Just Friends [Hardcover]

Can chasing the wrong girl lead down the right path? Witty as ever, best-selling author Dyan Sheldon maps the agonizing distance between “like” and “love.”

Josh has never really thought twice about girls before. He’s usually too busy watching old movies with his friends Sal and Carver, petitioning for more vegetarian options in the school cafeteria, or flailing in yoga class with his best friend Ramona. But when new girl Jena Capistrano walks into school, Josh loses his heart faster than he’s ever lost his balance on a double downward dog. Not that he has any real aspirations, of course: he knows Jena is completely out of his league. And then, against all odds — they become friends. The closer they get, the more infatuated Josh becomes, and the more he wonders if just maybe Jena might like him back. There’s only one way to find out. But it’s not exactly easy to put your heart on the line.Sheldon again proves herself adept at conveying the confusion and gnawing self-doubt that characterizes the lives of teenagers, who are all trying to see themselves and one another as clearly as they can.
—Kirkus Reviews

Josh is a sympathetic, likable character, and his circle of off-kilter friends complements him well. The narrative breaks free of the typical plot of an “uncool” boy winning the heart of a popular girl by exploring the dynamics of relationships and what participants really want. Funny, sweet, and refreshing, this is a teen romance with substance.
—Booklist

Using a droll third-person narrative, Sheldon (The Truth About My Success) hilariously chronicles an endearingly dorky teenager’s first infatuation...Sheldon’s romantically entangled plot offers plenty of entertainment.
—Publishers Weekly

This is a sweetly innocent look at teen dating and its mishaps...Recommended as an additional purchase for teen romală