thekindoffriendsweusedtobe

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Book Reviews and Synopses

The Kind of Friends We Used to Be

Frances Dowell

Dowell, Frances. The Kind of Friends We Used to Be.The Phineas L. MacGuire Books. New York, New York. 2009.

The Kind of Friends We Used to Be is a book many teens have related to since it was published in 2009. Being based on a true story, Frances O’roark Dowell really captured the emotions a teenager feels when they’re losing a friend.

The Kind of Friends We Used to Be is a story about two best friends who live in a small town. Amy is a glamorous girl -- she loves pink and loves shopping. Chelsie is more rebellious; she wears army boots and likes playing her guitar louder than the radio. Even with their differences they’re inseparable.

Amy and Chelsie are by each others sides day and night, never getting tired of being together. They help each other through break-ups and drama filled days. It seems like they’re always laughing when they’re together. In the middle of their 6th grade year, Chelsie’s dad loses his job, and she finds out she’s moving to a bigger city. They promise to always stay best friends even though they’ll be apart from each other.

After Chelsie moves away, Amy switches schools and meets new friends. Amy goes to visit Chelsie every few weekends but Chelsie is meeting new friends as well. The closer Amy gets to her new classmates, the more distanced she becomes from Chelsie. As the years go by, how distant will they become?

The Kind of Friends We Used to Be is a very relatable book to many of the readers. Frances O’roark Dowell has written many novels, but this is the most descriptive and captivating of her books.

4 out of 5 stars

Contributed be A. Knight

June 6th, 2011