Such a lovely happy book.
I loved the characters. They were great and well written.
It deals with important issues like cancer
It’s a completely uplifting read.

This was my first Kate Mallinder book, I doubt it'll be my last. I enjoyed this story of a holiday taken by friends right at the last moment they have no responsibilities. I liked watching them get closer as the book progressed.

It sometimes fell flat for me, though, and I felt the pacing needed some tuning.

A soul soothing book I've read in a long time! Touching... Human... Can't ask for more from Kate Mallinder!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have acquired my own physical copy of this book to support the author as I haven't yet had the chance to read and review, but will do in the future. Thank you for the copy.

I really warmed to the characters u this book and found the dynamic between them really worked well. It was lots of fun as well as tackling some tricky subjects. I enjoyed it.

A sweet story with multiple good messages about friendship, honesty, bullying and familial relationships. I really loved all three characters and they felt quite real - though a little 'young' for their age (15/16, they're about to sit their GCSEs), but that's quite a nice change - not every YA book needs sex, bad language and horrifying trauma (it was a nice change, actually!)

I liked the setting, and the extended cast of characters were lovely. Will definitely keep an eye out for Kate Mallinder's other books.

I loved loved loved this book. Everything was so realistic. The places they visit, the friendships they create and the challenges they face. Its a bit of an emotional rollercoaster but one i wizzed through. I felt connected to .All 3 characters and it is a super easy read great for getting you out of a reading slump.

Hattie, Agnes and Jake go for a week’s holiday – sorry, study break - in Weston Super Mare. The three of them don’t know each other well, they aren’t even friends, they just sit together on the school bus. Each of them has a reason for getting away from home in the school holidays, a secret they plan to keep from the other two.
Hattie’s mum predicts that the holiday will give them memories that will last a lifetime, and it certainly does that, although not always in the way Hattie’s mum envisaged. Our three are on a steep learning curve and whilst they arrive home changed, the secrets they took with them to Weston have not gone away.
This book is great fun – the throwing together of odd characters for a moment of self-discovery is very similar to the classic 80’s movie “The Breakfast Club”, but in a quintessentially British setting – a wet week at a chintzy seaside B&B. There are chips, candy floss and arcades. There are quirky supporting characters in the shape of the other B&B guests. But there are also some serious moments and tough themes which belie the book’s light, holiday-read feel. Very enjoyable.

This was just a really lovely read! From the beginning, I fell in love with Hattie, Jake and Agnes. Even though they are so different (and in the end, it's all pretty close of course), you feel immediately connected to them. You feel their struggles, it's so everyday life, so close to the real world and I really liked that!

The story is also very heartwarming. From three insecure teenages, Hattie, Jake and Agnes grow in knowledge, wisdom and self-reflection. They all have a problem they can't solve on their own, even though they feel so alone. When 'faith' sort of bring them together on a trip, they grow closer together and it's wonderfil to see how Kate Mallinder writes that from all three perspectives. Everything blends together so naturally that way.

I've read this book quite fast, because I just wouldn't want to let them go again. These three unique characters will bring you on a journey and they will teach you the most important things about real friendship, trust and letting go. Really recommend reading!

What an absolutely delightful book! Agnes, Hattie and Jake all have secrets, and for all their secret reasons end up visiting Weston together, staying at Hattie's aunt's B&B. The book is narrated by all three and they are all so likeable and sympathetic (although Agnes was my favourite!). It's a real feel-good read that falls nicely into that sparsely-populated area between middle-grade and YA, with any number of positive messages. It's got both heart and humour and I think would really appeal to fans of Susin Nielsen. Very much looking forward to more from this author.

I tried a few times over but simply couldn’t get into the book, the characters’ voices just didn’t click with me, and I kept getting stuck reading the same page over and over again.

