Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Friends Like These

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, Author

Delacorte Press,  Fiction, Nov. 1, 2022

Suitable for ages: 12-17

Themes: Teens, Parties, Dating, Revenge, Mystery, Crime, Assault, Suspense  

Publisher’s Synopsis:

A Party 

A Betrayal

A Girl who disappears

Mistake number one . . .

Fun-loving Jake tells his girlfriend, Jessica, that they have to go to Tegan’s end-of-summer party in their tiny California beach town. Jessica doesn’t like parties, and she doesn’t like Tegan, who has an obvious, obsessive crush on Jake. But she agrees to go, to make Jake happy. 

Mistake number two . . .

Something awful happens at the party. Something so embarrassing that Jessica doesn’t know if she can ever get over it—and Jake will do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. And now a girl is missing. Everyone is a suspect. And Jake seems to have a lot to hide. . . . 

When a body is discovered at the beach, friends start turning on friends, and lies start piling up on lies. What happened could destroy their lives. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Mistake number three . . .

Why I like Friends Like These:

Jennifer Alvarez’s has written a gripping and haunting psychological thriller that will take readers on an emotional journey. So hang on tight! The setting, compelling characters with a dark edge, and a realistic plot are so brilliantly intertwined that they create an extraordinary reading experience.

The narrative is superbly written in three alternating voices of Jessica, Jake and Tegan and is divided into three parts. It is fast-paced — don’t blink — and addictive.  The tension is palpable. Alvarez doesn’t let up until the very end. You may think you know the guilty parties as your read, but you won’t. There are more twists and turns in this story that will keep readers off-balance. And there is a huge cliff-hangar at the end.  Readers may want to think twice before they go to unsupervised parties! 

There is a large cast of characters that are complicated. I’m only focusing on the threesome.  Jessica is kind and spunky. And she’s in love with Jake who has recently lost his dad. His anger over that loss causes him to act out. Tegan is the rich mean girl who gets what she wants at any cost. She dated Jake for six weeks until he breaks it off. I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil the story for readers. After you read the story make sure you read her author’s note at the end.

With two outstanding YA fiction novels in the last two years, including Lies Like Wildfire, Alvarez will certainly become a beloved author for many high school students seeking a good mystery. For younger readers, check out her MG fantasy series mentioned in her bio.

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is the author of a YA  Lies Like Wildfire and two middle-grade fantasy series The Guardian Herd and Riders of the Realm. She earned her BA in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. She is the Sonoma County coordinator for SCBWI. Jennifer splits her time between Northern California and Middle Tennessee. When she’s not writing books, she travels with her husband in the overland RV, dreaming up new stories to tell. Visit her at her website.

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*Reviewed from a library copy.