Received digital ARC
through NetGalley
“Some have said that memories are the stories we tell
ourselves about our past. Real Friends is
the story I’ve been telling myself about my elementary school years...Most of
the events in this book really happened. Or I think they did. I’ve learned that
memories aren’t 100% accurate, and there’s so much I didn’t record in my
journals. But I did my best.” (Shannon Hale)
Shannon Hale’s daringly honest look into her own childhood
takes readers through the mess of emotions that is elementary school and family
relationships. Like many readers, Shannon had some difficulty finding her
place. This story follows her throughout her early years, touching on one
pivotal moment before moving on to the next as memories do. We feel her
excitement as she makes her first friend, Adrienne, her loneliness as Adrienne
moves away and the joy of her return. We can relate to her confusion at the
subtle and not so subtle whirls of elementary social politics, her desire to
belong, and the pain of rejection and bullying. This story is important not because
of the uniqueness of Shannon’s struggles but because of how well it reflects
the emotions and trials we all faced as we learned who we are and who we wanted
to be.
Even more importantly, this story doesn’t attempt to
moralize or contextualize. It just shares the feelings of young Shannon and how
she sees those around her. It just emotes, much the way children do. The other
characters in the story aren’t explained, and for the purposes of this story
that is perfect. Shannon makes choices the reader may not agree with, but
that’s ok too. While the openness of the narrative sometimes left me feeling a
little uncomfortable it also added to the authenticity of the story. LeUyen
Pham’s illustrations match perfectly with
both the tone and content and they combine to create a beautiful story of
friendship, self worth, and
perseverance.
Readers may also like:
The Princess in
Black by Shannon Hale
Drama by Raina
Telgemeier (or any of her other graphic novels)
