Book Review of Best Friends
Sponsored* | All opinions are our own
The Children’s Book Review
The Orion Sessions: Best Friends
Written by Cheryl DaVeiga
Illustrated by Tamara Campeau (cover)
Ages: 10-13 | 150 Pages
Publisher: Waterhole Productions LLC (2026) | ISBN: 978-1-958050-26-2
What to Expect: Music, Friendship, Identity, Belonging, Online Bullying.
Perfectly capturing the intense emotions and friendships that characterize life in middle school, Best Friends is a story about music, experience, and growing into oneself.
If there’s one thing Orion loves more than music right now, it’s her crush, Jesse—cool, kind, and also a talented musician. However, she’s pretty sure Jesse doesn’t know she exists—or if he does, there’s no way he’d find her red hair, lanky build, and braces attractive. But someone seems to, because Orion has been getting anonymous phone messages, telling her how awesome she is. The texter refuses to say who he is… but he signs each message “J.”
Orion can’t help hoping that her mysterious admirer is really Jesse, but as a real friendship with Jesse starts to develop, her best friend Izzy isn’t so sure—she’s starting to suspect that something is very off about these messages. Through this tangled maze of messages and relationships, it’s music that will eventually show Orion the light.
The intimate first-person narration invites readers right inside Orion’s head to share her thoughts—both the good and the bad—offering an empathetic look at her insecurities, self-reflections, and desperate hopes and dreams. Izzy and Jesse make wonderful sidekicks, seeing the things she can’t see—especially when it comes to the bright side. As well as watching their relationships with each other bloom, the mystery of the anonymous texts drives the pace forward, keeping readers wondering until almost the last chapter.
Poignant, funny, and honest, Best Friends is an excellent middle grade novel for any reader who lives and loves music.
Buy the Book
About the Author
Cheryl DaVeiga grew up as a girl who loved singing, writing, and dreaming in music—but somewhere along the way, she learned to quiet that part of herself. Like so many girls, she chose the path that felt safe, building a career in accounting and eventually becoming a partner at a national firm. It was something to be proud of… but it wasn’t the dream her younger self once carried so brightly.
Years later, she found her way back to the music she had set aside. She became an award-winning songwriter recognized by ASCAP, then discovered the joy of writing books for children. Her seven picture books—combining stories with music and filled with humor, heart, and sing-along joy—have received numerous awards.
But even as she wrote those playful stories, she knew there was another one waiting—one rooted in the girl she used to be and the voice she had tucked away. That’s the story that became The Orion Sessions.
The Orion Sessions is the series Cheryl wishes she’d had when she was twelve: full of music, friendship, mistakes, courage, and the journey of reclaiming the voice you’ve hidden to fit in.
Cheryl lives in Tucson with her partner, Doug, and they spend summers in New Jersey. She still sings… like all the time.
For more information, visit theorionsessions.com.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored*, non-biased review of Best Friends. Learn more about getting a book review …
