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A Tale of Two Besties: A Hello Giggles Novel
Best friends. BFFs. Soul twinsies. Whatever you want to call them, Harper and Lily were born to be besties. With high school just around the corner, casual-cool Cali girl Harper and awkward, always-costumed Lily make sure to text each other every day about their bond:
Harper: I love you so much that I am going to sneak out of detention to pay that guy from Craigslist $100 to cut off all your hair for my secret collection.
Lily: I love you so much I’m going destroy everyone in your life that matters and force you to depend and love only me.
Harper: That sounds beautiful. I love you.
Not even the threat of different high schools could throw this BFFship off-course, even if Lily begs her parents not to send her to the “dreaded Pathways," a special school for creative types, while effortlessly-popular Harper attends Beverly High with the rest of their class.
But in a city where fitting in means standing out and there’s nothing more uncool than being cool, it’s the naturally charismatic Harper--with her blond hair and perfect bone structure--who finds herself fighting the tide of American Apparel’d teens who rule the school. Meanwhile, it’s the perpetually “gawkward” Lily--who accessories every ensemble with a pair of tattered fairy wings--who finds herself flying alongside the queen bees of Pathways. Can BFF-ship survive the tidal wave of HS drama, or does growing up mean leaving some friends behind?
Harper: I love you so much that I am going to sneak out of detention to pay that guy from Craigslist $100 to cut off all your hair for my secret collection.
Lily: I love you so much I’m going destroy everyone in your life that matters and force you to depend and love only me.
Harper: That sounds beautiful. I love you.
Not even the threat of different high schools could throw this BFFship off-course, even if Lily begs her parents not to send her to the “dreaded Pathways," a special school for creative types, while effortlessly-popular Harper attends Beverly High with the rest of their class.
But in a city where fitting in means standing out and there’s nothing more uncool than being cool, it’s the naturally charismatic Harper--with her blond hair and perfect bone structure--who finds herself fighting the tide of American Apparel’d teens who rule the school. Meanwhile, it’s the perpetually “gawkward” Lily--who accessories every ensemble with a pair of tattered fairy wings--who finds herself flying alongside the queen bees of Pathways. Can BFF-ship survive the tidal wave of HS drama, or does growing up mean leaving some friends behind?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2015
19 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 6, 2015
Lily and Harper are inseparable, and have been since 5th grade. But now the dynamic duo are being separated as they enter high school. Shy and awkward Lily, dressed in fairy wings, is sure she’ll suffer without cool and casual Harper, but she finds herself fitting in her new school. Harper, on the other hand, finds herself lost without her bestie. As she watches her best friend change into a new person, she wonders if friendship can really last forever.
A tale of two besties is something I would have loved as a middle schooler, or maybe even as a high school freshman. But as I am now, I found it silly and immature.
Lily and Harper seem way too young to be 14 year olds. As a homeschooler, most of my friends are a variety of ages, and one of my closest ones is a 14 girl and I can honestly say I don’t think she would act as immature as Lily and Harper in a million years. I mean, it’s one thing to be unique but quite another to act like a five year old all the time. And Lily is so… weird. I mean, if it was explained that she had anxiety disorder or a history where she was bullied, she would have made more sense. But she didn’t, so she came off as odd, and not in a cute, quirky way that I think the author wanted. Harper came off an whiny and depressing, and who would actually want to be called by the nickname “puppygirl”?
Another thing that drove me crazy was all the name dropping. Was this book sponsored or something? A quick flip through the book, and the words “H&M”, “Brandy Melville”, The show “Girls”, “Doc Matens” pop out. In just about four pages. I like pop culture in books, but this is insane. Also, Rossi reallllllllllllllly hates American Apparel. Like, really hates it. If all the stores mysteriously burn down, I’d call in with her name as a tip.
Another annoyance? It’s like the author couldn’t chose what type of people she hated more: “Hipsters” or “Basics.” Hipster being the kids at Lily’s school, mostly artistic vegans types, and basics being anyone at Harper’s school. The thing is, there is nothing wrong with being a “hipster” or “basic” if that’s what you’re happy being. But the whole book acts like you have to be so CRAZZZZY UNIQUE that you can’t have anything in common with anyone. It’s silly. Sometimes people fit into clichés and that’s ok. I’m super cliché most of the time; in my TOMS, drinking Starbucks at Target in my forever21 t-shirt. Does this mean I’m not person with a real personality? No, according to this novel. Also, speaking of hipsters, the kind of school Lily goes to, Pathways, so doesn’t exist. Otherwise, I’d be graduating from it this spring. And why is Lily going there, anyways? In the book, it seems like a school for talented kids, but nothing besides a somewhat joke band is even mentioned. Is she an artist, a writer? Is she a math prodigy? Who knows! Maybe her talent is wearing fairy wings and acting like a four year old.
