“We Used to Be Friends” by Amy Spalding is a capturing story that tells of one of the best types of companionship – the kind between best friends. Kat and James have been best friends since kindergarten. They’re now in their senior year of high school and have gone through many ups and downs together. Some aspects of their lives are looking great. Kat has a girlfriend named Quinn and is applying to her dream colleges. James is running track and field and is happy living with her father. But there is some conflict. Kat’s mother passed away a few years previously, and her father has started dating again. James is tired of being known as “Kat’s friend,” and her parents have also recently divorced. She also broke up with her long-time boyfriend and is confused about college. Kat tries desperately to force a friendship between Quinn and James with no luck. Will their differences end their friendship together? Told in both perspectives throughout different points of senior year, “We Used to Be Friends” shows what is needed for a friendly pair to survive.

I enjoyed watching Kat and James’ friendship change, though sometimes I got a little bored and unengaged. It also got very confusing at times because of the different perspectives and different times of senior year that it jumped to at every chapter. Despite these slight faults, I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed the novel.

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for realistic fiction or friendship stories. People who are fans of dual-perspective novels are in for a treat. Have fun!