What are famous stories of friendship in your culture

What are famous stories of friendship in your culture

Everybody thinks of February as the month of romantic love, but it’s the month of platonic love, as well. Though it doesn’t take up three entire aisles in CVS, February is National Friendship Month, so hurrah! Kisses on the cheek and not-too-tight hugs for everyone!

Rather than sending an e-card to all your best friends to thank them for their friendship (which is totally weird), celebrate National Friendship Month with one of the books below. These 10 novels all accurately depict friendship as the complex, tender, wonderful beast it is.

1. Kay, Mary, Dottie, Elinor, Libby, Helena, Priss and Polly in The Group by Mary McCarthy

The Group details the lives of eight female friends, all from Vassar College’s class of 1933, following them post graduation. Despite their impressive liberal arts educations and their strong ambitions, all the women find themselves lacking direction. (Sounds eerily similar to another series currently on HBO, doesn’t it?) The novel spans seven years, offering an expansive look into the sororal bond of these women as they navigate everything from sexism in the workplace, to marriage, to child-raising, to financial difficulties, to losing their virginity. (Not necessarily in that order.)

2. Sheila and Margaux in How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti

After divorcing her husband, Sheila, a 20-something playwright, is introduced to Margaux, a talented painter who instantly inspires her. Heti writes in the prologue of the novel, “I’m sorry, but I’m really glad [Margaux’s] my best friend. If I had known, when I was a baby, that in America there was a baby who was throwing up her hands and saying, first words out of her mouth, Who cares? and that one day she’d be my best friend, I would have relaxed for the next twenty-three years, not a single care in the world.”

The relationship between Sheila and Margaux is not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Heti — who, it’s worth noting, is best friends with artist Margaux Williamson in real life — writes about the balance of best friendship. After all, friendships are unbalanced by nature, and the ability for that friendship to sustain itself has to do entirely with how that balance shifts and evolves.

3. Horatio and Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Good friends stay by you through good times, but best friends stay by you through bad times, and, you know, Hamlet was not really having an awesome time. So it’s a good thing Hamlet had Horatio. It’s Horatio who he trusts with the information that he’s going to pretend to be mad after seeing his father’s ghost. SPOILER ALERT (though, seriously, you should probably know the plot of Hamlet by now): Horatio is also the only one to survive the play, living to tell Hamlet’s story.

There’s a pretty good lesson about friendship here: Your friends are the ones who tell your stories and sing your praises when you’re not there. So, yeah, maybe your best friend did claim to see a ghost, or did try to kill his uncle, or did subtweet his ex at 3 in the morning, but, as the greatest friend on planet Earth, it’s your job to still love and support him.

4. Tom and Huckleberry Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Now, as Louis C. K. explains, Tom Sawyer is a “nice kid” and Huck Finn is “a dirty little homeless, little white-trash creep.” Still, those character differences don’t stop them from having a great friendship.

We’re first introduced to Huck in chapter six of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and learn right away that Huck is bad news bears. You know that kid from high school that you weren’t allowed to hang out with because his/her parents were always out of town and their house was just a mecca of weed and cheap booze? That’s Huck Finn. The mothers of the children in town do not let their kids play with him, because, yeah, he’s a dirty little homeless, little white-trash creep. Still, Tom associates with Huck despite all his shortcomings, and isn’t that what friendship is all about? Like, yeah, your friend is 27-years-old and has yet to get a real job, but you still love her.

5. Jules, Jonah, Ethan and Ash in The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Jules meets Jonah, Ethan and Ash at sleepaway camp during the summer of Nixon’s resignation and, though she doesn’t realize it at her young age, begins a lifelong bond with the three. The Interestings thus spans decades, beginning when the characters are hardly teenagers and going all the way through middle age.

Wolitzer writes a compelling story about what it means to be envious of your friends, even when you love them. Who among us is noble enough to not have been jealous of those we are closest to? It’s complicated, though: You’re covetous, but you can’t express your resentment, and you’re also genuinely happy for whatever it is that your friend has achieved. You don’t just feel envious; you feel meager. Wolizer’s novel manages to provide an accurate portrayal of these complex feelings that can be at the heart of very real friendships.

