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Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Friends Like These Kindle Edition

by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 82 ratings

Editors' pick Best Young Adult

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"Sharp, atmospheric, and wildly fast-paced"—Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of They'll Never Catch Us

From the author of Lies Like Wildfire comes another page-turning thriller about the little lies we all tell before the truth sets us free—perfect for readers of Karen M. McManus and Diana Urban.

Mistake number one . . .

Fun-loving Jake tells his girlfriend, Jessica, that they have to go to Tegan’s end-of-summer party in their tiny California beach town. Jessica doesn’t like parties, and she doesn’t like Tegan, who has an obvious, obsessive crush on Jake. But she agrees to go, to make Jake happy.

Mistake number two . . .

Something awful happens at the party. Something so embarrassing that Jessica doesn’t know if she can ever get over it—and Jake will do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. And now a girl is missing. Everyone is a suspect. And Jake seems to have a lot to hide. . . .

When a body is discovered at the beach, friends start turning on friends, and lies start piling upon lies. What happened could destroy their lives. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Mistake number three . . .

Reading age

12 years and up
Print length

376 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Delacorte Press
Publication date

November 1, 2022
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ISBN-13

978-0593309674
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Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Friends Like These:

"Sharp, atmospheric, and wildly fast-paced, Friends Like These will leave you breathless as you rush to find out the truth hidden in the corners of Crystal Cove. A harrowing, nuanced portrayal of how far some will go to keep their secrets untold."—JESSICA GOODMAN, NYT bestselling author of They'll Never Catch Us

“This tangled story about terrible choices, mistaken assumptions, and the all-to-thin line between friends and enemies expertly cranks up the tension chapter-by-chapter until it leaves you dangling on the edge of a cliff and desperate for answers.”—GINNY MYERS SAIN, author of Dark and Shallow Lies

"Intoxicating and propulsive; an emotional rollercoaster that doesn't let up until the final, brutal twist."—ALEXA DONNE, author of The Ivies

"An intoxicating must-read thriller, with characters so raw and human, you'll feel the full force of every twist."—JARROD SHUSTERMAN, New York Times bestselling author of Dry

"A summer-y thriller in the depths of fall, Friends Like These has the sort of propulsive fun you expect in your favorite beach reads."—Paste

"This drama sucks you right in."—Girls' Life

"With pulsing dialogue and believable action, the thriller raises the stakes at every turn. A fast-paced thriller to keep readers on the edges of their seats."—Kirkus

"For those who adore edgy thrillers, this is a fantastic read."—Booklist

"Alvarez sensitively examines themes of bullying and consent in this jam-packed thriller."—PW

"This fast-paced thriller will keep readers hooked right up to the last page."—SLJ

Praise for Lies Like Wildfire:

“Five fiery stars for this bingeable, edge-of-your-seat, twisty thriller.”—NATASHA PRESTON, NYT bestselling author of The Lake

“Twisty and fast-paced and visceral. I couldn’t put this one down.” —KATIE COTUGNO, NYT bestselling author of 99 Days

"Using her own experience with wildfire, the author tells a gripping tale about the line between loyalty to the people in your life and the value of telling the truth."—Entertainment Weekly

“An intense high-stakes story.”—The Nerd Daily

"Gripping, fast-paced, and addictive, the novel explores what happens when good people do bad things."—Brightly

About the Author

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is the author of ten published novels, including the YA thriller Lies Like Wildfire and two middle-grade fantasy series, but this is not where she started. After earning her BA in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, Jennifer went into finance, of all things. It was many years and several rejected manuscripts later before she accomplished her childhood dream of becoming an author. Jennifer no longer works in finance and spends her days dreaming up stories. She also teaches creative writing classes through her local library, encouraging others to write their own stories. Jennifer divides her time between Northern California and Middle Tennessee with her husband, kids, and more than her fair share of pets. You can follow her on Instagram @jennifer_lynn_alvarez or Twitter @Jenniferdiaries. Visit her online at jenniferlynnalvarez.com. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

Jessica

“Morning, beautiful.”

I flip over and there’s his face, inches from mine—Jake, my boyfriend and my next-door neighbor. “You scared me,” I whisper.

His shadowy lips curve into a grin. “I was shooting for romantic.”

“Well, you missed.”

He rolls off the bed and turns on my light, posing in the most un-Jake-like outfit I can imagine: a cute dolphin-print shirt with matching dolphin-print shorts and a pair of white-rimmed sunglasses. “At least I’m well-dressed.”

“Oh my god, why?” I sputter.

“Because I’m taking you to the beach to see the sunrise. I even packed food.”

I stretch and roll onto my side, prop my head up in my hand. “You look like a tourist.”

He adjusts the brightly colored shorts and slides off his glasses. “A sexy tourist?”

