2 Answers2026-07-15 10:11:30
Flip a coin. Heads, you read it normal. Tails, you read all the past chapters first. It's a book, not a sacred text. Experimentation can be fun. You might discover a personal preference for how you consume non-linear narratives.
4 Answers2026-07-15 06:40:48
Think of it like a movie and its sequel. You can watch 'The Empire Strikes Back' without 'A New Hope,' but why would you? You miss the foundation of the relationships, the baseline normal. 'Sleepovers' is the baseline normal for Daisy and Chloe. 'Best Friends' is the empire striking back at their friendship. The emotional resonance is magnified a hundredfold by knowing what was lost.
4 Answers2026-07-15 09:41:05
My final, emphatic advice: Read them in the order they were written. Full stop. The author wrote each book responding to reader reactions and her own evolving understanding of the characters. You can feel that organic growth when you read them sequentially. It's a time capsule of a specific kind of friendship story from the 2010s. To tamper with the order is to lose that historical and creative context. Just embrace the series as it is, warts and all, from book one to book four.
5 Answers2026-07-15 19:59:10
Can we talk about how the covers subtly change to reflect the characters' ages? The first one has bright, cartoonish sunflowers, and by book seven, it's a more muted, elegant design with intertwined silver rings. Following the reading order lets you visually see the story growing up alongside the characters. It's a really nice touch that you'd miss if you read them out of sequence or just saw them on a shelf. The order isn't just about plot; it's an aesthetic and thematic journey too.
6 Answers2026-07-15 13:01:59
As a comics nerd, I appreciate the visual storytelling consistency. Background details, like family photos and bedroom layouts, evolve across the books. You'll spot a drawing from 'Smile' framed on the wall in a later book. Those Easter eggs are rewarding for series readers. Publication order lets you notice those details as fun callbacks, whereas timeline order might make them confusing foreshadowing. Read it as the artist intended.
6 Answers2026-07-15 19:04:51
If you're an audiobook listener, it's easier. Only the main three novels have full cast audio productions. The novellas are e-book only. So your 'order' is dictated by medium: listen to 1, 2, 3, then if you're still hooked, read the digital side stories in whatever order you find them.
4 Answers2026-07-15 06:50:06
I've seen some people online try to argue you could read them as standalone novels focusing on different characters, but that's missing the point. It's an ensemble cast, and their group dynamic is the main character. That dynamic evolves linearly. So, you know, start at the start.
3 Answers2026-07-15 21:50:51
Okay, practical answer: 1) 'Real Friends' (2017), 2) 'Best Friends' (2019). That's it. That's the order. They're numbered in some editions, and the narrative is a direct continuation. Don't overthink it—just grab 'Real Friends' first. The library usually has both. If you start with 'Best Friends', you'll be missing a ton of context about her early friendships and family life that gets referenced. It's not incomprehensible, but you'll rob yourself of the full experience.
3 Answers2026-07-15 12:56:21
I think the fandom wiki lists them in chronological order as the 'official' reading order. Wikis tend to go with in-universe timeline for clarity. So if you're checking a wiki for character bios, beware of spoilers if you haven't read the prequel! They'll assume you know the backstory from page one.