I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers. This book is someones cup of tea but certainly not mines. The writing of this book as well as the writing of their relationship was just a headache. The writing was very flat and bland, written in a one dimensional aspect that had a lot of telling not showing.

This book was a lot different than I expected and not in a good way.

The thing that bothered me the most, was the fact that the r slur was used about 5 times in this book (keep in mind it's less than 200 pages long). The r slur was written out in full every time, no censoring at all. Which is a very... interesting choice of the author considering she didn't use any swear words in the book and clearly was avoiding using them.
So saying the r slur is okay, but swearing is not? Strange decision to put it lightly.

They did mention in the book that the r slur was not a good word, but why write it out a total of 5 times then? Also I really didn't like the way the autistic character in this book was written. As an autistic person myself who got bullied a lot, the moment they used the r slur towards them, I knew they would be autistic. I wanted to put the book down immediately, but I pushed through because it's so short.

I wish I hadn't. Seeing the autistic character portrayed in the way she was really hurt me. It was difficult to read. It was difficult seeing the r slur written again and again. Why didn't they censor it like they did with the curse words? Only the author can know I guess.

Anyway another thing I didn't like about his book is the way it almost made suicide seem like a selfish decision. Which it isn't btw. The girl was in pain and couldn't find another way to get rid of it. But yeah it did make me cry a bit at the end, but definitely not as much as I was expecting. I was honestly expecting to love this book, the message seemed really good, but then they had to throw in the r slur a bunch of times...

Ending this review here because reading this book emotionally drained me.

BFF is the kind of story that you read and weep over. The idea that children can be so cruel seems hard to believe if you’ve never experienced bullying, but it always amazes me how some people seem to know exactly which words will cause the most upset. That we can still have situations where children are made to feel so low by their peers that they commit suicide, shows that it’s painfully clear something is very very wrong.
The story begins with Abby moving from California to live in the home her mother grew up in. Though her mother left years earlier, and has since died, Abby knows that her father couldn’t afford to turn down the opportunity to live in a home that is paid for.
Their arrival at their new home immediately emphasises their sense of isolation and discomfort at their new environment. But Abby makes the acquaintance of Hollis on that first day and the girls quickly become friends. Hollis is inventive, caring, thoughtful and incredibly mature. But she is seen as weird by her peers, and as the summer draws to a close and the girls prepare to return to school, it becomes clear that things are going to change.
Abby and Hollis try to weather the storm. They acknowledge their friendship and try their hardest to seek help. Sadly, to no avail. When Hollis’s mum bans her daughter from seeing Abby, the bullying becomes more vicious. Abby tries to seek help. Those involved seem to suffer no consequences. Eventually, things reach a deeply tragic end.
This book spent so much time showing how wonderful Hollis was, and how she touched the lives of those she met, that it seemed all the more brutal to have her life snuffed out so quickly. It made me angry. It made me sad. It made me want to ensure nobody is made to feel so worthless. I can only hope that this book gets in the hands of the right people.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication in exchange for my honest review.

Just absolutely heartbroken after reading this book. It’s quite a sensitive subject that has been handled with care

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of BFF by Lindsey P. Bell. This was a great book and it about broke my heart.