When it comes to book, there are few things that could lure me in faster than well-developed friendships between the characters. Be it a budding friendship, or life long friendship I’m instantly more excited for any book that is said to have great friends in it.
Because of this, I decided to twist today’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) topic a tad bit – instead of listing characters I’d love to be friends with, I’m going to highlight friends and friend-groups I loved in books.
Want by Cindy Pon has, hands down, one of the best friend groups I’ve ever read about, and that’s no exaggeration. Even though the novel itself is spectacular, it is the awesome group dynamics that steal the show, and make me go all: 😍🥰. If you liked the crew in Six of Crows, you’ll love the Want gang, who function pretty much like a family despite not being related to each other. They have a deep love and appreciation for one another even though they are all so damned different from each other. I loved each and every one of them, but I did have a favorite – Lingyi, the purple haired, hacker boss of the gang who cares so much about everyone in her little family (she’s pretty much the “mom” in the gang.) It’s just all very beautiful and well-written and complex, and ASKQIJLKS you’ll want to experience this for yourself.
Jennifer Mathieu is one of my all time favorite authors, in part because she always does such a thorough job of portraying relationships between her characters – the happy parts, the sad parts… it’s all there. When Vivian starts a feminist revolution to fight against the rampant sexism she and her fellow female students experience, the responses she receives vary. Her new friend Lucy, coming from a more progressive high school and city, immediately becomes a proud and loud activist. Meanwhile Vivian’s best friend, Claudia, has difficulties when it comes to standing up for herself and others, and she feels uncomfortable challenging the sexism in their school, and even downplays it on occasions. You could say that Viv and Lucy click instantly when it comes to Viv’s activism, meanwhile there’re some conflict between Claudia and Viv over it. Even though Claudia frustrated me at times, she was such a valuable character that developed and evolved throughout the novel, and learnt so much. The friendship between these three girls wasn’t always easy, but it was strong at all times, and it was an absolute pleasure to see their patience and support for each other.
I feel like people tend to concentrate on the romance part of, well, romances, but they usually have a lot more to offer than that, which is the case in the Girl Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare. The Duchess Deal introduced us to three incredible women – Alexandra, Nicola and Penny – who become friends with the heroine, Emma, right after meeting her. Their support and friendship helped Emma a lot during her novel, and this awesomeness continued in the second book, The Governess Game, as well. Their conversations tend to be so entertaining and are filled with banter and snark, because despite being incredibly close, these ladies couldn’t be more different from each other. They all have their quirks and distinct personalities, and it is because of this that they are so entertaining and captivating to read about. I can hardly wait to read the third book, now featuring animal-loving Penny as its main character.
Oh man, I should 1000% reread Uprooted, because I forgot so much of the plot. 😭 But what I remember very clearly is that I absolutely adored the way the friendship between Agnieszka and Kasia was portrayed. Novik dared to delve deep into this friendship, into its complexities; including its negatives and its positives, and did so in a beautiful way. The girls’ friendship wasn’t picture perfect- in their situation, how could it have been? – but it stood strong through every single obstacle they encountered, and their love for each other remained pure, no matter the things they went through. This was one of the best, most genuine portrayals of friendship I’ve ever seen, and I’m so pleased I had the chance to read it.
While I’ve always felt like the Bloodlines series went downhill after the third book, I still have so much love for the characters. And indeed, part of the reason why I found the final novel so underwhelming was because most of the squad was missing from it, or barely appeared. When the series starts most of the characters barely know each other, and the rest haven’t even met each other – seeing them getting used to having to act like a family is an absolute delight. There are a lot of clashes and disagreements, especially because keeping up with the romantic relationships of the supporting cast is, well, hard (not in a “why all the drama” way, rather in a “oh, these teens are charming, I am entertained” way.) Yet, at the end of the day, they do became a family, and will literally fight to death to save each other. IT IS BEAUTIFUL, I tell you.
The second and third novels in the London Celebrities series have such a fantastic example of female friendship that I had to share it with you today. Lily (MC of Pretty Face) and Trix (MC of Making Up) are long time best friends whose relationship took some hits when Trix’s emotionally abusive boyfriend tried to tear them apart. While Trix is out of this relationship when Pretty Face kicks off, the effects of it can still be felt. Lily has forgiven her friend, and loves her just as much as ever before, but Trix still feels terrible about what happened, and has a hard time forgiving herself. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a nuanced portrayal of what an abusive relationship can do to someone’s friendships – we usually only get the friends leaving – so this was simply exceptional to read about.
I loved The Darkest Minds trilogy from start to finish, but what captured my attention the most was the incredible friendship between the main characters. Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Zu form one of the best squads I’ve ever read about, and I loved to see the ways their relationship changes and evolves throughout the series. Entertaining friend-groups sometimes aren’t given enough emotional depth, but that wasn’t the case in TDM. The characters go through traumatic things which influence their friendship and their personalities, and add a lot of maturity and emotion to the text. Seeing them opening up to each other, or working conflicts and misunderstandings out was a delight to read about. I haven’t yet read the fourth novel, but I’m super-stoked for it, especially given that it takes place years after the end of the trilogy.
