Overall, I really do love this book. It's actually hilarious, even with a misstep, and its characters are wholly believable and complexly written. I highly recommend everyone give Trouble is a Friend of Mine and its equally awesome sequel a shot. ...more

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About Stephanie Tromly

Stephanie Tromly

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Stephanie Tromly was born in Manila, grew up in Hong Kong, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and worked as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. She is the author of Trouble Is a Friend of Mine and lives in Winnipeg with her husband and son.