As for positive, I did like the “weird” text that went between the friends. I always joke with one of my friends that someone in the NSA probably reads our text messages and worries about our mental health. (He says probably not, but I’d bet money on it tbh.)
A tale of two besties is something I would have loved as a middle schooler, or maybe even as a high school freshman. But as I am now, I found it silly and immature.
Lily and Harper seem way too young to be 14 year olds. As a homeschooler, most of my friends are a variety of ages, and one of my closest ones is a 14 girl and I can honestly say I don’t think she would act as immature as Lily and Harper in a million years. I mean, it’s one thing to be unique but quite another to act like a five year old all the time. And Lily is so… weird. I mean, if it was explained that she had anxiety disorder or a history where she was bullied, she would have made more sense. But she didn’t, so she came off as odd, and not in a cute, quirky way that I think the author wanted. Harper came off an whiny and depressing, and who would actually want to be called by the nickname “puppygirl”?
Another thing that drove me crazy was all the name dropping. Was this book sponsored or something? A quick flip through the book, and the words “H&M”, “Brandy Melville”, The show “Girls”, “Doc Matens” pop out. In just about four pages. I like pop culture in books, but this is insane. Also, Rossi reallllllllllllllly hates American Apparel. Like, really hates it. If all the stores mysteriously burn down, I’d call in with her name as a tip.
Another annoyance? It’s like the author couldn’t chose what type of people she hated more: “Hipsters” or “Basics.” Hipster being the kids at Lily’s school, mostly artistic vegans types, and basics being anyone at Harper’s school. The thing is, there is nothing wrong with being a “hipster” or “basic” if that’s what you’re happy being. But the whole book acts like you have to be so CRAZZZZY UNIQUE that you can’t have anything in common with anyone. It’s silly. Sometimes people fit into clichés and that’s ok. I’m super cliché most of the time; in my TOMS, drinking Starbucks at Target in my forever21 t-shirt. Does this mean I’m not person with a real personality? No, according to this novel. Also, speaking of hipsters, the kind of school Lily goes to, Pathways, so doesn’t exist. Otherwise, I’d be graduating from it this spring. And why is Lily going there, anyways? In the book, it seems like a school for talented kids, but nothing besides a somewhat joke band is even mentioned. Is she an artist, a writer? Is she a math prodigy? Who knows! Maybe her talent is wearing fairy wings and acting like a four year old.
As for positive, I did like the “weird” text that went between the friends. I always joke with one of my friends that someone in the NSA probably reads our text messages and worries about our mental health. (He says probably not, but I’d bet money on it tbh.)
November 14, 2015
DNF - Too yuppie and childlike for my taste.
I've decided that I'm not posting my full review on Goodreads, but my review can be read on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
I've decided that I'm not posting my full review on Goodreads, but my review can be read on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
April 19, 2015
what is this book about? the horrible problems of high school? the oh-so-tough lives of students? the special difficult times you go through as a teenager when you have all you want?
Why is it supposed to be interesting? the girls in this book are more privileged than most, their lives are empty of anything but themselves and high school drama. And it is not even well written.
Two stars is a gift!
Why is it supposed to be interesting? the girls in this book are more privileged than most, their lives are empty of anything but themselves and high school drama. And it is not even well written.
Two stars is a gift!
August 12, 2019
Disclaimer: As a member of Penguin's First To Read Program, I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.
Part 1: From the book cover
Best friends. BFFs. Soul twinsies. Whatever you want to call them, Harper and Lily were born to be besties. With high school just around the corner, casual-cool Cali girl Harper and awkward, always-costumed Lily make sure to text each other every day about their bond:
Harper: I love you so much that I am going to sneak out of detention to pay that guy from Craigslist $100 to cut off all your hair for my secret collection.
Lily: I love you so much I’m going destroy everyone in your life that matters and force you to depend and love only me.
Harper: That sounds beautiful. I love you.
Not even the threat of different high schools could throw this BFFship off-course, even if Lily begs her parents not to send her to the “dreaded Pathways," a special school for creative types, while effortlessly-popular Harper attends Beverly High with the rest of their class.
But in a city where fitting in means standing out and there’s nothing more uncool than being cool, it’s the naturally charismatic Harper--with her blond hair and perfect bone structure--who finds herself fighting the tide of American Apparel’d teens who rule the school. Meanwhile, it’s the perpetually “gawkward” Lily--who accessories every ensemble with a pair of tattered fairy wings--who finds herself flying alongside the queen bees of Pathways. Can BFF-ship survive the tidal wave of HS drama, or does growing up mean leaving some friends behind?
Inspired by the HelloGiggles community of likeminded best friends, founded by IRL besties Zooey Deschanel and Sophia Rossi, and set in a hilarious insider’s version of Los Angeles, A Tale of Two Besties will make you giggle and cry…and then tell you how cute you look with runny mascara.
