The Science of Friendship by Tanita S. Davis

In The Science of Friendship, an 8^th-grade girl takes an analytical approach to keeping friends and discovers some important truths about herself.

The Science of Friendship by Tanita S. Davis. Harper, 2024, 279 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

Rylee Swanson was navigating middle-grade friendship successfully until the end-of-school pool party. That’s when her supposed besties–Aaliyah, Neveah, Rosario, and Cherise—played a cruel prank on her. Nobody apologized, and Rylee didn’t know how to confront or clear the air. The result is, she’s starting 8^th grade with no friends. And she’s starting to wonder what friendship is all about—really. Should she try to ignore the “Spite Sisters,” or might their occasional friendly overtures signal a desire to make up? Do they even realize they’ve done anything wrong? It’s somewhat reassuring to make a new acquaintance in her journalism class, but DeNia is kind of weird. Who else remembers what project every classmate entered for the science fair?

Journalism II (which Rylee hadn’t even wanted to sign up for but had to because her former friends were taking the other electives) means writing for the school paper. It also means being paired with DeNia the science nerd. The two girls are very different in approach: Rylee enjoys getting to know people, white DeNia is interested in data and analysis. The two manage to agree on an investigative project about friendship (how friendships begin and, more to the point, why they end). But DeNia insists on taking charge, leaving Rylee on the outs again.

What starts out as a typical angst-y MG novel about Mean Girls and Dorks actually has some thoughtful insights about making and keeping friends. Middle school is where peer relationships become crucial to well-being, and the atmosphere can be vicious. Segrest School isn’t a snake pit and Rylee’s family (mom, one brother, two grandparents) is loving and supportive. But friendship is a problem she has to work out for herself—which also means discovering ways she hasn’t been such a good friend. As one of her older interviewees advises,

There’s nothing magical about it. Why, it’s work to be worth trusting. It’s work to treat others as you’d like them to treat you. It’s work to see other people as they really are, and it’s work sometimes to let folks see the real you.

Fortunately, Rylee is a plucky and likeable protagonist who grows a lot during 8^th grade. Be aware of two glancing binary references. One is an older minor character who refers to her partner as “they.” The other is an 8th-grader introduced well past the middle who seems superfluous and for whom the “they” pronoun is used once (or perhaps twice). But this character adds nothing significant to the plot and is easy to overlook. Also be prepared for detailed descriptions of clothes.

Bottom Line: An entertaining but thoughtful story about a subject that consumes the typical middle-grader.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Friends beyond Measure is an unusual picture-book take on the subject of friendship.
• Reviews: LOTS of middle grade novels on the same subject, e.g. The Friendship War, We Could be Heroes, Honey and Me, Because of the Rabbit, Tree Table Book, and many more.
• Review: Growing Friendships is a friendly and practical guide to the same.

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