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Friends #2
Life Without Friends
After testifying at a murder trial, Beverly Johnson fears that all of her classmates will blame her for the deaths of two students, because of her association with their killer, Tim Connors
250 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 1987
12 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Emerson White
36 books242 followersThis talented writer attended Tufts University (and published her first book, Friends for Life, while a senior there) and currently lives in New York City. Ms. White grew up in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Many of her novels feature characters who reside in or around Boston and are fans of the Boston Red Sox (as is Ms. White). In addition to novels, Ms. White has published several biographies. She also writes under the pseudonym Zack Emerson (taking the name Zack from the name of her shepherd dog) and under the pseudonym Nicholas Edwards (Santa Paws series).
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October 26, 2022
Beverly can’t have friends. If she does, she might destroy them.
She knows this. After last year.
Everyone else knows it too.
Except Derek.
Derek is weird.
She pushes. And he . . . gets closer.
Which isn’t the plan.
There isn’t a plan. Beverly isn’t allowed to plan. Or dream. Or hope.
She isn’t allowed to have friends. Or to love.
The problem is she can’t explain that—at least not the reason behind it—to Derek.
Ellen Emmerson White’s Life Without Friends is one of my favorite contemporary novels. Mainly because of Beverly. There’s nothing outstanding about her. Nothing special. Nothing out of this world. No grand, magical or horror-filled hook.
She is herself. An ordinary, flawed human being with an imperfect life, imperfect family, and imperfect past.
And an incredible sense of guilt. Which is what makes her journey in this novel so real, so heartfelt, and so believable.
In case you aren’t convinced, here’s an excerpt from p. 4:
“Alone again, Beverly relaxed somewhat. It was hard to believe that life could get any worse than this. More than once lately, she had thought about killing herself, erasing the fact that she had ever existed. It would be so easy, so—except that she wouldn’t. She didn’t respect people who committed suicide.”
Note: Life Without Friends is a companion novel to Friends for Life, the latter which technically comes first and includes the dramatic events which set up Beverly’s emotional dilemma. The main characters in the novels are entirely different. You can easily love Life Without Friends without having read the first book, though if I could go back, I would probably read them in order.
She knows this. After last year.
Everyone else knows it too.
Except Derek.
Derek is weird.
She pushes. And he . . . gets closer.
Which isn’t the plan.
There isn’t a plan. Beverly isn’t allowed to plan. Or dream. Or hope.
She isn’t allowed to have friends. Or to love.
The problem is she can’t explain that—at least not the reason behind it—to Derek.
Ellen Emmerson White’s Life Without Friends is one of my favorite contemporary novels. Mainly because of Beverly. There’s nothing outstanding about her. Nothing special. Nothing out of this world. No grand, magical or horror-filled hook.
She is herself. An ordinary, flawed human being with an imperfect life, imperfect family, and imperfect past.
And an incredible sense of guilt. Which is what makes her journey in this novel so real, so heartfelt, and so believable.
In case you aren’t convinced, here’s an excerpt from p. 4:
“Alone again, Beverly relaxed somewhat. It was hard to believe that life could get any worse than this. More than once lately, she had thought about killing herself, erasing the fact that she had ever existed. It would be so easy, so—except that she wouldn’t. She didn’t respect people who committed suicide.”
Note: Life Without Friends is a companion novel to Friends for Life, the latter which technically comes first and includes the dramatic events which set up Beverly’s emotional dilemma. The main characters in the novels are entirely different. You can easily love Life Without Friends without having read the first book, though if I could go back, I would probably read them in order.
March 27, 2019
To really get to the root of my Ellen Emerson White love we're gonna need to go back to the beginning. I must have been fourteen. I saw LIFE WITHOUT FRIENDS sitting faced out on the bookstore shelf and thank goodness for whichever prescient bookseller it was that faced it out because it was the cover that sold me. I would never have picked it up if all I'd seen was the spine. The title is, as my husband would (and has!) said, possibly the most depressing book title of all time. But the cover. I love it. Because the girl doesn't look depressed. Thoughtful? Yes. Lonely? Most definitely. But something in her face told me she was tough. Then there's the park bench, the leaf in her hand, the ivy-covered tree, the Boston Red Sox cap awkwardly perched on her head, and the city skyline in the distance. SOLD.
