REVIEW: The Circle Of Friends, Book II (L. Diane Wolfe)

[Apex Reviews]

The Circle Of Friends, Book II: Sarah
L. Diane Wolfe
ISBN: 9780981621012
Dancing Lemur Press, LLC
Reviewed By Linda Waterson

Official Apex Reviews Rating:


Sarah has many positive traits in her favor; unfortunately, she’s among the last to acknowledge them…

A promising student at Georgia Tech University, Sarah has struggled under the weight of lofty expectations for most of her young life. As a result of her father’s significant business achievements, her family enjoys prominent social status and renown – which, naturally, leads Sarah to be held to a higher standard of success than most. In addition, Sarah’s “Plain Jane” appearance places her in direct contrast with her more physically appealing peers – so, of course, attracting the attention of her male counterparts remains a considerable challenge.

In light of these factors, Sarah can’t help feeling skeptical when her friendship with Matt, a handsome football player with serious NFL potential, blossoms into a burgeoning romance. Despite the fact that Matt displays a genuine interest in her, Sarah struggles to reconcile her deep affection for him with the perception that she comes nowhere close to being the kind of girl he’d normally go for. Ultimately, she must figure out a way to shake her lingering insecurities; if not, she runs the risk of losing the best thing she’s ever had…

In Book II of the five-part The Circle Of Friends series, author L. Diane Wolfe presents a realistic tale of the complex world of teenage angst. The issues with which both Sarah and Matt contend are drawn straight from the pages of the book of everyday life, and their interactions with their families, their colleagues, and each other would make for compelling viewing on their own reality series. As such, Wolfe ensures that readers – particularly those of the modern MTV generation – will be vicariously engaged in Sarah and Matt’s transition from adolescence to adulthood. However trivial their problems may seem to others, the young lovers nonetheless struggle with daunting internal and external forces as they seek to define themselves and establish their individual and collective identities. To her credit, Wolfe doesn’t sugarcoat the process in overly sanguine fashion, but rather places the roadblocks on the road to maturity on full, uninhibited display. In so doing, she infuses her tale with sage insight and sound credibility.

An enjoyable, well-crafted read, The Circle Of Friends, Book II will enlighten many a reader to the joys and pains of contemporary youth. A recommended, rewarding literary treat.