Friends Forever has a manic quality as Hale arbitrarily tossed in numerous little story threads only to end them abruptly and move on. Hale's early teen years are interesting, but she stuffs in way too much, and, as is the case with book two, she’s simply unable to organize her stories so they unfold in a smooth, logical way. I didn't love this latest installment in the series. As a result, she doesn't feel her parents or siblings love her, and she's needy in her friendships. Hale's parents are portrayed as physically present but emotionally absent, and when she expresses any sadness, her family makes it clear that they believe sensitivity is a choice. Life at home didn’t help soften what happened at school.

It's not pretty, especially because Hale had low self-esteem and watched everyone around her pair up while she got ignored and occasionally mocked.

In eighth grade, most of her misery stems from observing her peers’ obsession with romantic relationships and appearance and feeling unsure about her own feelings and status. Although this isn't uncommon for a story taking place during middle school, Hale has a way of depicting her experiences as uniquely miserable and horrendous. I felt about Friends Forever much like I felt about book two in this series: that it's intensely focused on pain and angst. Inside, Hale feels depressed and anxious and doesn't know why. As a member of the drama club, she’s also finally found a caring group of friends. She’s now in eighth grade and enjoying being in the oldest grade at her middle school. Shannon Hale's friend drama continues in Friends Forever, the third graphic novel in her autobiographical 'Friends' series.

Shannon hale friends series