Girl Made of Stars is one of the most emotional, painful books I’ve ever read, as it deals with sexual assault and rape. Mara and her twin, Owen, are incredibly close, so she is shocked and mortified when Owen is accused of raping his girlfriend, Hannah, who is also a close friend of Mara’s. Immediately Mara finds herself stuck between the expectations of her parents – who want her to support Owen – and her own sense of right and wrong. Even worse, Mara’s own sexual assault trauma surfaces violently, which is something she’s never shared with anyone. Girl Made of Stars is a heavy book, but the friendship and support between Hannah, Mara and Charlie was fucking beautiful.
My love for the Cyclone novels, and for Courtney Milan, knows no bounds. Obviously, part of the reason for that is the romance, but there’s something more in Trade Me and Hold Me, the two novels published in the series. Every single part of these books is so fleshed out, so realistic and well-written, including the friendship between Tina (MC of Trade Me) and Maria (MC of Maria). There are tons of tiny instances that really show how deep their love and support and respect for each other runs. It really is sometimes the smallest things, the smallest acknowledgements and presents that can make someone’s day, and that was definitely shown here.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes has done an exceptionally good job of utilizing the found family trope in The Naturals series. The five main characters have been discovered by the FBI, who offered them an opportunity to use their outstanding skills – e.g. being able to tell when someone is lying. Cassie, a natural at reading people, decides to take the plunge and move into the house that was set up for others like her. There she meets four other teens – Sloane, Lia, Michael and Dean – and realizes that not everyone is happy to have a new girl joining their ranks. The Naturals is exceptional in the way it slowly builds up this tiny little found family, all of whom have their all problems and all of whom are very different from each other.
Let’s chat!
Have you read any of these novels? Were you impressed by the friendships we mentioned? Who are some friends/friend-groups you’re always excited to talk about? Or would want to join? Share, share! We’d love to hear your recs.
Girl Made of Stars is such a great pick and I totally agree. The friendship between them was just amazing.
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Girl Made of Stars is just sooo good, and deserve tons more hype than it’s received, imo. 😦
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I really need to read Vampire academy one of these days! I saw the movie but everyone says no, read the books haha, but the movie did pique my interest in the characters! I need to get on those.
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A lot of people hate the movie, but I did enjoy it. 😂 It’s very different from the books, and the books ARE better, but for what it was trying to do, the movie was decent. I’m curious what you’ll think of the books, having seen the movie first.
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I’ve wanted to read THE GIRL MADE OF STARS. It is time. My literary besties
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I hope you’ll love it! 🙂
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So many good friendships. I loved the friendship between the characters that developed in The Naturals. And I pretty much love every to,ancestors which features strong female friendships like in The Duchess Deal and most definitely in Pretty Face because no one is messing with Trix (especially her awful ex) when Lily is about.
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All of what you said I agree with – and romances really get super-good if there’s more than the romance, particularly if there’s a strong friendship going on.
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I really like your twist to this week’s prompt. All of these friend groups sound wonderful.
My TTT.
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Thank you! 🙂
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I haven’t read any of these books before I need to give them a read!
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100% agree with Uprooted, I loved that friendship!
My TTT: https://theanatomyofabookworm.wordpress.com/2019/08/13/book-squads-id-love-to-be-a-part-of/
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Veronika, I absolutely adore how your twist on this prompt! I love great friendships in books. It’s one of the things I look forward to. I ended up requesting Want by Cindy Pom from my library after this post. I can’t wait to read it.
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Thank you! 🙂 Oooh, that makes me so happy!! I really hope you’ll love Want. 😀
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I agree with you about Bloodlines, the start was great, but after certain point the author stopped balancing all the elements as well as she’d been doing, or something. But I love their little found family!
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Definitely agree with you about not balancing all the elements after a point. But yes, the characters and their family/friend dynamics were amazing.
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I like your take on the theme today. I’ve not gotten to the Bloodlines series yet, but I did love the friendships in her Vampire Academy books!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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Thanks! I definitely loved the friendship in VA, as well, but the friendships in Bloodlines were somehow even better. 🙂
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I agree with The Darkest Minds group. Their trials really made them a tighter knit group. I read the fourth book in the series and honestly, it is my favorite out of all of them. It really shows how much the world has changed from the first three books. Great list and I love the twist you put on it!
Amber ♡ The Book Bratz
My TTT!
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I’m so glad you said that about the fourth book, you definitely encouraged me to pick it up! I’m excited about it. 😀 Thanks! 🙂
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I’d love to hang with the group from TDM!!! Especially if Liam calls me Darlin.
