Cora is 11 years old and has a twin, Kyle. She also used to have a best friend, Sybella, who she met on the first day of second grade. The twins’ parents both work in environmental science.

“Their dad ran a garbology project that studied what happened to peoples’ trash and recycling after they put it all in their curbside bins. Their mother worked on the technology that tracked each lucky piece of garbage that was part of the project.”

Now it’s the fifth grade and Cora and Kyle’s parents are divorcing. Their parents are so separated, in fact, that their mother is working in Belgium for a year while she thinks about the future. Meanwhile her kids are still in California and Cora thinks her life is garbage, what with her mother on the other side of the world and in the wrong time zone to be able to give Cora much needed advice about her friendship problems.

Their father wants to “show the world what happened to the things it tried to get rid of.” However he appears positively clueless about how sad both of his kids are; while Cora is obviously sad throughout the book, Kyle hides his sadness behind a wall of positivity. I wasn’t a fan of either parent and found some of the father’s garbage related behaviour downright creepy.

I know it was all about the ongoing environmental message but the twins’ father continually bringing all of their neighbours’ garbage into their apartment and sorting through it in their bathtub horrified me. If I discovered my neighbour had been regularly stealing my trash and rummaging through it I would send them my own message, likely in the form of some very expired dairy product poured all over whatever I was discarding that week.

While there was some diversity included in story, with a teenage girl who has girlfriends and another character whose mother is white and father is black, it felt like its inclusion was token rather than having any bearing on the plot. Both topics were barely mentioned before disappearing from the narrative. Homelessness is also included in this story, mostly as a way to track a specific item’s movements through the book, and the opportunities to either make a point about homelessness or provide resolution for this specific character were missed.

I loved everything about Aquafaba and how it fit into the story, and I liked Auntie Lake. I wanted to hang out with Auntie Lake more. I think I would have really liked Kyle if his personality extended beyond loving dogs, and being the nicest and most positive person on the planet. On the flip side, I detested new girl Marnie from the first time I met her, both because she was so irritating but also because she was practically two dimensional and didn’t appear to have a back story.

The first half of the book is told exclusively from Cora’s point of view, starting with ‘After’ and then catching up to now with ‘Before’ chapters. There are a couple of chapters in the second half of the book from Sybella’s perspective, a character I liked much more than Cora. There are also diary entries from 1974 written by a then-seventh grade Penny and odd little public service announcements Cora leaves on her mother’s voicemail.

Since everyone is so garbage conscious in this book I wasn’t sure why the research assistants were setting up the Trashlympics in a way that created more trash, like using duct tape to mark the lanes for the relay race, Trash and Dash. Given the other clubs the school was offering focused on art, robotics and gaming, I was surprised there was enough interest from elementary school aged kids for there to be a Trash Team in the first place.

Although there’s also some friendship drama thrown in as well, big chunks of the early part of this book felt like extended public service announcements for all things environmental - sustainability, making sure you put your trash in the correct bins, the problem of plastic in the ocean. I found the second half of the book interesting and this mostly made up for the parts in the first half where I really struggled to want to continue reading. However, had I not committed to reviewing this book I wouldn’t have continued reading long enough to get to the parts I enjoyed.

I expect if I was reading this book as an environmentally conscious 9 to 12 year old this could be an entirely different review. Maybe I’ve forgotten what is considered fun at that age. Maybe Trashlympics are one of those things. I’m interested to see what the actual target audience think about ‘The Friendship Lie’.

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

I am unable to download this for some reason so cannot review it before the release date :( It does still sound really good though so hopefully I will get around to picking it up upon release!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Capstone Books for sending me an advanced e-copy of The Friendship Lie” in exchange for my review.

There are a few things about the story that I liked. Firstly, I loved the whole concept of introducing Garbology to the plot. I had never heard of the term before, and it was very interesting to see how people research garbage to study human behavior as a science. I really enjoyed how the author smoothly introduced this in the story-line. The author also makes the concept seem fun to the readers by introducing games like “Trashlympics” and “Capture the Trash”. It really highlights how important recycling is to the environment and for a better future.