Beverly has had a bad year. She was involved in a series of murders that took place at her high school during junior year. Involved in a The Murderer Was Her Boyfriend kind of way. The story opens as she is returning home from the trial with her father and stepmother. Things are understandably tense in the Johnson household these days. But it's been that way for years now. When her mother died, Beverly came to live with her father the stodgy Harvard professor, his young and quirky wife Maryanne, and their happy-go-lucky five-year-old Oliver. Shortly after she got involved with what could delicately be termed "the wrong crowd" and things spiralled downward from there. Now she spends her days trying to ghost through the rest of her senior year, avoid contact with anyone including the psychiatrist her father makes her see, and not wake up screaming from her increasingly disturbing nightmares. One day on a walk through the Public Gardens, Beverly meets Derek--a boy who works landscaping for the city--and an uneasy friendship is born.
This book kind of ate me alive at fourteen and I have re-read it pretty much every year since. It's become what you might call a Monster Comfort Read. The ones you practically have memorized, yet you still get that tingle down your spine as you turn the page, just knowing what delights are on the other side. Much of the storyline revolves around Beverly trying to come to grips with her role in the crimes and whether or not she could have stopped things before they really got out of control. This lion's share of guilt is compounded when she dares to make a friend who doesn't know who she is or what happened last year. Beverly is caught in an agony of uncertainty over whether or not to tell him and lose someone who has somehow become important or hide her past and retain a friendship based on lies. This book is a companion novel to White's first book, Friends for Life, which focuses on the actual murder story itself. Beverly is a minor character in that book and I have to give it up for White's audacity at making the character you previously despised the protagonist in a follow-up book. But she pulls it off flawlessly. The entire cast of characters gets under your skin and you realize, just as Beverly is not the bad girl you first took her to be, none of the other characters are any kind, shape, or form of black or white. While the wonderfully stilted and layered interactions between Beverly and Derek steal the show, all of the characters sparkle and resonate with me. I am particularly fond of the weekly psychiatric sessions, which are like a minefield for Beverly, as well as pretty much any conversation between Beverly and Maryanne.
So. While I sit here with a big, dumb grin on my face, you go see if you can rustle up a copy at your local library. Used copies are also available pretty cheap right now. I'm just sayin'...
Beverly has had a bad year. She was involved in a series of murders that took place at her high school during junior year. Involved in a The Murderer Was Her Boyfriend kind of way. The story opens as she is returning home from the trial with her father and stepmother. Things are understandably tense in the Johnson household these days. But it's been that way for years now. When her mother died, Beverly came to live with her father the stodgy Harvard professor, his young and quirky wife Maryanne, and their happy-go-lucky five-year-old Oliver. Shortly after she got involved with what could delicately be termed "the wrong crowd" and things spiralled downward from there. Now she spends her days trying to ghost through the rest of her senior year, avoid contact with anyone including the psychiatrist her father makes her see, and not wake up screaming from her increasingly disturbing nightmares. One day on a walk through the Public Gardens, Beverly meets Derek--a boy who works landscaping for the city--and an uneasy friendship is born.
This book kind of ate me alive at fourteen and I have re-read it pretty much every year since. It's become what you might call a Monster Comfort Read. The ones you practically have memorized, yet you still get that tingle down your spine as you turn the page, just knowing what delights are on the other side. Much of the storyline revolves around Beverly trying to come to grips with her role in the crimes and whether or not she could have stopped things before they really got out of control. This lion's share of guilt is compounded when she dares to make a friend who doesn't know who she is or what happened last year. Beverly is caught in an agony of uncertainty over whether or not to tell him and lose someone who has somehow become important or hide her past and retain a friendship based on lies. This book is a companion novel to White's first book, Friends for Life, which focuses on the actual murder story itself. Beverly is a minor character in that book and I have to give it up for White's audacity at making the character you previously despised the protagonist in a follow-up book. But she pulls it off flawlessly. The entire cast of characters gets under your skin and you realize, just as Beverly is not the bad girl you first took her to be, none of the other characters are any kind, shape, or form of black or white. While the wonderfully stilted and layered interactions between Beverly and Derek steal the show, all of the characters sparkle and resonate with me. I am particularly fond of the weekly psychiatric sessions, which are like a minefield for Beverly, as well as pretty much any conversation between Beverly and Maryanne.
So. While I sit here with a big, dumb grin on my face, you go see if you can rustle up a copy at your local library. Used copies are also available pretty cheap right now. I'm just sayin'...
