Book Review-Audre & Bash are Just Friends

Storygram  Tours // Audre & Bash are Just Friends

{Thank you @storygramtours + @littlebrown for the #gifted copy of this beautiful book!  I ended up listening because I was given a copy through @librofm + @hachetteaudio and the dual narration by Jordan Cobb and Torian Brackett was SO GOOD.  There are even fun sound effects for text messages, etc.}

❓Have you ever read a book and wished a secondary character would get their own story?

Tia Williams wrote the wildly popular book—Seven Days in June—a few years ago and her daughter Audre was such a delight in that book!  Now Williams has added “writing a YA book” to her resume giving Audre her own story!  Note: You do not need to have read ‘Seven Days in June’ to enjoy this story!

“When you smile, I want to smile too.”

Okay, this book was CUTE!  It’s going to be the PERFECT summer read!  I can see why @gmabooks selected in as YA book club pick.

Audre is a rule follower.  She checks all the boxes of a good daughter, friend and teenager.  Class President—check.  Debate Team Captain—check.  A good friend who listens to problems—aka the unofficial student therapist—check.  Normally she spends her summers visiting her Dad in CA, but this year he had to cancel.  She desperately needs fun . . . Enter Bash . . . 

Bash is new to her school and an enigma.  Just who is this new kid who everyone is crushing on and dresses carefree—including pink crocs!  He’s always having a good time.  So, Audre hires him to be her “fun consultant” for the summer.  His job is to help her with her “experience challenge” list.  I love a good checklist!

Audre is also trying to be a writer like her mother and new stepfather to impress the admissions board at Stanford.  She’s sure that a summer of fun will give her the experience and material to knock their socks off.

I really enjoyed this story.  Williams is brilliant at storytelling with emotional layers.  The pacing was perfect.  This is packed with representation—race, blended families, mental health—panic attacks, LGBTQ+…

My kids are 24, 22, and 17, so I’m not completely naive when it comes to teens, but I did feel like this was a more mature YA because it mentions drugs, sex and uses the ‘F’ word quite a bit.  Just know that before you hand this to your teen if that’s something you avoid.