First published 2010
Debbie thought she and Maureen would be friends forever. They had been inseparable since third grade, sharing secrets and dreams. Then last summer everything changed. Maureen started acting like Debbie was invisible, leaving her confused and hurt. Debbie compares the shock to getting hit by a truck when you never saw it coming. Now Debbie faces the cruel reality of junior high alone. She lives in a house covered with fake brick siding that tries to look like real bricks but fools no one. As she navigates the daily disasters of adolescence without her best friend, Debbie discovers that even the worst moments can lead to unexpected good things. Just like her house with its phony Insul-Brick exterior still protects a genuine home inside, Debbie learns that surface appearances don't tell the whole story. This funny and bittersweet story follows one girl's journey through the loneliness of losing a friendship and finding herself.
Genres: fiction, family-life, friendship, contemporary, adolescence, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
224 pages · Kindle Edition · Greenwillow Books