November 8, 2016
I was captivated from the first chapter of this book about a girl who does the unthinkable:
Her growing attachment to Derek also feels natural, though he’s socially of the wrong class for her—and maybe that’s partly why it works. Beverly feels drawn to him because he has no idea who she is or what she’s done, and it’s clear she’s achingly lonely. They fumble a bit, coming together, in an endearing way, and as with White’s other mismatched couple, Rebecca and Michael from The Road Home, I find myself cheering them on and hoping they’ll find a way to stay together.
Key to this story is the need for forgiveness, not least the need to forgive yourself. Beverly has trouble accepting the fact that she’s as much a victim as the girl Tim killed, that her life was in danger too, and this story is about her journey of realization. But she also has to learn to forgive her mother, whose suicide touches every event in this story because of what it means to Beverly. Just being able to talk about it is a huge step for her, and by the end Beverly is able to accept that her mother’s death was not about her. I loved the role Derek plays in Beverly’s learning how to forgive herself—that whole scene where Beverly finally tells him her story is just perfect. It's hard to believe no one ever thought to tell her what he does--that none of this is ultimately her fault--and yet Beverly's relationship with her father, which is filled with silences, makes it real.
Aside from the lengthy infodump at the beginning of the book (and I’m not sure it was a mistake, but infodumping is always awkward even when it’s needed) White’s craft is solid and her prose simple and clean. It’s an excellent book, and one I’m sure I’ll come back to again.
A murder trial. Well, actually it was a hearing. She had never been so terrified in her life—no wonder her stomach felt this way. Tim had given his best performance: all blond and muscular and clean-cut, too wholesome to have possibly committed murder. Except he had. Twice. And from the way he kept smiling over at her, the malicious smile that scared her even in the safety of a crowded courtroom, she knew that he wanted everyone to think that she was lying and had helped him every step of the way. And by knowing he had done it, and being too afraid to tell anyone, maybe she had.This is a story about guilt and culpability, about strength and weakness and making choices. Beverly falls in with Tim because she feels she has nowhere else to go; her mother, suffering from serious depression, isn’t able to offer Beverly support, then (probably) takes her own life, making Beverly’s situation worse. But there’s never a moment when I felt Beverly’s isolation was deserved; she made stupid choices, but her fear of Tim, who abuses her emotionally and physically, made her decision not to speak out seem natural. It’s painful to watch her isolating herself, but everything she does makes sense even as it made my heart ache for her.
Her growing attachment to Derek also feels natural, though he’s socially of the wrong class for her—and maybe that’s partly why it works. Beverly feels drawn to him because he has no idea who she is or what she’s done, and it’s clear she’s achingly lonely. They fumble a bit, coming together, in an endearing way, and as with White’s other mismatched couple, Rebecca and Michael from The Road Home, I find myself cheering them on and hoping they’ll find a way to stay together.
Key to this story is the need for forgiveness, not least the need to forgive yourself. Beverly has trouble accepting the fact that she’s as much a victim as the girl Tim killed, that her life was in danger too, and this story is about her journey of realization. But she also has to learn to forgive her mother, whose suicide touches every event in this story because of what it means to Beverly. Just being able to talk about it is a huge step for her, and by the end Beverly is able to accept that her mother’s death was not about her. I loved the role Derek plays in Beverly’s learning how to forgive herself—that whole scene where Beverly finally tells him her story is just perfect. It's hard to believe no one ever thought to tell her what he does--that none of this is ultimately her fault--and yet Beverly's relationship with her father, which is filled with silences, makes it real.
Aside from the lengthy infodump at the beginning of the book (and I’m not sure it was a mistake, but infodumping is always awkward even when it’s needed) White’s craft is solid and her prose simple and clean. It’s an excellent book, and one I’m sure I’ll come back to again.
December 31, 2022
The back story for the heroine in this one was crazy. Her drug-dealing boyfriend abused her and started murdering people, and she finally called the cops to prevent more murder. Now everyone blames her for the initial deaths, and she kinda wants to kill herself, and she's in therapy. Also, she hates everyone, and spends most of the book being sarcastic and snapping at people because she thinks everyone hates her too.
Her boyfriend killing people was actually in the first book, but I didn't realize this was part of a duology because I randomly got this from a thrift store. I'm not sure if I'll read that one yet or not, since it follows a different heroine. This book wasn't super exciting, but I did like reading about her gradually opening up to her therapist, her family, and a new guy in her life.
Her boyfriend killing people was actually in the first book, but I didn't realize this was part of a duology because I randomly got this from a thrift store. I'm not sure if I'll read that one yet or not, since it follows a different heroine. This book wasn't super exciting, but I did like reading about her gradually opening up to her therapist, her family, and a new guy in her life.
