Trouble is a Friend of Mine

With snappy dialog, off-beat teen characters, and a whip-smart high-speed plot, this book took me on a wild ride that I didn’t want to end, so the only thing that disappointed me was reading the last page which made me long for a sequel. I’m not sure if one is planned, but some questions are left hanging and the story could definitely continue.

Zoe Webster’s parents have just split up, forcing her to move to a small town with her mother, though she’s always been closer to her type-A father, and leaving her feeling displaced, resentful, and bored. Trying to make inroads into her new high school’s insular social scene has been a disaster, and then neurotic, intrusive, super-smart, utterly idiosyncratic Philip Digby shows up with show more his crazy ideas and rash schemes and things get even worse.

It’s not that trouble follows Digby, he chases it and for some reason includes Zoe in all his plans. She could refuse--and sometimes she does or tries to--but Zoe’s got nothing else to do, she’s tired of obsessively trying to strategize her future, and besides she’s intrigued. The book opens in the middle of their story with Zoe desperately and inexplicably trying to get inside a house wired with enough explosives to level the block, then jumps to the first day of school and Zoe’s initial aggravating, unsettling encounter with tell-it-like-it-is-to-the-point-of-rudeness Digby.

It turns out there’s some reason in Digby’s mad schemes, but we don’t find out what that is for a while. Digby has a difficult family situation and an unresolved tragedy in his past that drive his actions, which makes it sound like the book might be heavy but it’s almost absurdly funny.

A religious cult, a skeevy gynecologist, high stakes crime, and the jungle politics of high school all figure in the plot. There’s some romance, but it’s far from typical, and a crime is solved, but a mystery is left hanging. Front and center is Zoe’s maddening, enlightening relationship with Digby and their harebrained, rapidly evolving adventures. This is a debut novel--can’t wait for the next book. show less

"Sherlock meets Veronica Mars meets Ferris Bueller's Day Off"? That is some big boasting, but this book pulls it off in spades! Loved the characters, the verbal sparring, and the gritty small town setting. The disappearance of a rich, high school student is just the start of a multilayered mystery that is in turn perplexing, frightening and laughable. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and I can't wait for the second installment.

I do have a little quibble with the haphazard way Digby's mental health is addressed. His off-the-cuff remarks about his medications and his unstable mother leave me hoping that these are issues waiting to be explored in book two.

I sat down with this book intending to read only 10 out of its 31 chapters as I needed to do other things, but I ended up devouring it in one sitting. After I did so I sat in stunned silence thinking "what did I just read?; a huge chunk of it I love, but there were some parts that I love to hate. It's like a crazy roller-coaster ride - you think it's foolish to go on but you still do, and as you half-scream/half-cry while it takes you through twists and turns, you realize why...It's because, even though it's crazy-scary, it's also exhilarating, and gosh darn it you'd like to do it again!

Sixteen year old Zoe's parents are divorced and she just moved to River Heights with her mom. We immediately find out that she dislikes it there and show more she's looking forward to moving in with her dad and eventually attending Princeton. In comes trouble by the name of Philip Digby; he's scary-smart but loves to throw caution to the wind, obnoxiously outspoken but can be surprisingly sweet, at times gross yet endearing. In other words he's a confusing mix of yin and yang, he's also manic and suffers from anxiety attacks, among other things. Yes, he's Trouble with a capital T.

Before long Zoe finds herself getting sucked into Digby's weird, funny and dangerous world. Along the way she meets other interesting characters such as Henry the football player, Sloane the popular girl, Felix the whiz kid, to name a few. Soon Zoe gets into all sorts of trouble as she helps Digby uncover the truth behind a popular girl's disappearance and how it might be connected to the disappearance of his little sister. In the process Zoe finds out why Digby is the way he is and learns to face her own demons as well.

What I love about this book is the dialogue - it's witty and hilarious! Seldom do I come across a book that can make me laugh out loud. I also like the pacing of the story, it doesn't lose its momentum. It was such a wild ride that left me smiling at the end and wanting more.

Digby is a likeable character even though he's so obnoxious, especially to Zoe. I found it hard to believe though that he's capable of doing all those things and manage to come out generally unscathed. But hey, he's a fictional character. I was irritated by how quickly Zoe went along with Digby's antics, I wish she resisted harder and not have been so pliable. Still, I like Zoe. The ending is sweet but I'm hoping there is a sequel as I want to know what really happened to Digby's little sister.

If I was looking at this from the standpoint of a parent, I would be annoyed at the lack of responsible adult characters in the story. It seems that the adults are more flawed than the kids. However, I read this book with the mindset of a reader who needs a fun book, and this gave me just that. But if your tween or teen is going to read this, do remind them that it's just fiction, and Digby's interactions with Zoe when done in real life will be considered stalking (sorry, I couldn't resist, I'm a mom).