6. Henry, Richard, Charles and Camilla in The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Unlike the other books on this list, The Secret History does not provide a depiction of friendship as a loving affair. Rather, it shows the dark underbelly of close bonds, zeroing in on the boundarylessness and emotional brutality that can and often does exist in close friendships. Without giving anything away, The Secret History‘s Henry, Richard, Charles and Camilla do something absolutely terrible to another one of their friends. As the book unfolds, we learn how these four support and help one another, often in disturbing way.

7. Elizabeth Bennett and Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

8. Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

People always think of Cathy and Heathcliff as just lovers, but as we learned above, people are stupid and wrong. The two were best friends from childhood, and it’s that friendship which allowed them to have such an intense romantic bond once they grew up. They know each other completely and are entirely comfortable around one another. Even as lovers, they are best friends.

9. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is literary proof that sometimes the best friends are the ones you’re born with. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy certainly have their struggles, most of which are related to Jo getting really upset that her sisters could ever think of getting married rather than spend their lives acting in the plays she wrote for them. Still, their bond is unbreakable, and they love and support each other unconditionally, as best friends should.

10. Sancho Panza and Don Quixote in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Before “bromance” was ever a word (or, rather, something vaguely resembling a word), there was Sancho Panza and Don Quixote. It’s a friendship that, over the years, has morphed into a familiar trope of hero and sidekick. The two male friends (sorry, but I refuse to ever use the word “bro”) go an epic journey together, which is basically a road trip. Their funny and simple friendship is a reminder and an ideal of how we should support our friends, both emotionally and physically.

So many of us think of romantic relationships as being more complex and interesting than friendships. Friendships, however, share so many of the traits that make romantic relationships noteworthy and provide for some of the most captivating narratives in literature. Each of the novels on this list points to a different facet of friendship and offers insight into what it means to be a good and loyal friend.

Which literary friendship — from this list or otherwise — have you found the most relatable? Let us know in the comments below.

Michelle King grew up in South Florida and now lives in Brooklyn. Her contributions have appeared on BULLETT , Refinery29 , xoJane and The Huffington Post . Harriet M. Welsch is still her role model and probably always will be.

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Most Famous Real-life Friendships in History #infographic

Friends are an important part of our lives, the ones we can rely upon through both ups and downs in life. Having a true friend around can add meaning to our lives and make some of the most ordinary moments extraordinary.

Researches have discovered that a person can have an average of 150 friends in their lifetimes and this could include different types of friendships and even family members. Keeping the figures aside, friendship is not about how many we can have and its type but its ability to help us get around the world and make us better people. Greek philosophers described friendships in plenty of different ways but the one thing they and we all agree upon is that friendships add value to us emotionally, mentally, physically.

We have all heard the phrase «man is a social animal» and the security and comfort that we seek can be found with a true friend. They also influence how we feel about ourselves and the direction we take in our lives. It is amazing how strangers can turn into special people, however it is more remarkable how friendships have a role to play in helping us grow in life.

History has brought to us some very beautiful examples of friendship, recorded in its annals, starting with the mythical Orestes and Pylades, and ending with famous friendships from the 21 century, as the one between Groucho Marx and T.S. Eliot.
One of my personal favorite famous friendships in history is the story of C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien, two of the most famous fantasy novelists of their time. Both accomplished professors, they have inspired each other to continue writing their incredible masterpieces, whose legendary created worlds will capture imaginations of young people in the years to come. As you can see in our infographic, there are examples of inspiring friendship between scientists, writers, poets, musicians, businessmen, politicians, etc.

Take a look at the infographic, designed to you by Infographic Design Services that represents the most famous examples of friendships in history, helping us to restore our faith into humanity. Which of the mentioned stories of friendship and comradeship do you find to be the most inspiring?

Infographic by: domyessay

5 legendary historical friendships you’ve never heard of

Some of the greatest historical personalities were friends with each other, and these legendary friendships were truly world-changing.

Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe

When Fitzgerald faced with a lot of prejudices that were holding back her career, Monroe persuaded the owners of popular clubs to book Ella. Marilyn attended most performances herself, drawing the attention of press. By the way, all of Fitzgerald’s shows were sold out.

C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

They were fellow professors, both interested in science fiction, fantasy, Norse mythology and writing. Lewis was the first to see Tolkien’s sketches and short stories about what would later become Middle-earth – and encouraged his friend to continue. Later, Tolkien helped Lewis survive a rough faith crisis and find inspiration again.

