Summary
Just before Natalie starts at the local middle school, her best friend Lily moves across town. They’ll still be at school together, but Lily’s been “busy” since she moved. So Natalie is feeling disconnected when school starts. Natalie’s nervous about starting at the larger school, but she feels secure knowing Lily will be there, too.
But Lily has made a new friend – Alex. Alex is super popular – athletic, talented, and stylish. Nat is desperate to get Lily back as her best friend, but it’s hard to compete with someone like Alex.
Review
This is lovely! Hand this new graphic novel to fans of Smile (♥♥♥♥), Real Friends (♥♥♥♥), or Just Jaime (♥♥♥♥), and I think they will love it! The art style here is great. The story is told through Natalie’s sketchbook. Readers should keep an eye on Nat’s pets because they are usually doing something fun on the pages where they appear.
There are hints in the art work early on for the sort of “friend” Lily is. Careful reading of the pictures will clue kids in that Lily is Nat’s friend because Nat lets Lily do whatever she wants. It’s pretty sad. But through the course of the book, Natalie makes some REAL friends – friends who point out what Nat isn’t ready to see yet.
The message of the story – focus on who you ARE rather than on who you are not – is reinforced in Nat’s contest entry which is presented at the end of the book. I love that the author included it – it’s a fun complement to the story.
Readers will enjoy this middle school friendship story (with a crush thrown in). The characters are endearing, the artwork is captivating, and the ending leaves you wanting to cheer. Don’t miss this one! Book 2, Forget Me Nat, will release in the fall. You can read about more great graphic novels for kids here.