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My Worst Best Friend
The best-selling author of Confessions of a Drama Queen takes a smart, funny look at friendship, staying true to your identity, and moving on.
Gracie and Savannah are best friends — and utterly unalike. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous, and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart, and would rather be studying lizards than meeting boys. Still, they’ve made a surprisingly great team, and (until now) it seemed as if nothing could come between them. But lately, Savannah’s talent for lying and manipulating is becoming harder to ignore. She’s fallen head over heels for an elusive college boy, and Gracie can’t help is her friend as confident as she seems? When Savannah gets between Gracie and her crush, the line separating best friend from worst friend is crossed.
Gracie and Savannah are best friends — and utterly unalike. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous, and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart, and would rather be studying lizards than meeting boys. Still, they’ve made a surprisingly great team, and (until now) it seemed as if nothing could come between them. But lately, Savannah’s talent for lying and manipulating is becoming harder to ignore. She’s fallen head over heels for an elusive college boy, and Gracie can’t help is her friend as confident as she seems? When Savannah gets between Gracie and her crush, the line separating best friend from worst friend is crossed.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
Dyan Sheldon
107 books196 followersDyan Sheldon is the author of many novels for young adult readers, including the #1 New York Times bestseller CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, which was made into a major motion picture. American by birth, she lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
July 20, 2023
Savanna und Gracie sind beide 16 Jahre alt und die besten Freundinnen, doch sie könnten kaum unterschiedlicher sein. Während Savanna gerne im Mittelpunkt steht und die Blicke aller auf sich zieht, ist Gracie eher unscheinbar. Statt für Mode, Jungs oder Kosmetik interessiert sie sich für Natur und Tiere. Als Savanna einen Jungen kennenlernt, mit dem sie sich immer wieder heimlich trifft, muss Gracie immer öfter für ihre Freundin Ausreden erfinden und ihre Mitschüler und Familie anlügen. Gracie gefällt das gar nicht und immer mehr beginnt sie, ihre Freundschaft zu hinterfragen. Gleichzeitig wird ihre Freundschaft zu Cooper, einem Mitschüler, immer enger…
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Mein Leseeindruck:
„Worst best friends“ erzählt die Geschichte einer Mädchenfreundschaft. Erzählt wird sie aus der Perspektive von Gracie, die mir im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr ans Herz gewachsen ist. Ihre Freundin Savanna dagegen wird so oberflächlich und oft unsympathisch dargestellt, dass ich mich nur fragen konnte, wie diese beiden Mädchen überhaupt miteinander befreundet sein können. Die Story ist vielleicht zeitweise auch ein bisschen zu überspitzt erzählt, aber das hat mich überhaupt nicht gestört. Im Gegenteil; ich habe oft schmunzeln müssen.
Der Schreibstil hat mir dabei sehr gut gefallen; die Geschichte wird leicht und locker erzählt und lässt sich sehr flüssig lesen. Das Hauptthema ist dabei, wie der Titel schon vermuten lässt, die Freundschaft der beiden Protagonistinnen. Die zarte Liebesgeschichte, die sich im Laufe der Story auch entwickelt, ist eher nur eine Nebenhandlung, hat mir aber nichtsdestotrotz auch sehr gut gefallen.
Insgesamt kann ich sagen, dass es mir viel Spaß gemacht hat, dieses Buch zu lesen. Es ist ein schönes Jugendbuch für Mädchen im Teenageralter.
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Mein Leseeindruck:
„Worst best friends“ erzählt die Geschichte einer Mädchenfreundschaft. Erzählt wird sie aus der Perspektive von Gracie, die mir im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr ans Herz gewachsen ist. Ihre Freundin Savanna dagegen wird so oberflächlich und oft unsympathisch dargestellt, dass ich mich nur fragen konnte, wie diese beiden Mädchen überhaupt miteinander befreundet sein können. Die Story ist vielleicht zeitweise auch ein bisschen zu überspitzt erzählt, aber das hat mich überhaupt nicht gestört. Im Gegenteil; ich habe oft schmunzeln müssen.
Der Schreibstil hat mir dabei sehr gut gefallen; die Geschichte wird leicht und locker erzählt und lässt sich sehr flüssig lesen. Das Hauptthema ist dabei, wie der Titel schon vermuten lässt, die Freundschaft der beiden Protagonistinnen. Die zarte Liebesgeschichte, die sich im Laufe der Story auch entwickelt, ist eher nur eine Nebenhandlung, hat mir aber nichtsdestotrotz auch sehr gut gefallen.
Insgesamt kann ich sagen, dass es mir viel Spaß gemacht hat, dieses Buch zu lesen. Es ist ein schönes Jugendbuch für Mädchen im Teenageralter.
October 11, 2010
My Worst Best Friend is actually the worst novel I've read from front to back in a long, long time. I will recommend this book to any young woman who wants to learn how to act like a spoiled, self-centered diva who lacks having had parental guidance in regards to morals and honesty. I really hope the person I just described doesn't exist. Well, I'm sure this person does exist, but they won't have the brains to read this review in the first place.
Anyways, and moving on...
My Worst Best Friend is about two best friends who demonstrate the grand epitome of opposites attract. Gracie is plain, boyish and smart with common sense and a good head on her shoulders, whereas Savanna is a beautiful, charming, manipulative brat who has already mastered the art of flirting at the age of sixteen and gets her way one-hundred percent of the time.
When Savanna meets and begins dating a college boy, Gracie proves her loyalty as a best friend by lying constantly for Savanna and ditching the more important people in her life for her worthless, idiot friend. As we near the novel's end, we get a glimpse of how lying and supporting a terrible cause can really make you feel low. Hurray for Gracie as she grows balls and stands up for what's right when she puts Savanna in her place and chases down the person who connects with her the best, an odd yet intelligent loyal boy named Cooper.
The novel is mainly maddening because we are forced to withstand Savanna's awful, stupid, unintelligble teenage lingo. Please don't tell me this is really what teenagers talk like now:
Savanna: "But I had this, like, reallyreally stressful day. And I mean reallyreally filled with stress. The stress was packed in there like salmons in a can."
REALLY? Innocently mistaking salmon for sardines isn't even cute or funny. Not coming from this girl.
Chapter One had me praying Savanna would walk in front of a school bus, but knowing it isn't going to happen makes this book truly dreadful. What ever happened to those teenagers of yesteryear that were sophisticated, witty, classy, and admirable? My favorite characters were always those written by L.J. Smith in the Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries series. Not to mention those mature, grown-up characters also featured in Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine YA novels. I wanted to be those girls SO BAD! And not because they were popular or beautiful, but because they were so cool, calm and collected no matter what the circumstance.
When Savanna's character isn't present or being mentioned, My Worst Best Friend is awesome and even enjoyable. Sadly, these moments are few and far between. I love the exchanges between Gracie and Cooper regarding their ongoing classic movie quote game. Now THIS is more like it in the way of intelligence and sophistication between two teenage characters.
I wouldn't recommend My Worst Best Friend to any teenager or young adult. The lesson and message just isn't strong or powerful enough. The novel is more annoying than anything.
I know Dyan Sheldon is extremely successful, and has really excelled as a children's and young adult author of numerous titles; including Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, which was also made into a movie. Although she is very popular and her work is largely appraised, I don't think as a reader you should waste your time on My Worst Best Friend.
Other recent titles by Dyan Sheldon include Drusilla and Her Brothers (2009), The Difficult Job of Keeping Time (2008), and Confessions of a Teenage Hollywood Star (2007).
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
Anyways, and moving on...
My Worst Best Friend is about two best friends who demonstrate the grand epitome of opposites attract. Gracie is plain, boyish and smart with common sense and a good head on her shoulders, whereas Savanna is a beautiful, charming, manipulative brat who has already mastered the art of flirting at the age of sixteen and gets her way one-hundred percent of the time.