“It's like my twins stepped out of the eighties and dropped down into today. Deliciously funny with heart.” – Francine Pascal, bestselling author and creator of the Sweet Valley High series
Part 2: Recommendation
Having the perspective of both Lily and Harper made me not hate nor did it not make me favor one over the other. Based on the synopsis, I was thinking I have to mentally prepare myself for all the teen drama in this book. Thankfully, I didn't need to. The writing is effortless and the pace is relatively smooth. The characters and the problems they're facing is quite realistic. I absolutely adore books that make me feel the emotions of the characters and this book made me feel alright. I was in tears by the time Lily and Harper finally cleared the air and made up. At first, I thought Nicole was this nice, cool girl but I ended up disliking Nicole the more I encountered her character in the book and I definitely agreed with Harper that Nicole is just a different kind of bully but a bully all the same. And of course, I always enjoy the part where everyone finally stands up to the bully and moved on with their merry lives, leaving Nicole shrieking and alone.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and anyone who loves a good contemporary YA novel should definitely get their hands on this one.
Part 1: From the book cover
Best friends. BFFs. Soul twinsies. Whatever you want to call them, Harper and Lily were born to be besties. With high school just around the corner, casual-cool Cali girl Harper and awkward, always-costumed Lily make sure to text each other every day about their bond:
Harper: I love you so much that I am going to sneak out of detention to pay that guy from Craigslist $100 to cut off all your hair for my secret collection.
Lily: I love you so much I’m going destroy everyone in your life that matters and force you to depend and love only me.
Harper: That sounds beautiful. I love you.
Not even the threat of different high schools could throw this BFFship off-course, even if Lily begs her parents not to send her to the “dreaded Pathways," a special school for creative types, while effortlessly-popular Harper attends Beverly High with the rest of their class.
But in a city where fitting in means standing out and there’s nothing more uncool than being cool, it’s the naturally charismatic Harper--with her blond hair and perfect bone structure--who finds herself fighting the tide of American Apparel’d teens who rule the school. Meanwhile, it’s the perpetually “gawkward” Lily--who accessories every ensemble with a pair of tattered fairy wings--who finds herself flying alongside the queen bees of Pathways. Can BFF-ship survive the tidal wave of HS drama, or does growing up mean leaving some friends behind?
Inspired by the HelloGiggles community of likeminded best friends, founded by IRL besties Zooey Deschanel and Sophia Rossi, and set in a hilarious insider’s version of Los Angeles, A Tale of Two Besties will make you giggle and cry…and then tell you how cute you look with runny mascara.
“It's like my twins stepped out of the eighties and dropped down into today. Deliciously funny with heart.” – Francine Pascal, bestselling author and creator of the Sweet Valley High series
Part 2: Recommendation
Having the perspective of both Lily and Harper made me not hate nor did it not make me favor one over the other. Based on the synopsis, I was thinking I have to mentally prepare myself for all the teen drama in this book. Thankfully, I didn't need to. The writing is effortless and the pace is relatively smooth. The characters and the problems they're facing is quite realistic. I absolutely adore books that make me feel the emotions of the characters and this book made me feel alright. I was in tears by the time Lily and Harper finally cleared the air and made up. At first, I thought Nicole was this nice, cool girl but I ended up disliking Nicole the more I encountered her character in the book and I definitely agreed with Harper that Nicole is just a different kind of bully but a bully all the same. And of course, I always enjoy the part where everyone finally stands up to the bully and moved on with their merry lives, leaving Nicole shrieking and alone.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and anyone who loves a good contemporary YA novel should definitely get their hands on this one.
February 16, 2024
The book focuses on how each girl deals with her new social status and the changes that occur within their friendship. The book is set in LA and full full full of slang and pop culture references. At times, I felt like the book went a little far into the LA descriptions, like it was satire or making fun of the city (especially the descriptions of Lily’s new alternative, artistic school). But even so these moments were funny, and I definitely enjoyed this book a lot. Especially that chat thing and the cute illustrations 🤌🏻
July 19, 2017
Five stars to the first YA book I've ever read that has unabashedly, openly acknowledged that a feminist vegan SJW can be every bit the mean-girl that the stereotypical cheerleader can be.
My God. I... It's just, feminism is such a popular theme in YA today and it is so damn rare to find an author who's willing to create openly feminist characters who they ACKNOWLEDGE are horrible people. I mean, the simple fact that Nicole is described as- here it is (emphasis mine)-
I... I mean, you want to talk about subversive? Nicole is a bully. A self-righteous, cult-leader-esque kind of bully. Attaching that belief-system to someone like Nicole is saying something, especially given that Harper calls it out later in the book, saying that Nicole needs to silence everyone who becomes a threat to her power.
I know it's weird for me to harp on this, but you have to understand: I read a lot of YA fiction. The "In" thing is to praise feminism and have your characters pay homage to feminist ideals (usually little quips to the effect of "How come girls aren't allowed to EVER EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS?!?!" and parroting grossly misinformed information about rape and abuse.) To have a book that has a feminist character who is BLATANTLY called out for their bad behavior is amazing.
