The Friendship Lie by Rebecca Donnelly

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Friendship Lie by Rebecca Donnelly Quinita Balderson Donnelly, Rebecca The Friendship Lie. Capstone, 2019 [272p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-68446-061-8 $15.95 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-68446-062-5 $9.95 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-6 Twins Cora and Kyle are constantly bombarded with trash, since their parents are garbologists at Berkeley who often enlist their children to participate in various recycling endeavors. Sybella, Cora’s best friend, often accompanies the twins on their planet-saving activities, but then the girls’ friendship is put to the test with the arrival of Marnie, a pesky wannabe friend jealous of Cora and Sybella’s bond. When Cora’s attempts at writing about her feelings get leaked to her peers, she fears that her friendship with Sybella may be the latest item added to the refuse heap. Donnelly offers a refreshing take on salvaging damaged goods—in this case, friendships. The narrative moves back and forth in time, with interpolations of voice mails and a found diary, but the progression is clear and easily followable. Ultimately, the act that broke the friendship was relatively insignificant and Marnie’s manipulations pathetic; the important takeaway is that Cora and Sybella make their way back to each other after thoughtful self-reflection. Additionally, throughout the novel and in the author’s note, there is information about the global impact of trash and ways that individuals can help at the local level. This book could be an ideal supplemental reading selection for a unit on the environment, but it will also appeal to many youngsters learning to evaluate what they get and give in friendship. Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois