Besties: Set Sail

The World of Click #4

by Kayla Miller, Jeffrey Canino, Kristina Luu (illustrator)

From the New York Times bestselling World of Click, besties Beth and Chanda set sail on their third adventure. But their dream cruise is not all smooth sailing as they navigate the changing tides of friendship and sisterhood.

Busy besties Beth and Chanda are all aboard for a relaxing ocean getaway! Chanda fully embraces being on "Sunshine Time.” The only items on her to-do list are showing off her summer fashions, snorkeling, lounging on the beach with Beth, and sightseeing with her family—including her soon-to-be brother-in-law, Seth, and his parents. Scratch that; Chanda is so at ease that she hasn't even made a list! 

Beth is...less relaxed. Back home, her big sister, Lisa, is preparing to move away for college in the fall. Missing out on precious time with Lisa before she leaves has Beth feeling bluer than the ocean. Making things worse, she’s anxious about seeming like a wet beach towel on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation. 

Can the two friends find their sea legs and ride the emotional waves together?

Get whisked away by the latest collaboration from Kayla Miller, coauthor Jeffrey Canino, and illustrator Kristina Luu. Readers will journey along with Beth and Chanda to a world of technicolor sunsets and sparkling oceans as the besties dive into the ups and downs of getting away from it all and being there for each other.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Young Adult, Friendship, Childrens

208 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2025

Reviews

[Bethany W · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fun addition to the click series, the first i've read of this subseries. an enjoyable story but honestly i was very thrown off by the font choice and it was not inclusive at all. the lowercase a's looked like d's, and i found myself having to go back several times and reread a word. i also was confused by a character's name because it had a's and a d and i was like huh. not a child-friendly font, especially for readers with vision problems or dyslexia. the illustrations are fun and whimsical though!

also like did these kids parents not tell them airplane mode while you're on a cruise.... can you say roaming charges?? was waiting for that and it never happened lol

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. I’ve only ever cruised as a teen older than the girls, and then many times as an adult
Must have a balcony suite with parents, big sis, and 2 girls
Beth see Chanda’s disconnect with her big sister after she went to college and Beth’s afraid her big sis starting college in the fall will forget her also, feeling homesick, wishes her sister could be experiencing all the fun with her.
Chanda wants to go with the flow instead of making her usual plans but then falls back into planning mode to try to entertain Beth to not worry about her sister
Might need to take some time to feel sad before feeling better, on her own schedule
Great talk with Chanda’s big sister
So love the Kayla Miller series!

[D.T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute though the plot began to get repetitive at some points, especially the older sister being unable to say she wanted some alone time with her fiancé.

On the positive, I think this is the first children’s book that I’ve read where this is a plot point: a younger sibling dreading their older sibling going off to college and worrying about how their close relationship may change.

Another thing there was a clear dialogue on boundaries and the other character accepted it maturely. Yes, kids need to see that modeled.

2.5

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all the books in this series and the Click world, I found this to be a good overall book that handled some topics that may not be top of mind but are still important for middle schoolers. In this case, the focus of the book was really on Beth dealing with her sister moving away from home for school. While her sister is still at home, she's struggling with the idea of being separated from her when she starts college in the fall. And that is the focus of the book. Yes, Chanda is also working through some things in this book, but the bulk of the story is Beth. I understood what Beth was going through, but as an adult looking at the story, I have to admit that I lost patience with her. She is on a cruise of a lifetime with her best friend, and she spends almost all of her time trying to get wifi to work and to get online. Yes she wants to check in with her sister and understand what she's missing. But as a result, she misses out on so much and actually makes those around her have less fun. I did want to smack her a few times to get her to look up and participate in the world. Which is the struggle a lot of parents and people are having with our current reliance on technology. But ugh.

So, this is a great addition to the series, handles some good topics that would lead to a conversation, and is (as always) well illustrated. If you have't read the other books, this one is probably more stand alone that some of the other Besties books too which is an asset.

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

❄️ YIKES! I woke up to our first snow of the season — and it feels like 18°F! So naturally, today’s the perfect day to celebrate Pub Day for Besties Set Sail! 🚢☀️ Because honestly… who wouldn’t want to be heading off on a Caribbean cruise with their bestie right about now?

I just finished Besties Set Sail and now I’m so ready to pack my bags like Chana and Beth. Chana invites Beth on the vacation of a lifetime, and the two are beyond excited to make new memories together. But while Beth is grateful for the getaway, she’s also missing home — and especially her sister’s college orientation. That mix of fun, friendship, and a touch of homesickness makes this story so relatable and heartwarming.

