A wonderful book about friendship, with important discussions on feminism. A must read.

Thank you for my copy!

Holly Bourne is one of my favourite authors, certainly my favourite contemporary author, so I went into this book just assuming that I would love it as much as her other books. I did not.

It was a very quick and easy read, and there were definitely parts that I did enjoy. The female friendship element was definitely well done, and I felt like the main character, Fern, went through a lot of character growth at the end.

I had major issues with the main characters attitudes towards marriage, and towards her relationship, and I really didn’t like the way that storyline ended, I don’t feel like it gave a very good message. Fern had so much character growth towards the end of the book in regards to other things, but her opinions on marriage stayed completely the same, and I don’t feel like they were very healthy opinions or that they were opinions that allowed for a healthy relationship.

My other issue with this book is a personal preference thing, and that was the drug use in the book. I had absolutely no idea it was coming at all, and it’s not really something I personally enjoy reading about, so it made me a bit uncomfortable.

Overall, while there were some parts of this book I enjoyed, it wasn’t for me, and I am really sad about it because I normally love Holly’s books.

I unfortunatly gave up on this book after 120 pages.

The writing itself was good, and i think i was generally enjoying where the plot was going. But i didn’t enjoy the flashbacks to when they were 14 and the constant comparison/criticism of the girls bodies and activities.

I would read from this author again though.

Girl friends is one of those rare books that leaves you unable to put down, yet overwhelmed at times by the sheer intensity of the story - something I believe just goes to show how powerful the authors writing style truly is.

The characters were brought to life perfectly, each of them well developed and at times, relatable to some. The story flowed wonderfully from beginning to end, and has you captivated entirely. A wonderful read!

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

As someone who reconnected with a friend many years later, this was a book that interested me right from when I read the synopsis.

I did. however, find a couple of issues. Both Jess and Fern were incredibly toxic, and it was difficult to sympathise with them. I think they were genuinely better off without each other.

I love Holly Bourne’s works so much! They’re always so powerful and poignant. This was the first of Holly’s adult novels I’ve read and it was brutal, she doesn’t shy away from showing the ugly parts and really emphasising the trauma her characters tend to go through.

I found myself utterly gripped when I was reading this but reluctant to pick it up at the same time, I think perhaps because of the intensity.

I really empathised with Fern and Jessica but hated them both at the same time which made for such conflict! I hate how Fern refused to let go when it was clearly the best thing for her but equally the she acted towards her ‘best friend’ was abominable.

It’s not one I will revisit but I think it will prey on my mind for a while to come.

4 stars

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my e-ARC xx

As teenagers Jessica and Fern were inseparable, despite their differences they were there for one another, navigating the difficulties of growing up and fitting in. That is until Jessica crosses the line and Fern could never forgive her.

More than ten years later Jessica has reappeared into Fern's life. Can their friendship be different now that they are older? The more Jessica eases her way in the more Fern wonders if someone can change and if they are doomed and history will repeat itself.

This was brilliant and I just couldn't put this down. I read this in one sitting and I'm still thinking about this beautifully written book long after finishing it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everything that comes from Holly Bourne is golden, so you should definitely pick this one up.
This book bought meto my teenage years and it wasn't pretty ad i loved it.

Awful, surface level with a terrible depiction of female friendship with seemingly no point. The characters deserve each other! Wouldn't recommend this at all for anyone looking to read about toxic friendship - didn't have any thrills or tension.

I love Holly’s books so much and I loved the boss girl queen vibes of this one, but the main character made such pretty dumb decisions at times and wasn’t the most loveable

Who can't love a book by Holly Bourne?

Holly always seems to write her books in a way where I have to think and really think about what I've read and how it has made me feel, each one always seems to have a great way making you think!

I was really hooked on the story, I was so interested in the characters, how they developed throughout the story and the story really felt realistic.

I really enjoyed this. It was a different type of contemporary for me and it was refreshing to explore genres outside of My usual reads

I've read a lot of Holly Bourne's books, and really enjoy her YA titles the most. I'm a very similar age to Holly, and think we had very similar experiences growing up. She tends to use characters and settings that would be very familiar to lasses in their late 20s/early 30s, and Girl Friends was no exception.

Fern and Jessica are the kind of friends you'd be jealous of. Best in every way, experiencing life and all its ups and downs together. But there are a LOT of downs. I felt my stomach drop so many times in this book, the familiar mental health and anxiety feelings that come with being the "ugly" friend and holding that into adulthood as well. The worry that everyone likes your friend more than you. The ending was saytisfying, but a little on the nose with its references to sexual violence against women and girls, issues of gender based violence, girls being pressured to grow up too fast, don't walk alone at night...but I get the point it was making.

