This work shows the intricacies of being friends with someone who is a couple years older and how that cab sometimes changes when one enters a different school. These changes can be sudden and strange, how you could lose someone just because they feel you are too young now to be a friend.
This story shows the growth of Charise, as she navigates making friends again (since it seems she has none in her actual school....odd) Casey was her whole world and only friend hence being her best friend. Now, I find it hard to believe that Charise had no one to talk to or know that is her age or in her classroom, especially since the girls had a 2 year gap between them. But let's roll with it for the story purpose. Charise starts making new friends and works through moments of wanting to back off on friendships or perhaps not possibly wanting to be best friends with her new friends. It's a great piece on having conversations with our kids on how friendships can change, and sometimes, you just have to let them end.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

​This book was absolutely charming! I adored Charise and her tenacious, never-say-die attitude. The artwork was a highlight, perfectly capturing the spirit of the story. I found the characters to be incredibly relatable, and I've experienced similar friendship struggles myself, so Charise's journey resonated deeply with me and was quite emotional at times.
​The story does an excellent job of illustrating that it's perfectly normal for friendships to evolve and that having a close-knit group of friends can be just as fulfilling as having one best friend. Mémé was a particularly sweet character, adding a delightful layer to the story.
​My only wish is that we had a clearer resolution regarding Casey. Her actions toward Charise were surprising, and it felt like a classic case of someone believing they've outgrown a friend because they're in a new phase of life. Overall, I highly recommend this heartwarming read!

Netgally ARC
publishes January 2026

I could relate to so much of this and saw many parallels to my daughters friend groups growing up as well. When my best friend moved away in late elementary school I never did find another best friend outside of my sister (in adulthood) and my husband but rather had wonderful friend groups that I still enjoy today.

4.5 ⭐

This was so cute! I absolutely loved Charise and her never-give-up attitude. I do wish we had gotten to see what happened to Casey, and I can’t believe she did that to Charise. I guess she thought that she was “too cool” for her anymore because she was in high school. I also love that this book shows that sometimes people outgrow friendships and that it’s totally okay not to have a best friend, but multiple good friends. And Mémé is so sweet!! I definitely recommend reading this book!

There is nothing more relatable than friend drama in middle school. It feels like this world ending, visceral tension that shatters you. After her best friend bailed on her with zero warning, Charise goes on a journey of friendship grief, self acceptance, and healing as she acquires new friends. There's a lot of necessary self reflection in her arc, contemplating what friendship means to her and what she wants out of it for herself going forward. After her first major friend breakup, Charise's trust issues and social perception are all in a disarray so Charise's fluctuating behaviors feel realistic, especially for her age. The subplot with her French grandma was so lovely, as well. A stellar art design and color palette effectively convey the crushing, overwhelming whirlwind Charise experiences.

I'm impressed by the great variety of graphic novels that have been published in recent years. More than impressed, I'm excited for the opportunity to experience all these books and see how authors and illustrators tackle complex themes in a beautiful and creative way.

This middle-grade graphic novel explores feelings and relationships in a very realistic and honest way. I love the illustrations, the colors, and how Charise learns to deal with the changes that come up with growing up. I was hoping for a better ending, but still, the story brings a great message about family relationships and friendship. I enjoyed Charise's interaction with her French grandmother and how they found common ground.

If you liked The Baby-Sitters Club, you'll love this one.

Wrong Friend is a quiet, poignant coming-of-age story about the ache of drifting apart and the grace of growing through it. Set in 1970s Vancouver, Charise Mericle Harper captures the emotional tangle of losing a best friend—not to cruelty, but to change—and learning to navigate the Inbetweens. With spare, sharp narration and Rory Lucey’s warm, expressive art, it unpacks friendship, loneliness, and identity with understated grace.

What makes the story quietly powerful is its gentle reminder that friendship isn’t a zero-sum game. It's okay to have friends in different circles, to mourn what’s lost while also making space for new connections. True companionship may arrive in unexpected forms—like a grandmother who offers steady, unconditional support. Harper shows us that people aren’t replacements, but originals—and there’s comfort in finding each one's unique place in your life.

