Asking for a Friend
(eBook)

Eden Jones has exactly three friends. And they're all fake. From a web of lies and social anxiety to true friendship and queer joy; this is the wonderful second book from the author of the Indie Next List pickJude Saves the World. Why go through the stress of making friends when you can just pretend? That works for Eden (and their social anxiety) . . . until their mom declares she'll be throwing them a birthday party and all their friends are invited. Eden needs to find a way to turn fake friends into real ones -- fast. Eden's three "friends," Duke, Ramona, and Tabitha, are all real kids at the school -- but they've never actually spoken to Eden. Now Eden must do whatever it takes to convince them or trick them into being their friend -- at least until the party is over. When things start to go better than Eden could have ever hoped, and the group starts to genuinely bond, Eden finds themselves trapped in a lie that keeps getting deeper. What happens if the others discover that Eden hasn't been honest with them from the very start? This book by Indies Introduce author Ronnie Riley is full of queer joy and -- ultimately -- true friendship. Praise for Ronnie Riley's Jude Saves the World: "Full of fierce warmth and humor, Jude Saves the Worldis a life-changer." -- Ashley Herring Blake, author of the Stonewall Honor book Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World "A heartwarming exploration of identity, unconditional friendship, found family, and harnessing the force of love to right the world's wrongs." -- Jules Machias, author of Both Can Be True "Jude's story is full of heart, queer celebration, and an intelligent tenderness so needed in today's homes and classrooms." -- Ash Van Otterloo, author of Cattywampus "Accessible and ultimately hopeful. Jude Saves the World feels like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket, like a hug to every single reader who might need one." -- A. J. Sass, author of Ana on the Edge and Ellen Outside the Lines "Filled with courage and positivity, Jude is middle grade's next Pride icon." -- Kaliisha Cole, Whitelam Books, Reading, MA "This is a beautiful book with amazing, brave characters who fiercely guard friendship as a safe space filled with unconditional love -- and set about to make the world that way. Jude Saves the World cracked my heart open and poured joy right in." -- Justin Colussy-Estes, Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA "Jude is the brave and loyal friend all young queer kids need." -- Gabriella Crivilare, Prairie Fox Books, Ottawa, IL Ronnie Riley is a queer, nonbinary, trans femme writer based in Toronto, Ontario, who uses they/them pronouns. They created LGBTNPit, an annual Twitter pitch event for queer, trans, and nonbinary authors using the hashtag #lgbtnpit. They are a Special Event Manager who graduated with honours from George Brown College. It comes in handy for writing since they meet so many interesting real-life characters. Writing, watching TV, and reading books are some of Ronnie's favourite hobbies. They love digging themselves into a new world and forgetting reality for a while. Ronnie enjoys crafting of all sorts, particularly loom-knitting warm hats, sewing cat toys and lavender heating pads, and cross stitching. They love fiddling around with graphic design, websites, and creating resources for educational purposes. Visit them at