“No such thing.”

Jake sweeps me up, tucks my legs around his waist, and nuzzles my neck. “So, are you up for a sunrise surprise? We have to hurry.”

I gaze into his eyes, sweet caramel-brown framed by long black lashes. I already know this picnic will be missing napkins or drinks or something essential, and Jake will insist on bringing his obnoxious dog, Otis, and there’s no way we’ll get to the coast in time for the sunrise, which happens in the east, not the west (and I think deep down Jake knows this), but none of it matters. The date will be perfect because we’ll be together, so I agree. “Yeah, I’m up for it.”

Jake inhales in that slow way of his, as if he’s breathing me into his lungs. Then he sets me down and enjoys the peep show while I change into jeans and a sweatshirt, beachwear in Northern California. “Ready, Mrs. Healy?” he asks, giving me his last name.

“Ready, Mr. Sanchez,” I reply, giving him mine.

Jake collects his backpack and drops his sunglasses back over his eyes. “Otis is going to be very happy you said yes. He’s already in the truck.”

I lead Jake out of my bedroom with happiness blooming in my stomach at being correct, because of course Otis is in the truck.

• • •

As we crest the last bluff, the view of Blind Beach fills Jake’s windshield. Doesn’t matter that we were born here, doesn’t matter that I jog here every day after school, doesn’t matter that the ocean never changes—the sight of the endless sea sucks our breath from our lungs as if we’re drowning in it. This is the most dangerous stretch of coastline in California. The continental shelf drops quickly from a few dozen feet below the sea’s surface to several hundred feet, creating riptides that will kill you if you aren’t careful.

Sleeper waves are another risk. They hide in deep water, but when they meet the shallow portion of the shelf, they rush past previous waves and swallow whoever is standing on the shore. The water is cold enough to silence human screams, and if none of that kills you, the great white sharks that prowl offshore might. Visitors die here each year. Last summer, two local boys drowned when a sleeper wave dragged them into the ocean.

Today the waves are white-capped and violent, assailing the huge boulders that rise as ancient monoliths from the deep. The tide swallows the shoreline in greedy gulps, and the brightening sky reveals a layer of gauzelike mist, veiling the horizon. Seagulls dive and screech as they scavenge on creatures washed ashore—crabs, abalone, and starfish. In the dark depths, humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and sharks flick their tails, invisible to us until they decide to be seen.

Jake glances at me, smiling. “We’re here.”

But I’m surprised to see we’re not alone. Our friends Chloe and Manny, and Manny’s girlfriend, Alyssa, are nestled in the sand. “What’s going on?”

Jake parks and turns off his engine, rubs his hands together for warmth. “I want to hang out, just our group, one last time before school starts on Monday.”

Oh, I think, not this again. Jake is terrified of senior year. I can’t talk to him about my college applications or my AP tests without him getting moody and quiet. I won’t get into an Ivy League school, but my dream of attending the University of Colorado is pretty attainable, and that has Jake worried. It’s so far, he says. He believes I’ll forget about him at college—as if I ever could—but I think he’s more afraid to lose a person he loves, like he and his little brother Cole lost their dad two years ago. Maybe it’s why he clings so hard.

But today he invited our friends. He did that for me, and I smile back at him. “This is perfect.”

He opens his door, and Otis streaks out and down the trail, bounding toward the beach like a puppy. I sigh. “He’s going to get wet.”

But Jake ignores Otis and grabs our gear—two beach chairs, a blanket, and a cooler full of food. His thick eyebrows crinkle as he tries to wrangle it all. He looks so cute, I almost don’t want to help him, but I reach for a chair.

“Nope, I got it,” he says.

We hike down the trail to the beach, and Manny spots us first. “Hey, hey, the cabana boy is here!”

Jake drops everything and slaps Manny on the back. Alyssa and Chloe huddle by a small driftwood bonfire, with the massive stone cliffs at their backs, blocking the worst of the wind. The sky is ash gray and getting lighter.

I drop in next to my friends, and they scoot over so I can share the blanket draped over their laps. Alyssa glares at Jake on the other side of the flames. “Your boyfriend texted at five this morning and told me to hurry, and then he has the balls to show up late—wearing that.” She laughs.

I peek at Jake’s tan muscular legs, clad in dolphin-print shorts. “He pulls it off.”

Alyssa snaps a picture of him.

“Don’t post that!” I grab for her cell.

She grins. “Too late.”

The boys join us, and Jake pulls out the food he brought: a collection of sodas, a clump of grapes, and frozen breakfast burritos he must have heated in the microwave this morning. “Shit,” he says, rummaging in his backpack. “I forgot the salsa.”