When Savanna meets and begins dating a college boy, Gracie proves her loyalty as a best friend by lying constantly for Savanna and ditching the more important people in her life for her worthless, idiot friend. As we near the novel's end, we get a glimpse of how lying and supporting a terrible cause can really make you feel low. Hurray for Gracie as she grows balls and stands up for what's right when she puts Savanna in her place and chases down the person who connects with her the best, an odd yet intelligent loyal boy named Cooper.
The novel is mainly maddening because we are forced to withstand Savanna's awful, stupid, unintelligble teenage lingo. Please don't tell me this is really what teenagers talk like now:
Savanna: "But I had this, like, reallyreally stressful day. And I mean reallyreally filled with stress. The stress was packed in there like salmons in a can."
REALLY? Innocently mistaking salmon for sardines isn't even cute or funny. Not coming from this girl.
Chapter One had me praying Savanna would walk in front of a school bus, but knowing it isn't going to happen makes this book truly dreadful. What ever happened to those teenagers of yesteryear that were sophisticated, witty, classy, and admirable? My favorite characters were always those written by L.J. Smith in the Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries series. Not to mention those mature, grown-up characters also featured in Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine YA novels. I wanted to be those girls SO BAD! And not because they were popular or beautiful, but because they were so cool, calm and collected no matter what the circumstance.
When Savanna's character isn't present or being mentioned, My Worst Best Friend is awesome and even enjoyable. Sadly, these moments are few and far between. I love the exchanges between Gracie and Cooper regarding their ongoing classic movie quote game. Now THIS is more like it in the way of intelligence and sophistication between two teenage characters.
I wouldn't recommend My Worst Best Friend to any teenager or young adult. The lesson and message just isn't strong or powerful enough. The novel is more annoying than anything.
I know Dyan Sheldon is extremely successful, and has really excelled as a children's and young adult author of numerous titles; including Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, which was also made into a movie. Although she is very popular and her work is largely appraised, I don't think as a reader you should waste your time on My Worst Best Friend.
Other recent titles by Dyan Sheldon include Drusilla and Her Brothers (2009), The Difficult Job of Keeping Time (2008), and Confessions of a Teenage Hollywood Star (2007).
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
August 18, 2010
An entertaining read about best friends, worst friends, and the trouble some people can have telling the difference between the two. This book was a quick read that was light and fun while dealing with something a little more heavy. The thing that it really makes you realize is that sometimes you just have to let people go, even if it hurts, to make your life better.
Gracie was a great character, she was smart, and tough, and very concerned with the environment. She was the complete opposite of her best friend Savannah, who is the ultimate it girl. Savannah is a fly by the seat of her pants, worry about the consequences if they come type of girl. They had figured out that sometimes opposites attract, and they become best friends who are thick as thieves. The problems start when Savannah starts using Gracie as her alibi (without even telling her) and causing Gracie to lie to the people she loves.
I really couldn't stand Savannah, she was very self-involved and was constantly using Gracie and not thinking anything about her feelings. She really was a horrible best friend and I was screaming at Gracie all the way through the book to open her eyes and see what was going on! Gracie's love interest, Cooper, was probably my favorite character of the book. He was funny and quirky and just an excellent guy that was such a joy to read.
I suggest this book to all YA lovers. By the time the book is through you'll either be much more appreciative of your best friend, or you'll be realizing you need a new one!!
Gracie was a great character, she was smart, and tough, and very concerned with the environment. She was the complete opposite of her best friend Savannah, who is the ultimate it girl. Savannah is a fly by the seat of her pants, worry about the consequences if they come type of girl. They had figured out that sometimes opposites attract, and they become best friends who are thick as thieves. The problems start when Savannah starts using Gracie as her alibi (without even telling her) and causing Gracie to lie to the people she loves.
I really couldn't stand Savannah, she was very self-involved and was constantly using Gracie and not thinking anything about her feelings. She really was a horrible best friend and I was screaming at Gracie all the way through the book to open her eyes and see what was going on! Gracie's love interest, Cooper, was probably my favorite character of the book. He was funny and quirky and just an excellent guy that was such a joy to read.
I suggest this book to all YA lovers. By the time the book is through you'll either be much more appreciative of your best friend, or you'll be realizing you need a new one!!
August 21, 2011
I am actually really surprised at how much I enjoyed this fairly juvenile tale of high school friendship purely due to Dyan Sheldon's writing ability as I almost immediately connected with Gracie and her shyness, hoping the best for her.
Gracie is a lovely girl who happens to suffer from a tad bit of shyness, this has been taken use of by her best friend Savannah who seems to have it all - boys, personality, friends and money but as with many situations once you dig a little deeper it is not actually the case.
Savannah is one of those popular female characters that takes almost everything for granted, especially her parents. She cheats on her boyfriend, lies to her friends and spends money like crazy. Gracie finally confronts her when she is fed up with telling lies for Savannah and it all breaks down from there.
My Worst Best Friend is a regular size YA novel but I flew through it in record time, actually allotting more time to read than I usually do as it is such a fun, light read with a tiny bit of moral to be learnt. I feel this could be a perfect novel for girls starting high school, worrying about fitting into the right clique and getting a boyfriend but for me it was a nice look back at my high school years and what I could've done better.
Gracie is a lovely girl who happens to suffer from a tad bit of shyness, this has been taken use of by her best friend Savannah who seems to have it all - boys, personality, friends and money but as with many situations once you dig a little deeper it is not actually the case.
Savannah is one of those popular female characters that takes almost everything for granted, especially her parents. She cheats on her boyfriend, lies to her friends and spends money like crazy. Gracie finally confronts her when she is fed up with telling lies for Savannah and it all breaks down from there.
My Worst Best Friend is a regular size YA novel but I flew through it in record time, actually allotting more time to read than I usually do as it is such a fun, light read with a tiny bit of moral to be learnt. I feel this could be a perfect novel for girls starting high school, worrying about fitting into the right clique and getting a boyfriend but for me it was a nice look back at my high school years and what I could've done better.
April 30, 2014
Gracie is shy, quiet and loves iguanas and hiking. Savanna is outgoing, loves shopping and boys. Savanna is one of Those Girls, and Gracie is not, but somehow they end up best friends. That is, until Savanna starts cheating on her boyfriend (making Gracie lie for her), cancelling things at the last minute and being totally self-centred. Gracie's a bit of a soft-touch, though, and stays loyal to Savanna because of their friendship... but will she ever stand up for herself? Will Savanna realise the error of her ways?
What I love about My Worst Best Friend is that it takes a very simple premise, and makes it work really well. It's a situation many teenage girls (and boys... and adults...) can relate to. And it was executed so well - so much humour and written in a way that makes it a quick, easy read.
I had difficulty with Savanna as a character. I mean, I didn't like her from the start. I couldn't understand why Gracie was friends with her. Why she kept lying for her... Savanna was irritating and mean and just, ugh. I think a lot of girls who have had fallings-out with mean friends in the past will definitely be able to relate and understand why Gracie does the things she does... but sometimes it was frustrating to read. I would have liked to have seen things from Savanna's perspective..
But Gracie was a fabulous character! I loved that she loved iguanas and cared about the environment and was a tomboy. Cooper, too, was a fantastic character. In fact, I found every character in the book except Savanna absolutely awesome - funny, unique and believable...
I recommend this book to younger YA readers, girls twelve and up. It focuses on themes of friendship, trust, and the importance of being true to yourself. It's a realistic and fun read.
What I love about My Worst Best Friend is that it takes a very simple premise, and makes it work really well. It's a situation many teenage girls (and boys... and adults...) can relate to. And it was executed so well - so much humour and written in a way that makes it a quick, easy read.
