The Girls' Guide to Friends

December 15, 2002
Reviewed with "You Be Me," edited by Susan Musgrave.

Gr. 7-12. Both of these books tackle the complex subject of teen girls' friendships, but their approaches are poles apart, so they will probably attract very different readers. In her practical guide, journalist Taylor maintains the format and bouncy voice of teen-oriented magazines, with slang, cutesy wordplay, and plenty of how-tos. Chapters address finding "your type," maintaining friendships, handling arguments and "friendship fallout," having "guy pals," and so on. Readers will like the quizzes, the personality charts, and the advice, which ranges from the extremely frivolous to very serious (helping a friend deal with the death of a parent, for example). Like Musgrave's previous anthology "Nerves Out Loud "(2001), "You Be Me" is a collection of edgy, funny, vital stories that get to the heart of teen girls' experience. One selection, for example, shows the friction between growing up and growing apart: "I want to be Liam's friend forever. But I don't even know who I'll be by Christmas." The stories' sharp insight, unsentimental honesty, and sophisticated voices will probably appeal to older, less mainstream YAs than those attracted to Taylor's book, but girls struggling through the minefields of teen friendships will find much to appreciate in both titles. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)