The Darlings Are Forever

The Darlings are Forever by Melissa Kantor follows three best friends as they have to separate for the first time as they attend different high schools and face different problems.  Jane is a talented actress attending a performing arts high school dealing with the pressures of being the only freshman in the big school play.  Victoria is the daughter of a senate hopeful who is looking to find an identity and a voice in her life.  Natalya is a genius who has won a scholarship to a very exclusive private school where she has to deal with being true to herself or molding herself to fit in with others.  The girls face tests to their friendship but ultimately realize that their friendship is forever. 

 This book is very well written quick read that pre-teens girls will enjoy.  The author follows a different girl in each chapter and ends with a minor cliff hanger that leaves the reader wanting more.  Each girls plot was interesting and they merged into a full story very well.

Appropriateness:   This is a delightful book that is perfect for the female middle school audience.  The girls are written realistically and their problems are not wild and crazy and unrealistic.  There is a very sweet romance that is a nice addition to the story but this book is ultimately about friendship and about making the right choices.  The girls are nice and good role models.  While they do not always make the best decisions they don't make any horrible decisions and they are honest and true to themselves.  Except for an incident where one of the girls puts a condom on a banana (as a learning exercise) there is no behavior that would trouble parents of even the youngest readers.  I would rank the interest level at 11+