The rest of us exchange a look, not surprised he forgot something. Jake and I started dating ten months ago, and I’ve learned I can rely on him to be exactly who he is—my easily baffled and mostly disorganized boyfriend who tries harder than anyone else I know to do the normal shit, but then crushes me with gestures so tiny and sweet that I wonder if I deserve him at all.

Finally he passes out the burritos, which are now dusted in brown sand from the gusting wind. “No charge for the seasonings,” he says.

We brush the tortilla wrappings clean and dig in, sometimes hearing the slight crunch of sand between our teeth. The beans are ice-cold in the center of my burrito.

“Delicious,” says Manny, tossing his into the fire with a shake of his head.

Jake passes out the sodas, and we watch the crackling flames as Manny adds another driftwood log. “Who’s going to Tegan’s party tonight?” Manny asks.

“We are,” says Jake, wrapping his arm around me.

“We are?” I ask.

His brows draw together. “Yeah, weren’t you on the group chat?”

“What group chat?”

“Uh-oh,” says Alyssa.

“The invite chat,” he says. “Tegan invited us.”

Anger slithers through my belly. “Us or just you?” Tegan is Jake’s ex, and she doesn’t bother to hide the fact she still has a crush on him.

“Us, all of us,” he says. “She told me to bring you.”

Manny pokes at the hot embers, causing sparks to dance in the wind.

“Everyone is going, Jess,” says Alyssa. “It’s Tegan’s end-of-summer bash.”

I nod but feel my heat rising. I don’t subscribe to the “everyone is going” peer pressure bullshit. I don’t like parties; they’re too chaotic. Everyone drinks and acts stupid and they’re not fun. They’re loud. Tegan’s Fourth of July bonfire earlier this summer was a disaster. Parties are one area where Jake and I don’t see eye to eye. He loves them, and I’ve made him skip quite a few.

Chloe snorts. “I can’t believe she invited you through your boyfriend. Oh wait, yes I can.” Her sarcasm masks the hurts from our past. Tegan and I were best friends until I befriended Chloe in the third grade. The three of us tried to be friends for two years, but Tegan treated Chloe like crap and eventually forced me to choose between them—I chose Chloe.

“Are you going?” I ask her.

“Yeah, Grady invited me. It’s his house too.” Grady is Tegan’s younger brother and Chloe’s best friend, next to me. They met when Chloe and I used to sleep over at Tegan’s, and then reconnected when they bought goldendoodles from the same litter three years ago. When the Sheffields are out of town, Chloe is their dog-sitter. Grady’s had a crush on Chloe since he was a kid, and I think she likes him too, but Chloe won’t do anything that takes her focus off gymnastics, and that includes dating.

Jake gently tilts my face, so our eyes meet. “It’s the last party of the summer, Jess.”

I shift my eyes to the bonfire, to our friends, and to our ruined burritos. This is my idea of a party, time with the few people I truly care about. But I know Jake wants to savor the beginning and end of senior year—the final leg of our high school journey—so I let out my breath. “Okay.”

He grins and kisses the back of my hand, and Alyssa snaps a photo. “So cute,” she says.

The others finish eating while I pet Otis to hide my sulk. If it was anyone else’s party, I’d feel better about it, but Tegan Sheffield? Our friendship exploded in the fifth grade during lunch period when Chloe and I declined to join Tegan at the popular table. We didn’t like Tegan’s new friends, not because they were popular but because we had nothing in common.

“Sit down,” Tegan insisted.

“No,” I whispered, feeling my face grow hot.

“You’re being a baby.” She eyed my horse-graphic T-shirt. “You look like a baby.”

We were eleven years old, and an epic shouting match followed that resulted in Tegan slapping me and making me cry. Chloe shoved her, and Tegan stumbled and tripped over a bench. Her skirt flew up, showing her underwear, and her new friends laughed at her.

After the fight, Tegan and I stopped speaking and Chloe became my best friend, and Tegan never forgave either of us. And now that the boy who dumped her is in love with me, our feud has reignited.

Tegan wages her war by posting candid pictures of Jake on her social media account. She draws little hearts around his ass or around his face, using the hashtag #TheOneThatGotAway. Once she posted a shot of both of us, Jake looking gorgeous and me looking frazzled, and tagged it #BeautyandtheBeast. It probably counts as online bullying, something we could turn her in to the principal for, but Jake and I decided to ignore the pictures. No response is a response, right? --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09RPGL5WX
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Delacorte Press (November 1, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2731 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0241476135

Best Sellers Rank: #504,999 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #50 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Substance Abuse
- #171 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Drugs & Alcohol Abuse
- #273 in Teen & Young Adult Emotions & Feelings Fiction eBooks

Customer Reviews:
4.4 82 ratings

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Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

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Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is the author of two YA thrillers, FRIENDS LIKE THESE and LIES LIKE WILDFIRE, and two middle grade fantasy series, THE GUARDIAN HERD and RIDERS OF THE REALM. She earned her degree in English Literature from UC Berkeley and volunteers for SCBWI. The Pet Washer is her indie novel. Jennifer splits her time between Northern California and Middle Tennessee with her husband, three children, and more than her fair share of pets.

