The Weird Friends Fan Club
by Catherine Wilkins
Interest age: 12 to 15
Reading age: 10+
Published by Nosy Crow, 2019
About this book
Grace micro-manages her life and friends to make sure her online identity is super-attractive, super-cool, and projects just the right level of self-confidence and self-determination (#blessed).
Erin has a monobrow, an issue with self-esteem and a younger sister who is wise beyond her years. Oh, and she is often the butt of unkind "jokes" by Grace and her #girlsquad.
It seems the girls have nothing in common until an English teacher suggests they use their shared adoration of Charlotte Bronté as a springboard to explore a number of writing challenges and enter a competition to win a dream prize (#disaster #whatanightmare).
Written as diary entries, emails and texts, Grace and Erin’s story is unpredictable, revealing and very funny. It is an engaging and perceptive exploration of the influences that make us who we are, how we interact with the rest of the world, how we choose our friends and what drives our ambition.
There are no trite, happy endings but a series of experiences (both pleasant and unpleasant), misunderstandings and conflicts. Neither girl is significantly altered but both have a wider and more accepting perspective on life and friendship by the end.
About the author
More books like this
-
The Paper and Hearts Society
by Lucy Powrie
11 to 14 years
-
Café Chaos
by Catherine Wilkins, illustrated by Katie Abey
9 to 14 years
-
You're Not the Boss of Me!
by Catherine Wilkins
9 to 14 years
-
When Good Geeks Go Bad
by Catherine Wilkins
9 to 14 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Best diary books for how it feels to be a teenager
There's something about the diary or journal format in a book that really helps you get under a character's skin. After all, you're privy to their first-person, most innermost thoughts. The relationship between the reader and this character feels so close that it can almost feel like a friendship. This must be why diary books are at their most powerful when you are a pre-teen or a young teenager: battling through puberty, everyday life, and trying to figure out who you are and want to be. Below are some of our favourites for capturing the highs, the lows, and the very, very funny bits.
-
Summer reads for teens
The holidays are here and we're celebrating with this list of brilliant books that are perfect summer reading. From love stories to dark comedy, we think teenagers will love digging into this list over the break.