Kate Mallinder is just a ray of sunshine in UKYA. Her books always manage to capture that essence of summer for me, with their warm contemporary feel, but she also never patronises her readers by discussing topics that are relevant in an unflinching, truthful way. Asking For a Friend is no exception to this rule and I particularly loved the inclusion of a list of resources at the end of the book.

I loved the autism representation, which felt really well-researched, but I would encourage you to find own voices reviews to properly assess that rep. For me though, every time I see disability rep in YA, it feels like a win, as it’s so rare and means a lot to me personally. One of Mallinder’s many skills is the way that she casually weaves in representation, giving a nod to those readers who feel unseen in their stories but not making it the sole focus of the character. It always informs who the character is and their actions, but it’s not their defining trait.

Mallinder’s writing is light, witty and sparkling with joy. It makes her characters believable, her dialogue shine and the book incredibly bingeable. I flew through a huge chunk of it in an afternoon, transported away to the summer that might’ve been. Her vividly imagined setting really drew me in and I stayed for these authentic, flawed and so very human teenagers that wouldn’t have been out of place in one of my classes. Each of our central trio has their own secrets and issues that they need to resolve, leading to an unlikely friendship. I liked hearing from each character’s voice, allowing me to connect with them more and grasp their individual motivations.

Equal parts heart-warming and heart-breaking, Asking for a Friend is a perfect summer read to lose yourself in.

Asking For a Friend is a short read and maybe that is why I did not connect to the characters and their stories. The 3 main characters at the start are not friends and know little about each other and I expected that throughout the course of the book they would slowly learn more about each other and that was not the case. The ‘secrets’ that they had were revealed very easily and their friendship was based on overcoming the impact of these secrets, I felt like there was not a real development in the friendship which I expected and more the characters helping each other out. This meant I did not really care for the character’s friendship which I thought was going to be more fundamental in the book.

The first half of the book focuses more on the characters as individuals and I wished we had more backstory to some of the characters because the book starts with them facing these issues but little is given on how things were before such as Hattie and her friends before the incident.

I did enjoy the second half more, I liked the setting and the new characters we meet when the characters are in Weston however as the book is fast paced we do not get enough interactions with these characters for them to be meaningful to the story.

This book is probably more suited for younger readers especially so as everything seemed to wrap up neatly in the end, I felt like the issues could have been dealt with better especially the long term effects.

2/5

2.5/5
I have mixed feelings about this book, but right now I think the emotion winning out is frustration.
I'm frustrated because this book had so much potential, and at times it lived up to it and I liked it, while in other ways it fell flat for me personally.
My main issue, is that while this book deals with some tough, but very important topics that affect young people, such as bullying and health concerns. I found, personally, that it never went into enough detail.
I felt as if we barely got to know our three main characters and that was such a shame, because with each of them dealing with something, I would have liked it if things had been fleshed out more.
My other issue, is that for a fairly short book, it felt a touch slow at times.
I think had this book been a hundred pages or so longer, and really went deep into these issues, I'd be giving it a much higher rating

This book was a lovely surprise to me - I started reading it at 2am with no expectations and a few hours later, I finished with a full heart and teary eyes. This is a heart-warming story about friendship, acceptance and trust, with the perfect character and plot drive. I can't wait to read more books by Kate Mallinder.

Asking For A Friend follows the unexpected blossoming of a friendship between Agnes, Hattie and Jake who plan a "study" trip to Weston-super-Mare (you can't go wrong with the seaside!). Little do they know that each one of them has a much bigger reason to "get away" but it's actually what ends up bringing them closer.

The narrative was excellent and reading about each character's experiences from their individual perspective made me feel so much closer to them. Even though they were going through their own troubles, they all made the effort to be strong and selfless for each other. With Agnes having Aspergers, Hattie and Jake tried to understand her quirks and routines, Agnes and Jake were so brave when it came to helping Hattie, and Agnes and Hattie stuck through with Jake through everything. Those 3 are the definition of ride and die friends, and they complemented each other so well. They are such lovable characters that you can't help but root for them equally. I loved the other characters too; Auntie Sadie and the other B & B characters added that perfect dose of lightness and wit, which made the story even more complete and wholesome.

