“In summer, nothing ever seemed to change.”

From Shannon Hale’s Best Friends.

At the start of sixth grade, Shannon finally feels like she’s in a good place with her friends and place in the world. Despite some rocky moments the year before, Shannon is again close with the fun and popular, Jen, and several other girls, even Shannon’s former rival, Jenny. While the start of the school year is fairly smooth, small things begin to raise questions in Shannon’s mind. Shannon struggles with what it means to be in the popular group and what it means to have different likes than your friends. As time goes by, Shannon also struggles with Jenny’s backhanded mean attitude while trying to find a way to stop Jenny without turning into a bully herself. On top of everything else, while all her friends seem to find boys to go out with, Shannon finds herself confused about all things dating and boy-girl interactions… which means she’s single all alone. As the school year races by, Shannon finds herself sort of drifting away from her friends, which triggers her anxiety, but the desire to follow her heart will push her in ways she never expected.

This second installment in Hale’s graphic novel memoir series is endearing, but also painful at times, especially when combined with the engaging artwork. Hale’s retelling of her childhood struggle to stay connected with friends while grow as an individual will speak to readers that have experienced similar pain. While some situations are painful to watch unfold, the hope that Best Friends provides will stay with readers long after the story ends.