Here’s mine:https://laurenbodiford123.wordpress.com/2019/08/13/bookish-besties-top-ten-tuesday/
-Lauren
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I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to that either 😊😅.
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I was kinda disappointed by the Darkest Minds books (I still haven’t read the third one…), but I really loved their group of friends in the first book.
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Sadly, the third one is my least favorite, because the characters make some BAD decisions, but I do hope it might be more enjoyable to you. 😅 And there are some really good scenes with the gang in it. 🙂
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This was such a fun take! I have not read these books but heard of The Darkest Minds. I would want to join the gang in Once Upon A Con verse by Ashley Poston. Here is my post https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2019/08/top-ten-tuesday-female-squad-goals.html.
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I’ve only read the first Once Upon a Con book so far, but I’d definitely want to join them based on that. 😀
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SO many great picks on here!!! Bloodlines and The Darkest Minds have some of the best friend dynamics I’ve ever read and I miss both worlds terribly. I tried to reread Bloodlines recently but for some reason stopped, funnily enough, after book three, so I kind of think I have to agree with you that the series went a little downhill? I’m still fond of it. I loved it when I first read it, but!
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Thanks! 🙂 Yes, I definitely agree. I love how especially Bloodlines has a relatively big group of friends, and yet they all have a chance to shine. I should try for a reread as well, at least the first three books, because those were amazing.
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I did adore the Bloodlines crew. More time with Adrian is always a good thing, and they really did start to function as a family.
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Fully agree about Adrian, he is one of the most fun characters I’ve ever read about. 🙂
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I like your twist on this week’s topic, although I have to admit, I haven’t read any of these books yet.
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I read the Vampire Academy series long ago and never actually got to read Bloodlines (I definitely will at some point). What I like about the idea of Bloodlines is we already know some of the characters, so connecting with them will be easier (I’m just guessing). I do love friendship relationships in books. I think these relationships are oftentimes what holds the plotline together.
Great list!
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That was definitely one of my favorite things about Bloodlines, we got to see a whole new side of some of these characters. I loved how we knew most of these characters but they didn’t necessarily know each other – it was fun to see them becoming friends, or falling in love. Thank you!
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I only finished the first book of Bloodlines at the start of this month, so I stopped reading that paragraph!! But hopefully I like the first three books as well!! 😂💕
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I hope you’ll love all of them, tbh! The last three weren’t BAD, just not as good as the first half of the series haha.
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I haven’t read any of these books but I loved Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver, so Uprooted is on my TBR!
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I really loved Spinning Silver, but Uprooted is definitely my favorite by her. I’m curious which one you’ll like more. 🙂
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Great list. I totally agree!
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
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I haven’t read a single one of these. Boo hoo! When it comes to friend groups my mind always goes to the Inner Circle in the ACOTAR series. Rhys, Cassian, Mor and all the rest. They were the best!
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Sadly, I haven’t read ACOTAR, but I’m happy the friendship is great in it 🙂
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i have SUCH a weakness for bookish friendships 🤧 makes me so soft and emo
the way you described the friendship in moxie sounds so sweet and caring, you’re making me want to read it!! i really loved the friendship in the darkest minds too, it was one of my favourite things about the series. girl made of stars sounds like its absolutely going to SHATTER me and im so looking forward to it.
this is such a great list you have here and i cant wait to get to some of the books
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If you like friendship in books you’ll LOVE Moxie! There’re definitely conflicts over their differences, but ultimately they support and love and educate each other! 🙂 And I hope you’ll love Girl Made of Stars! Thank you! 😀
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The only book I’ve read in this list was Uprooted and I absolutely agree that Agnieszka and Kasia’s friendship was very realistic in that it wasn’t perfect! I really enjoyed that one and didn’t think I actually would come to like Kasia. All the other friendships you’ve mentioned have caught my interest! Looks like I’ve got some books to check out. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Yeah, I really loved that about their friendship. I mean, some friendships are close to perfect, but especially with friends you’ve had from childhood there can be conflicts with etc. So I loved that about it. 😀
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I really need to read Moxie and also need to read Girl Made of Stars! Both of them sound like brilliant books and I am a huge fan of good friends. The Naturals also sound very good to me and I want to try it. I have read Uprooted, but I wasn’t sold by that friendship I felt like we were told about it, rather than shown, and it felt like it didn’t have any depth to me…
I love the friendships in the raven cycle, in the lunar chronicles, in the nowhere girls… I could go on 😀
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I hope you’ll love Moxie, Girl Made of Stars, and the Naturals! Drat, that makes me sad, but I understand it. 🙂 (On a side note, that’s how I felt about the relationships Spinning Silver by Novik, but not here. Have you read that?)
The Raven Cycle and the Lunar Chronicles were CLOSE to make it onto my list, and I need to read The Nowhere Girls asap. 🙂
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What a neat twist on this topic! I’ve not read any of these books, but you make excellent cases for your choices 🙂
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