Trouble Is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly
Series: , ,
Genres: Coming of Age (YA), Contemporary (YA), Mystery (YA)
Pages: 336
Goodreads

Of course I didn’t like Digby when I first met him. No one does.
The first time Philip Digby shows up on Zoe Webster’s doorstep, he’s rude and he treats her like a book he’s already read and knows the ending to.
But before she knows it, Zoe’s allowed Digby—annoying, brilliant, and somehow…attractive? Digby—to drag her into a series of hilarious, dangerous, and only vaguely legal schemes all related to the kidnapping of a local teenage girl. A kidnapping that might be connected to the tragic disappearance of his little sister eight years ago. When it comes to Digby, Zoe just can’t say no.
But is Digby a hero? Or is his manic quest an indication of a desperate attempt to repair his broken family and exorcize his own obsessive-compulsive tendencies? And does she really care anyway?
This is a contemporary debut with razor-sharp dialogue, ridiculously funny action, and a dynamic duo you won’t soon forget.

I’d feel weird saying the plot was ‘fun’, it was exciting, but the topics it covered were not ‘fun’. This book took a turn that had me going what am I reading? It tackled pretty heavy topics such as drug addiction, drug dealers, divorce and homelessness but did it in a way that I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel sad or joyous throughout (I’ll touch on this more in the ‘writing’ section of my review).

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the story, but I think it definitely surprised me.

I really enjoyed the characters. There were a few that were a bit cliché (typical mean girl & cat-fights), but I could handle that because I absolutely loved Digby. He’s eccentric and is basically Sherlock Holmes. He’s not easy to relate to, but he’s so fun to read about. His dialogue is hilarious. Zoe, the main character, is one-of-the-guys but doesn’t really want to be. Her character is a little bland, there’s a lot of teen-angst going on with her and she’s just there to be Watson… oops, I mean, Digby’s sidekick.

The character development was spot on. It explains a lot about why they act the way they do, but also leaves enough to your imagination (and so that you also really hope there is a sequel).

This is where the book had me swinging both ways, did I like it or did I not? The writing made me both enjoy reading but also cringe at some parts. There is a lot of snarky comments and funny one-liners, which is the part I loved. And this is where I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh or be serious with this book. The author dealt with serious topics in a light and humorous way, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. Some of that humor (or attempted light-heartedness) however, I wrinkled my nose at. The most memorable one is when the scene in Pulp Fiction in which Jules ‘quotes’ Ezekiel 25:17 is quoted. It just took away from the suspense of the moment, I don’t know if that was the author’s goal or not, but I was disappointed. That speech needs to stay in Pulp Fiction – maybe that’s just me, though, because I like that movie.

Just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, here is the scene from Pulp Fiction (mature content, viewer discretion is advised):

Onto the pacing: it was fast. I mean, really, it jumped around a lot. Especially the end, I feel like Tromly had to wrap it up and it left me a bit unsatisfied. There are so many unanswered questions. I’m not talking about 1 or 2, aside from the main mystery they solve, nothing else is resolved. So ,while the book progressed quickly, it only did so with the main mystery Digby and Zoe are trying to solve. While that made it a fun book, there were a few topics that I wish were covered.

Overall, I liked this book. It’s completely unbelievable, ridiculous and far-fetched. So if you’re looking for something more ‘realistic’ to high school drama, do not pick up this book. I’ve noticed some people complaining about how out-there the story is and how Digby is kind of stalker-ish and manic, and they’re saying they dislike it – but really, it’s just a YA version of Sherlock Holmes. Zoe is Watson, Digby is Sherlock, Zillah is Mariarty – you can basically make a connection between all the characters to Sherlock Holmes characters. Now, it’s definitely not as intelligent and well-written as Sherlock Holmes (whether you’ve read the books or watched any movies/the show), but it’s essentially the same concept. The writing has humor, the characters are fun – even the cliché ones – and the plot moves quickly.

It better have a sequel, though, because c’mon – all those unanswered questions!

 

Rating Report
Plot
Characters
Writing
World Building
Overall:	4 / 5