October 20, 2014
I reread this so often that I should probably attempt to write something about it.
Life Without Friends is an odd book to pick for a comfort read. It's about drug overdoses and a murder trial and - aptly enough - life without friends. It's about loneliness and painful personal history and bad choices. But it's also about learning to heal and to accept help, to talk to people, to face things head-on, and to trust. It's a slim volume, but it's not a simple read. It's grim and heartbreaking, but it's also life-affirming.
There are some flaws: Ellen Emerson White does have a distinct style, and that can make her voice sound familiar, which - in first person POV works - can make her characters sound similar. Except her characters are also vulnerable and funny and real, so they work anyway.
It's difficult to talk about books that hit me on such a personal level. (I can't begin to think about reviewing The Road Home, for example.) But Life Without Friends is good, and that's comforting.
Life Without Friends is an odd book to pick for a comfort read. It's about drug overdoses and a murder trial and - aptly enough - life without friends. It's about loneliness and painful personal history and bad choices. But it's also about learning to heal and to accept help, to talk to people, to face things head-on, and to trust. It's a slim volume, but it's not a simple read. It's grim and heartbreaking, but it's also life-affirming.
There are some flaws: Ellen Emerson White does have a distinct style, and that can make her voice sound familiar, which - in first person POV works - can make her characters sound similar. Except her characters are also vulnerable and funny and real, so they work anyway.
It's difficult to talk about books that hit me on such a personal level. (I can't begin to think about reviewing The Road Home, for example.) But Life Without Friends is good, and that's comforting.
September 28, 2009
Ellen Emerson White's characters do seem to be very similar - girls from upper class Boston, who usually enjoy sports (typically tennis and skiing- in this case running), and are undoubtedly wicked smart - but each one is so different in her own way that I can't help but love them all. Beverly from Life Without Friends is no exception. Beverly hasn't exactly had an easy time of things, after her mother died, she's gone to live with her father, step-mother and 5-year-old step-brother Oliver who she couldn't get along with less. In hindsight, she chose the wrong kids to hang around with at school, but at the time, gorgeous and fast-living Tim seemed to be perfect. Not unexpectedly, Beverly is at the center of a murder scandal at her school, finding herself ostracized and friendless and constantly eaten up by guilt and self-loathing - wishing she had only done something to stop Tim.
Enter Derek, s fun-loving guy who does landscaping at one of the city parks. After a series of pretty dang humorous encounters, Beverly and Derek embark on a somewhat unusual friendship (meaning Derek doesn't usually know if they will be friends the next day or not). Derek is more than persistent (thankfully) when it comes to Beverly though and doesn't relent until he gets her to open up to him and slowly helps her work through some of her guilt and fears - while making her laugh every step of the way. My kind of guy. That's not the only reason I am in serious like with Derek however, he is just so dang sweet and thoughtful. Like when he was to meet her parents for the first time, he dressed up and even cut his hair and was very anxious to find out what Beverly thought of the result. Sweet.
I couldn't have loved Beverly's story more. Obviously, she's got some major issues to deal with and demons to beat back but she's trying to work through it all, that (to me) is a major show of courage. That seems to be one of the overall themes in Ellen Emerson White's books; even when her characters have to deal with some tough times, they've proven themselves to be up to the task and so I'm never worried for their futures. Curious? Yes, but anxious, no. I also love that on the cover here she's sitting on the bench that she spends so much time sitting on with Derek. Nice.
Enter Derek, s fun-loving guy who does landscaping at one of the city parks. After a series of pretty dang humorous encounters, Beverly and Derek embark on a somewhat unusual friendship (meaning Derek doesn't usually know if they will be friends the next day or not). Derek is more than persistent (thankfully) when it comes to Beverly though and doesn't relent until he gets her to open up to him and slowly helps her work through some of her guilt and fears - while making her laugh every step of the way. My kind of guy. That's not the only reason I am in serious like with Derek however, he is just so dang sweet and thoughtful. Like when he was to meet her parents for the first time, he dressed up and even cut his hair and was very anxious to find out what Beverly thought of the result. Sweet.
I couldn't have loved Beverly's story more. Obviously, she's got some major issues to deal with and demons to beat back but she's trying to work through it all, that (to me) is a major show of courage. That seems to be one of the overall themes in Ellen Emerson White's books; even when her characters have to deal with some tough times, they've proven themselves to be up to the task and so I'm never worried for their futures. Curious? Yes, but anxious, no. I also love that on the cover here she's sitting on the bench that she spends so much time sitting on with Derek. Nice.
