This is Feature Shelf 2.0–book recommendations based on theme or title suggestions–in 60 seconds or less. I’m going to start trying to do these monthly. I’m also not making any promises.
This Feature Shelf was inspired by a post I saw on Beth @ Reading Every Night’s blog called “Why is there so much girl hate in YA fiction?” In the post, Beth asked for books that show female friendships positively, so that’s what we’re going to do today. Positive female friendships. I’m going to try to avoid recommending books that I’ve already recommended in previous editions of Feature Shelf.
Here we go: Feature Shelf 2.0
- Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. (Review) — Set atop the backdrop of World War II, Rose Under Fire looks at the friendships forged between the female prisoners in a concentration camp.
- Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. (Review) — While this book tackles a number of social issues, there is a powerful friendship between the protagonist, Gabi, and one of her closest friends, Cindy. This is one I recommend to some of my reluctant readers all the time.
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. — This angels and demons fantasy novel contains one of my favorite female friendships ever – Karou, the protagonist and her best friend Zusana, who is a spitfire and doesn’t let Karou get away with anything.
- This Side of Home by Renée Watson (Review) — The friends in this story are twins Nikki and Maya, their best friend Essence who grew up across the street, and Kate, the newcomer who moves into the house across the street when Essence and her family are evicted. Read to find out how these friendships evolve through the gentrification of their neighborhood and the changing goals of growing up.
the (book) supplier 
I haven’t read any of these but I’m adding them all to my TBR. It seems like girl-on-girl hate is almost always used as a plot device if there’s any relationship at all, as if girls can’t be friends. Even now, I’m trying to think of a single book to add to this list and I can’t.
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It was definitely a struggle to come up with the list – and not reuse books I’ve used in previous Feature Shelves.
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Oh wow I’m so glad my post inspired you on this topic, and thanks so much for featuring it as well. I’ll definitely be checking out some of these books, like I said in my discussion I’m always on the look out for more positive female friendships in YA! 😀
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Absolutely. I think we talked about it briefly, but I hadn’t gotten around to letting you know I’d actually done it. I’m glad you saw it.
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