A Meh Take on Friendship and Growing Up

Rufi Thorpe’s debut novel, The Girls from Corona del Mar, focuses on the friendship of two girls as it stretches from childhood to adulthood. Lorrie Ann is the golden girl with a perfect family and a perfect home. Mia has an alcoholic mother, two young brothers she both loves and hates and, as the book opens, is 15 and figuring out how to get out of a soccer game so she can get an abortion. As they grow older, one becomes a teacher and researcher, the other strung out on drugs and dealing with a severely handicapped son. Bet you can’t guess the twist as to who is who!