I had difficulty with Savanna as a character. I mean, I didn't like her from the start. I couldn't understand why Gracie was friends with her. Why she kept lying for her... Savanna was irritating and mean and just, ugh. I think a lot of girls who have had fallings-out with mean friends in the past will definitely be able to relate and understand why Gracie does the things she does... but sometimes it was frustrating to read. I would have liked to have seen things from Savanna's perspective..
But Gracie was a fabulous character! I loved that she loved iguanas and cared about the environment and was a tomboy. Cooper, too, was a fantastic character. In fact, I found every character in the book except Savanna absolutely awesome - funny, unique and believable...
I recommend this book to younger YA readers, girls twelve and up. It focuses on themes of friendship, trust, and the importance of being true to yourself. It's a realistic and fun read.
January 14, 2011
I wish I could have stopped reading this. Gracie took way too long to really see Savanna. Savanna is selfish, self-centered, manipulative, devious, narcissistic and apparently incapable of empathy. She fights with her parents, cheats on her boyfriend--although according to her it's not cheating if you're not married, lies to and uses all the people around her. Gracie idolizes Savanna because she is beautiful and vivacious, but Savanna has so few redeeming qualities beyond the superficial that Gracie seems stupid, naive, and weak-willed not to notice and stand up for herself sooner. This is a portrait of a truly toxic friendship that never manages to balance Savanna's destructive behavior with the frothy tone.
November 6, 2010
Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the First Reads program. Thank you, Goodreads!
I will proudly admit that I enjoy reading YA novels. I am well past the age of their intended audience, but I have never let that stop me, or even make me feel embarrassed at reading them. Every so often, though, when I'm reading a Young Adult novel I'll find myself questioning the protagonist's behavior in a way I really wouldn't with an adult novel, wondering if s/he doesn't make sense to me because I'm not a teen. That's the way it was with My Worst Best Friend, a story about Gracie, an environmentally conscious fan of old movies, and her shallow, manipulative friend Savanna. I liked Gracie, particularly since my beef with a lot of YA heroines is their lack of personal interests outside of dating, but I had no idea why she would keep hanging around with Savanna, who makes her lie and stands her up constantly. Was it a flaw in Sheldon's writing, or merely the fact that my high school days are so far behind me that made this "friendship" so hard to believe? I think the story would have been more believable if Gracie had been one of those popularity and dating obsessed heroines I can't stand, because then her need for social standing might explain her wanting to stay Savanna's friend. But having this intelligent and independent heroine not see how her friend was walking all over her was a bit much for me.
On the other hand, I also felt that Savanna's behavior in My Worst Best Friend could have been much worse, and made the story that much more interesting. Savanna drags Gracie places she doesn't want to go, she subtly undermines Gracie's relationships with others, and, most notably, forces Gracie to lie on her behalf so she can cheat on her boyfriend. Pretty rotten behavior, but also somewhat mundane. It really felt like I was listen to a teenager recount a story about her rotten friend, not 100% paying attention but nodding sympathetically all the same. But most teens don't have stories of friendships gone bad that are novel worthy, and it really felt like Gracie wasn't the exception here. I wanted Savanna's behavior to turn dark, heading the book towards thriller territory, or completely over the top, venturing into soap opera drama. Add a bit more psychosis to Savanna's personality, and you could have a terrific Lifetime movie, the kind no wants to admit watching but that makes for lots of cheesy fun. Instead, you get a story that certainly seemed important to the major players in it, but maybe not to anyone else.
I will proudly admit that I enjoy reading YA novels. I am well past the age of their intended audience, but I have never let that stop me, or even make me feel embarrassed at reading them. Every so often, though, when I'm reading a Young Adult novel I'll find myself questioning the protagonist's behavior in a way I really wouldn't with an adult novel, wondering if s/he doesn't make sense to me because I'm not a teen. That's the way it was with My Worst Best Friend, a story about Gracie, an environmentally conscious fan of old movies, and her shallow, manipulative friend Savanna. I liked Gracie, particularly since my beef with a lot of YA heroines is their lack of personal interests outside of dating, but I had no idea why she would keep hanging around with Savanna, who makes her lie and stands her up constantly. Was it a flaw in Sheldon's writing, or merely the fact that my high school days are so far behind me that made this "friendship" so hard to believe? I think the story would have been more believable if Gracie had been one of those popularity and dating obsessed heroines I can't stand, because then her need for social standing might explain her wanting to stay Savanna's friend. But having this intelligent and independent heroine not see how her friend was walking all over her was a bit much for me.
On the other hand, I also felt that Savanna's behavior in My Worst Best Friend could have been much worse, and made the story that much more interesting. Savanna drags Gracie places she doesn't want to go, she subtly undermines Gracie's relationships with others, and, most notably, forces Gracie to lie on her behalf so she can cheat on her boyfriend. Pretty rotten behavior, but also somewhat mundane. It really felt like I was listen to a teenager recount a story about her rotten friend, not 100% paying attention but nodding sympathetically all the same. But most teens don't have stories of friendships gone bad that are novel worthy, and it really felt like Gracie wasn't the exception here. I wanted Savanna's behavior to turn dark, heading the book towards thriller territory, or completely over the top, venturing into soap opera drama. Add a bit more psychosis to Savanna's personality, and you could have a terrific Lifetime movie, the kind no wants to admit watching but that makes for lots of cheesy fun. Instead, you get a story that certainly seemed important to the major players in it, but maybe not to anyone else.
February 18, 2015
Savannah Zindle~ Savannah was the most annoying character I have ever read about. She is boy obsessed, pretty, obnoxious, and a diva. She finds a college boy in this book and starts dating him. Behind her boyfriend's back. The, she makes her "best friend" Gracie lie for her continually for everything she needs covered up. She has mastered the ability to lie and flirt at age 16. She is just using Gracie in this book and I despised every minute of her.
Real teens would not say this, Savanna: "But I had this, like, reallyreally stressful day. And I mean reallyreally filled with stress. The stress was packed in there like salmons in a can."
Mistaking sardines for salmon isn't cute and isn't hard to remember.
Gracie~ Gracie is Savannah's best friend. Or doormat. She is intelligent, loyal, boyish, and plain. I did not enjoy her character very much, because she was constantly letting Savannah bully her and was too simple. Poor Gracie is being used by Savannah, and doesn't even realize it. Throughout the book, I was frustrated that Gracie couldn't grow herself a backbone and stand up to Savannah. It made me wonder if I acted like her when I had a real life "worst best friend."
I absolutely, 100%, HATED this book. It was VERY boring and I didn't find a single thing I liked until the end. And I'm sorry, I can't reveal the end to you, (spoiler) but I'm not in ANY way recommending it. HATED IT!
Real teens would not say this, Savanna: "But I had this, like, reallyreally stressful day. And I mean reallyreally filled with stress. The stress was packed in there like salmons in a can."
Mistaking sardines for salmon isn't cute and isn't hard to remember.
Gracie~ Gracie is Savannah's best friend. Or doormat. She is intelligent, loyal, boyish, and plain. I did not enjoy her character very much, because she was constantly letting Savannah bully her and was too simple. Poor Gracie is being used by Savannah, and doesn't even realize it. Throughout the book, I was frustrated that Gracie couldn't grow herself a backbone and stand up to Savannah. It made me wonder if I acted like her when I had a real life "worst best friend."
I absolutely, 100%, HATED this book. It was VERY boring and I didn't find a single thing I liked until the end. And I'm sorry, I can't reveal the end to you, (spoiler) but I'm not in ANY way recommending it. HATED IT!
