Friend, Natasha Where You’ll Find Me, 264 pages. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2016. $17.
Language: PG-13 (40 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (body talk,
implied sex).
At the beginning of eighth grade, Anna’s best friend of many
years, Danielle, flat out dumps her for a more popular crowd. At first Anna flounders, trying to find a
place to belong, but soon she reluctantly, and then with more enthusiasm, finds
an eclectic group of friends where she can thrive.
I was surprised at the high level of mature content and
swearing in Friend’s latest. She has written
about tough issues in the past without resorting to such tactics. Her Bounce and Lush are two of my all-time
favorite middle level books. Friend
doesn’t stumble of her handling of the issues – this is many times a better
book about friendship than “The Thing about Jellyfish”. It also touches on blended families and
mentally ill parents in authentic ways.
I just wish she had handled things in a way that I could recommend this
to elementary schools also.
MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy,
Library Teacher
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