In terms of the story, I really liked the main characters. They are all distinct and unique in their own manner which sets them apart. Personally, I liked Kyle the best for his optimism and positivism. However, I really despised the mother for not being there for her children or putting their needs on priority. I also enjoyed the parallel story that takes place between Penny Ellen and Lulu. On a side note, I also love the name Sybella!

I had two minor issues with the book though. The main aspect which I did not like what it was way too slow. Although the plot is interesting, it drags a lot and seems like nothing new happens. Cora keeps moping about missing Sybella again and again. Also, I felt disappointed when the author reveals as to why the two friends separated. The author made a very impressive buildup of the two friends not being friends anymore, but when the reveal happens, it made me feel like the characters over reacted over it.

But, apart from that, this was a very cute story about how strong a friendship can last between two friends. I think younger readers would enjoy reading this one.

A great story about growing up, friendship issues and being true to yourself.
I enjoyed the style of writing, the characters are relatable and it is very relevant for many of the students in my schools. Family breakdowns, friendship issues and learning about who you are.
Really enjoyed it.

Cora has the best twin brother, but she also has a mom who has moved to Belgium to think about her future, divorced parents, and friend trouble. Those are all great elements for a middle grades, realistic fiction, pre-teen angst-filled novel. But there is also a very childish sounding pretend world called Aquafaba and frequent time jumps as the story goes from present to past scenes that happen as Cora’s friendship with Sybella disintegrates. There’s also a diary of a teen who is recording her own friendship issues. And brother Kyle wants a dog but the landlord doesn’t allow them in the building. Trash recycling and sustainability information abound and college kids Dani and Juniper add more elements to an already erratic plot. I really hoped this would be another book to offer my 4th and 5th grade girls who flock to books that reflect the insecurities and frequent emotional upheavals common to the age. Unfortunately, I found it to be filled with far too many plot threads and Cora’s whining and pouting began to grate on my nerves after a while. I cannot speak to the book’s resolution because I only read about 65% of it. However, if your library is looking for diversity, Sybella is bi-racial and Dani is a lesbian, although there are only small references to her girlfriend and no overtly sexual content. There was no profanity or violence in the portion of the book that I read.

I received an electronic ARC from Capstone through NetGalley.
Interesting family background for this story. Cora's parents are Garbologists who study garbage and recycling and ways to protect the earth. Cora and Kyle are twins struggling with their parent's divorce and their mom's move to Belgium for a year.
The book begins near the end of the story after the friendship traumas have taken place. Cora and Sybella are not speaking and both are grieving the loss of their friendship. A third young girl manipulates both of them throughout the story. At the end, they've reached out to each other but Donnelly leaves room for readers to think through the resolution.
The comparisons to trash and recycling come through clearly. Sometimes we throw away people in moments of anger and hurt. With effort, we can recycle and sustain relationships even though they change.

I simply could not get into this book. The characters felt flat and even at 90 pages n, there wasn’t much of a story. I can’t see a middle grade reader sticking with it.

This is a middle school story about friendship, loss and being found again. Cora and Kyle are twins, living with their father, Dr. Davis, who is a garbology teacher at a local college. Their mother has left them to do research of her own in Europe and subsequently decides to divorce their father. The twins had made up a fictitious land called Aquafaba in elementary school and planned to take their imaginary land and their special friend Sybella along with them in middle school. But the best laid plans went awry and Cora is left desolate after losing Sybella’s friendship. It takes some adult intervention and mature advice before the girls find their way back to each other again. This is a good story about friendship and also about change and accepting change. The book also gives a lot of information about recycling and being kind to the earth. Middle school students will find the book interesting and amusing and may even try to create their own world, similar to Aquafaba.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is a lot about this story that middle grade readers will find relatable. Cora and Sybella are close friends who have had a falling out that neither can really explain and both really want to reconnect without knowing quite how.

My only criticism of this is that to me it felt slow at times.

I think I'm judging mostly on the way I feel after I finished this book. It left me with a very sweet feeling, a relatable, heartbroken reminder of the difficulties of early friendships. I think that central idea - that friendships are more difficult to maintain and retain than we think - was worthwhile and handled nicely. But looking back on it, I wonder about the choice to have the falling out (or fallings out) be chalked up to purposefully meddling new girls; I felt, especially on the part of Cora and Sybella, that element didn't feel like a real experience (and although the annoying tagalong did, I wish there had been some expansion on Marnie so she had more dimension). The premise that felt so relatable falls apart a bit as the background is unraveled. I also wish they had unpacked the piece about Cora and Kyle's parents a bit more; that felt somewhat shallowly dealt with. Overall, a solid middle grade friendship book although not without flaws.