July 20, 2012
Dyan Sheldon has written the book perfectly, as if she was a teen. I, being a teenager can completely relate to the story. Having a best friend, who wasn't really a friend to you. We all have those amazing friends, who seem so cool, but you realise they do nothing for you when you ask of them. You are a secondary factor. That is, they will never give you the time of day! These friends are the root of problems, and they must be trimmed out. Similarly, in the book, Gracie Mooney and Savannah Zindle are best friends, but Savannah is too boy-obsessed to care for Gracie. In the end, Both of them get their happy endings, and thankfully Gracie realises what Savannah is doing, and their world of lies, subsequently crumbled down! This is a good book to read and have, and its a surefire means of passing time. Good, teen fun snd self realization is what this book has to offer. :)
April 28, 2019
I enjoyed the storyline of this book SO MUCH. I love how it shows the ups and downs of Gracie’s feelings toward her BFF and how it shows how Gracie develops to stand up for her self and not be manipulated by someone.
June 6, 2010
The story starts of on a sad lonely note, the protagonist is talking in the past tense, this to me made it very clear that a lot had changed and that this so called friend was no more. She describes everyone being in awe of her best friend Savannah, how things seemed good once but obviously not good enough, she mentions how she felt nothing could tear them apart. Of course we also know Gracie was wrong. Before Gracie there was Marilouise the beautiful naive girl who is kind of pathetic and has no self esteem at all, why I wondered this girl who is obviously very pretty and a nice genuine person, talking like someone is about to bury her, and then I realised it was Savannah, as soon as Savannah met Gracie she threw Marilouise like a rag doll and that was that. Savannah likes attention, she likes to be the focus of everything and regardless of her sweet smile she can turn on you just as quick.
Everything has been fine up until now between the two best friends, it goes a little something like this. Savannah asks something, Savannah needs or wants something, Gracie understands, Gracie is there at her beckoned call, the problems only start to surface when Gracie starts to realise that she has a life of her own and that maybe she shouldn't need permission from Savannah to do something, but besides from finally acknowledging this, she takes far to long to put it into action and as soon as she shows the hint of a confrontation all Savannah has to do is act up and Gracie is put back in her place.
Nothing has changed. I felt very frustrated and annoyed with Gracie I kept thinking how pathetic! At least stand up to her, why are you afraid for god’s sake? do yourself a favour and walk away! But then I remembered my high school years and I realised maybe Gracie frustrated and annoyed me so much because she reminded me of myself in my high school years, let’s just say I spent ten years with a Savannah who was only nastier and more cunning, hmmm, and I was basically Gracie.
I think maybe I understood how she felt to well, when she went back to Savannah time and time again, it was because Savannah was all she knew. I looked at Gracie and saw the old me, the one that actually cared what people thought and was probably like Gracie to nice. I kept thinking you can change you can break free, so do it! Archie Savannah's so called boyfriend was a complete puppy, I mean the poor boy just followed her everywhere and was obviously insecure, but with a girlfriend like her I don't blame him.
If there is a character I connected with it’s Cooper, he always throughout my annoyance seemed to bring a smile to my face. His wacky - amusing personality seemed to brighten things up and he also had an obvious affection for Gracie which I found rather cute and sweet. Even though this isn't the typical book I would read, I am glad that I read it.
My worst best friend is for anyone and for everyone, maybe you've been through such a situation, or perhaps you’re going through it now. Although near the end I didn't get the climatic build up that I was waiting for, I think the fact that it worked out subtly was the more mature way to go. There is no positive side to this relationship, Savanna is the dominant one and likes to keep Gracie in check even if it has to mean that she mentions to Gracie over again that no boy could possibly find her attractive, you see when there is someone dominant and horribly selfish and manipulative like Savannah they will do anything to hurt you yet strangely keep you at their side and cling on to you. It’s a strange friendship that is hard to explain, I only urge that if you are going through this right now, break free now. It gets a lot harder the more you put it of, trust me I know first hand, overall an enjoyable read that makes you think twice about the people around you.
Everything has been fine up until now between the two best friends, it goes a little something like this. Savannah asks something, Savannah needs or wants something, Gracie understands, Gracie is there at her beckoned call, the problems only start to surface when Gracie starts to realise that she has a life of her own and that maybe she shouldn't need permission from Savannah to do something, but besides from finally acknowledging this, she takes far to long to put it into action and as soon as she shows the hint of a confrontation all Savannah has to do is act up and Gracie is put back in her place.
Nothing has changed. I felt very frustrated and annoyed with Gracie I kept thinking how pathetic! At least stand up to her, why are you afraid for god’s sake? do yourself a favour and walk away! But then I remembered my high school years and I realised maybe Gracie frustrated and annoyed me so much because she reminded me of myself in my high school years, let’s just say I spent ten years with a Savannah who was only nastier and more cunning, hmmm, and I was basically Gracie.
I think maybe I understood how she felt to well, when she went back to Savannah time and time again, it was because Savannah was all she knew. I looked at Gracie and saw the old me, the one that actually cared what people thought and was probably like Gracie to nice. I kept thinking you can change you can break free, so do it! Archie Savannah's so called boyfriend was a complete puppy, I mean the poor boy just followed her everywhere and was obviously insecure, but with a girlfriend like her I don't blame him.
If there is a character I connected with it’s Cooper, he always throughout my annoyance seemed to bring a smile to my face. His wacky - amusing personality seemed to brighten things up and he also had an obvious affection for Gracie which I found rather cute and sweet. Even though this isn't the typical book I would read, I am glad that I read it.
My worst best friend is for anyone and for everyone, maybe you've been through such a situation, or perhaps you’re going through it now. Although near the end I didn't get the climatic build up that I was waiting for, I think the fact that it worked out subtly was the more mature way to go. There is no positive side to this relationship, Savanna is the dominant one and likes to keep Gracie in check even if it has to mean that she mentions to Gracie over again that no boy could possibly find her attractive, you see when there is someone dominant and horribly selfish and manipulative like Savannah they will do anything to hurt you yet strangely keep you at their side and cling on to you. It’s a strange friendship that is hard to explain, I only urge that if you are going through this right now, break free now. It gets a lot harder the more you put it of, trust me I know first hand, overall an enjoyable read that makes you think twice about the people around you.
July 30, 2016
Erster Satz:
"Damals in der Highschool dachte ich, dass es genau genommen nur zwei Arten von Mädchen gibt: DIESE Mädchen und alle anderen - obwohl es natürlich noch Millionen anderer Lebensformen auf unserem Planeten gibt."
Meine Meinung zum Buch:
In "Worst Best Friends - Liebe ändert alles" geht es um die beiden Freundinnen Gracie und Savanna die unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten. Gracie ist ruhig, schüchtern und sehr unsicher. Ihre beste Freundin Savanna hingegen ist aufgekratzt, flirtet gerne, geht gerne shoppen und ist sehr gut darin andere Menschen zu manipulieren. Wenn zwei so unterschiedliche Charaktere aufeinander treffen, bleibt natürlich die Frage, wie lange so eine Freundschaft funktionieren kann. Im Fall von Gracie und Savanna länger als gedacht. Zerstört wird die Freundschaft durch Savanna, da diese Gracie mehr oder weniger zum lügen zwingt. Allerdings merkt man beim Lesen sehr schnell, wie sehr Gracie von Savanna abhängig ist und keinen Schritt ohne sie gehen kann bzw. will. Sicherlich hat es seine Vorteile eine Freundin zu haben die wesentlich selbstbewusster ist als man selbst, dennoch sollte man in der Lage sein seine eigenen Entscheidungen zu treffen, ohne sich von seiner angeblich besten Freundin irgendetwas aufzwingen zu lassen. Und das passiert Gracie leider immer wieder.
Warum Savanna und Gracie überhaupt beste Freundinnen geworden sind hat sich mir nicht wirklich erschlossen.
Der Schreibstil von Dyan Sheldon war locker leicht, sodass man das Buch relativ zügig gelesen hat. Empfehlen würde ich das Buch Jugendlichen ab 13 Jahre, da die Message hinter der Story eine ganz tolle ist. Man kann viel aus der Story lernen, da es sicher vielen Jugendlichen so ergeht.
