Written in 2024-2025 in Melbourne, Australia
Illustration by Bobby Nenadovic
Drama / Supernatural
Pages: 239
Book description:
Denise lives a cozy life in the tiny town of Jasper with her parents and younger siblings. She enjoys school and spending time with her best friend, Chloe. Over the past few years, Chloe has become increasingly popular, forcing Denise to share her with other girls—especially Alexandra, who seems to have caught Chloe’s eye. Denise hates it and wishes she could have Chloe all to herself.
At the start of Year 10, strange things begin to happen in Jasper. The town becomes infested with ravens, and Chloe develops a taste for bullying. When Chloe is absent one day, Denise decides to sit with Elisabeth, a quiet new student. The two girls hit it off immediately. Despite Chloe’s clear disapproval, Denise grows close to Elisabeth.
It feels like Denise has finally found the perfect friend. But as unsettling and unexplained events continue to unfold, Elisabeth always seems to be at the center of it. Denise begins to wonder: is Elisabeth as perfect as she seems?
I’ve chosen chapter 2 for you to read, as I think it shows the vibe of the book better. Read chapter two here
How I came up with One Perfect Friend
One Perfect Friend started out as an idea to write a dark witch story. I’m fascinated by witches; I see them as these dark, untouchable creatures that people fear. In my mind, witches don’t make potions or fly on brooms, instead, they simply make things happen with their minds, which I think is much cooler and scarier.
But like with most of my novels, the story usually takes me somewhere different from where it initially started. One Perfect Friend has a witch as one of the main characters, but it’s really a story about a deep desire for friendship.
The story follows Denise, who lives in a very small town with her family. She has had a best friend named Cloe for a few years. However, Cloe is very popular, and Denise has to share her with other classmates. This annoys Denise, as she wants it to be just her and Cloe.
Denise’s desire to have her best friend all to herself is absolutely all me. Throughout my life, I’ve always enjoyed and desired having one or a few close friends. The annoyance described by Denise whenever outsiders join her little circle, is also based on my own experiences and feelings.
In the story, Denise befriends a new and quiet classmate named Elisabeth. They hit it off and Denise finds out that Elisabeth is the exact friend she’s always wished for: the one perfect friend. But of course, things are too good to be true. Denise discovers that Elisabeth is a witch and that she has been putting curses on people in her town. Things turn from bad to worse when Denise grows closer to other classmates and distances herself from Elisabeth.
Although I agree with the lesson Denise learns — that it’s not always healthy to be so loyal to just one friend and that it can be fun to have multiple friends — I can’t help but prefer the first one. There is just something special about two people being best friends.
I like how the story turned out because of the relatable topic of wanting a best friend. But I’m definitely not satisfied with the witch aspect of it. I absolutely want to write another, much darker witch story that is all about the witch and her powers. I want people to be terrified of her initially, but then obviously, some people will find out her true intentions and desires, which might create an opening for some sort of relationship. I’ll have to brainstorm more about that one.