A Tale of Two Besties

Gr 5–8—In the debut from Rossi, cofounder of HelloGiggles.com, ninth graders Lily and Harper have been BFFs since fourth grade. But now they face separation as artsy Lily heads to a private school for creative types and Harper enters Beverly High School. As their paths diverge, the girls face different challenges and the strength of their friendship wavers. The audiobook alternates between each girl's viewpoint and benefits from having two gifted narrators: Anna Brisbin and Nora Hunter. Brisbin's Lily is perky and energetic and squeaks at times with enthusiasm. The portrayal of Harper by Hunter is much different—Harper is low-key and even-tempered and sighs frequently as she seems to search for the right phrase. The resulting contrast makes the audiobook the enjoyable pleasure it is, perfect for middle school girls who are apprehensive about the changes that come as they enter high school.