So grab a tall glass of lemonade 🍋, find your coziest reading spot, and get ready to set sail on this sweet adventure with two amazing friends!

Huge thanks to @harperkids, @kayke, and @jeffreycanino for the ARC of this adorable book. All opinions are my own!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Chanda's family is going on a cruise to celebrate the engagement of Amaya and Seth, and invite Beth to go along with both families. Since Beth's sister Lisa is going to her college for an orientation visit before attending, Beth is sad that she is missing that. Chanda tries to "go with the flow" and not plan every second of the trip. The ship has little WiFi, and the mothers demand that all of the children do various activities. Beth spends a lot of time trying to connect and text Lisa, and isn't enjoying the cruise as much as she could. The girls do meet another girl who is an only child, and hang out with her a bit. In the end, Beth needs to have an honest talk with Chanda about how she is feeling about Lisa going off to college.

[Michelle Tuite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading 2025
Book 293: Besties: Set Sail by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino

Have read the other 3 books in this series, so had to grab the latest middle grade graphic novel at the library.

Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling World of Click, besties Beth and Chanda set sail on their third adventure. But their dream cruise is not all smooth sailing as they navigate the changing tides of friendship and sisterhood.

Review: The third book in this series featured a different pair of Besties. Glad that Miller went back to Chanda and Beth. Their dynamic and friendship is written well with all the pit falls of being in middle school. This book felt very heavy throughout, I understand why, but it seemed like too much. My rating 4⭐️.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besties: Set Sail by Kayla Miller is a lighthearted and entertaining graphic novel that perfectly captures the ups and downs of friendship. With humor, relatable moments, and expressive illustrations, this installment keeps the story fun and engaging from start to finish. Fans of the Besties series will enjoy seeing the characters grow as they navigate new experiences together, all while staying true to the themes of friendship and teamwork.

Having read the entire series, I can confidently say this book fits right in and delivers the same warmth and charm readers expect. It’s an easy, enjoyable read that will especially appeal to middle-grade students. My students will absolutely love this book and quickly connect with the characters and their adventures.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to thank edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been a fan since the beginning of the series and this is another great instalment in the series. This time we follow Chanda and Beth on a family cruise since Chanda’s older sister is getting married. Although Beth is excited to go, she also feels like she’s missing out at home since her older sister is going on a college tour all the while Chanda is trying to throw her lists out the window and try to go with the flow. Couple this with almost non existent wifi on the ship and meeting a new friend, we have a story you don’t want to miss. Can’t wait for the next one.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful entry into the Click series! I found this one to be much better than the Pranks one. Beth's complicated feelings on her vacation about big changes back home made me think back to my sisters and their feelings when I left for college.

I had so much sympathy for Chanda's older sister and her fiance as well! It can be very difficult to be the center of so much attention when you just want to relax!

[Ellon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars (It was okay)

Maybe because I don't have sisters but this was just kind of meh so me. Beth annoyed me with her constant obsession with getting phone signal. Like, I get that she was missing her sister but it just came off as too much.

I also think that Chandra's "go-with-the-flow" attitude came from nowhere and disappeared just as quick. Although that is something I can relate to a little more.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this one cute, the two girls are at sea and Beth is dealing with her sister going off to college and Chanda is worried about her.
It was okay honestly. Nothing to write home about, just Beth dealing with her feelings over her sister leaving for college and then spending most of the trip on her phone trying to get ahold of Lisa.

[Julesy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so much better than the previous (Prank Wars).

There's a lesson to learned here ... if you're feeling down, sometimes you just want to be by yourself and left alone. Pushing to get them involved and being constantly by their side may be counterproductive. Downtime is needed to work your way through your feelings.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great addition to the Besties series in the World of Click. I like that these are co-written, have great representation and deal with relatable topics, while also appealing to students who love to read graphic novels in the style of Raina Telgemeier, BBSC, etc.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tbh I love this series and will always read the next installment.
The authors nailed the expectations of family, the grief of life changes, and trying to help but not knowing how. Stunning 🤩
But also like the diversity??? Amazing ❤️

[Alice Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book ever by the best English professor ever!

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of quite a few graphic novels read in November to meet the goal of 30k+ pages read in the month.

[Liz W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the books in the Besties spin-off series. Great visual representations of anxiety and worry.

[Rhiannon Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy all Kayla Miller's books. Kayla portrays the struggles of adolescence with compassion and presents mature solutions in an understandable way. A great read.

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to the click series.