And I don't think I have to say that Nicole is not just a character. She's that tumblr feminist who lectures girls about how they "should" be calling themselves feminists, because obviously the only reason they don't already is because they're being abused by their boyfriends or trying to get attention from men. Women, Feminists like Nicole exist. And to finally, finally find a book that displays the kind of behavior I see on Tumblr on a regular basis- whether it's feminism, veganism, or general SJW behavior- and call it out for the self-serving, self-righteous, sociopathic bullying that it is- that's just- I don't have words for how happy that makes me.
In general, the story was excellent. Great characters, all very well-fleshed out, and I just loved it. The fact that the author chose for the mean girl and the clique to come from a very non-stereotypical place was excellent as well.
My God. I... It's just, feminism is such a popular theme in YA today and it is so damn rare to find an author who's willing to create openly feminist characters who they ACKNOWLEDGE are horrible people. I mean, the simple fact that Nicole is described as- here it is (emphasis mine)-
Nicole is a junior and a nu-hippie and says she can do my birth chart if I find out what moon sign I was born under. She's got a nose ring and is a vegan and "plus-sized and proud", according to her, but she isn't really all that big. She's a feminist and refuses to listen to music or see movies with actresses who don't acknowledge that feminism means equal rights for everyone, because that kind of stance shows that they don't actually even know what feminism is.
I... I mean, you want to talk about subversive? Nicole is a bully. A self-righteous, cult-leader-esque kind of bully. Attaching that belief-system to someone like Nicole is saying something, especially given that Harper calls it out later in the book, saying that Nicole needs to silence everyone who becomes a threat to her power.
I know it's weird for me to harp on this, but you have to understand: I read a lot of YA fiction. The "In" thing is to praise feminism and have your characters pay homage to feminist ideals (usually little quips to the effect of "How come girls aren't allowed to EVER EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS?!?!" and parroting grossly misinformed information about rape and abuse.) To have a book that has a feminist character who is BLATANTLY called out for their bad behavior is amazing.
And I don't think I have to say that Nicole is not just a character. She's that tumblr feminist who lectures girls about how they "should" be calling themselves feminists, because obviously the only reason they don't already is because they're being abused by their boyfriends or trying to get attention from men. Women, Feminists like Nicole exist. And to finally, finally find a book that displays the kind of behavior I see on Tumblr on a regular basis- whether it's feminism, veganism, or general SJW behavior- and call it out for the self-serving, self-righteous, sociopathic bullying that it is- that's just- I don't have words for how happy that makes me.
In general, the story was excellent. Great characters, all very well-fleshed out, and I just loved it. The fact that the author chose for the mean girl and the clique to come from a very non-stereotypical place was excellent as well.
April 5, 2015
Reading a Tale of Two Besties was a bizarre experience. It had its ups and downs. It took me a while to become interested in either of the two protagonists. There were a variety of reasons. In the end though, I think it just boiled down to the fact that the author clearly intended the girls' experiences to be universal, but they just weren't. It was a bit "poor little rich girl." I also may be biased because Rossi takes a swing at Perks of Being a Wallflower. I mean, really? Those characters may also be rich teenagers, but at least they deal with real problems. They aren't just some painfully selfish girls who forget that a friendship is built on give and take, not just take, take, take.
I thought that giving us dual perspectives was a great choice for this book, but it was unfortunate that their inner voices were so similar. Occasionally I would forget which one was narrating and get confused.
That said, I do think Rossi did some cool things with this book. I am all for more coming of age stories about women and female friendship. It made my heart sing that this book had so many female characters even if (and maybe even because) some of them were bullies or had some internalized misogyny issues to work out. I also appreciated her point that bigots sometimes use the language of tolerance and acceptance to be crappy people, and that a culture rooted in nonconformity is still basically just all about conforming in a different way. I may have punched the air with joy when someone finally asked what was so wrong with being normal anyway? It was a beautiful moment.
I have never read an advanced reader copy before (Thanks, First to Read!), so I was unprepared for some of the glitches. The book includes images of texts between the two girls, and none of the texts appeared in my ebook. In fact, around them there were also sometimes whole paragraphs missing, and because the last chapter/epilogue (presumably) occurs in text message format, the last 14 pages of the book were blank. There were also numerous spelling and grammar errors which I assume will be edited out before the book goes to print. The Forward was also not included. None of these things will hopefully affect readers of the final version of the book, but I thought I ought to mention them as they may have colored my perception of the novel.
I thought that giving us dual perspectives was a great choice for this book, but it was unfortunate that their inner voices were so similar. Occasionally I would forget which one was narrating and get confused.
