*REVIEW* My Worst Best Friend

Synopsis:

The best-selling author of CONFESSIONS OF A DRAMA QUEEN takes a smart, funny look at friendship, staying true to your identity, and moving on.

Gracie and Savannah are best friends —and utterly unalike. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous, and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart, and would rather be studying lizards than meeting boys. Still, they’ve made a surprisingly great team, and (until now) it seemed as if nothing could come between them. But lately, Savannah’s talent for lying and manipulating is becoming harder to ignore. She’s fallen head over heels for an elusive college boy, and Gracie can’t help wondering: is her friend as confident as she seems? When Savannah gets between Gracie and her crush, the line separating best friend from worst friend is crossed.

My Worst Best Friend takes us on a journey with Gracie, a sweet and non-confrontational girl, who loves the outdoors, the environment, and spending time with her best friend, Savanna. Gracie is loyal and honest and bends over backward to be there for Savanna when needed... which is a lot. Because Savanna? That girl is full of drama! Savanna is outgoing, self-absorbed, and pretty clueless about how her actions affect others.

This book follows along as Savanna makes a choice that leads to a web of deceit-- a web that she pulls Gracie into, even though it makes her uncomfortable. As Savanna becomes more entrenched in the web of lies she has built, will Gracie get the nerve to stand up to her? Or will Gracie continue to put Savanna's needs above her own?

There were things about this book that I really liked... and there were some things that I really didn't. I had a problem with the way that Savanna treated Gracie throughout the entire book. The author does a fantastic job of painting a VERY realistic look at how a person like Savanna (completely self-absorbed, dramatic, and narcissistic) behaves in a friendship. I'm sure that we have all had a friend like Savanna before. But to be honest, Savanna takes it to such an extreme level, it's hard to feel any sympathy towards her. While I recognize that she is very unhappy in her home life, there truly is no excuse for the way she behaves with so little regard for others' feelings.

And then there's Gracie. Talk about being a doormat! I was practically growling under my breath at times while reading this. I just wanted her to take a stand already! I was happy to see some growth in her character by the end of the book. She had many fantastic qualities, but her passivity was beyond annoying at times.

The things I liked: The dialogue. I think the author did a great job. Sometimes you read a book *cough-HoN-cough* and you can tell the author is trying too hard to sound "young". I think Dyan Sheldon pulled this off quite well. It was a quick and easy read, and was well-paced. I didn't find myself getting bored like I sometimes do with a book without much action. And then there was Cooper. I found him quirky, intriguing, insightful, and sweet. I would have loved to read more scenes with just him and Gracie.

Overall, I liked this book. I didn't LOVE it... but it was a cute read. I think younger readers especially could find a lot to like about this book. If you're looking for an easy read about friendship and growth, this could be a great summer read. It's one of those books you can read in a couple days, reminisce about your past, and then put it on the shelf and forget about it. Hope you enjoy it if you pick it up! As always, Happy Reading! *XOXO*