Trouble is a Friend of Mine (Trouble is a Friend of Mine)

by Stephanie Tromly

Shortlisted for the Peters Book of the Year.

Preparing to survive a typical day of being Digby's friend wasn't that different from preparing to survive the Apocalypse

When Digby first shows up on her doorstep, Zoe Webster is not impressed. He's rude, he's smart, and he doesn't take 'no' for an answer. But before she knows it, Digby has dragged her into a series of hilarious and dangerous situations all related to an investigation into the kidnapping of a girl from their high school. A kidnapping that may be connected to the tragic disappearance of his own sister eight years ago.

Peppered with razor-sharp dialogue, this is a romance that is decidedly unromantic, a crime novel where catching the crook isn't the only hook, and a debut novel you won't forget.

• ISBN10: 1471404854
• ISBN13: 9781471404856
• Publish Date: 6 August 2015 (first published 4 August 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 8 March 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Hot Key Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

That was one fun ride! Digby captured my heart from his first line on page, and kept me captivated throughout the story. This one was jam packed with witty banter, and I loved every outlandish second of it.

Can't wait to read the next book!

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[Joséphine]

Note: I received a finished copy for free from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Initial thoughts: Hilarity in the midst of a mystery book without being a parody must be difficult to integrate as an author. Stephanie Tromly pulled it off well in Trouble is a Friend of Mine. The book was entertaining and at the same time kept me guessing what would happen next. Some twists were so unrealistic, they were thoroughly slapstick and yet it still came naturally to me to suspend my disbelief. I'm just sad that the main mystery to me wasn't solved, so I didn't get the satisfactory closure that I had hoped for.

[Sarah Says]

My first thought upon finishing this book was “God, I hope they do a sequel! I want to know what Digby finds out off of Ezekiel about his sister.”

Hot Key Books labels this book as 50% Mystery, 30% Humour, 20% Friendship. There is a twisting and turning Who-Done-It-vibe the whole way though. Teenagers just trying to survive being teenagers. Heart warming moments. Multiple creepy bad guys. And tonnes of fun.

By the end of the second page I was hooked on the story and hooked on Digby “the local troublemaker”. Sixteen year old me would have been eating her heart out over Digby.

Right from the start Digby causes Zoe grief and gets her into trouble, and that trouble is addictive. The way Digby sasses every one rubs off on Zoe and it’s for the better as she finally stands up to her ass of a father.

While the kidnapping of the local teenage girl is solved. The mystery of Digby’s little sisters disappearance deepens and we are left with a Kiss and open ending to the book.

I loved Digby, Zoe, Henry and Felix. Especial Felix when he comes flying out of the Ambulance towards the end – Ok I’m just going stop, I wouldn’t want to give any of the surprises away.

I tweeted Mrs Tromly in regards to the unfinished business at the end of book and bless her she tweeted me back within minutes saying that YES, a sequel named Trouble Makes a Comeback will be out next year. I’m excited.

[nightingalereads]

3.5 stars.

I was feeling iffy in the beginning, but the weirdness of this book really grew on me by the end.

[lizarodz]

Reading With ABC http://readingwithabc.com http://readingwithabc.com/blog-tour-review-guest-post-trouble-is-a-friend-of-mine-by-stephanie-tromly/When I was offered the opportunity to review Trouble is a Friend of Mine, Stephanie Tromly’s debut book, I was thrilled by the prospect. It’s being pitch like a Nancy Drew type book and even though I never read one of those books in my life, I do get the general ideal of what they’re about. I typically like mystery books and the cover is beautiful in person for sure. I have to report back that I loved Trouble is a Friend of Mine!

Zoe’s parents divorced and thus Zoe just moved to the town of River Heights and is starting a new school. Her father is pushing her to attend a snotty school back in NYC and she’s used to going along with what he wants. She meets Dibgy when he knocks on her door to ask some questions and she’s very weary of him. They meet again later during detention when Digby has the brilliant idea to partner with her for a school independent study project. This is the start of an adventure and unlikely friendship.

