Unfriended

Rachel Vail is the author of the middle grade novel Unfriended (2014). Vail has published several books for young readers and children, including Wonder (1991) and The Friendship Ring series (2014). As with Unfriended, her stories focus on young people confronting the fraught dynamics of friendships and school. In Unfriended, 13-year-old Truly leaves her best friend for the popular crowd and is beset by conflicts online and in the physical world. The story of Truly and her peers addresses themes like Demystifying Popularity, The Fluidity of Relationships, and The Harmful Impact of Digital Communication.

The page numbers refer to the 2014 Penguin Random House e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide describe bullying, anti-fat bias, suicide, and stigmatizing language about mental health.

Plot Summary

The book focuses on a group of eighth graders. The chapters rotate between the central characters, and the chapter title names the character that narrates the chapter. Truly is the main character. As her name indicates, she’s sincere. She’s not popular, but her former best friend, Natasha, is. Natasha “dumped” Truly in the sixth grade because Truly was “too babyish.” Now, Truly’s best friend is Hazel, who has green hair and a “moody”

Unlock all 53 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library