I can tell that Holly read a lot of the same books as me growing up, as there's shades of the Girls series by Jacqueline Wilson in here, but a more grown-up version.

This is the first time I have read a book by Holly Bourne and i will certainly be looking to read some of her others. I saw so many moments in this book that i could relate to in my own friendships, especially the paragraphs that touched on university days. I read the book very quickly - very readable, and i really liked the ending

A well written book about female friendships, the highs and lows of teenage life with some heavy themes which Holly Bourne writes about sensitively. Told in past and present with snappy chapters that made it a good paced read for me.
Similar themes and topics to Pretending that I've previously read by HB. This story follows 2 friends and their insecurities and self discoveries... its quite a serious book and comes with trigger warnings ⚠️. I enjoyed it but not as much as previous books I've read by Holly.

Absolutely loved this book thank you so much for my copy. I really like Holly as an author, I think she has a real talent for telling difficult stories and this one dod not disappoint.
This book had the perfect amount of suspense and mystery, the perfect amount of nostalgia, beautifully written and the perfect ending.
Absolutely devoured it and would recommend to friends!

A confronting look at how we hurt those who we love. The raging storyline had me tantalized and turning the pages fast. The story is fast paced throughout and the characters are believable and relatable.

Despite the fact that she has written many books and she is pretty popular, certainly in the UK, I think this is my first Holly Bourne book. I own a couple of her others but her latest Girl Friends is the first one I’ve tried. This is one of her adult works, so I’m intrigued to try some of her better known YA titles next.

Fern and Jessica were inseparable best friends in their teens but when Jessica crosses an unforgiveable line, they drift apart and don’t see each other for a decade. Then Jessica turns up at Fern’s work event and wants to reconnect. So much has changed for both of them but can their new selves be as good friends as their old selves were?

Mental illness and suicide are strong themes in this book, so some readers should be aware of that before reading. Fern has a history of self-harm and attempted suicide as a teen. She is now working as a mental health writer and training to be a counsellor. So, there are certainly lots of references to mental health problems. These things are dealt with very sensitively and Bourne has clearly done her homework in this area, which I really appreciated.

The intensity of teenage female friendship is portrayed so authentically in this book. This was particularly true in the early chapters that looked back at Fern and Jessica’s history. At 14, friendships are everything, especially if you’re largely ignored by your crushes like Fern is. I had no doubt that Bourne has been through similar things to Fern as a young teen because I think they could only come from someone who has been that shy, awkward girl.

Bourne does an amazing job of showing teens as they really are. The idea that girls are only their real selves around their closest friends is so true but it’s a truth that I think can only be seen in hindsight with a wiser, more mature gaze. A particular party scene was so vividly built and I can still picture every hazy, sticky corner of it. We’ve all been to these parties and we all turned a blind eye to the horrors that almost certainly happened at them.

Anyone who was a teen in the early to mid 2000s will recognise a lot of the attitudes and references within the teen chapters. The lack of language to describe sexuality and gender differences was still very prominent, which makes it seem like such a long time in the past. Realising how much has changed since then reminded me that the time being described was 20 years ago. A terrifying thought for someone who still feels 18 but is very much 32!

I really didn’t like Jessica and I tried so hard to get on board with her redemption at the end. However, I just couldn’t and therefore, I was really disappointed with the last part of the book. While I completely understand the messages that Bourne was trying to get across with regard to lack of real consent and slut shaming, there was something about Jessica that meant that I couldn’t make these things fit with her actions. Throughout the book, I’d seen her sideline Fern for male attention and disregard her supposed best friend’s feelings with very little protestation. I just couldn’t convert that to seeing her as a victim. Maybe that’s some kind of internalised misogyny on my part that I don’t know about but I honestly did try to see why Bourne made that decision and I’m afraid I couldn’t.

Girl Friends is a nostalgic, realistic depiction of female friendship at both its best and its worst. Themes of obsession and self-discovery meet acceptance and compassion in this raw exploration of what being a desirable girl really means. I just wish it had ended differently!

I love Holly Bourne's book and I heard such good reviews about this one that I knew if I had the chance I wanted to review this one and it didn't disappoint at all

This was written so well! I loved it, such a fresh coming of age story! I could see some of this falling into play when I was younger and can completely sympathise with our protagonist. I think its written in such a way that you feel at times the main character is just unreasonable but you start to understand her point of view. I liked how the book ended, I felt it was right not always to get a happy ending, but just a natural one. I'd definitely re-read this!