Heartfelt and sweet! I liked the pacing of this story a lot; We see enough about the former best friendship to understand the loss of it, with ample time given to the ups and downs of navigating new connections. Additionally, the narrative of Charise's French grandmother moving in with her family added another layer to the story that allowed for more reflection outside of school activities. From fashion to music there are fun 1970s details sprinkled throughout, but the main points are relatable no matter what time period it takes place in. Aside from the plot, the art style will also appeal to fans of Reina Telgemeier and Vera Brosgol stories. There were some surprisingly beautiful moments in the illustrations as well, where use of color and shadows (the light of a sunset coming through a window) really set the tone for how Charise is feeling.

Wrong Friend is about more than just the end of a friendship, it is about how to navigate the often difficult process of making new friends. I think the most important message I would want younger readers to take from this book is that it is okay to have more than one friend and to have friends across different social groups. It's clear from the yearbook pages interspersed throughout the book that Charise learns this lesson well. She initially believes she has to find just one new best friend, but ultimately comes to realize she can have multiple friends with also open up doors to meeting people she might never had. Charise's biggest issue in this story is that she started with just one friend with whom she spent all of her time so when that friend went away she was left with no one she considered to be her friend. Had she cultivated more friendships with more people in her classes she would not have been hit so hard when her closest friendship ended. On that note, Casey is a pretty crappy friend to just ghost Charise the way she does. The only part of the story that did not completely work for me was the side plot involving Charise's grandmother coming to live with her. I kind of understood why it was included, but really could have been a completely separate story on its own.

This semi-autobiographical graphic novel by the author of Bad Sister is once again set in the 1970s. Charise's best friend, Casey, lives next door to her in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the two spend lots of time together. When Casey starts high school while Charise is still in 8th grade, Casey completely ignores her former best friend, going as far as not even acknowledging her presence if they meet on the street! This makes middle school even harder. Charise is a talented clarinet player, so she now has more time to practice. She knows she needs to make new friends, but it has been so long since she has had to do this that she feels out of practice. To complicate matters, her grandmother who doesn't speak English has moved from France to live with Charise's family. Charise actively searches out people with whom she might be friends, but doesn't come up with the perfect person. As much as she likes her school librarian, Mrs. Lee, adults don't make good best friends. Paul's parents are no longer friends with her parents, making thins tough. She gets a long with Nicole, but she lives three hours away. She likes the same books as Susan (I recognized the 1970s cover for L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time), but when Susan invites Charise to her house, Charise ends up being VERY allergice to Susan's hamster! Charise doesn't like to invite people to her house, since she is embarrassed by the laundry hanging outside, bargain snacks, and her grandmother. When she makes the Pacifi-Tones ensemble, she meets Eva from school, and the two spend lots of time together. Charise is reluctant to let Susan and Eva hang out together, perhaps afraid that the two will want to be friends with each other and exclude her. Will Charise ever be able to find the right balance to have another best friend?
Strengths: Friend drama is a tremendously popular topic, especially in graphic novels. Even though Charise was definitely struggling with finding a comfortable friendship, this book was much more upbeat and less whiny than most graphic novels. Even though the friendship was the biggest part of this book, I really enjoyed the family dynamics as well, and Charise's developing relationship with her grandmother. The drawings indicate that the book is set in the 1970s, but it seems fairly universal, with only a few other touch points dating this to a different time (K.C. and the Sunshine Band's Shake Your Booty plays at one time). There's a touch of sibling rivalry, some good activities, and a feeling of forward motion as the book goes on, which many books lack. I'll definitely purchase this one, if only for the great illustrations of plaid pants!
Weaknesses: It seemed a bit odd that Charise didn't want more than one best friend and that she kept Susan and Eva apart. It would have been nice to have a little more information about that. As a survival mechanism, it's better to have as many friends as possible in middle school because you just don't know when someone will stop speaking to you!
What I really think: Comparisions to the graphic novels of Telgemaier, Hale, and Miller are apt, but this will also be a big hit with readers who enjoyed Montague's Camp Frenemies or Beka and Maya's Love Report books.

