MY WORST BEST FRIEND

Sixteen-year-old Gracie and Savanna are best friends and opposites. Gorgeous Savanna likes boys and the mall; Gracie likes the environment and doing well in school. Gracie’s journey to understanding that some friends are toxic would be stronger if Savanna were written as appealing in any way. Though Gracie assures readers that she has a good time with her BFF, all they will see in Savanna is a liar who cheats on her boyfriend, uses her best friend and is cruel to her friends behind their backs. When Gracie starts to develop a relationship with quirky Zebediah Cooper, Savanna does her darndest to sabotage her friend’s happiness. Luckily, Gracie and Zeb bond over their do-gooder natures, although their causes vibe as painted-on quirks rather than sincerely held beliefs—somebody should tell Gracie that despite her family’s annual “Remember the Wampanoag Day” celebration, feeling like “the last Wampanoag” is dismissive of the 2,000 living members of the Wampanoag nation. At least Gracie and Zeb manage to fumble their way into a satisfying conclusion. (Fiction. 11-15)