Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Synopsis:

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends—which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

---

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Do you want a simple book without plot twists and hard vocabulary?Take a break to all the action and problems you find in other books? Just a light friends-to-lovers book? Well… if you answered yes to the questions above then I invite you to dig into this novel where friendship is key.

Better off friends is my sister’s favorite book. She never stopped prodding me to read it, even when I was adamant against reading at all. Then she won, and I will never admit it to her face, but it is thanks to that that I am here writing these reviews.

This is a standalone novel that you will want to re-read every year, since it is an easy read of no more than 350 pages. It is also very appropriate for kids of all ages: I first read it at 10, and am 15 and still re-reading it oftenly. It was written by Elisabeth Eulberg and published in 2014. It is the definition of “cute”. The story is narrated from the alternate perspective of two best friends: Levi, the new boy from California, and Macallan, a girl that is in constant need of a distraction from her aching past. When they first meet, they both suspected it will be the last time they’ll talk, but soon they will realize they have a lot of things in common. A beautiful, pure friendship arises and the story picks up its pace, following them as they grow up side by side.

When my friends ask me to recommend a book to them so that they begin to read, I immediately, without thinking it twice, bring this one up. Firstly because it was my first read, which led me to have a book addiction, and secondly due to the fact that it is simple but still catchy. It is easy to fall in love with the characters, as their personalities and struggles are so genuine and innocent. I personally felt very identified with Macallan, I admire the way she stands up for what she believes and loves, which is an aspect of her personality that is repeatedly illustrated throughout the story.

Furthermore, the writer includes a narrative form I love: the alternation of different characters’ points of view, both juicy and enjoyable. During the period of time when I read this gem, I hadn’t been reading any books with a boy’s point of view, so I was delighted with the idea (and still am). In addition, this book has exclusive black pages... Literally black pages at the end of each chapter. All you want to do is finish the chapter so you can read them. Each “special” page has a dialogue between Macallan and Levi set in the future, and they are really compelling because they look back on the events they narrate with humor and tenderness. It is an original idea that made me chuckle until I had a cramp in my cheeks.

I will tell you a secret: my goal in life is to have a relationship like Levi and Macallan’s, which is one of the reasons I have such an affection for this book. I was able to enjoy their slow-burn love story and the progress they make as friends and also as individual people, each with their strives. Writing this makes me want to leave all my responsibilities and go snatch Better Off Friends off my shelf and read it cover to cover, as you should be doing (but hey! First finish my review!)

All in all, if you ask me why I recommend Better off Friends, I’d say it is because it is my comfort place. If you are looking for a book that will make you get emotionally attached to the plot and characters because all you want is a best friend that does nothing but love you, laugh with you, and support you, then you found the right book. Because this is what it makes you feel, what it made me feel at least--But those are the best books; the ones that submerge you so deep in their world that you forget you are dealing with fictional characters.