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We often hear stories about people who get lost in a relationship—who become so deeply involved with someone that they give up everything else. But in the teen drama The Take-Over Friend, author Carol Dines explores what happens when a teenage girl gets totally immersed in an unhealthy friendship.
The story begins at the start of ninth grade, when Frances meets Sonja, the new girl in school. Sonja seems so magnetic, so larger than life, that Frances is shocked that Sonja would choose to be her friend. But, from the beginning, the two are inseparable. Sonja spends all of her time at Frances’s house—to the point that she seems like she’s become a part of the family. But when Sonja experiences a family crisis that causes her to stay with Frances and her family, their close friendship becomes a little too close.
The closer Frances and Sonja get, the more time they spend together, the more their friendship takes over every part of Frances’s life. It’s a challenge that many of us face, no matter what our age: trying to hold on to our own personality when surrounded by bigger, stronger personalities.
Of course, strong friendships aren’t always a bad thing. Because of Sonja, Frances steps out of her comfort zone to do things that she never would have tried in the past. But she also feels that she’s unable to do things that she loves because Sonja doesn’t find them acceptable. And she isn’t able to build other friendships outside her friendship with Sonja.
Still, nothing in this story is simple and straightforward. Sonja isn’t just an over-the-top character who likes to control people’s lives. She’s a troubled teen who’s dealing with her own share of problems at home—and she finds the love and stability that she craves in Frances’s family. Though she may anger readers with her constant manipulation and her tendency to overstep boundaries, you’ll also feel sorry for her—because her own life is such a mess. And though the message sometimes gets lost in Sonja’s steady drama—and Frances’s feelings of frustration and guilt—this novel is challenging and sometimes painful, tackling issues that so many teens end up facing.
For many teens (and even many adults), The Take-Over Friend will hit close to home. It’s an honest and incredibly layered read about the challenges of family and friendships in a time when young people are struggling to find their own way.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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