Being Friends with Boys (edition 2012)

Well please let me begin by saying that I can relate to this book because my childhood was much like what was portrayed in this book (and so is my 12 year old daughters). This book was very easy for me to relate to because most girls/women cause issues and drama while boys/men relate to their friends differently.

I enjoyed the plot, the subject matter, and the characters portrayed in this book. I would recommend it to anyone who has a daughter who isn't a "girly girl". this book was easy to read, easy to understand, and I couldn't hardly put it down. The beginning was ok, the middle was excellent, and I was hoping for a little more romance towards the end...but it was a good read! ( )

Charlotte has a good group of friends. The thing is, they’re all dudes. She’s considered one of the guys, and she’s fine with it: she’s the person who keeps the group together, who offers advice on the opposite sex, and who writes the lyrics for the boys’ band. With a house full of stepsisters and a past full of prickly female friendships, boys seem much easier to deal with. Until they’re not. When a new guy enters Charlotte’s world and complicates things, she finds that the boys start acting differently, sending her orderly world into a tailspin.

Terra Elan McVoy has been making a name for herself in the YA world by creating books featuring smart, flawed female protagonists. This is no different in her latest offering, Being Friends with Boys. In this novel, Charlotte fulfills the smart, flawed heroine part while her cast of boy friends add dimension to the story. While this novel isn’t as strong as some of McVoy’s previous efforts, it’s still a very enjoyable read.

The novel’s strongest elements have to do with the characters and their relation to music. Charlotte comes alive when she begins to sing for the band, and her ability to write lyrics that are relevant, clever, and catchy propel much of the story. The people that she meets as a result of the band, including an all-girl group (who I would have liked to have seen more of) are the most vivid when they are listening to or discussing music.

Another strength is McVoy’s exploration of what it means to be female and have a group of male friends. There is something very unique about being friends with boys, and there are moments where McVoy nails that dynamic, and how wonderful and frustrating it can be. This will appeal to readers who are in similar situations, absolutely.

However, Charlotte wasn’t as strong a character as she could have been. It takes her a very long time to develop, and it isn’t until she starts to sing with the band(s) that she really comes alive. While I feel this may have been intentional on the part of the author, it’s going to alienate some readers who will grow frustrated with the lack of character development. The fact that Charlotte seems to live for the males in her life is also problematic: whether she’s with her friends or with her dad, too much of her action stems from the needs of men.

A tidy conclusion will work for readers looking for light romance. While this book isn’t McVoy’s strongest, it does have a lot of appeal factors working for it: male-female friendships, music-obsessed teenagers, and some romance. McVoy is definitely an author to watch.

Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy. Simon Pulse: 2012. Electronic galley accepted for review via GalleyGrab. ( )

This book was adorable and fresh and a ton of fun to read. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance, you all know that, but for some reason, I could barely bring myself to put this down! Charlotte was cute and honest and I just loved her.

My whole life, since pre-K, my friends have always been boys. I was always the girl out on the black top riding big wheels, playing kick-ball, falling off the monkey bars, and getting dirt under my nails. As I got older, the relationships just solidified, and I found myself spending my high school years with just two girlfriends and ten boys. BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS definitely shows what it's like to, well, be friends with boys. The friendships can be just as intricate and complicated and delicate as one with a girl. Add in possible, or even pseudo romantic feelings, and everything just gets even more contrived.

BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS was realistic without making Charlotte seem like one of those girls who get stuck up just because boys like her. Instead, the friendships seemed authentic and organic and natural. Trip, Oliver, Abe, Fabian, and Benji were noticeably different, and each boy's relationship with Char reflected their personalities. The book easily showed the history with Oliver, the complications with Trip, the easiness of Benji, and the natural click with Fabian.


My favorite parts, though, were the musical parts. I had no idea this book was about music -- making music, being in bands, singing, etc. McVoy used a voice that was easy to understand to the layperson, you don't need to be a musician to understand what's going on. I loved the introduction of Eli and Fabian to the band, and how we were shown how different the band moved forward with it. I wish the summary reflected how much emphasis was given to music -- it was a wonderful addition.


