It may have been a number of years since I was a fifteen-year-old girl, but Girl’s Girl certainly brought back the feelings from those days.

This novel looks at the importance of female friendship and the bonds that we make. Being fifteen is a difficult age, you’re too old for some things and too young for others. It’s an age of discovery, experimentation, and learning who you are. Sonia Feldman captured this age perfectly. Mina, Margaret, and Eleanor were best friends, but despite their closeness, they each had a different friendship with one another. When you’re young and you have a best friend, you know that this friend is your first choice, your ride or die, but when you have two best friends, do they share an equal space in your life or is someone always on the outside, even if just a little. Jealousies can arise and your place in their lives can seem more fragile. It can add an extra layer of uncertainty in an already uncertain time of your life.

Girl’s Girl takes place over a hot summer. The characters are out of school, they are having sleepovers, socializing with new people, trying new things, breaking a few rules, and learning to navigate new feelings. It was filled with emotion, angst, and plenty of vulnerability. I enjoyed that it dealt with female relationships. Even the relationships that the girls had with their own mothers were unique and complex.

This book had such a nostalgic feel. Who doesn’t remember those lazy summer days of youth where all you wanted to do was be with your friends, talk, and make plans. It dealt with so many familiar feelings during a pivotal time in adolescence: belonging, acceptance, and desire.

Girl’s Girl is an exceptional debut novel. I am already looking forward to the next book by this talented author.

*4.5 Stars