That said, I do think Rossi did some cool things with this book. I am all for more coming of age stories about women and female friendship. It made my heart sing that this book had so many female characters even if (and maybe even because) some of them were bullies or had some internalized misogyny issues to work out. I also appreciated her point that bigots sometimes use the language of tolerance and acceptance to be crappy people, and that a culture rooted in nonconformity is still basically just all about conforming in a different way. I may have punched the air with joy when someone finally asked what was so wrong with being normal anyway? It was a beautiful moment.
I have never read an advanced reader copy before (Thanks, First to Read!), so I was unprepared for some of the glitches. The book includes images of texts between the two girls, and none of the texts appeared in my ebook. In fact, around them there were also sometimes whole paragraphs missing, and because the last chapter/epilogue (presumably) occurs in text message format, the last 14 pages of the book were blank. There were also numerous spelling and grammar errors which I assume will be edited out before the book goes to print. The Forward was also not included. None of these things will hopefully affect readers of the final version of the book, but I thought I ought to mention them as they may have colored my perception of the novel.
April 21, 2015
A YA coming of age tale of two BFF's
This is the story of Harper and Lily. They are both rich girls, but mirror image, carbon copy, snobby "mean girls" they are not. Harper is your typical looking California girl, she's sweet and pretty self assured, and comfortable in her own skin, despite having a know-it-all motivational speaker for a mom. Then there's Lily, who's free spirited parents move to California where the girls meet. Lily shows up on her first day at her new school, which Harper is a native of, wearing a pair of fairy wings, hair that flops into her eyes, and appears to be having a running near-silent, but not quite, running monologue to herself. The "regular girls" at the school are aghast that such a creature exists but Harper is drawn to the strange girl. That is the day that changed both of their lives for the better. That is the day they met their BFF. The two become inseparable until Lily's parents decide that instead if going to regular high school, she will be attending a school called Pathways for talented and "free spirited" people. Lily begs and pleads not to be separated from Harper, but her parents stand firm. Being separated, the girls learn things about themselves, in high school, Harper isn't quite as high on the social totem pole as she was pre-high school, and Lily who thought she would never have anyone to talk to without Harper learns that she has a voice all her own. I wish that's all they learned. Unfortunately the girls also learn about peer pressure and bullying and that people are definitely not always what they seem. In fact the two besties experience a pretty big rift. Will they overcome their problems and restore their friendship? How will they end up dealing with their new school dynamics. I enjoyed reading this book. The author did very well telling the story from dual points of view.
I received this book free from first to read in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Harper and Lily. They are both rich girls, but mirror image, carbon copy, snobby "mean girls" they are not. Harper is your typical looking California girl, she's sweet and pretty self assured, and comfortable in her own skin, despite having a know-it-all motivational speaker for a mom. Then there's Lily, who's free spirited parents move to California where the girls meet. Lily shows up on her first day at her new school, which Harper is a native of, wearing a pair of fairy wings, hair that flops into her eyes, and appears to be having a running near-silent, but not quite, running monologue to herself. The "regular girls" at the school are aghast that such a creature exists but Harper is drawn to the strange girl. That is the day that changed both of their lives for the better. That is the day they met their BFF. The two become inseparable until Lily's parents decide that instead if going to regular high school, she will be attending a school called Pathways for talented and "free spirited" people. Lily begs and pleads not to be separated from Harper, but her parents stand firm. Being separated, the girls learn things about themselves, in high school, Harper isn't quite as high on the social totem pole as she was pre-high school, and Lily who thought she would never have anyone to talk to without Harper learns that she has a voice all her own. I wish that's all they learned. Unfortunately the girls also learn about peer pressure and bullying and that people are definitely not always what they seem. In fact the two besties experience a pretty big rift. Will they overcome their problems and restore their friendship? How will they end up dealing with their new school dynamics. I enjoyed reading this book. The author did very well telling the story from dual points of view.
I received this book free from first to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2015
I received an ARC copy of this book free from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
The minute I saw this book up for grabs I was sold.... Hello a foreword by Zooey Deschanel, yes please. This was a younger read, almost middle grade but it was a coming of age so it would fit for really any age. It was a really cute read that was easy to get through but it also had some good reasons for the readers. I feel like these characters were easy to relate too because most people go through some sort of identity crisis at some point of growing up. Readers could also relate to the fighting between friends, I know I have had my fair share of best friend fights/ spats. But I like that the book keeps you hopeful that you will survive all of the above and move on from it and hopefully become a better person because of it.
I would recommend this novel to any avid readers, those looking to find themselves and those who need a good coming of age.
The minute I saw this book up for grabs I was sold.... Hello a foreword by Zooey Deschanel, yes please. This was a younger read, almost middle grade but it was a coming of age so it would fit for really any age. It was a really cute read that was easy to get through but it also had some good reasons for the readers. I feel like these characters were easy to relate too because most people go through some sort of identity crisis at some point of growing up. Readers could also relate to the fighting between friends, I know I have had my fair share of best friend fights/ spats. But I like that the book keeps you hopeful that you will survive all of the above and move on from it and hopefully become a better person because of it.
