Tia Williams’s YA debut, Audre & Bash Are Just Friends has the emotional depth of Williams’s adult novels with a YA audience. It makes an interesting jumping point to or from the adult novels. Keep reading this book review of Audre & Bash Are Just Friends for my full thoughts.
Summary
MEET AUDRE. Junior class president. Debate team captain. Unofficial student therapist. Desperately in need of a good time.
MEET BASH. Mysterious new senior. Everybody’s crush. Tall, floppy, great taste in jewelry. King of having a good time.
It’s the last day of school at Cheshire Prep, Brooklyn’s elite academy—and Audre Mercy-Moore’s life is a mess. Her dad cancelled her annual summer visit to his Malibu beach house. Now? She’s stuck in a claustrophobic apartment with her mom, stepdad, and one-year-old sister (aka the Goblin Baby).
Under these conditions, she’ll never finish writing her self-help book—ie, the key to winning over Stanford’s admissions board.
Cut to Bash Henry! Audre hires him to be her “fun consultant.” His job? To help her complete the Experience Challenge—her list of five wild dares designed to give her juicy book material. She’ll get inspo; he’ll get paid. Everybody wins.
He isn’t boyfriend material. And she’s not looking for one. Can they stay professional despite their obvious connection?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In many ways, Audre & Bash Are Just Friends is an extension of Seven Days in June. Featuring Audre, Eva’s daughter, it takes place after the book and examines Eva’s future for Audre. I was on the fence about whether this can be read as a stand alone. I think if you’re a YA reader, then yes. This has the hallmark difficulties with our parents and not knowing why they do what they do. Why they’re so hard on us, what fears they’re worried about us repeating. But as an adult, and someone who read Seven Days in June first, we know why Eva is being so hard on Audre and are just waiting for the shoe to drop.
That being said, this dual narrator audiobook was amazing. If you’ve ever felt like you need to be a parent to your parent this is for you. Audre feels like she’s been pushed out. Like Eva’s second chance family doesn’t include her. Additionally, she feels such a pressure to succeed, to be exceptional. And all of this takes its toll on her. I loved being able to see her voice, and hear the dialogue from Bash within her POV chapters! Audre & Bash Are Just Friends is definitely a romantic book, but it’s focused on Audre and Bash as main characters.
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As teens trying to figure out their family, the ways they feel invisible, and the vulnerability they need for profound relationships of any kind. There’s no excuse for real life experience and, most importantly, what real life teaches us that we don’t expect. Audre & Bash Are Just Friends is about telling the uncomfortable truths because we know on the other side the relationship that will emerge is worth it. While the ending felt a little rushed, I couldn’t stop listening to this one! I loved seeing Audre’s character and seeing Eva in the future! Find Audre & Bash Are Just Friends on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.