To meet the pegasus characters, play herd games, download printable classroom/bookclub/library activities, and much more, please visit Jennifer's winged universe: theguardianherd.com

Jennifer's Website: jenniferlynnalvarez.com

Instagram @jennifer_lynn_alvarez

TikTok: @authorjen

Follow on Twitter @JenniferDiaries

Visit her Facebook page: Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

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Linda Demaree

A very strong 4.5

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023

I honestly don't know what to say about this book. How can you enjoy a reading experience so much that you can't put the book down, and at the same time want to throw it against the wall? Because that is exactly how I felt at times. The story drew me in and kept me reading, but oh, the stupid choices of these young high school kids. UGH! The wrong decisions and actions made, the narcissistic behavior, the teenage angst about drove me crazy through the entire story. I don't believe I ever lacked critical thinking ability like these young people did. However, this was a very good story that was fast-paced and twisty and really kept me reading. I don't usually read YA novels, but for Jennifer Alvarez and a couple of other writers I make an exception. Keep them coming!

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Melissa Parcel

Intriguing YA Thriller

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2022

3.5 stars A very captivating, twisty YA mystery about a mean girl who disappears after a video prank gone wrong.

Jessica and Jake are in love and entering their senior year of high school. Their only problem--Jake's ex-girlfriend and Jessica's ex-best friend Tegan. Against Jessica's better judgment, they attend a back to school party at Tegan's house and things get out of hand, a live stream of an event goes wrong and when everyone wakes up the next day, Tegan is missing and no one knows (or will admit to knowing) what happened to her. The police begin their investigation and everyone is hiding something. Will they find Tegan dead, alive, or at all?

This book has some great twists and some very astute observations about sexual assault. It is very rare that there is a male victim of sexual assault portrayed in a novel, and the narrative gives a lot of food for thought about how it could (and does) happen. I thought that the thread involving this subject was surprising and intriguing.

As I had mentioned in one of my updates, some of what happens along the way in this book was just ridiculous and made me round down my rating. There's one instance where Jake has just beat someone up and is on the run because the police have been called, and yet he encounters Jessica in the woods and they get naked and hook up in a shed. Really?

Other than a few eye rolling moments, the mystery proceeds at a brisk pace and nothing is fully answered until the end. There are definitely a few surprises and some of the characters are not as they appear on the surface. I listened to this as an audiobook and it is a full cast narration, which is great for keeping straight who is narrating. The narrators were all excellent and different.

If you like a well-told YA mystery, this is a great choice.

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Helpful

Meaghan Swanson

Twisty YA psych thriller that keeps you guessing

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2022

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, and the author for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Whatever happens next, stay away. You don't need friends like these."

This is a great, twisty, mystery filled with teenagers, secrets, and some heavy topics that are handled well. I've got five great reasons for why you should be sure to read Friends Like These:

1. The book hits so many great notes, combining a high school drama, with a dangerous party, secrets, friendships, romance, machinations, and a death that no one saw coming. It reads like a well-executed teen drama tv show, and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

2. Every character seems suspicious and has secrets, which all of them interesting. The author weaves a great web of doubts and questions...who did what, and who knows what, and why?

3. The book is written with dual POV, plus narration from an important missing character before the events of the book. All these viewpoints give you a more complex picture of the story and help the reader engage with the characters.

4. It is quick paced and bingeable. I would have read it in one sitting if my kids didn't keep needing me for things.

5. Best of all, the book keeps you guessing until the end!

Helpful

I'm a little embarrassed to admit how compulsively I read this book

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2022

If someone tells teenaged you that everyone is lying, you're probably going to think, "well, duh". But then it makes for a pretty compelling story as all the characters scramble to figure out who knows or did each treacherous thing.

I am a little embarrassed to admit how compulsively I read this book. I didn't guess ahead for the few twists, but they kept the ball rolling -- speeding -- toward that satisfying finish.

I do have to ask if anyone else found it strange that the characters kept mentioning "my stomach loosened" or "my bladder loosened". It happened a lot, like A LOT, in this book. It made me giggle in a couple places, because first his stomach loosened (whatever that means), then in the next paragraph his stomach tightened. I get that upsetting circumstances have very real physical effects, but I'd love to know where all this stomach, bladder, and throat loosening, and then tightening, came from. Is "loosening" some new way of describing upset I've not heard until now?

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