The Take-Over Friend
Book Feature - The Take-Over Friend by Carol Dines
HBL Note: I love hearing about an author’s initial spark of inspiration that, if I may paraphrase Casablanca, of all the stories, in all the world, led them to write this one. For Carol Dines, that initial spark of inspiration for the TAKE-OVER FRIEND was supporting her own daughter through a devastating friendship breakup. For me, reading this book made me think of my own friends, not necessarily ones I went through a “friendship breakup” with but rather just life took us separate ways and we drifted apart. They were once the center of my universe, we spoke every day, multiple times a day and now I can go months without so much as thinking about them but still hope they’re happy and doing well. Social media helps me keep track of them, in some ways, but also allows me to be a passive observer without actively checking in on them. But I digress…clearly this book already has my mind thinking about friendships. Scroll down to read more.
"Equal parts wry and heartbreaking, The Takeover Friend deftly and seamlessly weaves a compelling story about the complex nature of adolescent friendship with a deep and thoughtful dive into the impact of mental illness on one family. In Sonja, Carol Dines has created an unforgettable character who is at once both delightful and infuriating and also utterly irresistible. A timely, moving, and thought provoking novel." —Gary Eldon Peter, author of Oranges and The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen
Book Feature - The Take-Over Friend by Carol Dines
Book Feature - The Take-Over Friend by Carol Dines
From the publisher:
On the second day of ninth grade, introverted Frances meets Sonja, a wildly funny newcomer from France, and the girls form a fast friendship. Frances adores Sonja's worldliness, and Sonja adores Frances's family, especially her older brother, Will. Frances and Sonja immediately declare themselves "The Poets" and rally their homeroom to enter the homecoming parade with a poetry-mobile built from Frances's father's old band bus. But respective family crises begin to escalate, and tensions come to a head when Sonja temporarily moves in with Frances's family - forcing each friend to decide how close is too close. Alternatingly funny and poignant, The Take-Over Friend is a smart page-turner that focuses on the importance of finding your own voice in relationships.
Book Feature - The Take-Over Friend by Carol Dines
