4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yup, this was good., May 28, 2008
This review is from: Frenemies (Paperback)
I'm bad at listing out reasons I liked certain books. Frenemies is one of those - I can't pinpoint exactly what worked here. If I had to take a guess, I would say it's the execution. The plot itself wouldn't be able to carry the novel as strongly as the writing did. For that Alexa Young deserves a commended performance. Her snappy, subtly-engaging narrative is brilliant, graceful and effortless. Tip of the iceberg though.
I'm sure we all remember what it was like to be thirteen, when even the slightest weird sidelong glance from our best friends would shake our self-confidence. So it's no wonder that when Halley comes back from art camp and is styling is a whole new (and weird, according to Avalon) way, Avalon's quips about her new fashion choices put a strain on their friendship. It's a fast transition, and before they know it, they're parting ways.
My only criticism for this novel comes in here, at the friendship portion: We never really see just how good of friends these two girls are. There isn't a lot of back story, which is fine since this is a series. Alexa assures me she's working on making people realize how deep this friendship runs. (Which means character development and character soul-searching, and that makes me go squee!) That said, the split was handled particularly well in the sense that the reader gets to really feel the hardship it poses on both Halley and Avalon. While they're both working hard at establishing new scenes and new personas, they both also miss each other very much, even if they'll never admit it. This rang true. Very much so.
I know some reviewers seem to think this book is either immature or too fashion-focused. They're entitled to their own opinion, sure, but I respectfully disagree with both. If anything, I thought both Halley and Avalon were, all things considered, very mature girls. Sure, they got childish when playing pranks to get back at one another (friendship feud, hello), but who doesn't? Some of the things they did were outright hilarious. And the fashion thing was there, sure, but it didn't reach overkill levels; in fact, I hardly even noticed it. Then again, this isn't something that really bothers me.
I will never bash Gossip Girl, A-List, It Girl, The Clique, or any other Poppy novel because of their shallow and somewhat unrealistic characters. Those books are serving their marketable purpose and they're pretty damn good for what they're designed to do, which is be guilty pleasures. All I know is this: if Alexa Young set out to create a series resembling any of the Poppy books for the younger set, she failed. This book embodies good writing, fashion, friendship and foes seamlessly, which . Frenemies isn't the cheap-entertainment good; it's the genuine kind.
Strong recommendation from Reviewer X. I'll be following this series very, very closely.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Story Siren Reviews:, May 18, 2008
This review is from: Frenemies (Paperback)
Avalon Green, blond and beautiful, and Halley Brandon, dark-haired and breathtaking, have been best friends since forever. The one thing that they've always had in common is fashion. The girls are getting ready to start eighth grade after their summer apart. Avalon has planned a huge party celebrating their friendship, but when Halley arrives home from her summer at art camp the girls realize that something is different.
The girls have grown apart during the summer. Or perhaps they have just discovered who they are and are coming into their own. Either way, when their disagreement reach epic proportions, a dissolution of the friendship is written up. They take out all the stops to get back at each other, everything from verbal bashing to public humiliation.
Will the girls be able to look past everything they've put each other through to become best frenemies?
I had read some let's say mediocre reviews for Frenemies, so I wasn't exactly sure what to think. But I actually really liked Frenemies! I read on my day off and I couldn't put it down. I have to admit I was laughing out loud throughout the book, I'm glad I read it at home. Alexa seems like such a fun and energetic person and you can totally see she puts all of that into her writing. The lady cracks me up! And the story has relevance, you've all seen the girls and guys for that matter who were childhood friends, and then realize that maybe they are going in different directions. I'm sure it wasn't played out as dramatic as this story, but that is what makes it so entertaining. I think readers of Poseur and Melissa Walker's Violet on the Runway would enjoy this book. It's very fashion orientated, but I thought that aspect was fun! My fashion exploits tend to run in the t-shirt and jeans department, what can I say. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the Frenemies saga, Faketastic!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Compulsive Reader's Reviews, May 13, 2008
This review is from: Frenemies (Paperback)
Halley and Avalon have been best friends for life. They live next door to each other, and their mothers have been friends for ages. These girls are privileged, talented, and smart--and they know it. They intend to rule eighth grade together, and to kick off the new school year, they plan a huge bash celebrating their friendship. But when Halley comes back from summer camp, the two girls find themselves disagreeing on just about everything, and within a week they're each other's archenemy. But they'll soon learn that the only thing to do with your worst enemy is to make them your frenemy...
Pre-teens will enjoy yet again another tale of the rich and privileged girl's struggle for survival in a school that's not all the different from their own. It's impossible to choose sides with these two bright and intelligent girls as they learn that part of growing up means that sometimes you need to find your own way. Readers will gasp, cry, and laugh along as Avalon and Halley struggle to come out on top with their many ploys and clever tricks, and just maybe even find a way to become friends again.
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