Just Friends by Dyan Sheldon

Just Friends

by Dyan Sheldon

A hilariously funny book about falling for the wrong person by the author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.

From the writer of Confessions of A Teenage Drama Queen and My Worst Best Friend comes this hugely entertaining teen read about falling for the wrong person. The first time Josh sets eyes on Jena he's hooked. He can't stop thinking about her; looking for her wherever he is; hoping to turn a corner and find her there. The problem is she's completely out of his league, as his friends never tire of telling him, so Josh decides he will settle on simply being Jena's friend. But the more time he spends with her the more infatuated he becomes, despite the fact Jena only turns to him when she's had a fight with her on-again off-again boyfriend. Finally realizing he can't go on pretending he only wants to be her friend, Josh vows to tell Jena how he feels on Valentine's Day.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

3 of 5 stars

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This is a book filled with unrequited love. You see, A liked B, but B liked C, however C liked D, and D had no interest in any of them. Yes, broken hearts all around.

What I liked:
• Josh was adorable. Jena had invaded his heart, but he was firmly friend-zoned. Math, music, chess, the kid was interesting, and I liked all these different attributes Sheldon gave him.
• Josh had a pretty great squad. Yes, they were quirky, but they were genuine, which is an adjective I would not attach to Jena and her friends.
• The writing was quite amusing and witty, and filled with many comedic moments.
• Josh's friends were patient and supportive, even when he wasn't being a very good friend. He should be grateful to have such a fine group of friends.

What I didn't like
• I did not like Jena. She wasn't a good friend and she was shallow. It was hard for me to understand what Josh saw in her, but I guess that was the point.
• I would have liked a little more from the ending. It was fine. I definitively knew which direction the story was going, but I would have liked to have seen a little more of it play out.
• The story seemed to meander a little in the beginning (though still amusing), but eventually got on track.

Overall: A fun and cute story of unrequited love, was light, breezy, and quite amusing.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 February, 2018: Finished reading
  • 3 February, 2018: Reviewed