Fazit:
Die Idee hinter der Story ist wirklich große klasse, die Umsetzung war aber leider nicht mein Fall. Vielleicht bin ich auch schon zu alt für das Buch. Empfehlen würde ich es Jugendlichen ab 13 Jahre.
Das Buch erhält von mir 3 von 5 Federn!
"Damals in der Highschool dachte ich, dass es genau genommen nur zwei Arten von Mädchen gibt: DIESE Mädchen und alle anderen - obwohl es natürlich noch Millionen anderer Lebensformen auf unserem Planeten gibt."
Meine Meinung zum Buch:
In "Worst Best Friends - Liebe ändert alles" geht es um die beiden Freundinnen Gracie und Savanna die unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten. Gracie ist ruhig, schüchtern und sehr unsicher. Ihre beste Freundin Savanna hingegen ist aufgekratzt, flirtet gerne, geht gerne shoppen und ist sehr gut darin andere Menschen zu manipulieren. Wenn zwei so unterschiedliche Charaktere aufeinander treffen, bleibt natürlich die Frage, wie lange so eine Freundschaft funktionieren kann. Im Fall von Gracie und Savanna länger als gedacht. Zerstört wird die Freundschaft durch Savanna, da diese Gracie mehr oder weniger zum lügen zwingt. Allerdings merkt man beim Lesen sehr schnell, wie sehr Gracie von Savanna abhängig ist und keinen Schritt ohne sie gehen kann bzw. will. Sicherlich hat es seine Vorteile eine Freundin zu haben die wesentlich selbstbewusster ist als man selbst, dennoch sollte man in der Lage sein seine eigenen Entscheidungen zu treffen, ohne sich von seiner angeblich besten Freundin irgendetwas aufzwingen zu lassen. Und das passiert Gracie leider immer wieder.
Warum Savanna und Gracie überhaupt beste Freundinnen geworden sind hat sich mir nicht wirklich erschlossen.
Der Schreibstil von Dyan Sheldon war locker leicht, sodass man das Buch relativ zügig gelesen hat. Empfehlen würde ich das Buch Jugendlichen ab 13 Jahre, da die Message hinter der Story eine ganz tolle ist. Man kann viel aus der Story lernen, da es sicher vielen Jugendlichen so ergeht.
Fazit:
Die Idee hinter der Story ist wirklich große klasse, die Umsetzung war aber leider nicht mein Fall. Vielleicht bin ich auch schon zu alt für das Buch. Empfehlen würde ich es Jugendlichen ab 13 Jahre.
Das Buch erhält von mir 3 von 5 Federn!
October 14, 2010
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Gracie has always been surprised that Savannah considers her a friend - not just a friend, but a best friend. Gracie lives a fairly boring existence with her father hovering protectively. She is not really sure why Savannah finds her so fascinating.
Things have changed a bit recently, though. Frequently forgetful, Savannah seems to be even more scattered. When she sets a time to meet Gracie at the coffee shop, it has become a common occurrence for her to be late or possibly not show up at all. Her excuses are pretty lame, even bordering on rude.
On one such occasion when Gracie had been waiting for over an hour for the tardy Savannah, Cooper showed up and invited Gracie to go to a local community center called the Neighborhood. Gracie and Cooper have always shared a common interest in promoting worthy causes, and now Cooper wants to show off the community center in hopes of recruiting her as a volunteer. She has a terrific time but is almost discouraged by the careless attitude Savannah has when Gracie tries to share her enthusiasm about the great work done at the center.
Having Savannah "forget" appointments or complain of schedule conflicts is one thing, but when she begins to include Gracie in downright lies to hide her real activities from others, Gracie decides something must be done.
In MY WORST BEST FRIEND, author Dyan Sheldon portrays friendship at its worst. Many readers will unfortunately be able to relate to Gracie as she experiences Savannah's mistreatment. After her initial shock and disappointment, Gracie shows readers how to deal with an abusive friend. MY WORST BEST FRIEND provides a peek into an all too common problem in the world of BFF's.
Gracie has always been surprised that Savannah considers her a friend - not just a friend, but a best friend. Gracie lives a fairly boring existence with her father hovering protectively. She is not really sure why Savannah finds her so fascinating.
Things have changed a bit recently, though. Frequently forgetful, Savannah seems to be even more scattered. When she sets a time to meet Gracie at the coffee shop, it has become a common occurrence for her to be late or possibly not show up at all. Her excuses are pretty lame, even bordering on rude.
On one such occasion when Gracie had been waiting for over an hour for the tardy Savannah, Cooper showed up and invited Gracie to go to a local community center called the Neighborhood. Gracie and Cooper have always shared a common interest in promoting worthy causes, and now Cooper wants to show off the community center in hopes of recruiting her as a volunteer. She has a terrific time but is almost discouraged by the careless attitude Savannah has when Gracie tries to share her enthusiasm about the great work done at the center.
Having Savannah "forget" appointments or complain of schedule conflicts is one thing, but when she begins to include Gracie in downright lies to hide her real activities from others, Gracie decides something must be done.
In MY WORST BEST FRIEND, author Dyan Sheldon portrays friendship at its worst. Many readers will unfortunately be able to relate to Gracie as she experiences Savannah's mistreatment. After her initial shock and disappointment, Gracie shows readers how to deal with an abusive friend. MY WORST BEST FRIEND provides a peek into an all too common problem in the world of BFF's.
June 29, 2016
Having a best friend can completely change your life. It’s like a cosmic twin that was made just for you. Inseparable from the day you meet, but sometimes having a best friend is hard. You always want to make them happy, and never disappoint them. There is a point that friendship goes to when you have to put your foot down, and be somewhat disappointing. It can either make your friendship stronger, or break it completely. It’s the test of being best friends.
Dyan Sheldon made great examples of her characters and best friends, Savannah and Gracie. Both different, a perfect example of opposites attract. Savannah being the more outgoing and social, Then Gracie is shy and very smart. Savannah seems to be the overbearing friend. She want’s everyone to do what she wants and never wants to do what Gracie likes. She is more into shopping and going on dates. Gracie loves the planet and prefers hiking over the mall. Things start to spiral when Savannah turns up with what she says is great news. She met a guy, even though she technically was dating Archie, the jock. Gracie has never lied, but Savannah causes trouble that involves lying, just to meet the college guy she met at the dentist’s.
Gracie is put under the pressure of either being truthful and tell Savannah she is wrong for lying, or calling Savannah out and disappointing her. Possibly ruining the friendship. Gracie warns Savannah which causes a big argument. WIll their friendship be over because of the lies that are being told, or will Savannah see the error of her ways? I had many connections with this book. I could relate to nearly everything within this book. I love when books can accurately tell you your life pretty much. Great book, but was also very typical, and normal teen life.
July 6, 2010
There are some things I adored about this story but I just felt there was something missing, it didn't seem whole. I liked Gracie and I liked Cooper. I enjoyed reading about their sessions at the Neighbours' Project - a sort of club at the local Meeting House where the community joins to improve reading skills. I wished though that there was more about there time there as I thought the relationship between the pair could have blossomed whilst spending time together there. The passages seemed a little vague, as in they arrived and then left for coffee. The premise and ideas are there, I would have just like a little more exploration.
Marilouise was a nice character too and I really did feel sorry for her to begin with! As the book progressed, I liked watching her growing in confidence and spending more time with Gracie and the boys. She attends a Christmas dance at the end and I feel it sort of rounds off her role nicely. Definitely a plus for the book.
I didn't really like Savanna though and although part of the plot was to keep Morgan kind of secret from the reader as well as Archie, I would have preferred there to be more drama with that particular plot. The ending, for me, just didn't quite cut it. It was just a little too predictable. She was also really manipulative and I found her pretty annoying. I'll admit this was intentional but it spoiled the book for me a little as I got fed up of her rudeness.
Overall, however, it is a fun book. It's not the best book I've read this year and I think it's perhaps aimed at the slightly younger YA market (maybe even MG!) but if you like books about friendships then it might be a summer read you'd consider.
Marilouise was a nice character too and I really did feel sorry for her to begin with! As the book progressed, I liked watching her growing in confidence and spending more time with Gracie and the boys. She attends a Christmas dance at the end and I feel it sort of rounds off her role nicely. Definitely a plus for the book.
I didn't really like Savanna though and although part of the plot was to keep Morgan kind of secret from the reader as well as Archie, I would have preferred there to be more drama with that particular plot. The ending, for me, just didn't quite cut it. It was just a little too predictable. She was also really manipulative and I found her pretty annoying. I'll admit this was intentional but it spoiled the book for me a little as I got fed up of her rudeness.
Overall, however, it is a fun book. It's not the best book I've read this year and I think it's perhaps aimed at the slightly younger YA market (maybe even MG!) but if you like books about friendships then it might be a summer read you'd consider.
November 17, 2010
I was expecting My Worst Best Friend to be completely different than what it ended up being. I still enjoyed reading it, but I think I would have preferred the book I thought it was going to be, instead of what it actually is. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked it, but not as much as I was expecting to.
The two main characters in this book made me want to stab my self in the eye, with some intensely sharp objects. I was wondering the entire time if they had brains, and I’m still not sure. There is no way two girls like that could be friends. I did like the side characters, however, and they were probably the reason I continued to read when I was ready to slap Gracie and Savannah upside the head, metaphorically of course.
I wasn’t too keen on the writing style, either. The story was woven well, but some little quirks in the writing really made me enjoy the book less. It is obvious from Dyan Sheldon’s success that she is a good writer, but I didn’t really enjoy her style.
The story, though completely different than I expected, was a pretty decent read. It was entertaining to read about Sav and Gray’s disputes, even if some of them made me want to pull all of my hair out. The progression of Gracie’s character was great, but it didn’t really happen until the very end of the book. As for Savannah, there is really no hope.
If you are looking for a quick, light read you can sit down with to take your mind off of life, My Worst Best Friend may be for you. If you are looking for a fantastic book that will keep you thinking until the late of night, you may want to stay away from this book.
The two main characters in this book made me want to stab my self in the eye, with some intensely sharp objects. I was wondering the entire time if they had brains, and I’m still not sure. There is no way two girls like that could be friends. I did like the side characters, however, and they were probably the reason I continued to read when I was ready to slap Gracie and Savannah upside the head, metaphorically of course.
I wasn’t too keen on the writing style, either. The story was woven well, but some little quirks in the writing really made me enjoy the book less. It is obvious from Dyan Sheldon’s success that she is a good writer, but I didn’t really enjoy her style.
The story, though completely different than I expected, was a pretty decent read. It was entertaining to read about Sav and Gray’s disputes, even if some of them made me want to pull all of my hair out. The progression of Gracie’s character was great, but it didn’t really happen until the very end of the book. As for Savannah, there is really no hope.
If you are looking for a quick, light read you can sit down with to take your mind off of life, My Worst Best Friend may be for you. If you are looking for a fantastic book that will keep you thinking until the late of night, you may want to stay away from this book.
Read
June 3, 2012My worst best friend by Dyan Sheldon is an okay book about two girls with some friendship problems. Gracie was Savannah's best friend ever nobody could ever replace her. Well thats what Gracie thought until they got into a big fight and didn't talk for days, while Savannah is regretting Gracie was at the local park flirting with all the boys as usual, knowing that Savannah will come racing back. This book is a bit too clique for me and I enjoy a more adventurous book with more drama and suspense. Dyan Sheldon creates a relatively good book about the troubles of friendships and girl dramas. My favorite part was when the girls went grocery shopping, before that it explains how Savannah forced and pushed Gracie to come help her shop, while Gracie is doing all the hard work, finding all the ingredient for Savannah's next few meals. Savannah was in the cosmetics section trying on make-up. I liked this part because it really portrayed each others traits and it clearly paints a picture in your head of what the two girls would be like. When reading this part it was only then when I realized that Savannah was taking control of Gracie, Dyan Sheldon should of shown that earlier in the book. The beginning of the book explains that they are friends and have been since they were very young, so much it drags on and I wanted to put down the book. In some parts of the book I got a bit confused because Dyan Sheldon maybe didn't explain the section so well. Other wise this is a well rounded book with some ups and downs. I would recommend this book to 10-14 year old girls who enjoy reading books about friendship.
February 18, 2010
My Worst Best Friend is a funny, sparky and heart-warming tale of the ups and downs of friendship.
Dyan Sheldon has written a cast of unforgettable and lovable characters. Gracie is a character that I immediately identified with: plain, quiet and a bit of a soft-touch. I really enjoyed reading about her preoccupation with protecting the environment and her love for lizards. I found it very hard to make my mind up about Savanna, though. Her word confusions were hilarious but her manipulation of Gracie was horrible and even made me cringe a little at times. But it was Cooper who I especially enjoyed reading about with his love for old movies, quirky dress sense and peculiar turns of phrase.
The way that My Worst Best Friend is written sucks you in and pins you to your seat until the very last page. The simplistic and easy to follow prose and engaging plot draws you into Gracie’s world with both humour and teen trauma. I read it one sitting over a period of only a couple of hours and I wasn’t even aware of the time passing.
The subject of a worst best friend is a situation that I imagine that everybody can relate to. I know I can! This accessibility really enhanced my connection with the characters of My Worst Best Friend as I could not only sympathise, but empathise with Gracie’s situation.
I feel like I’ve been missing out on Dyan Sheldon, My Worst Best Friend being my first book by her, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work in the future.
Dyan Sheldon has written a cast of unforgettable and lovable characters. Gracie is a character that I immediately identified with: plain, quiet and a bit of a soft-touch. I really enjoyed reading about her preoccupation with protecting the environment and her love for lizards. I found it very hard to make my mind up about Savanna, though. Her word confusions were hilarious but her manipulation of Gracie was horrible and even made me cringe a little at times. But it was Cooper who I especially enjoyed reading about with his love for old movies, quirky dress sense and peculiar turns of phrase.
The way that My Worst Best Friend is written sucks you in and pins you to your seat until the very last page. The simplistic and easy to follow prose and engaging plot draws you into Gracie’s world with both humour and teen trauma. I read it one sitting over a period of only a couple of hours and I wasn’t even aware of the time passing.
The subject of a worst best friend is a situation that I imagine that everybody can relate to. I know I can! This accessibility really enhanced my connection with the characters of My Worst Best Friend as I could not only sympathise, but empathise with Gracie’s situation.
I feel like I’ve been missing out on Dyan Sheldon, My Worst Best Friend being my first book by her, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work in the future.
May 15, 2010
Gracie and Savannah are what you call Soul Sisters, best friends who do everything together. Gracie is the shy one. She’s the one who wants to save the world and the environment. Savannah is the popular one, the girl who make heads turns when she enters a room and has no problem with communicating with the other gender. What do these girls have in common? Nothing at all and that makes the story so relatable. I mean we all had a friend in high school who’s the total opposite of yourself. I mean I had.
From the father to Cooper, all of the characters are so adorable. I loved the way Dylan described Cooper, he was way too quirky, but quirky in a good way. At some points Savannah’s character did annoy me. The girl keeps on lying, cheating and there’s a lot of OHMYGOD in her sentences. But the girl had something, something that makes Gracie as a friend believe in her goodness.
I wonder why we keep those friends and justify all the bad stuff they do. Is it because we want to believe that they couldn’t be that bad and that they must have had a good reason?