What if you could start one of the famous historical friendships one day? Find out what type of friend you are in this funny quiz.

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford

When they met in 1896, Ford was a huge fan of Edison’s work and only wanted to make some pictures of him. After they were introduced to each other, it marked the formation of one of the most legendary friendships, with joint trips around the country and owning vacation houses next to each other.

Helen Keller and Mark Twain

One of the most famous historical friendships started when Helen was 14, and Twain was already in his 50s. He became the future activist’s mentor, always speaking of her as of «the eighth wonder of the world.»

Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield

Both talented writers, they had to compete with each other all the time. But it didn’t get in the way of this beautiful friendship. Woolf and Mansfield even pushed each other to create some of their best works.

If you love English literature, try this trivia quiz.

Which other famous historical friendships do you know? Which of these legendary friendships inspires you the most?

To test your knowledge, try this history trivia quiz!

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IELTS Speaking Sample Questions # Friendship

Friends are the people in our lives whom we need to share our lives, to share our joys, our sorrows. They are the people who we need the most in times of trouble. The people who understand us and are just like us. The ones who are with us in every crazy thing that we do and support us in every glut we fall ourselves into.

Are there any famous stories of friendship in your culture?

There is a very popular story of friendship between Krishna (the Lord) and Sudama. Sudama was from a poor family while Krishna belonged to a royal one. Despite the differences in their financial condition, both of them enjoyed each others company. Over the years they loose contact and Krishna becomes the leader or the king of Dwarka while Sudama remains humble. There comes a time in Sudama’s life when he is very poor and is not able to feed his family. Then, his wife reminds him of their friendship. Though reluctant to go and meet him, Sudama goes and brings along beaten rice with him as gift. Krishna not only welcomes him with both hand but even without him asking, give him all the riches.

Can you describe one of your closest friends.

Over the years, I have the pleasure to be with some amazing people, one of them is Vipula Badoni. She is my closest friend and an amazing person. She is one of those sweetest people you would meet and would never talk harshly to anyone. Ever ready to help people, she is a doctor and very caring about her patients and family as well. No matter how little we are able to meet each other, whenever there is a trouble or joy, we both contact each other first.

Do you have any childhood friendships that are still strong today?

It won’t be very old, but I have a friend who has been with me since we were in high school. So, it is almost a decade that we have known each other. It is amazing that physically we have been together with each other only for two years but it is only when we separated our ways that we even came closer.

Do you have any long distance friends?

Most of my friends are long distance. My job requires me to travel a lot and so it is very difficult for me to stay in touch with people I know and I love, so we are almost always connected with each other either using our phones or letters. But, it is amazing since, whenever we meet, it is always like we met just yesterday.

How do you keep in touch with your long-distance friends?

We are connected with each other on either social media or on phone. There are even some friends of mine who I am connected with using letters. Yes, there is a friend of mine who does not like talking either on phone or social media. For her, I prefer writing letters and it is very beautiful. Because, every month we both wait for each others letters.

How often do you see your long-distance friends?

There are some friends of mine I have not seen for as long as I think five years. But those of my friends who live near my parents house and come during festivals, we get to meet each other every year.

Do you think it is a good idea to borrow money from a friend? Why or why not?

I am not a very big supporter of borrowing money, either from friend or family or for that matter anyone else. But, in cases of emergencies, I think it is not a bad idea to borrow money from a friend. But, it should be kept in mind that the money has to be returned as soon as possible. Because, often people tend to get worried in financial affairs.

Do you make friends easily?

If you say, people whom I can hang out with and interact here and there, yes I can do that very easily. But, then there are few people in my life who are very close to me and know me inside out. So, for the general interaction, yes I do make friends easily but for the intimate details about me, I tend to share it with only a few..

25 YA Books That Show Friendship Stories Are Just As Powerful As Relationship Stories

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25 YA Books That Show Friendship Stories Are Just As Powerful As Relationship Stories

Have you ever read a book and thought, Ugh, I want to be a part of this friend group, or cried harder when two best friends in a book got in a fight than you did when one of them broke up with a romantic partner? Then this list is for you!

