The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes twisted me up while keeping me engaged. Kepnes included more than seems possible in a short story yet every moment included feels necessary. I felt the struggle Ellen's perception of her place in her world created internally and the problems that perception created in her life from her friendships to her romances. Ellen often seemed oblivious to the reality in her life and seemed to be seeking something she could never find. A part of me understood related to her disconnection from her life even when I felt frustrated with her. When the big secret that became between her and her friend, Tanya, is revealed, it made perfect sense even as I resisted it as reality. The Bad Friend seemed like there was more than enough bad friendship to go around proving how important communication is in any relationship.


Currently Reading:


Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Harlem by Eric Jerome Dickey

When We Were Friends by Jane Green

Foster by Claire Keegan

Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage by Jyotsna Ramani

Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh

Verseweavers: The Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 28/2023

Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha


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