The official title of this book is Another Brooklyn: A Novel, but I'd actually call it a novella as it's very short (only 170 pages) and the margins are 1" on the top, left, and right (and1.5"-1.75" on the bottom, depending on the page breaks). It was especially noticeable compared to the 500+ page book I just read that had 1/2" margins. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed reading this, but from a visual standpoint, it looked like when I used to write papers in college and I had to screw around with the margins to make my paper longer. I guess the publisher thought they couldn't justify charging $15 if they used normal margins and the book was less than 150 pages.

The story is told from August's point of view. She recalls moving to New York with her father and brother when she was very young and eventually becoming friends with Sylvia, Angela, and Gigi. Most of the story focuses on her friendship with the girls from elementary school through high school and how it all fell apart. The author does a great job describing the transition from little girls to pubescent girls being groped and sexually assaulted, which is unfortunately a rite of passage and common occurrence for most women.

Sometimes your friends drift away. Sometimes there's a fight that breaks your friendship. Either way, it's always sad when someone who you loved is gone from your life. People who know you when you're young know you in a way that's different from adult friendships. But even when they're not around anymore, they are still a part of your memories and a part of you.