March 3, 2007
What a great book, I think I read it a million times. All about a girl who gets involved with the wrong guy, and people die because of it. She's shattered, and has to live with her father and new step-family, after her mother's suicide. And of course, angry and tortured, she meets the most awesome guy who helps her heal. Great book, very insightful. Read it in early high school, it's not a long book at all, but it left it's mark.
March 8, 2016
I didn't expect to like this much (teens and drugs and murder? Not my kind of book, really) but ended up being wowed by the terse, lucid prose and the clever and subtle way in which White shows the protagonist learning to let go of the past and forgive herself as well as others. The full review, where the book is compared with Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, is on the book battle page: https://yamgbattle.wordpress.com (less)
December 27, 2016
Reread for the 2016 Book Battle. SO GOOD.
Read first in October 2014: 4.5 and can I grow up to be as strong and kind and just *right* as Beverly's step-mother please?
Read first in October 2014: 4.5 and can I grow up to be as strong and kind and just *right* as Beverly's step-mother please?
May 11, 2012
Originally posted here
It seems fitting to review an Ellen Emerson White title for Retro Friday because it was Angie who first introduced me to this author. Life Without Friends is a sequel to Friends for Life. I believe both titles are out of print and sadly, I wasn't able to get a used copy of Friends for Life. I don't think it matters though because I enjoyed reading Life Without Friends even if I haven't read its companion novel. I hope those titles aren't too confusing!
Beverly has been through so much - she dated a guy who was involved in a lot of drugs and was part of the wrong crowd in school. To cope with the horror of the past year, Beverly has decided that it's better for her to avoid everyone and keep to herself. Her father requires her to attend weekly psychiatrist sessions but even during those private moments, Beverly is afraid to open up. Poor Beverly! I really felt bad for her at the start of the novel. The title of the book - Life Without Friends - seemed really appropriate for her because she didn't have any friends that she could turn to. I can't imagine what that must have been like for her. Here's a fairly spoiler-free snippet from early on:
It's a good thing Derek unexpectedly appears in Beverly's life and he's determined to be friends with her. I think Derek is really a great guy - he's thoughtful, friendly and does his best to make Beverly laugh. A tentative kind of relationship forms between these two. Derek is hesitant because he's worried that he's not good enough for Beverly, while Beverly doesn't want Derek to know the horrible things that happened in her school. This book reminded me a bit of the Love Stories series published by Bantam Books and I devoured those when I was a teen. I think the romance in this novel is really sweet but Life Without Friends is more than just a love story. It's about Beverly coming to terms with everything bad that happened in her life - from her mother passing away five years before to her getting involved with the worst kind of guy. I also enjoyed watching Beverly interact with the people in her life - her father, her stepmother, her younger brother and even her psychiatrist. I found the conversations during her weekly psych sessions funny. Sometimes, it's nice to read something like this and remember a time when we didn't have cellphones or the internet. Beverly reminded me so much of Meg from the same author's President's Daughter series - both of them intelligent young women experiencing difficult times in their lives. I kind of wish they got to meet in the last Long May She Reign. I'm hoping that Ellen Emerson White will release another book soon, I'd love to check it out if that happens.
It seems fitting to review an Ellen Emerson White title for Retro Friday because it was Angie who first introduced me to this author. Life Without Friends is a sequel to Friends for Life. I believe both titles are out of print and sadly, I wasn't able to get a used copy of Friends for Life. I don't think it matters though because I enjoyed reading Life Without Friends even if I haven't read its companion novel. I hope those titles aren't too confusing!
Beverly has been through so much - she dated a guy who was involved in a lot of drugs and was part of the wrong crowd in school. To cope with the horror of the past year, Beverly has decided that it's better for her to avoid everyone and keep to herself. Her father requires her to attend weekly psychiatrist sessions but even during those private moments, Beverly is afraid to open up. Poor Beverly! I really felt bad for her at the start of the novel. The title of the book - Life Without Friends - seemed really appropriate for her because she didn't have any friends that she could turn to. I can't imagine what that must have been like for her. Here's a fairly spoiler-free snippet from early on:
"Alone again, Beverly relaxed somewhat. It was hard to believe that life could get any worse than this. More than once lately, she had thought about killing herself, erasing the fact that she had ever existed. It would be so easy, so—except that she wouldn’t. She didn’t respect people who committed suicide."
