Not the Worst Friend in the World
by Anne Rellihan (Author)
Can Lou Bennett keep a secret? She'll do just about anything to prove herself to her new friend--and the best friend she betrayed--in this debut novel that is a modern-day Harriet the Spy with high emotional stakes.
It's the thirty-fourth day of sixth grade at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Missouri, and eleven-year-old Lou wishes she could rewind time.
Lou wants to go back to the ninth day of sixth grade--the day before she fought with her best friend Francie and said the terrible, horrible things she can't unsay. Or better yet, she would go back to fifth grade when Francie was still the Old Francie.
Then the new girl, Cece Clark-Duncan, passes Lou a mysterious note. It says she was kidnapped. (!) If Lou can help Cece, maybe she can prove she's not the world's worst friend.
But as observant Lou uncovers the complicated truth about Cece's family, she starts to panic. Can she help Cece without hurting her? Or will Lou end up losing another friend instead?
Anchored by an outstanding voice and a page-turning mystery, this remarkable debut novel honors the powerful middle school friendships that can both break and heal a tender eleven-year-old heart.
Perfect for fans of Fish in a Tree and My Jasper June.
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Publishers Weekly
Eleven-year-old Louise Bennett has been struggling with overwhelming guilt ever since she blurted out "terrible, horrible things" that ended her friendship with Francie Fitzpatrick. Lou is brainstorming ways to win Francie back when new girl Cece Clark-Duncan asks Lou for assistance in unraveling a mystery. Though Lou feels that she's "not the kind of friend you should trust with your secrets," she sees helping Cece as a chance to redeem herself. Cece, who believes that she has been kidnapped by her father, is convinced that Lou's propensity to record observations in her notebook à la Harriet the Spy will help her contact her mother. As the pair investigate, Lou realizes that Cece's predicament might not be what it seems, and she struggles with the possibility that the truth might hurt her new friend. Occasional flashback chapters depict Francie and Lou's friendship and provide context to their falling out, which occurs before the book's start. While the dual mysteries of the friendship breakup and Cece's possible abduction don't fully cohere, debut author Rellihan adeptly renders Lou's pain from her broken friendship. Main characters cue as white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Transatlantic Literary. (Feb.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV024000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | Country Life
JUV067000 - Juvenile Fiction | Thrillers & Suspense
Family problems
Secrets
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