When you find a new best friend you think nothing can wreck the friendship. You think other people will come and go into your life but no one will come between you and your best friend. You envision a lifetime of memories and adventures but what if the friendship is broken, can it ever be put back together again?
Leah Stewart delivers a thoughtful story of two girls, Cameron and Sonia, who forge a fast friendship in high school but will have their friendship tested in college. At the beginning of the novel Cameron is an assistant to a 92-year-old historian, Oliver, and is living a quiet life until the day a letter arrives from Sonia announcing her upcoming wedding. She asks Cameron to attend but Cameron refuses. Oliver urges Cameron to talk to Sonia but Cameron won't hear of it and it is not until Oliver dies and leaves her with one last task that Cameron will seek out Sonia.
As Cameron embarks on her journey to see Sonia and deliver the package from Oliver, the author uses flashbacks to flesh out the story of how the girls met, how they became inseparable friends and finally what drove them apart and why they haven't spoken to each other in eight years.
I found these flashbacks to be the best part of the story. I wanted to hug Sonia for remaining strong despite her mother's criticism and basically enduring her mother's behavior which bordered on insanity most of the time. I liked how Cameron and Sonia were quite different and even ran in different friendship circles yet still they considered themselves soul mates. With all of this background I could understand the need explore the issue of forgiveness and can a friendship be mended.
My biggest complaint with the book was the reappearance of one of the boyfriends. I felt like that wasn't essential to the story and only served to create more conflict where none was needed. Also, the big reveal of the package that Oliver sent with Cameron to Sonia was a bit of a letdown and I found myself judging the character in an unexpected way.
I like stories of friendships and growing up but ultimately this one didn't live up to my expectations.
Added 03/07