I would recommend this novel to any avid readers, those looking to find themselves and those who need a good coming of age.
April 30, 2015
I was chosen to be one of the FIRST TO READ this great eARC book!
This book was great! Really glad to be chosen to be able to read this book before others! All I have to say is that it was worth reading and spending my time on this book! I will definitely be sharing and recommending others especially younger audiences to pick up this book. I like how realistic this book is to real life and how it touches upon things that have/can happen in our lives. I thought this book was going to be a lighthearted read but it actually touched upon deep things that led it to be a great book. The characters were sweet and there wasn't a thing I hate about them.I am really glad to have enjoyed this book and read it ahead to share the love of this book! Although it's not my favorite FAVORITE, I would say this book is decent and better than others!
This book was great! Really glad to be chosen to be able to read this book before others! All I have to say is that it was worth reading and spending my time on this book! I will definitely be sharing and recommending others especially younger audiences to pick up this book. I like how realistic this book is to real life and how it touches upon things that have/can happen in our lives. I thought this book was going to be a lighthearted read but it actually touched upon deep things that led it to be a great book. The characters were sweet and there wasn't a thing I hate about them.I am really glad to have enjoyed this book and read it ahead to share the love of this book! Although it's not my favorite FAVORITE, I would say this book is decent and better than others!
May 10, 2016
(ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 ROUNDED TO A 4)
Overall, I thought this book was a sweet story about friendship and starting high school. It was a quick read that was charming and very relatable to my own friendships. The plot wasn't very exciting; there were a few points when I burned out and took a break. That was my only real problem with this book, though. I liked it and would recommend it to tween/teen girls, especially ones with a best friend of their own.
Sorry that this was so short--I didn't have much to say about this book, plus I'm very tired right now and don't feel like writing a giant review.
Overall, I thought this book was a sweet story about friendship and starting high school. It was a quick read that was charming and very relatable to my own friendships. The plot wasn't very exciting; there were a few points when I burned out and took a break. That was my only real problem with this book, though. I liked it and would recommend it to tween/teen girls, especially ones with a best friend of their own.
Sorry that this was so short--I didn't have much to say about this book, plus I'm very tired right now and don't feel like writing a giant review.
March 27, 2015
I received a copy of this book to read from First To Read. I loved the book which is filled with lots of love and great characters. the message, that bullying and peer pressure can come in many forms is a good one. it was a touching, intriguing look into these two girls. my only issue is that the blurb makes it seem far more lighthearted than I feel like it is.
May 6, 2015
I'd say this is a 3.5 rounded up to 4. It's a fun and cute novel about two best friends who end up going to different schools and growing apart. The best part is that it's pretty clean, too, so it's safe to recommend to young teens.
September 2, 2015
Didn't really like it. I wasn't expecting a lot from it, but it could have been so much better because the story had potential.
Review to come soon on blog.
-The Enchanted Book
Review to come soon on blog.
-The Enchanted Book
March 1, 2015
reviewing for VOYA.
July 2, 2015
this book was JUST OKAY. i wouldn't recommend it to anyone, i don't even know if i would recommend it to it's intended audience of 13 year olds?
June 15, 2015
Pretty good book. Pretty easy read. Good ending.
October 2, 2017
So obviously I am older than the target audience here, but I was still bothered by all of the slang and colloquialisms. It was a decent story but the language was so cheesy, it was painful at times.
January 20, 2020
So cute...that's all I can think of to describe it. I would've given this book less because of the way the "Activist" characters, even Lily talk. Nobody actually sounds like this, and "patriarchal beauty standards" isn't an actual term anyone uses, so I was relieved to see Lily realize that there are more than one ways to be yourself. I do think authors should try to be accurate with activism and use terms and arguments that actually exist, though, because they didn't feel realistic at all. Examples include someone saying that FAKE-leather sandals promoted animal abuse (except the way it was said was way wordier.) This was called out by Harper, but it doesn't sound like something anyone would actually say. It felt like a stereotype.
*I'm continuing because I went to a school similar to Pathways for five years where I met people sort of like the characters in the book, except replace the hippie aesthetic with the "intellectual and artsy" one. I did have a good time at that school though and never had a problem with bullies.*
One of the worst things Nicole did was initiate Lily into a group called NAMASTE (it was an acronym but I can't remember any of the meanings of letters) where she claimed that she was all for self-love and expression, but proceeded to tell Lily that she couldn't be in the group unless she wore her pair of fairy wings every day, because apparently if she didn't she was a "conformist," and encouraged the whole group to get a pair, even though Lily wore the fairy wings as a tribute to her actress grandmother and not as a fashion statement. Nothing says "be yourself" like forcing people what to wear.
