Anne Rellihan

Not the Worst Friend in the World is a commendable middle-grade book. The author, Anne Rellihan, does a solid job of portraying realistic emotions and situations for the young people in the story. She identifies the hurt of lost friendships, the need to commune with one's peers, and the pain of fraying families in a natural manner. The book addresses painful subjects, and the author deals with them naturally, letting the hard blows hit without too much brutality for this age group. Her show more percipience of the sensitivities of children is palpable.
The references to Louise Fitzhugh's "Harriet the Spy" added little to the story. Young people owning journals where they keep observations and reactions to the world is not unusual. I felt that rather than being an accolade to Fitzhugh's 1964 book, Not the Worst Best Friend in the World borrowed too heavily from it. While the character's practices were mainly dissimilar, the emotional repercussions were far too close for my liking.
Middle-grade students will find much to enjoy and identify with in this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Workshop. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Penguin Workshop, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less