It's a good thing Derek unexpectedly appears in Beverly's life and he's determined to be friends with her. I think Derek is really a great guy - he's thoughtful, friendly and does his best to make Beverly laugh. A tentative kind of relationship forms between these two. Derek is hesitant because he's worried that he's not good enough for Beverly, while Beverly doesn't want Derek to know the horrible things that happened in her school. This book reminded me a bit of the Love Stories series published by Bantam Books and I devoured those when I was a teen. I think the romance in this novel is really sweet but Life Without Friends is more than just a love story. It's about Beverly coming to terms with everything bad that happened in her life - from her mother passing away five years before to her getting involved with the worst kind of guy. I also enjoyed watching Beverly interact with the people in her life - her father, her stepmother, her younger brother and even her psychiatrist. I found the conversations during her weekly psych sessions funny. Sometimes, it's nice to read something like this and remember a time when we didn't have cellphones or the internet. Beverly reminded me so much of Meg from the same author's President's Daughter series - both of them intelligent young women experiencing difficult times in their lives. I kind of wish they got to meet in the last Long May She Reign. I'm hoping that Ellen Emerson White will release another book soon, I'd love to check it out if that happens.
May 24, 2014
It is kind of astounding how much better the sequel to Friends for Life was than its predecessor, like, I don't think I've ever seen such a dramatic leap in writing quality, kudos to EEW. This book had the compassion and depth I saw in The President's Daughter, where the other one seemed like a cheap murder mystery featuring cardboard cut-outs. Thankfully, reading the first isn't necessary to understanding the second. Glad I went ahead and read this one despite the former let-down. Really honestly dealt with the difficulty of connecting and speaking one's truth after multiple traumas.
January 17, 2008
I was a little biased, I'll admit, by the fact that it takes place in Boston, and that the main character lives in the same block of the same street where my good friend lived for many years, and that she spends a lot of time hanging out in the part of the Public Garden where I ate my lunch on every pleasant day. Her settings are very detailed, so I really felt like I was right there; I am reading another one of her books because it takes place in the small town where I went to college.
But this book is excellent, too, and I'll tell you why. I was really interested in the fact that the author set up a really dramatic thriller of a story, and then used it as backstory. This is about someone returning to normal life after the kind of horrible experience that is usually the plot of a movie. So after hooking up with a charming but untrustworthy boyfriend and getting into drugs and finding herself swept away when her boyfriend turns out to be truly evil and starts dealing and killing people, Beverly finally gets out, and ends up having to testify against her ex. But now that that's all over, she just has to show up at school every day, where everyone hates her and stares. I love the nuanced psychological story of a girl who is basically an okay person but is miserable, acts pretty miserable, has a family who loves her but doesn't know what to do with her, and can't figure out what to do with herself now that everyone hates her.
I would call this a great book, and suggest it to anyone who's willing to read something they call Young Adult.
But this book is excellent, too, and I'll tell you why. I was really interested in the fact that the author set up a really dramatic thriller of a story, and then used it as backstory. This is about someone returning to normal life after the kind of horrible experience that is usually the plot of a movie. So after hooking up with a charming but untrustworthy boyfriend and getting into drugs and finding herself swept away when her boyfriend turns out to be truly evil and starts dealing and killing people, Beverly finally gets out, and ends up having to testify against her ex. But now that that's all over, she just has to show up at school every day, where everyone hates her and stares. I love the nuanced psychological story of a girl who is basically an okay person but is miserable, acts pretty miserable, has a family who loves her but doesn't know what to do with her, and can't figure out what to do with herself now that everyone hates her.
I would call this a great book, and suggest it to anyone who's willing to read something they call Young Adult.
March 7, 2016
I liked this a lot. Beverly's journey was so well done. And HER STEP-MOTHER. <3
Derek's lucky I got past his intro, though.
Derek's lucky I got past his intro, though.
August 23, 2009
I really wish I would have read this book back in high school. But, better late than never. Glad I found it in the Young Adult Clearance section at Half Price Books for only $.25. Score!
January 24, 2022
3.33. Young Adult Book. Entertaining, really liked the Derek and Maryanne characters. I felt sympathetic to Beverly but her thoughts and words were not terribly interesting at times--honestly, the writing was slightly above average and the dialogue was believable but often very stilted and awkward. Really disliked Beverly's father (he gets better as the book goes on) and I felt neutral toward her Psychologist, Dr. Samuels. Beverly isn't without friends for very long in this book. I would say the plot is about her learning to trust herself and others again after her ex-boyfriend beat her up and directly deliberately caused the deaths of two of Beverly's classmates.