This is the perfect book for my students! Every year, I have students who get into some kind of disagreement with each other.This is the perfect book to hand them!! I'm going to need several copies so I always have one ready to hand out!

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I also loved how open the book was, how relevant it is in today's world.
Cora was such an amazing character for me, one that I saw a lot of myself in when I was that age. She was scared and angry and sad and happy and just this big rollercoaster of emotions that I guarantee many kids and adults will relate to. I know I would have related just as much, if not a whole lot more, when I was a kid.
The book itself is great in looking at friendship, love and family. It's also a great book in looking at the environmental impact our waste has, and I gotta say, I did actually learn some things about recycling and waste myself and I did think I was pretty environmentally concious.

If I had one criticism of this book, it's that it felt a little jumbled up. The book switches to different parts in the story as you go forward which it does do a pretty good job of as I felt you learned more of the characters then you figured out the whole story, but in some places it felt out of place when starting a new chapter.

Moving on I just wanted to say how greatful I was for Rebecca Donnelly for her incorporation of representation that was never questioned or made to feel out of place, it was just treated like a normal thing, which it should be. Cora's best friend, has one white and one black parent, who as a family unfortunately, as Cora tells us, sometimes get stared at as being different.

Another moment I loved was Dani being LGBTQI and having a girlfriend, which is only mentioned once, which is great as it wasn't considered her defining characteristic and again I just have to say how much I love that it wasn't considered such a big deal.

Cora and Kyle's parents are also divorcing which you do see how Cora is feeling about it and I think it is great for children to be exposed to those situations and see how someone else goes throu it.

If you are a teacher or librarian or parent or teen or kid, do yourself a favour and pick up this book. It had so much in it that you dont see often enough in middle grade. It has so many lessons to teach and can start so many conversations.
In all the middle grade books I've read, this is easily in my top 5. It was so easy to read, it kept you turning the page and I guarantee anyone and everyone can learn something from this book, big or small.

*I was given an ARC of this by the publisher however that does not sway or change my views on this book at all.

The Friendship Lie takes place in 5th grade on a class trip and weaves together the past and present relationship between two friends and the conflict created when someone tried to break their friendship. The story was interesting and I loved the sustainability and environmentalism features but it also felt slow due to the very long beginning chapters and odd voicemail breaks. Overall, I think 5th and 6th graders will relate to some of the story and be enthralled by their adventure on the ship - that is not something all readers will relate to.

Thank you NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

The Friendship Lie by Rebecca Donnelly was a middle grade read all about what happens when conflict hits a friendship. Cora and Sybella used to be best friends, but now they're not. The story treks through the days before and the day after of their friendship. In addition, part of this involves an old journal they find that involves the chronicle of a fight amongst friends. I looked at this one through the lens of me as a kid as I read and reviewed. It made me think about the first time I fought with a friend. I didn't know what was going on, or how to handle it well. Sorry about those rude notes, Becky, but don't worry, Mrs. Ramsey totally called my parents to talk about the situation. ANYWAY. I liked that this book took the topic on in a way I think kids would understand. I do have to also there was a subplot around garbage and sustainability that was well intentioned and informative, but kind of got lost given this was so much more about friendship. That piece almost felt like it would have been better served in its own book. As always, I was able to read this one early (out in August) thanks to NetGalley.

The Friendship Lie By Rebecca Donnelly
Cora’s dad is a Garbologist at the Univeristy of California and her whole family tries to use less and recycle more to reduce waste.
She struggles to come to grips with a lot of changes in her world including starting 5th grade, divorce, and a big fight with a friend. At this age (9-10) it’s hard to navigate fights with friends and how to make up or move on, and this book handles it all really well.
Readers bounce from the time before the fight to the time after the fight back and forth so the reader doesn’t really know what happened in the fight till the end.
I remember my first fight with best friend at that age, and this book does a good job exploring how Cora deals with all those feelings and helps young readers find their place and role in the world.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I was drawn right into the story with “Cora Davis’s life is garbage.” Is there anything more true to the tweenage experience? I say to you, no. Cora and Sybella are best friends, they have their own world, inside jokes, and the sheer ability to read each other’s minds through body language.

