Book ~ "Hating Heidi Foster" (2012) Jeffrey Blount

From Goodreads ~ Mae McBride and Heidi Foster were the very best of friends. Tied at the hip from early elementary school, their relationship was the stuff of storybooks, legendary even, in the minds of their high school classmates.

Unshakable.

That is, until Mae's father died while saving Heidi's life. When Mae finds out, she blames Heidi. She blames her father for putting Heidi ahead of her. She blames her friends for taking Heidi’s side. She begins to unravel amid that blame and her uncontrollable and atypical anger.

At the same time Heidi is beset by guilt, falls into depression and stops eating properly; wasting away physically and emotionally while waiting for Mae to let her back into the friendship she misses so dearly.

Mae, consumed by her hatred of Heidi, the confusion regarding her father’s motives, the perceived desertion of her friends and her mother’s grief, loses more and more of herself.

What could possibly bring these two old friends back to each other? A miracle?

Hating Heidi Foster, is a young adult novel about the place of honor true friendships hold in our lives. It is about suffering and loss and the ethics of grief. It is about a deep and painful conflict, the bright light of selflessness and sacrifice and the love that rights the ship and carries us safely to port.

When the story begins, fourteen-year-old Mae McBride's father has just died in a fire saving Mae's best friend, Heidi.  As such, Mae can't help but feel anger and hatred towards Heidi.  In Mae's mind, it's Heidi's fault that her father is dead ... her father died choosing Heidi over his wife and daughter.

At school, everyone seems to be concerned about Heidi and taking her side.  This angers Mae even more so she turns her back on all her friends and becomes "the Tragic One".  The only ones she feels she can has to turn to is her mother, her paternal grandparents and her maternal grandparents.  She consoles herself watching old family videos.  It's in one of these videos that she gets a message from her Dad that will shift her way of thinking.

This is a quick read (just 105 pages).  Though it's considered a young adult novel, I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style and didn't find it too immature for me.  It was well-paced and kept me wanting to read more.  I liked the characters and could feel their struggle in dealing with Eddie's death in their own way.

I'd recommend it.  I think young adults and older will find it interesting.



I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.