Nicole's dialogue is something that would only appear on Tumblr or Twitter and nobody would say out loud, and the worst part- she gets Lily to fall for all of it. She tells Lily that it's her moral obligation to PUBLICLY CALL OUT AND HUMILIATE anyone she thinks goes against NAMASTE, and she doesn't mean racists or sexists. She means people in "mainstream" clothing or fur that looks real, even saying that she wants Lily to throw red paint on people that look like they're wearing fur. She convinces poor Lily to bully a girl over her "boring" clothes and her Uggs, which she claims support animal cruelty (a claim that isn't even true.) They make the girl cry, and Lily does have regrets, but Nicole is PROUD OF HER. She even later tells Harper that she "isn't being her true self" when she shows up to a party in a dress and sandals. How would you know what someone's true self is like? I cringed every time she started to talk.
I'm not criticizing the book, I'm just saying I'm so glad this book finally called out characters like this.
*I'm continuing because I went to a school similar to Pathways for five years where I met people sort of like the characters in the book, except replace the hippie aesthetic with the "intellectual and artsy" one. I did have a good time at that school though and never had a problem with bullies.*
One of the worst things Nicole did was initiate Lily into a group called NAMASTE (it was an acronym but I can't remember any of the meanings of letters) where she claimed that she was all for self-love and expression, but proceeded to tell Lily that she couldn't be in the group unless she wore her pair of fairy wings every day, because apparently if she didn't she was a "conformist," and encouraged the whole group to get a pair, even though Lily wore the fairy wings as a tribute to her actress grandmother and not as a fashion statement. Nothing says "be yourself" like forcing people what to wear.
Nicole's dialogue is something that would only appear on Tumblr or Twitter and nobody would say out loud, and the worst part- she gets Lily to fall for all of it. She tells Lily that it's her moral obligation to PUBLICLY CALL OUT AND HUMILIATE anyone she thinks goes against NAMASTE, and she doesn't mean racists or sexists. She means people in "mainstream" clothing or fur that looks real, even saying that she wants Lily to throw red paint on people that look like they're wearing fur. She convinces poor Lily to bully a girl over her "boring" clothes and her Uggs, which she claims support animal cruelty (a claim that isn't even true.) They make the girl cry, and Lily does have regrets, but Nicole is PROUD OF HER. She even later tells Harper that she "isn't being her true self" when she shows up to a party in a dress and sandals. How would you know what someone's true self is like? I cringed every time she started to talk.
I'm not criticizing the book, I'm just saying I'm so glad this book finally called out characters like this.
July 1, 2019
Honestly I found this book irritating and full of obvious mistakes that should have been caught by someone prior to publishing.
In addition to my notes below showing discrepancies in this book, here's another: I thought on page 208 Harper relented to letting Lily dress her up for the party, yet she shows up to said party in the clothes she was wearing upon arriving at Lily's house.
June 29, 2019 – page 256
88.89% "So on page 242 Drew’s wings are in a pile but on the very next page they “shake a little” when Nicole criticizes him?? And then on that same page Lily describes the band as “4 DIY pigeons” and one of the band members (Jane) is not even in the room nor has Drew put his wings on again.
Page 255 has Harper and Rachel in an aisle together and then Harper saying she’s leaving to meet “Rachel and Tim at the exit.”"
June 27, 2019 – page 153
53.13%
June 27, 2019 – page 153
53.13% "Page 149 first Beth-Lynne is wearing “pink Ugg boots” and on the same page it switches to “workman boots” even though it’s the same scene. On the next page she is back to wearing “hideous Australian footwear”/ Uggs.
On page 150 people are “taking out their cell phones to record Nicole’s takedown” yet on page 152 Lily is glad there was no “video footage” of what had just occurred."
June 21, 2019 – page 85
29.51% "Another discrepancy I found when reading occurs on pages 67-70. First Lily is "smooshing her wings beside her on the seat." Then "shoved them into her backpack, like she was hiding a dirty secret." On page 70, "Lily looked hurt and tugged a little on one of her wings, like it itched." Um, ok... Also, later on in the chapter (p. 78) Harper says that Lily never asked how her day was, however, on page 68 she had."
June 14, 2019 – page 49
17.01% "On page 38-39 there is a bothersome inconsistency. “I couldn’t say I was surprised when they broke up.” Then a few sentences later the same character says, “I was totally taken by surprise when they announced their breakup...”."
In addition to my notes below showing discrepancies in this book, here's another: I thought on page 208 Harper relented to letting Lily dress her up for the party, yet she shows up to said party in the clothes she was wearing upon arriving at Lily's house.
June 29, 2019 – page 256
88.89% "So on page 242 Drew’s wings are in a pile but on the very next page they “shake a little” when Nicole criticizes him?? And then on that same page Lily describes the band as “4 DIY pigeons” and one of the band members (Jane) is not even in the room nor has Drew put his wings on again.
