Abby Cooper

"In the pages of her notebook, soon after her father is diagnosed with cancer, Jade invents an imaginary best friend she can depend on--Zoe; but when Zoe somehow magically shows up in real life, Jade wonders how genuine their friendship can possibly be if Jade's controlling Zoe through what she writes in her notebook"--

Friend Or Fiction

One creative middle-schooler discovers that the best friend a girl can have is the one she makes herself in this charming magical realism read. Jade's life hasn't exactly been normal lately, especially since her dad's cancer diagnosis. Jade wishes her family could leave their no-name town in Colorado already--everybody else does sooner rather than later, including every best friend Jade's ever had. So she makes one up. In the pages of her notebook, she writes all about Zoe--the most amazing best friend anyone could dream of. But when pretend Zoe appears in real life thanks to a magical experiment gone right, Jade isn't so sure if she likes sharing her imaginary friend with the real world. To keep her best friend (and even make some new ones), Jade learns how to cope with jealousy, that friends should let friends be true to themselves, and that maybe the perfect best friend doesn't exist after all.

Friend or Fiction

Raven K

*2.75. Um. Yeah no. The plot was good, I just did not vibe with the main character.. or any of the characters for that matter. It was decent, but eh.

Kath Lau

*Huge thanks to NetGalley for the earc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Jade and her family live in a town where people, including her best friends, come and go all the time. She loves writing and she's longing for a friend so she has decided to write about Zoe, her imaginary best friend. She writes about their perfect days and amazing friendship. One day, a girl named Zoe appears in her class and happens to live across her house. Is it just a coincidence? or is she Jade's imaginary friend comes to life?

Jade is such an incredible character. I loved her passion for writing and her love for her family. I loved her "Oppservation" entries in her journal. She's an aspiring writer which is being supported by her parents and teacher as well. It's just so heartwarming to read. One of the main themes in this book is friendship and the author handled it flawlessly. Same goes with the health condition of Jade's father. It's heartbreaking yet very inspiring. The writing is amazing and age-appropriate as well. The character growth in this book is on point.

I would like to read Clue's perspective or Zoe if possible. I also wanted to know more about the "magical" pond. But we don't get everything we want so it's totally okay for me because I really enjoyed this book. It's a middle-grade novel mixed with magical realism which was right up my alley.

This book reminds us to live in the moment and value the important people around us. This is also a great read for aspiring writers (both young and adult) out there.

Michelle Boyea

I Received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I do love YA books, this one was definitely geared at a much younger audience than I identify as. I would not classify this as young adult but as children’s.

With that being said, for the age group it is meant for, this book is great. It is easily understandable and well-written to deal with tough subjects that may arise at any point in your life.

As a child, you want to believe that everything is perfect. That best friends stay best friends. That parents do not get sick. And that everything will always be okay. I loved the way that Jade learned that you can’t control someone’s life. And that what you are looking for, may be right in front of you all along.

Friend Or Fiction

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