Second Best Friend

Jade and Becky are Best Friends. They’re not quite chalk and cheese, but are quite different: Jade is outgoing, swinging from one crush to another, and likes a good party. Becky’s quieter, not interested in relationships, and prefers to stay in. Jade’s never really noticed the differences before, but when she breaks up with Rob King (the hottest boy in school), he makes a nasty and off-hand, yet perfectly targeted, comment with the potential to send Jade and Becky’s friendship spiralling.

Now Jade can’t help wondering: is Becky better at everything than she is? Do people like Becky more than her? Becky’s the one person Jade’s always measured against, and suddenly she feels like she’s lacking in every department. When the two of them are suddenly pitted against each other in a school election, how far will Jade go – intentionally or otherwise – to be, just for once, at the top?

An electric coming-of-age story, Non Pratt deftly uses a school political race to highlight other kinds of school politics: the minefield of boys and girls and friendships and relationships and how overwhelming and all-consuming these can be, especially when you’re a teenager. Perfectly told, and printed in a dyslexia-friendly format.