Best Friends Forever

by Lisa Williamson, Jess Bradley (Illustrations)

Welcome to BIGG SCHOOL!

Lola and Evie have been BFF since they were babies. When Lola discovers that they're in different classes at their new school, it's a total disaster! Lola is forced to sit next to Daniel, the most annoying boy on the planet. Worse still, Evie makes a brand new friend – snooty show-off, Cleo – who wants Evie all to herself.

Three most definitely IS a crowd, but Lola is not going to lose her BFF without putting up a fight!

With illustrations that express the often hilarious inner lives of the characters, the Bigg School series tells stories of the extraordinary lives of ordinary kids navigating friendships, change and all the ups and downs of growing up.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2023

About the author

Lisa was born in Nottingham in 1980. She spent most of her childhood drawing, daydreaming and making up stories in her head (but never getting round to writing them down). As a teenager she was bitten by the acting bug and at 19 moved to London to study drama at university.

Following graduation, Lisa adopted the stage name of Lisa Cassidy and spent several happy and chaotic years occasionally getting paid to pretend to be other people. Between acting roles she worked as an office temp and started making up stories all over again, only this time she had a go at writing them down.

Lisa lives in London, where she is lucky enough to split her time between writing and acting. In her spare time she reads a lot of books, continues to daydream and eats way too much ice cream.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Bigg School: Best Friends Forever is a relatable fiction book for children about the breakdown of friendships.
Lola and Evie have been best friends since infanthood. When they start at a new school and find that they no longer have any classes together. Evie makes a new friend straight away called Cleo, and Lola is made to sit next to a boy she can't stand. And to make things worse, Cleo is coming between Lola and Evie, and Lola isn't prepared to lose her BFF. Mix in all the other anxieties and changes going to a new school/ high school brings and not only does this book make it a perfect read for children when starting high school, but it helps them to see these things are happening to others too which will help the reader feel a little less alone.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Friends Forever is very funny but has its heart ache. Lola and Evie have been best friends since they were babies. They are completely opposite to each other, but they do everything together. Then everything in Lola’s life starts to turn into an upsetting time. Her dad has left home. Lola’s mum needs to sell their house. When Lola and Evie start a new school they are in separate classes. Pretty and popular, Evie has a new friend. Sadly Lola is no longer Evie’s best friend. Can Lola find a new best friend? The author has done a splendid job mixing Lola with a funny sense of humour and Evie who doesn’t no longer find her best friend Lola funny, and family situations. This is the closest fictional story to ordinary kids and ordinary life. If you love Jacqueline Wilson books you will adore the collection of books by Lisa Williamson!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book and I think it’s a good book for explaining that not every friendship lasts in secondary school. It’s funny and a good representation of what secondary school is like. I do think I was a little old for it but I think that 8-10 year olds would really enjoy it!!! 3.5 stars!!!

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK book with some good moments, but I was just frustrated with many of the characters. Evie for instance though at the same time I also could understand why she was acting this way, but I just wish she had been upfront about it from the start instead of just acting the way she did through the book. Cleo was just a bully/bitch and can just go away. Daniel, sorry boy teasing is not cool, getting peeps in trouble is not cool (and so I will definitely NOT be reading the next book which will be about him). I am not sure how I felt about our MC Lola, at times I could relate, other times I was rooting for her, and other times I wanted to stick her to the nearest wall and just have her gone. She got on my nerves.
Astrid and the Alices were fun characters, I liked that they had a Halloween party, I liked reading how those first months at a new school were, the art was fun.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Bigg School: Best Friends Forever, by Lisa Williamson and Jess Bradley. from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Best friends forever Chloe and Evie are best friends until they start a new school year and have no classes together. School is hard enough with out friendship problems, Chloe is feeling a little lost without her supposed bff Evie, life is not the same, and change is never fun. I would never want to go back to elementary school again, so much angst and anxiety, this is a really good read.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really important MG read about the transition to high school. Will be perfect for year 6 / 7s who are navigating that change and the shift in friendships

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarily relatable. It took me way back to that difficult time when you move from primary school to secondary ("big school" in fact!) and friends change their image overnight, and friendships are thrown up into the air as groups are scattered - but this book is nicely positive about how this can all go, without under-estimating how hard it can be. The characters were more nuanced than I thought at first, and the emotions were very real. I also really liked the design and the illustrations. Most of all, it's so good to see something contemporary amidst the sea of fantasy and magic for this age group, terrific though much of it is. I can easily see all the year 6 girls passing this around to each other.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how accessible the writing is without being too simple. Lisa Williamson really is insightful about the feelings and thoughts of Y7 girls. The writing sometimes brings back fond memories of my old self at that age (and not-so-fond ones as well).

By the way, I am from Hong Kong originally, but for the life of me, I don't get how Jiayi could mean "lucky one". Does anyone have the Cantonese word for it?

[Camilla Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is right on the money. I see so much of myself aged 12 in Lola. Like her, and most 12 year olds, I couldn’t see beyond myself and my own needs. The whole world was unfair!

I love the truth and honesty in this simple story. It’s wonderful and I’m moving straight onto Daniel next.

Who knew Lisa could do this age group just as skilled as she does troubled teens?

Fabulous book.

[Vonprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect story about changing friendships. Ideal for children moving from primary to secondary school. You can read my full review here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....

[Elsie Tufts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable for a 11 year old girl starting high school with a close best friend.

[Sophie Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, touching, just lovely

[Jovie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably one of my favourites, I never ever read a book this long in just 2 days and this was super relatable and sad. Overall I definitely would recommend this <3

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely exploration of that difficult part of growing up in which we may grow apart from old friends and find new ones. Simple & non pretentious, painful yet heartwarming and fun in the end.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, as it reminded me a lot of Jacqueline Wilson's works (even the cover gives off a JW vibe! You can see where the author and illustrator got their inspiration from!)

This book is very realistic. The main character (Lola) is one of the most "real" pre-teen girl characters that I have EVER read about. She's likable and funny. I would've liked her as a friend when I was 11.



I also liked her new friend (Astrid) She was just so unapologetically HER. She was fun and unique. (Quirky but in a positive way, if you get what I mean)

On the other hand, I absolutely despised Cleo: she was such a show-off and she just annoyed me to no end.

The little illustrations are so cute and the front cover is a perfect example of pre-teen life.

The author has actually released three more books in the "Bigg School" series: I've read the second one ("Double Drama" which I have already done a review on) and it was a quick, light read although i didn't like it as much as the first book.

I personally feel that "Best Friends Forever" didn't need a sequel (or four....) as it now feels like a typical "pre-teen book series" that you see everywhere (looking at you, Lottie Brooks...)

I won't be reading the third and fourth books (as unfortunately, I think the series is starting to become a little bit cliqued, compared to the first book)

I was disappointed to find out that Astrid (who, in the first book, is outspoken and proud to be different), gets a makeover in the third book (from CLEO of all people, who neither can stick one another) just to impress her crush. Astrid would never do that. She's OUTSPOKEN, different and funny. Creative!

The fifth book is going to be released this year and will be told from Cleo's perspective (I will definitely NOT be reading this one as Cleo is a character that I particularly despise. Reading her thoughts will just fill me with rage, haha)