Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Gracie has always been surprised that Savannah considers her a friend - not just a friend, but a best friend. Gracie lives a fairly boring existence with her father hovering protectively. She is not really sure why Savannah finds her so fascinating.
Things have changed a bit recently, though. Frequently forgetful, Savannah seems to be even more scattered. When she sets a time to meet Gracie at the coffee shop, it has become a common occurrence for her to be late or possibly not show up at all. Her excuses are pretty lame, even bordering on rude.
On one such occasion when Gracie had been waiting for over an hour for the tardy Savannah, Cooper showed up and invited Gracie to go to a local community center called the Neighborhood. Gracie and Cooper have always shared a common interest in promoting worthy causes, and now Cooper wants to show off the community center in hopes of recruiting her as a volunteer. She has a terrific time but is almost discouraged by the careless attitude Savannah has when Gracie tries to share her enthusiasm about the great work done at the center.
Having Savannah "forget" appointments or complain of schedule conflicts is one thing, but when she begins to include Gracie in downright lies to hide her real activities from others, Gracie decides something must be done.
In MY WORST BEST FRIEND, author Dyan Sheldon portrays friendship at its worst. Many readers will unfortunately be able to relate to Gracie as she experiences Savannah's mistreatment. After her initial shock and disappointment, Gracie shows readers how to deal with an abusive friend. MY WORST BEST FRIEND provides a peek into an all too common problem in the world of BFF's.
Gracie has always been surprised that Savannah considers her a friend - not just a friend, but a best friend. Gracie lives a fairly boring existence with her father hovering protectively. She is not really sure why Savannah finds her so fascinating.
Things have changed a bit recently, though. Frequently forgetful, Savannah seems to be even more scattered. When she sets a time to meet Gracie at the coffee shop, it has become a common occurrence for her to be late or possibly not show up at all. Her excuses are pretty lame, even bordering on rude.
On one such occasion when Gracie had been waiting for over an hour for the tardy Savannah, Cooper showed up and invited Gracie to go to a local community center called the Neighborhood. Gracie and Cooper have always shared a common interest in promoting worthy causes, and now Cooper wants to show off the community center in hopes of recruiting her as a volunteer. She has a terrific time but is almost discouraged by the careless attitude Savannah has when Gracie tries to share her enthusiasm about the great work done at the center.
Having Savannah "forget" appointments or complain of schedule conflicts is one thing, but when she begins to include Gracie in downright lies to hide her real activities from others, Gracie decides something must be done.
In MY WORST BEST FRIEND, author Dyan Sheldon portrays friendship at its worst. Many readers will unfortunately be able to relate to Gracie as she experiences Savannah's mistreatment. After her initial shock and disappointment, Gracie shows readers how to deal with an abusive friend. MY WORST BEST FRIEND provides a peek into an all too common problem in the world of BFF's.
An entertaining read about best friends, worst friends, and the trouble some people can have telling the difference between the two. This book was a quick read that was light and fun while dealing with something a little more heavy. The thing that it really makes you realize is that sometimes you just have to let people go, even if it hurts, to make your life better.
Gracie was a great character, she was smart, and tough, and very concerned with the environment. She was the complete opposite of her best friend Savannah, who is the ultimate it girl. Savannah is a fly by the seat of her pants, worry about the consequences if they come type of girl. They had figured out that sometimes opposites attract, and they become best friends who are thick as thieves. The problems start when Savannah starts using Gracie as her alibi (without even telling her) and causing Gracie to lie to the people she loves.
I really couldn't stand Savannah, she was very self-involved and was constantly using Gracie and not thinking anything about her feelings. She really was a horrible best friend and I was screaming at Gracie all the way through the book to open her eyes and see what was going on! Gracie's love interest, Cooper, was probably my favorite character of the book. He was funny and quirky and just an excellent guy that was such a joy to read.
I suggest this book to all YA lovers. By the time the book is through you'll either be much more appreciative of your best friend, or you'll be realizing you need a new one!!
Gracie was a great character, she was smart, and tough, and very concerned with the environment. She was the complete opposite of her best friend Savannah, who is the ultimate it girl. Savannah is a fly by the seat of her pants, worry about the consequences if they come type of girl. They had figured out that sometimes opposites attract, and they become best friends who are thick as thieves. The problems start when Savannah starts using Gracie as her alibi (without even telling her) and causing Gracie to lie to the people she loves.
I really couldn't stand Savannah, she was very self-involved and was constantly using Gracie and not thinking anything about her feelings. She really was a horrible best friend and I was screaming at Gracie all the way through the book to open her eyes and see what was going on! Gracie's love interest, Cooper, was probably my favorite character of the book. He was funny and quirky and just an excellent guy that was such a joy to read.
I suggest this book to all YA lovers. By the time the book is through you'll either be much more appreciative of your best friend, or you'll be realizing you need a new one!!