Sure, some of our fave YA contemporaries are centered around swoony romances, and as appreciated as they are, sometimes the best stories are the ones about friendship—whether it’s a book specifically about friends, or a subplot in a romance-centered book.

First loves and heartbreaks are formative parts of our young lives, but our relationships with our best friends, making new friends, and going through friend breakups are just as important parts of our lives and they change us, too. As lovely as it is to see a happily ever after, sometimes the greatest comfort comes from reading a book and just knowing the main character is loved and supported by their friends. When you’re young and still getting to know yourself, having people who see your true self and love you for all that you are is crucial. We get to know ourselves through the eyes of our friends.

At the same time, that kind of love is a risk because losing those kinds of friends has the ability to ruin you. Anyone who’s lost a best friend can attest to that, including some of the characters in the pages of these books.

These books portray all the highs and lows we go through in our treasured friendships and remind us that friendship stories are really some of the most powerful love stories out there, both IRL and in fiction. You’ll want to hug your best friends a little tighter after reading these.

25 YA Friendship Stories You Need to Read

WE’RE IN LOVE WITH THESE PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

1. The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley

Rynn was born with a hole in her heart—literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her birth family.

As her relationship with her adoptive mother fractures, Rynn finally decides she needs to know more about the rest of her family. Her search starts with a name, the only thing she has from her birth mother, and she quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby town. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.

This powerful story uncovers both beautiful and heartbreaking truths and explores how challenging, yet healing, family can be.

2. Message Not Found by Dante Medema

Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey’s, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house. Now Bailey, who thought she knew Vanessa better than anyone in the world, is left with a million unanswered questions, and the only person with answers is gone.

To help grieve her loss, Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa using years’ worth of their shared text messages and emails. The more data she uploads to the bot, the more it feels like she’s really talking to her best friend. That is, until the bot starts dropping hints that there was more going on with Vanessa than Bailey realized—a secret so big, it may have contributed to Vanessa’s death.

This compelling puzzle of a story, filled with engrossing twists and turns, is written in alternating prose and text message formats.

3. The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux

Best friends Adelle and Connie have one major thing in common: their shared love of the gothic romance novel titled Moira. So when they are invited to magically visit the world of the book, they can’t resist. However, the novel’s universe is nothing like they pictured—instead, it’s nightmarish and filled with other-worldly horrors. They realize that something deadly is hidden beneath their favorite story, and it’s up to them to solve the mystery—if they want to escape and return home.

No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in common is their love of a little-known gothic romance novel called Moira. So when the girls are tempted by a mysterious man to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they are in the world of Moira, living among characters they’ve obsessed about for years.

Except…all is not how they remembered it. The world has been turned upside down: The lavish balls and star-crossed love affairs are now interlaced with unspeakable horrors. The girls realize that something dark is lurking behind their foray into fiction—and they will have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives.

4. The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian

Beth Kramer is a “townie” who returns to her sophomore year after having endured a year of tension with her roommate, Sarah.

But Sarah Brunson knows there’s more to that story.

Amanda Priya “Spence” Spencer is the privileged daughter of NYC elites, who is reeling from the realization that her family name shielded her from the same fate as Sarah.

Ramin Golafshar arrives at Chandler as a transfer student to escape the dangers of being gay in Iran, only to suffer brutal hazing under the guise of tradition in the boys’ dorms.

And Freddy Bello is the senior who’s no longer sure of his future but knows he has to stand up to his friends after what happened to Ramin.

At Chandler, the elite boarding school, these five teens are brought together in the Circle, a coveted writing group where life-changing friendships are born—and secrets are revealed. Their professor tells them to write their truths. But is the truth enough to change the long-standing culture of abuse at Chandler? And can their friendship survive the fallout?

5. We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other, but they always tried their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. After the town moves on from Cassie’s murder too fast, Beck and Vivian finally find common ground: vengeance.

They memorialize Cassie by secretly painting murals of her around town, a message to the world that Cassie won’t be forgotten. But Beck and Vivian are keeping secrets, like the third passenger riding in Beck’s VW bus with them—Cassie’s ghost.

When their murals catch the attention of a podcaster covering Cassie’s case, they become the catalyst for a debate that Bell Firearms can no longer ignore. With law enforcement closing in on them, Beck and Vivian hurry to give Cassie the closure she needs—by delivering justice to those responsible for her death.

6. Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

Everyone needs a friend who encourages their most chaotic impulses… right? Aideen, who gives us lovable Oscar the Grouch vibes, and Kavi, the human embodiment of a golden retriever, don’t sound like they’d make the best of friends, and yet, their chaotic friendship is one of the best we’ve read.

Aideen has plenty of problems she can’t solve. But when she stumbles upon overachiever Meabh Kowalska having a full-blown meltdown, she sees one that she can actually fix. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help—by pushing her down the stairs.

Problem? Solved. Meabh’s sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when one of their classmates learns about their little scheme, more “clients” start asking for Aideen’s “help”—kicking off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and even an unexpected chance at love.

Fixing other people’s problems won’t fix her own. But it might be the push Aideen needs to start.

7. Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

Friendship takes center stage in this Becky rom-com, and with good reason! Kate and Anderson are not codependent, thank you very much, but reading about their co-crushes is truly so delightful.

Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are not codependent. Carpooling to and from theater rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script. Matt Olsson is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship.

8. Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds

The heart-wrenching story of Jamal and Q’s friendship is a stark reminder that some grudges aren’t worth holding on to, because you never know when you’ll lose a friend for good. Take advantage of second chances while you still can.

What if you could bring your best friend back to life—but only for a short time?

Jamal’s best friend, Q, doesn’t know that he died, and that he’s about to die… again. He doesn’t know that Jamal tried to save him. And that the reason they haven’t been friends for two years is because Jamal blames Q for the accident that killed his parents.

But what if Jamal could have a second chance? A new technology allows Q to be reanimated for a few weeks before he dies… permanently. And Q’s mom is not about to let anyone ruin this miracle by telling Q about his impending death. So how can Jamal fix everything if he can’t tell Q the truth?

Early Departures weaves together loss, grief, friendship, and love to form a wholly unique homage to the bonds that bring people together for life—and beyond.

9. Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan

Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she’d want to fail a test—that is, until she finds herself staring at a piece of plastic with two solid pink lines. With a college-bound future now disappearing before her eyes, Veronica considers a decision she never imagined she’d have to make: an abortion.

There’s just one catch—the closest place to get one is over nine hundred miles away. With conservative parents, a less-than-optimal boyfriend, and no car, Veronica turns to the only person who won’t judge her: Bailey Butler, a legendary misfit at Jefferson High—and Veronica’s ex-best friend.

What could go wrong? Not much, apart from three days of stolen cars, crazed ex-boyfriends, aliens, ferret napping, and the betrayal of a broken friendship that can’t be outrun. Under the starlit skies of the Southwest, Veronica and Bailey discover that sometimes the most important choice is who your friends are.

10. Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith

Wash Day Diaries tells the story of four best friends—Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie—through five connected short story comics that follow these young women through the ups and downs of their daily lives in the Bronx.

The book takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair. Each short story uses hair routines as a window into these four characters’ everyday lives and how they care for each other.

Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith originally kickstarted their critically acclaimed, award-winning slice of life mini comic, Wash Day, inspired by Rowser’s own wash day ritual and their shared desire to see more comics featuring the daily lived experiences of young Black women. Wash Day Diaries includes an updated, full color version of this original comic—which follows Kim, a 26-year-old woman living in the Bronx—as the book’s first chapter and expands into a graphic novel with short stories about these vibrant and relatable new characters.

In expanding the story of Kim and her friends, the authors pay tribute to Black sisterhood through portraits of shared, yet deeply personal experiences of Black hair care. From self-care to spilling the tea at an hours-long salon appointment to healing family rifts, the stories are brought to life through beautifully drawn characters and different color palettes reflecting the mood in each story.

At times touching, quiet, triumphant, and laugh out loud funny, the stories of Wash Day Diaries pay a loving tribute to Black joy and the resilience of Black women.

11. Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce

Friends support friends no matter what, right? Even when they’re making bad choices, or falling for the wrong person when the right person is right in front of them… This book may be a rom-com, but friendship is equally important for these adorable characters!
After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.

When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in: If he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his.

