Alexa Young

Avalon Green, blond and beautiful, and Halley Brandon, dark-haired and breathtaking, have been best friends since forever. The one thing that they’ve always had in common is fashion. The girls are getting ready to start eighth grade after their summer apart. Avalon has planned a huge party celebrating their friendship, but when Halley arrives home from her summer at art camp the girls realize that something is different.The girls have grown apart during the summer. Or perhaps they have show more just discovered who they are and are coming into their own. Either way, when their disagreement reach epic proportions, a dissolution of the friendship is written up. They take out all the stops to get back at each other, everything from verbal bashing to public humiliation.Will the girls be able to look past everything they’ve put each other through to become best frenemies?First off props to Alexa Young for giving me a signed copy of her book. And just in case you readers are wondering if that at all holds some kind of bias over my reviews, it doesn’t. I like to write positive reviews, but if I don’t like a book. I’m not afraid to say it. Now on to my review! I had read some let’s say mediocre reviews for Frenemies, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to think. But I actually really liked Frenemies! I read on my day off and I couldn’t put it down. I have to admit I was laughing out loud throughout the book, I’m glad I read it at home. Alexa seems like such a fun and energetic person and you can totally see she puts all of that into her writing. The lady cracks me up! And the story has relevance, you’ve all seen the girls and guys for that matter who were childhood friends, and then realize that maybe they are going in different directions. I’m sure it wasn’t played out as dramatic as this story, but that is what makes it so entertaining. I think readers of Poseur and Melissa Walker’s Violet on the Runway would enjoy this book. It’s very fashion orientated, but I thought that aspect was fun! My fashion exploits tend to run in the t-shirt and jeans department, what can I say. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the Frenemies saga, Faketastic! show less

Avalon Greene and Halley Brandon have been the best of besties for as long as anyone can remember-they even share a puppy, Pucci. But after a summer spent apart-Halley at art camp and Avalon at home their houses being next door to each other is about the closest thing about the two.

Halley comes back, ready to start eighth grade with a brand new look but her same best friend only said best friend does not approve of the new artsy look. Avalon, long known as the go-to for Fashion do's and show more don't's can't fathom where Halley-her former partner in the Glamour-esque blackbaring of their classmates-has gotten her new fashion sense. Or lack of it.

Arguments soon ensue and blow far beyond who's wearing what shoes to the first day of school and a list divorce settlement type list is being drawn up to divide the school, their friends and their lives.

Can the two (and their friendship) survive this?

Frenemies was a fun middle grade novel about girls and friendship and how to deal when your friends start to change as they grow up (which definitely happens in junior high/beginning of high school....and beyond). The crazy lavishness of Halley and Avalon's life--from their designer clothing to the ahi tuna served in their cafeteria only made it that much more enjoyable.

I couldn't necessarily see thirteen-year-olds living a life that those two did exactly (close maybe, not quite) but it was fun for fiction. And sometimes they did seem a little older but overall they were cute characters and I enjoyed the book and it's point. show less

As much as I enjoyed the witty writing and candor of Young’s Frenemies, Faketastic is a significant improvement to the series. Avalon and Halley have shed some of their childish nature and have successfully tackled more than the latest fashion trend. Alexa perfectly plays the plot and leaves the readers anxious for more of this fantabulous duo! Short and sweet review, for a short and sweet book!

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

When we left Halley and Avalon, they were back to being BFFs.

Now that they are best friends again, Halley and Avalon are back to confiding in each other and making awesome plans. They have taken Style Snarks and created their own web page, now that they have been disqualified from the school's web contest.

Soon, Avalon comes to Halley asking for help. The cheerleading squad wants to compete in a regional competition. The only problem is that they need show more twenty girls on the team - the squad currently only has ten girls. The solution is to convince the gymnastics team to merge with the cheerleaders. Avalon needs Halley to help convince the gymnasts to join the squad. Begrudgingly, Halley does, and the two groups become one. But Brianna, the captain of the squad, is floundering and unable to bring the two together.

The two girls hatch a plot to get Avalon voted as the new captain. They will act like frenemies again, with Halley undermining everything that Brianna suggests. And then, when the time is right, Halley will nominate Avalon as the new captain.

In return for Halley's help, Avalon will reroute Sofee's attention away from Wade so that Halley and Wade can get some alone time to ignite the sparks that have been flying between the two of them.

The plan starts to go so well that soon Avalon and Halley can't tell what's real and what's pretend. It seems like the two are on a collision course to becoming frenemies again.

FAKETASTIC was a much snarkier read than FRENEMIES. The two girls have such an evil friendship going, it's certainly true that you should keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer!!

Ms. Young leaves the reader hanging and wanting more, waiting for the next installment, GLAMNESIA, coming in July 2009. show less