Page 255 has Harper and Rachel in an aisle together and then Harper saying she’s leaving to meet “Rachel and Tim at the exit.”"
June 27, 2019 – page 153
53.13%
June 27, 2019 – page 153
53.13% "Page 149 first Beth-Lynne is wearing “pink Ugg boots” and on the same page it switches to “workman boots” even though it’s the same scene. On the next page she is back to wearing “hideous Australian footwear”/ Uggs.
On page 150 people are “taking out their cell phones to record Nicole’s takedown” yet on page 152 Lily is glad there was no “video footage” of what had just occurred."
June 21, 2019 – page 85
29.51% "Another discrepancy I found when reading occurs on pages 67-70. First Lily is "smooshing her wings beside her on the seat." Then "shoved them into her backpack, like she was hiding a dirty secret." On page 70, "Lily looked hurt and tugged a little on one of her wings, like it itched." Um, ok... Also, later on in the chapter (p. 78) Harper says that Lily never asked how her day was, however, on page 68 she had."
June 14, 2019 – page 49
17.01% "On page 38-39 there is a bothersome inconsistency. “I couldn’t say I was surprised when they broke up.” Then a few sentences later the same character says, “I was totally taken by surprise when they announced their breakup...”."
October 15, 2018
I liked this book okay. I listened to the audiobook, which was kind of annoying when the narrator was reading text messages or emails, but that has no reflection on the narrators who I thought were good. Some reviews say the girls seem a little young, and I can see this. One thing that kind of threw me was that the book said one or both of the girls were 13. I was 13 in 7-8th grade. I would expect the girls to be 14-15 if they were truly in high school. So yeah, I can agree that they did seem a little young and this book could probably be changed to where the girls are in junior high. The girls seeming young wasn’t a huge issue for me, but I really don’t think they’d be 13 in the 9th grade.
The thing about this book that I could relate to is when you have one of those friends who is your best friend, and they suddenly change and leave you behind for a new group of friends. That, I could totally relate to. As the book progressed, Lily really started to annoy me! She was completely oblivious to how she was treating Harper and how it made her feel. And then she was wondering why Harper was so mad?! I really wanted to smack Lily!
The ending was fine and I was glad the girls made up (because you know they will), but it seemed a little unrealistic to me. In real life, you grow apart from your friends until you’re reduced to a facebook relationship with occasional “likes”, or at least that’s the case for me. I was almost expecting Harper to become closer friends with Stephanie or that other Puppy Tails girl who went to Lily’s school. (I forgot her name.)
The thing about this book that I could relate to is when you have one of those friends who is your best friend, and they suddenly change and leave you behind for a new group of friends. That, I could totally relate to. As the book progressed, Lily really started to annoy me! She was completely oblivious to how she was treating Harper and how it made her feel. And then she was wondering why Harper was so mad?! I really wanted to smack Lily!
The ending was fine and I was glad the girls made up (because you know they will), but it seemed a little unrealistic to me. In real life, you grow apart from your friends until you’re reduced to a facebook relationship with occasional “likes”, or at least that’s the case for me. I was almost expecting Harper to become closer friends with Stephanie or that other Puppy Tails girl who went to Lily’s school. (I forgot her name.)
October 20, 2024
This book was so good I loved it if I could I would have put it at 10 stars I love that it teaches readers to be true to yourself trust your instincts true friends will always be there for you and that it’s ok to make mistakes if you learn from them this book dose talk about bullying drinking LGBTQ 1st kisses getting with the wrong friend group and peer pressure readers will be impressed by the realistic things that the characters go through and feel wisdom and learn
January 2, 2019
It was honestly an incredibly accurate depiction of high schoolers. I teach kids this age and at some points I swear I had heard my kids telling the same stories. The only thing though was the poor editing. It honestly would pull me right out of the story whenever I came across typos or missing words. Other than that, very fun and compelling.
October 14, 2017
I finally read the book, but it was not the way thought it would be. It's different of what I expected but still a nice book for me. I loved the book which is filled with lots of love and great characters which makes feels warm and I could feel that friendship between Harper and Lily
February 27, 2018
I loved the writing and authenticity of the characters and storytelling in this YA novel. Read it because it was on a recommended booklist and really enjoyed the immediacy of it and I can relate to the story because of my experiences with my grown daughter and high-school age son.
July 21, 2020
This was a DNF from like 2 summers ago. I hate not finishing books so I finally powered through, I hated the relationship between Lily and Harper. They were both such hard characters to deal with. But hey I finished so I call it a win
May 11, 2017
This book wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be but it was still good book. It taught a good lesson on how you should treat your friends.
June 8, 2017
Good story of friendship and getting through a hard time.
September 9, 2020
Brought back memories of my own mean girl moments and the fierceness of female friendship.
June 5, 2021
yikes there is no problem in this book!
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