I purchased my copy of Trouble is A Friend of Mine and give it 4 1/2 stars. show less

Trouble is a Friend of Mine is a laugh-out-loud story about Zoe Webster who is living with her mother after her parents' divorce. By starting the story telling us about an impossible predicament that Zoe is in, the reader is immediately drawn into the action, which rarely lets up. Most of the rest of the story is in flashback, explaining how she ended up in this situation. "Trouble," in the form of Phillip Digby, who recruits a reluctant Zoe into helping him track down a missing girl. The result is a mad-capped adventure into the unusual and unpredictable life of Digby and his quest. There are quite a few poignant moments also, especially when we find out Digby's real reasons for looking for the missing girl.
This story is truly show more special. Digby is a character reminiscent of Veronica Mars with even more unique, quirky behavior. We are never quite sure what Digby will get himself and Zoe into, but it is always entertaining. The last few chapters offer so many twists and turns, that it is hard to keep up. I really liked this book and hope that there will be a sequel. show less

Zoe’s life changes when brilliant, annoying Digby shows up at her door and expects her to come along in his schemes. A local girl has been kidnapped, and Digby is determined to get to the bottom of it and the kidnapping of his little sister eight years ago. Digby, Zoe, and a few other friends try to get to the bottom of the mystery, from breaking into a skeevy gynecologist’s office, making friends with a few police officers and getting them to help with their detective work, and investigating the strange cult in Zoe’s neighborhood. Their adventures lead to almost getting shot and being in an explosion, but the answers they find and the friendship they gain might make it all worth it anyway.

Some of the characterization could have show more been more rounded. For example, Zoe is mostly characterized as sarcastic, friends with Digby, and has issues with her father. Digby is like Sherlock Holmes mixed with manic pixie dream boy. He has a lot of issues, like showing up in Zoe’s room uninvited, that everyone writes off as being “just Digby” instead of talking about how serious that is. He also has mental health issues, but it’s not completely addressed and shows him ignoring his medication instead of treating it in a respectful way. Even though none of the characters are that deep, the interactions between them are hilarious. The banter between the characters makes the story hilarious, even when the action going on is somber. There are some disturbing, creepy events in the book, but the kids manage to solve the mysteries anyway, making it seem like an episode of Scooby Doo or a young Sherlock Holmes story. Sometimes it tries a little too hard to be quirky and the characters could have been more rounded, but readers who want a mystery or crime book with hilarious dialogue and kids solving the mystery will enjoy this book. In spite of its weaknesses, it is always entertaining. show less

They didn't lie when they compared Trouble is a Friend of Mine to Veronica Mars/Ferris Bueller/Sherlock/Breakfast Club. The book is upbeat, the kind where you can actually laugh out loud even when the plot revolves around a missing teenaged girl.
I'll admit that I didn't always love the characters or the things going on. I am not used to reading this kind of book so I had to suspend disbelief, and keep reminding myself that it was meant to be a lighthearted read every time Digby was rude and Zoe was passive about it. The characters didn't feel very three dimensional, and Zoe didn't seem to mean it when she attempted to put her foot down.
If you're not a fan of the shows and films mentioned, it may not be for you.
Personally, once I was show more able to relax and take the book for what it is, I couldn't put it down. Digby wormed his way into my heart with his antics, and the odd quirky side characters reminded me of the Stars Hollow residents of Gilmore Girls.
By the end I was completely sucked into Planet Digby, and though he may not engage in appropriate social behavior, he really does care about the people he runs with. I'll admit I have re read the last page about five times since finishing it, and I may or may not have started the book over again already. show less

3.5 stars

The best way to describe this YA novel is cute and quirky. Filled with fun dialogue between a girl who moves to a new town, a new school, and runs into an unusual teen boy who is always up to no good as he's trying to solve the town's crimes. There are other teens, all different personalities - the good guy next door; the stuck up rich girl no one likes; the nerdy, small for his age boy who's a genius; the mom who tries to reclaim her daughter's affections; the distant and controlling dad the main character wants to please; the annoying stepmother; the weird neighbors; the annoying school security guard. Well, we get the drift some of these characters are cliche, but you know what? It works, and it works well.

It's impossible show more to grow bored long as there's always something going on. These two don't sit still as they find their ways into trouble, get out with funny finesse, only to jump back into the fire all over again. The mystery isn't terribly strong but the book is a mixture of different genres - YA, humor, mystery, crime, a tiny bit of romance (possibly but not really). Overall it's a fun story, not a serious one. There's serious elements, of course, but it's all treated in a fun manner.

Tromly's debut novel is written well - she makes convincing dialogue stream from the character's mouths and there was some humor that was funny enough to make me snicker aloud. Even if the story has some trademark characters, the story is in no way average, and the way it plays out is unique enough to stand out be remembered as something special.

Why the 3 rating? I typically don't enjoy stories so quirky enough to give a higher rating, just a personal thing, but it's a great book for this type of humor genre, the author approaches it enthusiastically and the characters are easy to love.

Received ARC from publisher in exchange for a review show less