This was the first book I read written by Dylan Sheldon, but I looked the books up that she has written. And did you know that she has written ‘Confessions of a teenage drama queen?” and that it’s a series! I never knew that, I loved the movie with Lindsay Lohan, but I never knew that it was based on a book. I probably am going to check them out at the library or otherwise maybe even order a copy of the first book.
If you want a light, fun and quick book, definitely try this one out.
From the father to Cooper, all of the characters are so adorable. I loved the way Dylan described Cooper, he was way too quirky, but quirky in a good way. At some points Savannah’s character did annoy me. The girl keeps on lying, cheating and there’s a lot of OHMYGOD in her sentences. But the girl had something, something that makes Gracie as a friend believe in her goodness.
I wonder why we keep those friends and justify all the bad stuff they do. Is it because we want to believe that they couldn’t be that bad and that they must have had a good reason?
This was the first book I read written by Dylan Sheldon, but I looked the books up that she has written. And did you know that she has written ‘Confessions of a teenage drama queen?” and that it’s a series! I never knew that, I loved the movie with Lindsay Lohan, but I never knew that it was based on a book. I probably am going to check them out at the library or otherwise maybe even order a copy of the first book.
If you want a light, fun and quick book, definitely try this one out.
February 2, 2014
I first picked this book up not because I have previously read a different book by Sheldon, but because I like the initial plot idea - it sounded like a typical coming-of-age novel about a teenage girl discovering who her true friends were. And at the end, I did feel a kind of satisfaction from reading it. But while I was reading it, I wasn't so keen. For one thing, I wanted to strangle Gracie's best friend, Savanna. She has to be one of my top five most annoying fiction-novel girls. I mean, for one thing, she said 'like' as many times as 'blood' is mentioned in Shakespeare's Macbeth (which is a lot, let me tell you). And it's a shame to say this, but my strong dislike for just one character really did spoil the rest of the book for me. But also, I don't think the actual plot was strong enough - I reckon that if Sheldon had developed the character of Gracie a bit more, it could have been really good - but half of the time, I just wanted to scream at her "Stick up for yourself, girl!". She is just so infuriatingly wimpy - there is practically zero confrontation with her, she lets Savanna walk all over her, and she has the personality of a haystack. The pair are more than 'totally different' - they are literally one end of the scale to the other. There was no in between, which made the novel really unstable. I'm not saying I hated it, but there wasn't anything remarkable or special about it - however, for what it's worth, I do have a bit of a soft spot for Sheldon's novels, and I have to say that, all-in-all, I did still like it.
August 5, 2011
SHELDON, Dyan. My Worst Best Friend. 298p. CIP. Candlewick. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4555-7. LC 2009051505.
Gr 7 Up--Gracie and Savanna are best friends, despite their differences. Gracie is short, shy, environmentally conscious, and an old movies buff kind of girl. Savanna, on the other hand, is tall, beautiful, and loves shopping and boys. The two have always gotten along until Savanna starts cheating on her boyfriend. She becomes "the worst best friend" ever by canceling or not showing up for things at the last minute. Even worse, she starts involving Gracie in her web of lies and uses her as an alibi to cover her tracks. Despite all of this, Gracie just doesn't recognize what a bad friend Savanna is. Then Savanna interjects herself between Gracie and her new friend/potential boyfriend. The scenario gets nasty and Gracie finally realizes how self-centered Savanna is. From then on their friendship takes a different turn. Fans of chick-lit and Sheldon's previous works will enjoy this book. The author has done a good job of focusing on themes teens will relate to: trust, friendship, and the importance of standing up for yourself. One thing readers may question is why it takes so long for Gracie to see the light.--Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA
Source Citation
Seglin, Shannon. "Sheldon, Dyan. My Worst Best Friend." School Library Journal Jan. 2011: 115. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 5 Aug. 2011.
Gr 7 Up--Gracie and Savanna are best friends, despite their differences. Gracie is short, shy, environmentally conscious, and an old movies buff kind of girl. Savanna, on the other hand, is tall, beautiful, and loves shopping and boys. The two have always gotten along until Savanna starts cheating on her boyfriend. She becomes "the worst best friend" ever by canceling or not showing up for things at the last minute. Even worse, she starts involving Gracie in her web of lies and uses her as an alibi to cover her tracks. Despite all of this, Gracie just doesn't recognize what a bad friend Savanna is. Then Savanna interjects herself between Gracie and her new friend/potential boyfriend. The scenario gets nasty and Gracie finally realizes how self-centered Savanna is. From then on their friendship takes a different turn. Fans of chick-lit and Sheldon's previous works will enjoy this book. The author has done a good job of focusing on themes teens will relate to: trust, friendship, and the importance of standing up for yourself. One thing readers may question is why it takes so long for Gracie to see the light.--Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA
Source Citation
Seglin, Shannon. "Sheldon, Dyan. My Worst Best Friend." School Library Journal Jan. 2011: 115. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 5 Aug. 2011.
February 12, 2014
I saw this book in the library by my house and it looked good so I decided to read it. I’m not really sure when the time period or setting was, but it mostly took place around this time and at their school and what they called the neighbors. Gracie deals with her friend Savannah being manipulative and asks Gracie to lie to her loved ones about Savannah. It’s both internal and external, because they end up arguing, and Gracie gets mad at herself and feels really guilty. I think Savannah is dynamic while Gracie is static. Savannah was pretty nice in the beginning, then she turned really mean. While Gracie on the other hand is really nice the whole time and does not change. Gracie is a trustworthy, honest, loyal friend.
“You know, because you are dating someone else.” (Sheldon 103)
The theme, I think is not to cheat on someone. It’s like, what goes around comes back around. I made an inference that Gracie and Savannah would stop being friends. I made multiple predictions that the two boys would find out Savannah was cheating on them etc. Also, I visualized what the people looked like. I would not recommend it. I liked it, it was just a little too boring. Reading a couple of reviews, a lot of people related to this book. I admit in multiple ways I do too. They all enjoyed the book as well. I think I would have liked this book more if it wasn’t so boring in the beginning.
“You know, because you are dating someone else.” (Sheldon 103)
The theme, I think is not to cheat on someone. It’s like, what goes around comes back around. I made an inference that Gracie and Savannah would stop being friends. I made multiple predictions that the two boys would find out Savannah was cheating on them etc. Also, I visualized what the people looked like. I would not recommend it. I liked it, it was just a little too boring. Reading a couple of reviews, a lot of people related to this book. I admit in multiple ways I do too. They all enjoyed the book as well. I think I would have liked this book more if it wasn’t so boring in the beginning.
February 2, 2011
My Thoughts:
A big thank you to Candlewick Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I plan to pass this book along in a giveaway next month.
Now on to the review-
Unfortunately this book was a huge disappointment for me. I absolutely loved the cover. I thought it was cute and clever and I probably would have bought it in a book store solely based on that.
Now I know that opposites attract in love but I've never really seen it work with best friends. Birds of a feather tend to flock together-especially with girls. I guess that's why I had such a tough time buying the friendship between Gracie and Savannah. Gracie is a nice person inside and out. Honesty is important to her, she values the relationships she has and she will do anything for the environment. Savannah on the other hand is SELFISH, conceited and mean to most people. I spent most of the book trying to wrap my mind around why in the world these two girls had anything to do with each other.
I have never read Teenage Confessions of a Drama Queen but author Dyan Sheldon had such raving reviews for that book I'm going to have to give her another shot. This book just didn't hit the spot for me. I wanted to stuff an old gym sock in Savannah's mouth and give Gracie a slap to the forehead.
A big thank you to Candlewick Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I plan to pass this book along in a giveaway next month.
Now on to the review-
Unfortunately this book was a huge disappointment for me. I absolutely loved the cover. I thought it was cute and clever and I probably would have bought it in a book store solely based on that.
