Enemies by Svetlana Chmakova

 Those of us who have been *cough* around for a while remember Chmakova's first popular series, The Weirn, a manga-style paranormal adventure. We even remember when she came out with her first Berrybrook Middle School title, which introduced her unique style to the popular slice-of-life genre pioneered by Raina Telgemeier.

Each entry in the Berrybrook series focuses on a different set of kids and stands alone, although sometimes characters from previous volumes make cameo appearances or are more significant protagonists. One of the interesting things about this style is that readers can see the characters from different perspectives and interacting with different friend groups, as well as maturing and changing.

This latest volume focuses on Felicity. She enjoys art and gaming and moves easily between the two groups that make up her friends. She considers herself an easy-going, friendly person without any enemies and plans to do something big "someday." However, she often feels overlooked and a failure in light of her younger sister who has skipped several grades, wins multiple awards, and seems to excel at everything she tries. When a family discussion gets heated, Felicity determines to prove her sister, who says she never finishes anything, wrong and picks a school competition for entrepreneurship to prove herself.

However, Felicity quickly finds herself making mistakes - and enemies. Soon her friends aren't talking to her and her goal of finishing and winning something seems farther away than ever. Can she find the solution to her problems, repair her friendships, and maybe even find a new rapport with her sister?

Chmakova has a delicate touch and understands the the complexities of middle school. Her characters are humorous and realistic and while some of the characters can be two-dimensional, Chmakova expands a new set of them in each successive volume. Felicity, a side character in previous titles, comes into her own in this book, feeling both the pressure to excel and trying to find her own way. She has a supportive family, but they don't always see the full story of what's going on and she grows as a person and a character as she deals with her personal issues, handles a romantic interest, and makes - and confronts - many different kinds of enemies.

Verdict: This will be a popular title for old and new fans of Berrybrook Middle School. My only reservation is that it's currently only available in paperback or hardcover and I advise putting aside some budget to purchase a prebound version when available as these will be read to pieces otherwise.

ISBN: 9781975312725; Published September 2022 by JY/Yen Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library