Your Former Friend, Matthew

by LouAnn Gaeddert

Gail is devastated when her best friend Matthew ignores her after he returns from his summer vacation in the country.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1984

Reviews

[Falkor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail has been best friends with her neighbor Matthew since they were small children. But when Gail comes back from summer vacation to start fifth grade, Matthew ignores her, spending all his time with new male friends. Gail is angry and sad at losing his friendship, but during the school year makes new friends of her own. Having never had close female friends before, Gail is surprised at how much she comes to like and respect her classmates Joyce (a weird science geek) and Amanda (who seems prissy and stuck up but is actually kind and generous). When one of Matthew's new friends lets him down at a critical moment, Gail has a choice: she can ignore him like he's ignored her, or she can try to mend their friendship by helping him.

A bittersweet story about how friendships change as young people grow up, with well-developed, life-like characters and a straightforward, quick-moving plot. Gaeddert captures the intense feelings that teenagers experience over small events: a friend not saying hi, getting lost on the subway, an older sibling's teasing. She also handles the relationships between girls and boys (and girls and girls) at this awkward age well, without falling into stereotypes or blaming one gender for all problems. (For example, Gail loves sports, and discovers she can be friends with a girl who doesn't like sports like Amanda without pretending she doesn't like them herself.) I re-read this book as an adult and still enjoyed it.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book simply devastated me as a kid. I probably read it 30 times, and cried every time. I also associate Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is” with this book. Even as an adult, I flash back to the book each time the song spins. It must have been on the radio one of the times I read it as a kid.

I picked up the book again tonight, re-read it, and get the throat lump and the watery eyes in the same place. I still heard the song in my head as I read it.

It’s incredible how our brains work.

The book leans more Boy-Girl friendships, but definitely also has Girl-Girl friendship themes.

Written mid-80s and it ages pretty well. :).

[Hein Matthew Hattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their subway stop is 71st Ave. in Forest Hills, Queens, same the Ramones. By 1984, the Ramones had left home, which may be why they aren't mentioned.

On the book's final page, Matthew claims Diplomacy is "a better game than Monopoly. Whole countries, not just houses and hotels." The author presents this quote without judgment, leaving readers to establish its truth value.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book very quick read:) This book is about a girl named Gail whose best friend is a boy named Matthew. Matthew and gail go to seperate camps over the summer. When matthew comes back he is a lot diffrent. Matthew and Gail go apart but Gail really misses Matthew. Gail becomes friends with this really weird girl (at least she thinks she is weird.) Gail and this girl get lost on the subway and then they find each other. Gail and Matthew become friends at the end of the book beacuse Gail helped Matthew with his science project.

[Kyleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book my 5th grade teacher read to me she's awsome and so is this book must read

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a sweet school story about friendship. Nothing spectacular, just nice clean story to read and forget.