It's Friendship!
I love seeing friendships celebrated in the books I read, and I have been treated to many memorable fictional friendships. This week, I want to spotlight some of the wonderful friendships I encountered this past year.
- Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - Just when she thought she was all alone, Francesca discovered some unlikely friends and renewed an old friendship, and thus, she found her people. This group was odd and wonderful and their support for Frankie was a beautiful thing.
- Girls Can't Hit by T.S. Easton - Fleur, Blossom, and Pip were a delightful trio. Blossom and Pip were hilarious, but also steadfast friends.
- Four Three Two One by Courtney C. Stevens - Tons of awesome friendship stuff going on in this book, but I really adored the bond that developed between Golden and Becky. Who knew Becky would be the best cheerleader and friend for Golden, when she so desperately needed one.
- This is What it Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow - I loved seeing Jules, Dia, and Hanna find their way back to each other. Their love for each other was so obvious, and they completed each other.
- We Regret to Inform You by Ariel Kaplan - Mischa and Nate shared a special friendship, but I really loved when the Ophelia Syndicate girls took Mischa under their wing. It resulted in an interesting dynamic and I love a good girl power friendship.
- Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno - Georgie was so lucky to have Vira in her life, because she was a beautiful friend. When the rest of the town turned on her family, Vira stood by her side.
- Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston - Polly was an amazing friend, and I loved the bond she shared with Hermione. When the worst was done to Hermione, Polly never left her side. She gave Hermione physical and emotional support, and was the best kind of best friend.
- The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold - The "fragile triangle" shared a great friendship, but what I really loved was the bromance between Noah and Alan. Those two were fantastic and I adored the way they shared their feelings with each other.
- The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger - Ray and Simon also shared a fabulous bromance. Simon had a huge heart, and he never gave up on Ray. That's the sign of a true friend if you ask me.
- Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens - Hazel found a great "family" in Australia, and she and Red shared a really special connection, which I adored.
I love this TTT. It's such a great reminder that there's so much goodness (relationships) in a book besides romance.
ReplyDeleteI think YA books tend to have romance, but focus on many things. It's quite rare that I read a YA book, which doesn't contain some sort of friendship thread. Even when the friendship is not the central focus, it always plays an important role in the main character's journey.
DeleteYour TTT is going to be bad for my TBR since I'm always looking for books that feature friendships and I haven't read any of these yet, lol.
ReplyDeleteI almost always find friendships in YA books, and they are usually one of my favorite parts of every book
DeleteI have only read Frankie in your list but that book is one of my all-time favorites and I LOVE the friendship in it. Friendship is one of the best parts of YA, imo!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I finally read that book!
DeleteI haven't read any of these, but a few of them are on my TBR! I love the idea for this TTT, because a lot of books have wonderful friendships. I liked all of the friendships in The Lunar Chronicles! Crazy circumstances brought them together, and a lot of amazing friendships were formed. Yes, a lot of them did pair up in the end, but there were friendships made outside of the relationships.
ReplyDeleteLindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
I have not read that series, but my co-blogger is a fan. The friendships would actually be a draw for me
DeleteI'd love to see more focus on friendship and family in the YA I read rather than the romance side! I haven't read any of these so I can't say much more!
ReplyDeleteI like romance, but also appreciate a positive family and friendship focus
DeleteI haven’t read any of these, but I’m always on the lookout for YA books that feature strong friendships. Great list!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I feel like a lot of YA books feature great friendships even if they are not the main focus of the story.
DeleteGreat post and the books are all new to me. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I am starting to think I read really obscure books. 🤣
DeleteI loved how in Exit, Pursued by a Bear, Hermione actually has support. Such a refreshing change from a lot of books about rape culture.
ReplyDeleteI loved that book so much, and the reason why I could take that difficult journey with Herminoe was because she did have support
DeleteI haven't read any of these!!! I do own several and have a lot on my wish list. Glad to see them on your list :)
ReplyDeleteI really loved all the books I listed so I hope you get to read some of them
DeleteI haven't read any of these yet, but every time I see "Exit, pursued by a Bear" I want to read it. Such a clever title and use of Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteExit was excellent. I absolutely loved it
DeleteWow, I haven’t read *any* of these! But I love that there are so many examples of good friendships.
ReplyDeleteI guess I have some real non mainstream tastes, because everyone keeps saying they haven't heard of these books
DeleteI have only read a couple on your list, Exit Pursued by Bear and the Hypnotic book, both had great friendships.
ReplyDeleteThey really did, and the emotional bond was done so well in both books
DeleteI've been eyeing David Arnold's book at the library. I'll have to give it a try some time. :)
ReplyDeleteI have loved all his books. I absolutely adore his storytelling, and Noah was an especially interesting story.
DeleteLovely picks! I'm so interested in This is What it Feels Like and Summer of Salt. The dynamics you mentioned only made my excitement grow further! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBoth were fabulous! The stories were really emotional too.
DeleteYayyy, LOVE Four Three Two One so I am glad to see it here! I also want to read quite a few on your list (especially Exit and Noah Hypnotik) so I am really excited that they have such great friendships! Awesome list!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I finally read Exit. Johnston has her highs and lows, but Exit was a high. And, I love David Arnold. He can do no wrong by me.
DeleteI have only read one of the books from your list but I would have to agree that the friendship in The History of Jane Doe was very well done.
ReplyDeleteI loved those two guys. I especially liked the way Simon stepped up and propped Ray up, when he knew he was falling down.
DeleteHaven't read any of these, but they all look great. Seems like I read a really good review of Summer of Salt somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSummer of Salt was interesting and different. I loved the way Leno explored the sisters, their magic, and their relationships.
DeleteThis is such a nice list, Sam. I love books whoch showcase atrong friendships. So many of these are on my TBR. Hope to read them soon 😃
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to a few of them too, because I enjoyed them so much.
DeleteI love that I can always can find great contemporary recs on your blog Sam. That's one genre I like to mix with SFF on my TBR :) I particularly love friendship tales :)
ReplyDeleteI read a LOT of contemporary books. I only dabble in other genres
DeleteThis is such a great topic! I'm seeing more books celebrate friendships and I love it.
ReplyDeleteThese lists also make me realize how many books I still haven't read though :-((((((
Karen @ For What It's Worth
Though we want to, we can't read them all. TTT is such a reminder of that.
DeleteThis Is What It Feels Like sound like the kind of novel I'd really enjoy. I need to be on the lookout for that one. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBarrows is very good at writing these female centric stories with complicated relationships. This Is What It Feels Like was a wonderful read for me.
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