The beauty of Soppy author Philippa Rice‘s Sister BFFs lies in its near-universal appeal. The dynamic between the illustrated Rice and her sister worked for this reader — a not-quite-only child with only one same-generation sibling — as a reflection of the BFF relationships I maintain. Although I highly recommend this book as a co-read for close siblings, Sister BFFs is as much an exploration of friendship as of kinship.
Some Goodreads reviewers have taken issue with the “immaturity” of the real-life sisters’ graphic novel doppelgangers. As grown women in their twenties, Sister BFFs‘ main characters should be poised and charming, right? Estrangement from my own sister makes it difficult to say just how realistic Rice’s near-constant hurling of olfactory insults toward her sibling are, but experience with my few close friends tells me that such wordslinging is hardly beyond the pale of Millennial behavior. In a society that seeks to keep everyone younger than forty in a state of perpetual adolescence, embracing the freedom to be funky and weird is hardly the worst of coping methods.
Ultimately, Sister BFFs offers a touching look at the ups and downs of women’s friendships, whether they’re made at home, school, or work. It’s an engaging follow-up to Soppy, and one that belongs on any graphic novel reader’s bookshelf.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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