"The Darlings are Forever"by Melissa Kantor
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: Jan 4, 2011
Source: sent by publisher
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary from goodreads.com:
Jane, Victoria, and Natalya. Together, they are the Darlings. Best friends forever. They have matching necklaces, their own table at Ga Ga Noodle, and even a shared motto: May you always do what you’re afraid of doing.
When the friends begin freshman year at three different high schools in distant corners of New York City, they promise to live by their motto and stay as close as ever. The Darlings know they can get through anything as long as they have each other. But doing scary new things is a lot easier with your friends beside you. And now that the girls aren’t spending all their time together, everything they took for granted about their friendship starts to feel less certain. They can’t help but wonder, will they really be the Darlings forever?
My Review:
This book uses what I call "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" format, where the story alternates chapters told from different girls' points of view. This format is a win for me nearly every time and "The Darlings" is no exception. The author succeeds in writing three very different, very likable girls and their adventures on their own and together.
The book has a great message- "always do what you're afraid of doing." Of course, the girls discover there's a limit, and sometimes you're scared for a valid reason, but it's a fun learning journey. I like that the main characters aren't into drinking, etc., but they are definitely aware of it going on around them.
I think my favorite part of the book was Victoria's romance with Jack. They were so cute together, and their relationship was very age appropriate for high school freshman.
The format makes the book move really quickly because you jump between characters and story lines before anything could ever get boring.
Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Bottom Line: This is a quick, fun read with a great message about friends and finding yourself.