Now I know that opposites attract in love but I've never really seen it work with best friends. Birds of a feather tend to flock together-especially with girls. I guess that's why I had such a tough time buying the friendship between Gracie and Savannah. Gracie is a nice person inside and out. Honesty is important to her, she values the relationships she has and she will do anything for the environment. Savannah on the other hand is SELFISH, conceited and mean to most people. I spent most of the book trying to wrap my mind around why in the world these two girls had anything to do with each other.
I have never read Teenage Confessions of a Drama Queen but author Dyan Sheldon had such raving reviews for that book I'm going to have to give her another shot. This book just didn't hit the spot for me. I wanted to stuff an old gym sock in Savannah's mouth and give Gracie a slap to the forehead.
July 31, 2013
For Gracie Mooney, a girl that always seemed to worry about the environment, was shy, and liked lizards, having a bestfriend like savanna was the best thing ever. Savanna being an outgoing girl who was always the center of attention, and did whatever was on her mind, Gracie Mooney was the perfect best friend for her. Having a bestfriend means always being there for each other, hanging out all the time, and keeping promises, but Gracie's friendship with Savanna was different. She always seemed to get sucked into drama she didn’t want to be included in, and occasionally had to lie, something Gracie hated doing. At one point Gracie doubts savanna's friendship, but will she ever have the courage to speak her mind? In my opinion this book was great; I would recommend it to teenage girls like me especially if you like reading chick lits. One of the reason I liked this book was the fact that you can relate to the characters because they are in high school, and your mind seems to be familiar with this sort of scenario. I also like the way the author always kept me engaged and on the edge of the chair to persuade me to keep reading. If you like those girl drama books this is the book for you!
February 2, 2011
****I won this in a GoodReads giveaway.
When this arrived in the mail, I started reading it almost immediately. The main character, Gracie, won me over quickly since she felt very fleshed out as a character with her love of the environment and old movies. However, her friend Savanna is one of those irrational, boy-crazed girls who constantly make bad decisions. Savanna was really annoying to read about since I could not bring myself to care about any of her problems. However, I'm sure that this was intential on the author's part to show how Savanna treats Gracie.
Though these two are opposites, they are somehow best friends. This book covers their friendships and things that start to happen to make it more difficult. I can't say much more without giving it away, but this was a delightful YA book.
It had some witty dialogue and some great characters. I especially liked Gracie's dad, nicknamed The Professor.
When this arrived in the mail, I started reading it almost immediately. The main character, Gracie, won me over quickly since she felt very fleshed out as a character with her love of the environment and old movies. However, her friend Savanna is one of those irrational, boy-crazed girls who constantly make bad decisions. Savanna was really annoying to read about since I could not bring myself to care about any of her problems. However, I'm sure that this was intential on the author's part to show how Savanna treats Gracie.
Though these two are opposites, they are somehow best friends. This book covers their friendships and things that start to happen to make it more difficult. I can't say much more without giving it away, but this was a delightful YA book.
It had some witty dialogue and some great characters. I especially liked Gracie's dad, nicknamed The Professor.
Read
December 30, 2013Savanna and Gracie we're best friends nothing could tear them apart,they we're like sisters. They told each other everything.They would be friend forever at least that's what Grace thought then.Everything changed when she met this guy called Morgan her whole life revolved around him and she expected Gracie to just drop what she was doing and be there for her the whole time and Gracie was she was there always.When it came to Savanna being there for Gracie though that rarely happened as Savanna's life was more interesting. Savanna was going out with Archie and Morgan at the same time and Grace had to keep this a secret among other things.That's when everything changed Gracie took a stand against Savanna and started hanging out with Cooper which turned out he liked her.Savanna was not happy with this and they began to grow apart but we're still friends.I guess it's good that Gracie changed because some people never do.
October 6, 2010
Savanna and Gracie have been friends forever, but Gracie is beginning to wonder. Savanna is one of “those girls” – you know the ones – beautiful, popular, everyone likes her and somehow she can get everyone to do whatever she wants. Now that the girls are sophomores and 16, the relationship is showing some strain. When Savanna persuades Gracie to lie to Savanna’s boyfriend, parents, and even Gracie’s own parents, she begins to think Savanna isn’t her BFF after all. This is everything teen friendship shouldn’t be, but often is. It’s a pleasant story with lots of twists and turns, and it’s very true to life.
Appropriate for all ages, this could bring back some unpleasant memories for adults. But, with no profanity, sex, drugs, or violence, this would be a good book to share & talk about with your tween and teen daughters.
Appropriate for all ages, this could bring back some unpleasant memories for adults. But, with no profanity, sex, drugs, or violence, this would be a good book to share & talk about with your tween and teen daughters.
May 2, 2011
I can't finish this audiobook because the storyline and characterization is so horrible. I'm a big fan of the author's Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, so this book really disappoints me. Why? Because are so stereotypical. Savanna is the thoughtless popular girl who thinks it's okay to date two boys, lie to an older boy, and sneak around. She also is always late and takes advantage of all her friends. Gracie is her best friend who puts up with her. She likes lizards, the cute dork boy, and loves her life. In real life, the two girls could never be friends. Savanna treats Gracie like crap. Constantly. And yet Gracie doesn't care. I don't see how someone so morally good could ignore Savanna's weaknesses. Maybe this problem is solved in the last part of the book, but I don't want to suffer through anymore.
The narrator, on the other hand. was great!
The narrator, on the other hand. was great!
May 24, 2012
To be honest, I had to put this book down & take a breather several times. Not that it was a BAD book, but INFURIATING to say the least. I couldn't stand the main character OR her friend. Two opposing ends of the spectrum. Though I loved how much Gracie loved snakes & lizards! It's so hard to find girls that genuinely appreciate reptiles. But that's really all I liked about her tbh.
That being said, I feel it's an important read for teen girls. Everyone should have to stop & ask themselves "how much am I willing to give up for someone that wouldn't give up anything for me".
I'm glad I finished reading it, but I'm minus a whole pack of cigarettes now. That's how mad this book made me. Sitting on the patio of my apt complex, reading, chain smoking & arguing with the characters… no wonder my neighbors think I'm mental :-D
That being said, I feel it's an important read for teen girls. Everyone should have to stop & ask themselves "how much am I willing to give up for someone that wouldn't give up anything for me".
I'm glad I finished reading it, but I'm minus a whole pack of cigarettes now. That's how mad this book made me. Sitting on the patio of my apt complex, reading, chain smoking & arguing with the characters… no wonder my neighbors think I'm mental :-D
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April 8, 2013Itried reading this book all the way through. I really did. I think I got up to chapter 6.
It was pretty much the worst book i've ever read. It was super cliched. The main charcter was a quiet girl whose best friend is a loudmouth brat (and in reality they would probably hate each other, but hey this is book world so who cares?!)
As i was reading this I couldn't figure out who I wanted to punch more: Savanna, the best friend, who thinks it's ok to cheat on her boyfiend, manipulate her so-called bff, and talks bad about her frinds, or Gracie, the main character, who would't stand up for herself or her friends.
I didn't read the entire thing so I honestly have no idea what tips Gracie off to Savannahs b.......ness, but i read the last page so i'm pretty sure they stopped being friends.
It was pretty much the worst book i've ever read. It was super cliched. The main charcter was a quiet girl whose best friend is a loudmouth brat (and in reality they would probably hate each other, but hey this is book world so who cares?!)
As i was reading this I couldn't figure out who I wanted to punch more: Savanna, the best friend, who thinks it's ok to cheat on her boyfiend, manipulate her so-called bff, and talks bad about her frinds, or Gracie, the main character, who would't stand up for herself or her friends.
I didn't read the entire thing so I honestly have no idea what tips Gracie off to Savannahs b.......ness, but i read the last page so i'm pretty sure they stopped being friends.
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