This was published in 1987 and I enjoyed heartily the things that wouldn't make sense today--the Psychologist smoking cigarettes with his teenage clients, the reference to those new-fangled VCR things, no cell phones, and I liked the setting in Boston.
Definitely a worthy read in the YA genre.
This was published in 1987 and I enjoyed heartily the things that wouldn't make sense today--the Psychologist smoking cigarettes with his teenage clients, the reference to those new-fangled VCR things, no cell phones, and I liked the setting in Boston.
Definitely a worthy read in the YA genre.
March 21, 2017
An oldie but a goodie, I read and reread this book countless times. It spoke to me deeply. I never felt the urge to read the first one "Friends for Life", but you didn't need to in order to understand the story in this one. It's a quick, powerful read that any teen anywhere can relate to. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
August 3, 2010
2.5 stars
The characters were likable, believable and it was an easy read, with no unnecessary subplots. It was interesting to take a character like Beverley, whom we are predisposed to despise given her actions, yet Beverley already hates herself and that gives us this moment of empathy with her and then I was interested to see what would happen to her. It was such a relief to see her contemplating suicide (though she knew she would never follow through b/c that was for cowards), so filled with despair and self-hate, and then see Beverley change her life, esp. through knowing Derek.
My biggest drawback while reading was Derek's manner of speech. All the "yo"s and "like"s, over and over. He also spoke like he was from the South. Why? It seemed utterly out of place.
The parents, as well as why Beverley was running with that crowd and what she did, do not get off scott free, but I thought maybe a little something more was in order. I would have liked to have seen Beverley do more to make up for her failure before...
Worth a read, if only for the handling of one person's journey back to Life.
The characters were likable, believable and it was an easy read, with no unnecessary subplots. It was interesting to take a character like Beverley, whom we are predisposed to despise given her actions, yet Beverley already hates herself and that gives us this moment of empathy with her and then I was interested to see what would happen to her. It was such a relief to see her contemplating suicide (though she knew she would never follow through b/c that was for cowards), so filled with despair and self-hate, and then see Beverley change her life, esp. through knowing Derek.
My biggest drawback while reading was Derek's manner of speech. All the "yo"s and "like"s, over and over. He also spoke like he was from the South. Why? It seemed utterly out of place.
The parents, as well as why Beverley was running with that crowd and what she did, do not get off scott free, but I thought maybe a little something more was in order. I would have liked to have seen Beverley do more to make up for her failure before...
Worth a read, if only for the handling of one person's journey back to Life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2009
This book caught me by surprise. It was dated and I was thinking that the story and writing might be too. I was wrong it was wonderful. Beverly is coming off a hard year (the details of that year are written in a companion book to this novel, that I couldn't find, where she was a minor character) and finds herself at school without friends, under close watch by her dad and step mom and in therapy. Sh has closed herself off to people until she meets a handsome groundskeeper at the Public Gardens. Having been scarred by her previous boyfriend she tells Derek she just wants a friend and an unlikely friendship develops. Derek's character was just so dang adorable! I loved his interaction with Beverly.Beverly's relationship wit her stepmom was also very engaging. Yu could feel he struggle Beverly had to try and continue to distance herself from her. I think her sarcastic retorts with her therapist were wonderful. I was sad when the book ended I wanted to keep reading about the characters.
November 10, 2015
I might give this another go, for a more detailed review because I honestly can't remember very, very much. It's been awhile, but what I do remember was that I enjoyed it better than "Friends For Life", and I'd kind of liked the dynamic between Beverly and Derek.
Also, the premise is completely appropriate for me, as I'm also the kind of person who at various points (including now for instance) decided to just not try to make any friends at all anymore, because you've just been abused or abandoned or neglected or deceived so many times by so many different people, that you've just had it. And it's genuinely hard to believe that there's anyone truly good out there. But that's where fiction comes in...escape. Escape into a new character who seems different but also alike to you in some way, but finds hope in their life, and live through them...it's how I like to write my characters.
Also, the premise is completely appropriate for me, as I'm also the kind of person who at various points (including now for instance) decided to just not try to make any friends at all anymore, because you've just been abused or abandoned or neglected or deceived so many times by so many different people, that you've just had it. And it's genuinely hard to believe that there's anyone truly good out there. But that's where fiction comes in...escape. Escape into a new character who seems different but also alike to you in some way, but finds hope in their life, and live through them...it's how I like to write my characters.
