Friends or Frenemies?

There's no doubt how important friendships are in the teenage years. But with that also come a whole host of potential conflict, especially when it comes to peer pressure and standing up for oneself. The challenge for some teens is deciding when enough is enough.  These four novels explore different toxic relationships in the lives of teens:

In Truth and Lies main character Erin seeks to find the person responsible for a physical attack on her long-time friend Marcel, who is gay. This novel examines the different homophobic attitudes that abound in Erin's high school as well as the dynamic between different high school cliques.

Out of Time by Peter McPhee deals with a subject that many students across Canada will no doubt be talking about after last year's disturbing news stories around bullying and teen suicide. In this book, three friends who consider themselves "outsiders," have carried out a suicide pact. One has been found dead, another is in hospital, and the third is still missing. It's up to a fourth friend, Eileen to find her

In Final Takedown by Brent R. Sherrard, main character Elias is growing up in poverty with an alcoholic mother and an absent father. For the longest time, Elias has counted on his best friend Silas and his family for support. Together Elias and Silas are no strangers to trouble. But then a fight in the school yard ends with both boys being charged. Elias and Silas are warned by a judge to stay out of the trouble because the next time they show up in his courtroom, they'll be sent to jail. This is enough to make Elias start to rethink his life, but not SilaSo when Silas comes up with an idea for a crime that could get them into a lot of trouble, Elias has to decide whether to stick by a friend who has been like a brother to him, or strike out on his own.

Final Takedown is a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens selection.