Provided by NetGalley
I've always been a fan of Shannon Hale, and after reading her epilogue of her graphic memoir, I have a better appreciation for Real Friends. The essence of the book- that there will always be ups and downs with friendships, there will be those times when cliques act in Survivor mode, and times when they all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. I appreciate, as well, that Shannon Hale does not create herself to be a victim, but to learn as she goes along her mistakes. And the brief mention of OCD is a nice touch. It is not the central issue, but many children may be able to relate to it. While I have a high school library, I think the end of the book is especially poignant as we see that there are unseen reasons lurking in people's actions, as seen with her sister. No age is too old for those lessons.