The premise of this story formerly best friends Charise and Casey have suddenly stopped being friends, exclusively by Casey's decision. Casey has started high school and no longer wishes to be besties with Charise, who is still in elementary school (I can only assume that middle school is not a thing in this story, with high school starting at 6th or 7th grade). This seems like a perfectly reasonable and frankly inevitable reason for a friendship to break down and it is somewhat mystifying that no adult either warned Charise or seems to even notice she is now no longer attached at the hip to her former best friend (who intentionally blanks her in the street, which feels extra weird and juvenile in a way I found disconcerting). Charise then spends the rest of the year in a sort of psychological and philosophical meltdown as she struggles to make friends that align with all the frankly odd self-imposed rules about what she thinks friendship should be. While Charise ultimately figures out it is indeed possible to have multiple friends rather than a single person you exclusively interact with, there isn't enough commentary on why this assumption is both wrong and frankly creepy. Charise just sort of naturally ends up with multiple friends by chance, rather than coming to a realization about the harm being induced by her own self created limitations,

Charise Harper writes thoughtful, coming of age graphic novels that make a great memoir as well as a great story. Wrong Friend is no exception as it tackles the question of how do we proceed when our best friend falls out of connection with us? In this book, Charise writes as a semi-autobiographical character, and she goes through the stages of grief, without explicitly saying so. How she moves forward will help readers reflect on their own friendships.

I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

This was a cute story about how friendships can come in go in middle school. Those ages are full of drama and lots of changes, especially with friendships. I am glad that Charise gave a good account of how this can be managed and that she didn't just stop trying to make friends.

Thanks Netgalley fort the advanced copy of this book.

Wrong Friend is a graphic novel exploration of navigating friendships throughout puberty. Reminiscent of the "Amelia's notebook" series, main character, Charise, shares her average day to day her and struggles throughout. The read also breaks out into more unique formats, like graphic lists, every so often. This story keeps it simple and explores: what a bestfriend should be, “sometimes” friendships, age gaps, merging friend groups, one sided best friendships, visiting a new friend’s house for the very first time, and more. This read keeps it very PG and easy to read, and never over complicates any of these topics. The illustrations are cozy and inviting, also including regular text boxes giving us a peak into our main character's thought processes and feelings. A good addition to any collection.

What happens when your best friend starts to drift—and you’re left behind?

Charise and Casey used to be inseparable, but high school has a way of changing everything. Now Charise is stuck figuring out middle school, friendship fallouts, and how to find her people… all while dodging guinea pig allergies and family weirdness. 🐹💔

This graphic novel is honest, relatable, and quietly powerful. It captures that in-between feeling when you're growing up and your friendships are growing away from you. The art is expressive, the story is full of heart, and the awkward moments? Spot. On.

✨ For fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller
💬 Navigating middle school, shifting friendships & self-worth
🧸 Charming, bittersweet, and totally relatable
📚 Great for ages 8–12

Not a five-star for me, but a really solid, thoughtful read—perfect for kids going through friendship changes and learning it’s okay to outgrow people.

One of the issues that is tackled in a lot of middle grade novels is about friendship. Often it is about friends growing apart, and what you do with that. In this story, the friendship is quite strong…until it isn’t.


Charise and Casey met on the playground, and became best friends. But when Casey, who is older than Charise, goes off to high school, not only do they not remain friends, but Casey ignores her former friend, as though she didn’t exist at all, walking past her on the sidewalk,as though there is no one there.


Charise needs a new friend, but it has been years since she has had to make new friends. She studies those around her, and thinks that is must be if you wear the right shoes, so hang out at the right places, or have the same interests.


As she tries each theory out, some work, some don’t. It is a cute sort of study on how friendships work. And very realistic to boot.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 20th of January 2026.

The book wrong friend by Charise Mericle Harper was an extraordinary story. This story is Following a young girl as she looses friends finds more and learns that that is all okay. Having been in similar situation this book hits close to home. This is a fantastic book for anyone going through a friendship breakup or anyone learning about friendship.