Best of Friends

Wildfire #17

by Jill Ross Klevin

The ugly duckling whiz kid and the spacey school beauty...can they be friends?It takes gorgeous Susannah to turn Allison's life around. The girls agree to a swap—Allison will help Susannah improve her grades, and Susannah will help Allison improve her looks...and win Bobby, the boy of her dreams.Before she knows it, Bobby asks Allison for a date, and soon they're going steady. But her dream bubble bursts when Bobby starts mentioning a friend named Judy, and breaking dates.Miserable and confused, Allison decides to break up with Bobby...and has the surprise of her life!

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite wildfire. From ugly duckling to swan - isn't that many girl's high school dream? I always love the friendship that grows between Susannah and Allison, which Susannah initiated, much to Allison's surprise. Susannah admired Allison for being clever and witty. Allison admired how beautiful Susannah was, but assumed she was unapproachable because of that. Jill Ross Klevin breaks through some stereotypical high school archetypes with this book, while keeping the two girls believable and likable. Their friendship is a natural development and doesn't feel forced. This re-read reminded me of Airhead by Meg Cabot, because of the beauty v brains dynamic.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorites as a teen. I actually sought out a copy as an adult, just so I could own it.

Re-read December 2002.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread---this was a favorite book from early high school, and I wanted to read it again, to bask in the nostalgia. It was as I remembered it, charming and funny and a good example of female friendship---also had some late 70s ideals and references that were amusing. Nice time machine for a little bit.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as great as the others I've read on my trip down memory lane, but decent enough with a good message.

[Darcia Scates · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a short, quick read. I liked the character development. The first chapter is boring, but I truly loved the end. This author has potential! Buy it!

[Jennifer Klenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of my favourite teen romances. I liked that the one character knew how to sew her own clothes and I also liked the loyalty between friends. A 'smart' girl with no fashion sense makes friends with a quiet fashionable girl and they begin an exchange. The smart girl tutors the other and helps her gain confidence with her schoolwork while the fashionable one takes the other shopping and helps her improve her style. The fashionable girl mostly designs and sews her own clothes and makes a great outfit for her new friend to wear to a concert in which she has a violin solo (I think that was her instrument). They boost each others confidence in the dating arena too. The spirit of the book was enjoyable.

[Gardavson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how to rate and review this. This is a YA novel, but it is so dated that it's hard to rate. The story is good and it's a fun read. The problem is, no one nowadays would do the things they do. What stunningly beautiful teen now really gives a crap about her grades, enough to befriend a girl lower on the social chain? If you can get past that kinda stuff (including Bobby's friend), it's a fun read.

[Kirsten Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any girl who has been on the receiving end of high school hostility for either being too cool or being not cool enough will find a bit of herself in one of the main characters here. Witty dialogue helps to keep this one from being entirely formulaic, though the outcome of each character's personal conflict is, perhaps, a bit too pat for today's readers.