The ending was awesome. It was everything I wanted. I won't give it up, though, I don't want to spoil it. I love that there was no clear cut resolution. What did come though, was natural and felt real and wonderful and made me all gushy inside. And I am not a gushy kind of girl.


All in all this was a great read. I had lots of fun getting to know Charlotte -- who I love! -- and all the boys. I felt that BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS was so realistic, even down to the depictions of the boys' girlfriends and how they reacted around Char. McVoy's voice was fresh and fun and I would love to read some more of her work! ( )

This book was adorable and fresh and a ton of fun to read. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance, you all know that, but for some reason, I could barely bring myself to put this down! Charlotte was cute and honest and I just loved her.

My whole life, since pre-K, my friends have always been boys. I was always the girl out on the black top riding big wheels, playing kick-ball, falling off the monkey bars, and getting dirt under my nails. As I got older, the relationships just solidified, and I found myself spending my high school years with just two girlfriends and ten boys. BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS definitely shows what it's like to, well, be friends with boys. The friendships can be just as intricate and complicated and delicate as one with a girl. Add in possible, or even pseudo romantic feelings, and everything just gets even more contrived.

BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS was realistic without making Charlotte seem like one of those girls who get stuck up just because boys like her. Instead, the friendships seemed authentic and organic and natural. Trip, Oliver, Abe, Fabian, and Benji were noticeably different, and each boy's relationship with Char reflected their personalities. The book easily showed the history with Oliver, the complications with Trip, the easiness of Benji, and the natural click with Fabian.


My favorite parts, though, were the musical parts. I had no idea this book was about music -- making music, being in bands, singing, etc. McVoy used a voice that was easy to understand to the layperson, you don't need to be a musician to understand what's going on. I loved the introduction of Eli and Fabian to the band, and how we were shown how different the band moved forward with it. I wish the summary reflected how much emphasis was given to music -- it was a wonderful addition.


The ending was awesome. It was everything I wanted. I won't give it up, though, I don't want to spoil it. I love that there was no clear cut resolution. What did come though, was natural and felt real and wonderful and made me all gushy inside. And I am not a gushy kind of girl.


All in all this was a great read. I had lots of fun getting to know Charlotte -- who I love! -- and all the boys. I felt that BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS was so realistic, even down to the depictions of the boys' girlfriends and how they reacted around Char. McVoy's voice was fresh and fun and I would love to read some more of her work! ( )

REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/2012/05/being-friends-with-boys-by-terra-elan-mc...

If you’re a fan of fun, romantic contemporaries with a huge focus on music (and who isn’t?), definitely do not miss Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy.

I loved Charlotte, the protagonist. She was snarky and hilarious and talented. And while I was COMPLETELY overwhelmed by how many boy friends she had and I had very little idea who to root for, my heart was always with Trip. Even when he was totally being an ass.

So yes, despite being completely overwhelmed by all the possible love interests at first, I loved all of the guy characters in Being Friends with Boys. I loved how unique they all were – so different from each other in personality and look and manners. None of them fell flat for me.

The storyline in Being Friends with Boys was cute and fun and also inspirational! I loved seeing Charlotte become braver and more confident in her own musical abilities.

Terra Elan McVoy does it again with Being Friends with Boys. I’ve read some of her previous works, and I think Being Friends with Boys is by far my favourite. Recommended to fans of contemporary books with heavy doses of musical and romantic awesomeness. ( )

I thought this book was good. Good, close to great, but not my favorite of hers by far. (That was the Summer of Firsts and Lasts.) However, I did enjoy this, and how Terra geniously showed the complex relationships between girls and boys, friendship and otherwise. For me, the constant hearing about the band, even though I know that's what brought everyone together, became tiresome as it continued. Still, I did enjoyed it, and I loved Charlotte, the main character. I would read it, but I would reccommend reading her previous book, The Summer of Firsts and Lasts, too. ( )