12. My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

13. When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

Friend break-ups suck just as much as romantic break-ups— maybe even more. The pain we feel from Cleo’s attempts to erase her former best friend Layla from her memory exhibits just how brutal they can be.
You can’t rewrite the past, but you can always choose to start again.

It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded.

Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again.

Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex–best friend. But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates—and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom—Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.

14. You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson

Okay, Liz Lighty’s prom queen romance is what sapphic dreams are made of, but honestly? The strongest love story is Liz’s rekindling of her best friendship with Jordan, who shows up for her when she needs him most.
Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay—Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down… until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams… or make them come true?

15. Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore

Best friends Lita and Chicky have grown apart, but they reunite for the greater good – helping Lita be the first girl who looks like her to win their hometown’s regional Miss Meteor pageant. Their sweet rekindling is a beautiful example of friends that become family and see you for who you really are, and embrace all of it.
There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history.

But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her. The road to becoming Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect; it’s about sharing who you are with the world—and loving the parts of yourself no one else understands.

So to pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.

16. Incredible Doom by Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden

Allison is drowning under the weight of her manipulative stage magician father. When he brings home the family’s first computer, she escapes into a thrilling new world where she meetings Samir, a like-minded new online friend who has just agreed to run away from home with her.

After moving to a new town and leaving all of his friends behind, Richard receives a mysterious note in his locker with instructions on how to connect to “Evol BBS,” a dial-in bulletin board system, and meets a fierce punk named Tina who comes into his life and shakes his entire worldview loose.

Unlikely alliances, first love, and minor crime sprees abound in this teen graphic novel debut about making connections while your world is falling apart.

17. Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertalli

The distance between their respective colleges isn’t enough to keep the besties of the Simonverse apart. Leah, Simon, Bram, Abby and even Garrett prove that email works just fine when you need to be there for your friends, whether they need help planning romantic surprises or being pulled out of an emo slump.
It’s been more than a year since Simon and Blue turned their anonymous online flirtation into an IRL relationship, and just a few months since Abby and Leah’s unforgettable night at senior prom.

Now the Creekwood High crew are first years at different colleges, navigating friendship and romance the way their story began—on email.

Fall in love all over again with the characters from the bestselling Simonverse novels in this highly anticipated epilogue novella. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, the movie Love, Simon, and the new Hulu series spin-off, Love, Victor!

18. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Ashley struggles with her identity and her lifelong friends don’t exactly see her for who she really is, but in her senior year of high school, she makes new friends in LaShawn and Lana, who allow her to be honest and bring out new sides of her she hasn’t confronted before.
Los Angeles, 1992: Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.

Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.

As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.

With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?

19. Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan

Jubilee loses sight of her goals when she gets swept up in a fast-moving romance with Ridley, but her best friend Jayla is always there to bring her down to Earth, toeing the fine line between being overprotective and supporting her best friend’s decisions. That’s what I call relationship goals.
Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.

Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.

They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.

Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?

20. The Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum

Another heartbreaker, this book follows Reid as she struggles to navigate life now that her best friend Hattie is gone and hits us with the harsh truth that sometimes we don’t know our best friends as much as we think we do.
It’s the summer before senior year. Reid is in the thick of Scofield High’s in-crowd thanks to her best friend, Hattie, who has been her social oxygen since middle school. But summer is when Hattie goes to her family’s Maine island home. Instead of sitting inside for eight weeks, waiting for her to return, Reid and their friend, Sam, enter into a pact—to live it up, one party at a time.

Days before Hattie is due home, Reid finds out the shocking news that Hattie has died by suicide. Driven by a desperate need to understand what went wrong, Reid searches for answers. In doing so, she uncovers painful secrets about the person she thought she knew better than herself. And the truth will force Reid to reexamine everything.

21. Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

When you feel like no one ever sees you for who you are and who you can be, meeting the person who actually does is the most freeing feeling in the world. Darius gets to experience that relief when he finds Sohrab, a new best friend who sees him more clearly than he’s ever seen himself and makes him feel more confident than ever before.
Darius doesn’t think he’ll ever be enough, in America or in Iran.

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it’s pretty overwhelming—especially when he’s also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom’s family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything.

Sohrab makes sure people speak English so Darius can understand what’s going on. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time. And he understands that sometimes, best friends don’t have to talk. Darius has never had a true friend before, but now he’s spending his days with Sohrab playing soccer, eating rosewater ice cream, and sitting together for hours in their special place, a rooftop overlooking the Yazdi skyline.

Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab. When it’s time to go home to America, he’ll have to find a way to be Darioush on his own.

22. Gimme Everything You Got by Iva-Marie Palmer

Teen girls aren’t always perfect friends to each other. But the good ones call each other out and help each other grow, and Susan is lucky to have that in her besties, Candace and Tina, who also have the most hilarious banter.
It’s 1979—the age of roller skates and feathered bangs, Charlie’s Angels and Saturday Night Fever—and Susan Klintock is a junior in high school with a lot of sexual fantasies… but not a lot of sexual experience. No boy—at least not any she knows—has been worth taking a shot on.

That is, until Bobby McMann arrives.

Bobby is foxy, he’s charming… and he’s also the coach of the brand-new girls’ soccer team. Sure, he’s totally, 100 percent, completely off limits. Sure, Susan doesn’t stand a chance. But that doesn’t mean she can’t try out for the team to get closer to him, and Susan Klintock has always liked a challenge.

Between the endless drills and grueling practices, Susan discovers something else: She might actually love soccer. But being a part of the first girls’ team at school means dealing with other challenges. As friendships shift, she finds her real passions might lie in places she didn’t expect when the season began—and that discovering who she is will mean taking risks, both on and off the pitch.

23. Girls Save The World In This One by Ash Parsons

You’ll want to read this for the epic plot of three best friends defeating *actual* zombies at a “Zombiecon,” but your favorite part will be seeing how much love June has for her best friends, Imani and Siggy, as they bond while trying to save themselves, each other and the world.
Mega-fan June Blue’s whole life has been leading up to this moment: ZombieCon!The Ultimate in Undead Entertainment has finally come to her hometown. She and her two best friends–gorgeous, brilliant Imani and super-sweet, outrageously silly Siggy–plan on hitting all the panels and photo ops, and meeting the heartthrob lead of their favorite zombie apocalypse show, Human Wasteland. It’s going to be the best time of their lives–and one of their last adventures before they all split up for college.

And when they arrive, everything seems perfect. June’s definitely not going to let anything get in the way of the flawless con experience–even though she’s endlessly anxious about the SATs and college admissions, and she can’t seem to avoid her ex-best friend Blair, whose VIP badge lets her walk straight to the front of every single line. No matter what, June is determined to make the best of her dream day at ZombieCon!

But something’s not quite right at the con–there are strange people in hazmat suits running around, enthusiastic cosplayers taking their shambling a little too far, and someone actually biting a cast member. Then, at a panel gone wrong, June and her friends discover the truth: the zombie apocalypse is here. Now June, Imani, and Siggy must do whatever it takes to survive a horde of actual flesh-eating zombies–and save the world.

24. Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen

Codi Teller loves her best friends, Maritza and JaKory. But finding a new friend in Ricky exposes her to a world she’s never stepped foot in before, and helps her blossom, proving that different friends serve different purposes in our lives, and we should embrace that.
Seventeen is nothing like Codi Teller imagined.

She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world. So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids.

But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia.

The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it.

25. The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez

Red, White, & Royal Blue meets The West Wing in Jasper Sanchez’s electric and insightful #ownvoices YA debut, chronicling a transmasculine student’s foray into a no-holds-barred student body president election against the wishes of his politician father.

Optics can make or break an election. Everything Mark knows about politics, he learned from his father, the Congressman who still pretends he has a daughter and not a son.

Mark has promised to keep his past hidden and pretend to be the cis guy everyone assumes he is. But when he sees a manipulatively charming candidate for student body president inflame dangerous rhetoric, Mark risks his low profile to become a political challenger.

The problem? No one really knows Mark. He didn’t grow up in this town, and his few friends are all nerds. Still, thanks to Scandal and The West Wing, they know where to start: from campaign stops to voter polling to a fashion makeover.

Soon Mark feels emboldened to engage with voters—and even start a new romance. But with an investigative journalist digging into his past, a father trying to silence him, and the bully frontrunner standing in his way, Mark will have to decide which matters most: perception or truth, when both are just as dangerous.

Who are your favorite book besties? You can find some more of our faves here, but please let us know even more in the comments!