BAD BEST FRIEND
proves once again that no one writes tween better than Rachel Vail!
Niki Ames can't wait to start eighth grade, that all-important year before high school. She and her best friend Ava have shared so many plans for the coming year. But then the unthinkable happens: at gym class pair-up, Ava chooses someone else to be her partner. Niki is devastated. It's clear that Ava wants to be part of the popular group, leaving Niki behind. Niki has to decide who her real friends should be, where her real interests lie. Meanwhile, life at home is complicated. Niki's nine-year-old brother Danny continues to act out more and more publicly. Their mother refuses to admit that Danny is somewhere on the autism spectrum, but it's clear he needs help. Niki doesn't want to be like her brother, to be labeled as different. She just wants to be popular! Is she a bad sister and a bad best friend?
“As usual, Vail adroitly depicts personality and human dynamics with deceptive simplicity, revealing the complicated facets of this friendship drift.... Readers who’ve experienced the serrated edge of friendship will sympathize with Niki’s anguish, and they’ll be glad to see her coming into her own.”
“ The story unfolds in Niki’s authentic voice. The conflicts, though numerous, do not make this a “problem” novel but rather an insightful look at the dramas surrounding students in middle school. Readers will see good and bad elements of the many characters, just like real life, and will be curious to understand their behaviors. VERDICT This page-turning, solid friendship story will be savored by middle grade students. A welcome addition to library collections.”
“Vail’s gift for channeling adolescent angst is the icing on this funny, moving tale.”
“2020 Teachers Choice Book ”
“POWERFUL... AND RELATABLE”