May 21, 2010
I enjoyed this book. It was originally published in 1987, and the pop culture references (A-Team, B.A. Baracus:), dated clothing styles, and several characters puffing away on cigarettes in public buildings every chance they got really illustrate the fact that this was more than 20 years ago. Still, the plot, characters, and themes remain fresh. This book is in my school library and contains the checkout card and pocket that were used prior to automation. Over the years, especially in the 80s and 90s,*many* girls have borrowed it, read it, and -- I suspect -- loved it...but not so many lately. My job is to decide if the good writing balances out the out-dated cultural references. Keep it and try to revive interest...or weed it?...that is the question.
May 12, 2015
I've loved Life Without Friends for a long time, and I've read it so many times I lose track. I'm so happy to see similar reviews on here, because I don't know anybody else who has read this book or even heard of it. Life Without Friends follows Beverly Johnson, who is caught in the middle of a murder trial of her ex-boyfriend, who she knew was committing the crimes but too frightened to say anything. I love the theme of recovery in this book, as Beverly is withdrawn, angry, and suspicious of others due to the trauma that the ex-boyfriend put her through. Despite these horrible subjects, the book is actually quite sweet, especially with the entrance of Derek, a boy Beverly unexpectedly finds herself caring about. Their relationship is about 80% of the reason I love this book.
August 20, 2008
I picked up a copy of Emerson's Life Without Friends when I was 14, loved it then, and love it now. Emerson doesn't "write down" to teens and this particular novel deals with some heavy interpersonal issues. The characters are so well-developed you barely notice (or mind) that nothing really happens in the book, as you're so focused on the developting relationship that is played out. Definitely recommended.
*This book is pretty difficult to find. There are a few copies on Half.com, etc. but Emerson's "President's Daughter" series was recently republished so hopefully some of her other novels will be, too.
*This book is pretty difficult to find. There are a few copies on Half.com, etc. but Emerson's "President's Daughter" series was recently republished so hopefully some of her other novels will be, too.
March 6, 2011
Oh my. I really did like this book. I think Ellen Emerson White might just be a genius when it comes to writing dialog. Really brilliant dialog that made me laugh out loud. She does always surprise me with her grittiness--there is some swearing and the subject matter tends to be serious. Did people swear in the 80's? I guess they did. There are a couple of descriptions in the book that give away that it isn't quite "current" YA fiction: running in sweatpants with a sweat band and smoking with your therapist.
April 2, 2008
I read this book in middle school (I guess when it first came out) and it was the first book that I read from cover to cover without looking up. I don't even really remember what it was about, except the teen girl protagonist was depressed, smoked, saw a therapist, and hung out in a park. I think...? I was mesmerized... ;)
September 19, 2009
It's really interesting reading old YA because it does sooo many things you wouldn't see in a book released this year. That said: strong characterization, believable growth and change, and a beautifully captured setting that made me want to catch the next plane to Boston.
P.S. I love the stepmom.
P.S. I love the stepmom.
September 28, 2010
I loved this book back in the day. I didn't know it was a sequel for a long time b/c my library didn't have the first one. I eventually caught on and inter library loaned the first one. It wasn't as good as this one.
Sept. 27, 2010: found a copy of this book at a library book sale. I could have screamed when I found it. I also found the book prior to this one. I was overjoyed.
Sept. 27, 2010: found a copy of this book at a library book sale. I could have screamed when I found it. I also found the book prior to this one. I was overjoyed.
August 27, 2012
A YA novel about a girl who feels exiled at her school because her boyfriend murdered two people and was ready to kill a third before she called the police on him. That's all before the book actually begins; the story is really about what her life is like afterwards. Pretty realistic. Wish she could have gotten her act together without the help of a boy(friend), though...
September 4, 2012
i love this book. Beverly made some bad decisions and people died, It it wasn't her fault but if only she had told someone. (Friends for Life). so now everyone hates her kids at school, teachers, maybe her dad but mostly herself. It is m u c h safer to have no friends. But that is easier said than done.
March 24, 2014
I thought I hadn't read this, but about 20 pages in, I realized I definitely had. That didn't diminish my enjoyment at all, though after 25 years of reading EEW's writing, I do definitely recognize her heroine type, best exemplified in Meghan Powers. But this was still entertaining, and definitely one that I'll keep around.
February 28, 2016
I picked this up for nostalgia's sake. I must have read it at least a few times back in the day because all these tiny details about it had stuck with me over the years. Anyway, the dude was a little more pushy nice guy than I remembered, and Beverly was a bit of a pain in the ass, but overall a decent reread.
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