But a few things get in the way: Cora’s parents separate and Cora gets a little jealous that Sybella’s parents are still available; someone finds a poem that Cora wrote about her best friend that doesn’t paint her in the best light; and instead of talking to one another–both Sybella and Cora avoid each other like the plague.

The Friendship Lie is told through the best points of view: yours, mine, and the Truth. The alternating viewpoints gave us the whole truth of the situation, which is often something you don’t get in life or literature.

Perhaps the most accurate scene of social anxiety and depression is when Cora begins to spiral downward as a bully begins to split up her friendship. Oh, no, Sybella saw the poem! Oh, no, I wrote the poem! But I don’t think it’s true! But maybe I do… The guilt that both parties feel about having hurt their best friend and the immense shame that keeps them from reaching out is well worth the read.

A great lesson on friendships and how each one is its own unique journey, The Friendship Lie should find its way onto your pre-order list and nestle its way onto your bookshelf.
(REVIEW LINK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 AT 8:00AM EST)

A wonderful middle grade about the struggle of a friends first fight, but it deals with so much more in such a small amount of space. Cora is such a relatable character who is going through so many changes (starting 5th grade, divorce, new friends, growing up). The author tells us the story going back and forth from before the fight and after and we don't really know what went wrong until the end, which I would have thought would be annoying but she does it well. It's hard for kids at that age to come to terms and actually say sorry to one another so I loved that aspect of reality. 

There is a lot of detail about trash and saving the environment, which I didn't mind, but I could see that being a thing that would discourage a younger (9-10) child reader. It was interesting to learn about it for the first half but by the second half I found myself skimming several sections/paragraphs about the tracking of trash. Also, it tied up a bit to prettily at the end. I don't believe a story needs to end with everything being resolved and with the drama and resolution of the friendship I believe it could have ended there.

Thank you to NetGalley & Capstone for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. The characters were so loveable and the plot was amazing. Even though this is a middle grade book, it thought really important lessons in such a nice way. The main topic of the book might be friendship but it talked (even if not in depth) about divorce and how hard it can be for a kid to deal with it. I loved the narrative so much, it was so nice to read and it thought really important lessons. It’s really nice, also, that we got to see the story of the argument from both Sybella and Cora’s point and it was fun to try and connect the dots about what happened. I also adored how the diary ties everything together and the parallels were really nice to see as well! This is certainly a must-read for MG readers.

I had the opportunity to read a NetGalley digital ARC of this middle grade novel in exchange for a review. Middle grade readers will definitely be able to relate to the ups and downs of friendship at this sensitive age. At this age, kids can be friends one minute and enemies the next, and usually the rift in the friendship is over a misunderstanding. Once the relationship suffers this kind of blow, it can be really hard for both former friends to extend themselves and/or apologize for what happened.
Cora and Sybella have been best friends since second grade when Sybella was a new student and Cora brought her into the imaginary world she inhabited with her twin brother, Kyle. Through the years, the three were inseparable. But when they entered fifth grade and were assigned to separate classrooms, they also started to pursue separate interests and there were strains placed on the friendship by Marnie, new to the school. Add to that Cora’s unhappiness over her parents’ divorce and her mom’s yearlong job in Belgium, and a simple mistake blows up into a huge chasm in her friendship with Sybella.
This friendship drama is set against the backdrop of Cora’s father’s work as a garbologist at the University of California. The family’s efforts to use less, recycle more, and keep trash to a minimum along with Cora’s participation on the Trash Team at school could definitely inspire kids to hold their own “Trashlympics” and “Capture the Trash” events in their own communities. At the least it might help kids think about how to minimize their own impact on the environment.
This book comes out in August and would be a good realistic fiction book to have on the shelf. It would be good for readers who enjoy relationship drama, particularly for those in grades five and up.

This sounded really interesting, but unfortunately I wasn't able to read it. I tried several times to download it and was unable to open it with any program I have. I emailed about it and never received a response.