I like that Zoe is quirky and snarky, and gave as good as she took. Her survival instincts are spot-on and she has a healthy respect for rules and authority. I think she balanced Digby’s craziness very well. She’s trying to find her own voice and her place in the new dynamics of her family. She's also trying to find a place in school and she was really lonely before meeting Digby.

"Digby!"

Digby and I both jumped when Henry emerged from behind some bushes, sweaty and panting.

"Oh, heeey... Henry, I didn't know you were coming." Digby said.

"Of course you did - that's why you tried to run me over on Chesnut."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that was you," Digvy said.

"I could hear you laughing in your car, bro."

Digby is a very complex character. He’s full of insight about others, he’s almost always right and always has a plan to get to what he needs. He's unpredictable, spontaneous, a lot crazy, hungry, lonely, and extremely smart (like scary smart!) At the end we realized that Digby’s life is so sad. Not only he was obsessed with finding out what happened to his sister, but his parents fell apart when that happened and were never able to overcome it. In the process they neglected the child they had left. I do hope that Digby uses his gift for good instead of evil!

There is a wonderful host of characters that join Zoe and Digby. Henry is a Greek-god-like-popular-quarterback who was Digby’s childhood friend and now turns partner-in-crime and joins Zoe and Digby’s adventures. Sloane is Zoe’s nemesis and stereotypical spoiled, mean, head cheerleader, Felix is a 13 year genius that has skipped several grades and has a crush on Zoe. Even though these characters sound very typical for every other high school book, here they had some hidden depths to them all. I liked that even though Zoe’s parents had a lot of problems and issues – with each other and within themselves – they tried to do what’s best for Zoe and they were there.

"Then we'll go in and buy the stuff. While we're there I'll just ask about the banana sticker."

"Just ask?" I said,

"It'll come up," Digby said.

"It'll come up? How exactly?"

"I don't know exactly, I'll bring it up. Casually," Digby said.

"Casually bring it up? That's the plan? That's not a good plan. Thanks' not even really a plan," I said. "That's like a day-dream of how you want this to go."

"She's right. That's not a good plan." Henry said.

"See, that's the problem with democracy. Everyone thinks they have a better way to do everything," Digby said.

I did not expected that ending and I need more! I need more answers and I need to know what happened after Digby got on the bus! Guys, this book is SO funny, the writing is fluid, and gripping, I couldn't put it down. The banter and dialogue between the characters is priceless. The plot, as you can imagine, is a mystery and our host of characters get in a lot of trouble trying to figure out who'd done it. I really didn't see all of twists and turns coming.

Overall, Trouble is a Friend of Mine is a fun, cute, funny, and insightful book with an unexpected depth that I hope is the first in a series and that we get to meet Zoe and Digby again soon.This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon



I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



This isn't normally my genre, even though there is some mystery to it, and I do like mysteries. But the blurb sounded interesting. I liked it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. What was I expecting? I'm not really sure!

I didn't like Digby right away. I didn't dislike him, he just didn't sound like someone I'd want to be friends with at first. But he does grow on you as the story goes along. I liked Zoe and Henry. The cliques in the school were believable. And some of Digby's madcap schemes made me cringe as well as laugh out loud. And the way he kept getting Zoe to go along with them all!

One of my favorites was how he ended up getting Zoe a date to the dance. By that point in the book, it was just so perfectly Digby that while you didn't expect it, you also kind of did.

The end of the book left me wanting a sequel. There's just enough left open that there would be plenty of plot for another book. And I really want to know what happens next with Digby and Zoe. But as I have no idea if there will be a sequel it left me just a tad bit disappointed that it ended where it did.

If you like reading contemporary young adult books, that's mostly what this is. With a bit of mystery, a lot of humor, and just a tiny touch of romance thrown in.

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon