Why Can’t I Be You by Melissa Walker (review)

It’s the summer before seventh grade, and Claire Ladd is looking forward to free time with her best friends Brianna and Ronan. According to Eden, Brianna’s attention-grabbing cousin who’s staying for the summer, however, seventh grade is when everything changes. It seems like Eden’s right: the trio were all happy equal neighbors at the trailer park, but with Brianna’s family now ensconced in a luxurious house in a well-to-do neighborhood and Ronan putting on a front on social media, Claire feels their friendships are at risk. Walker presents an understated, fluidly told story that explores the dynamics of friendships as they evolve during adolescence with some thoughtful observations about class differences and the strain of negotiating them. Claire is plausible in her initial insistence that it’s everyone else who has a problem, but she eventually gets around to admitting she has been judgmental, which overshadows her endearing qualities. While the plot here is familiar (a newbie causes a temporary rift in previously established friendships), readers who enjoy an easygoing yet substantial story won’t be disappointed.