For some reason, I really like reading books about 16 year olds. I feel like it was the age that shaped me a lot into becoming the person that I am, so I find it nostalgic to look back and read about similar experiences that I went through. It actually blew my mind how I related to them. At that age, I was also finding social interaction draining, like Agnes (let's be honest, I still do), I was trying hard to be liked and finding out who my real friends were, like Hattie, and I also had the same scare as Jake (fortunately for me, it turned out to be nothing!). Each heavy topic touched in the story, such as Aspergers, bullying and cancer, was tackled sensitively and with compassion.

It's a very bittersweet feeling when you feel grateful to have had the opportunity to read something so beautiful that impacted you a lot but on other hand, you also feel sad because you've finished reading it. That's how I feel. But this is exactly what I needed. Regardless of your age, I think Agnes, Hattie and Jake are the kind of friends that we all need in our lives. I would recommend this to everyone. I know that this is a story that's going to stay in my heart forever. It might sound weird but I want to sit on this book's lap and hug it.

Thank you so much, Net Galley and Firefly Press for the copy!

Asking For a Friend tells the story of Agnes, Hattie and Jake. Agnes is missing her sister and wants to go find her, Hattie has been ghosted by her friends and Jake found a lump that he's worried about. The three of them don't know each other that well, but when they start talking they decide to go a week away together and they all have their own reason to go. Will spending that much time together make them share their secrets?

Asking For a Friend is a lovely, heartwarming and feel-good tale about friendship. The dynamic between Agnes, Hattie and Jake is great. The story deals with difficult topics like autism, cancer and bullying but handles them with great care. A great and quick read, I've read it in one sitting!

Agnes is missing her elder sister Rose who has moved out of the family home to a new job in a new town. She doesn't like change and can't understand why Rose had to leave. On the school bus she sits next to Hattie who is being blanked by her three former friends. Hattie doesn't confide in Agnes, but she has been cut out of her usual social group after an incident at a party. Jake sits behind the girls as he too is no longer part of the boys team.
These three unlikely allies end up visiting Weston-Super-Mare together in the Easter holidays, immediately before their GCSE exams. Each carry a worry they have not told the others, and until they find themselves in a situation in which true friendship and trust is required, they all feel alone.
They learn that it is not the superficial pictures of their lives that count, but listening to one another and finding solutions together. Although GCSE age, the threesome felt quite a bit younger, so this book is 'safe' and relevant for tweens.

A wonderfully heartwarming fast-paced novel that ticks all the right boxes for young teens trying to finding their way in life.

Asking for a Friends explores the unlikely friendship of Agnes, Hattie and Jake as they prepare for their GCSE finals while coming to terms with each of their personal issues. Whether it’s navigating adolescence with Asperger’s, discovering the meaning of true friendship or coming to terms with a diagnosis, these characters and their situations are highly relatable to teens 14+ and older readers still trying to find their place in the world.

Asking for a Friend is touching read that I devoured in one sitting - it’s one that‘ll I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Kate Mallinder is a wonderful YA writer and is also truly lovely in person - I wish this book is just as successful as Summer of No Regrets. Thank you to the Firefly Press team and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this heart warming YA read from Kate Mallinder. I loved the relationship between Hattie, Agnes and Jake, and the three way point of view chapters worked really well in detailing the anxieties of each of the three teens.
It isn't a light read as Kate Mallinder covers huge themes such as cancer, Aspergers and bullying, but each subject is covered sensitively and with compassion.

Such a lovely, happy read. I loved Agnes, Hattie and Jake so much. Such great and well written characters. This isn’t just a light read however, as it deals with serious issues such as autism and cancer, but deals with them affectively and not patronising at all. It’s a beautiful story of real, true friendship , a completely uplifting story