I’m always looking for ways to support local businesses, which is how I recently found myself engrossed in a new book I purchased from The Bookshelf.

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, tells the story of Ambrosia “Amb” Wellington and how she found herself dreading the upcoming 10-year reunion to her small, fancy college of Wesleyan.

The story is told through the lens of young Amb and present-day Amb, both who have yet to find themselves.

Young Amb is a freshman at Wesleyan who wants to shed her old high school self and fit in with the “cool” crowd at Wesleyan, specifically Sloane Sullivan a.k.a. Sully.

Sully is known to be wild, carefree and effortlessly beautiful in a way that magnetizes those around her.

She’s a stark contrast to Amb, who is from Pennington, New Jersey, where they wear tight-fit clothing and gaudy makeup. She’s an even stronger contrast to Amb’s “perfect” roommate Flora.

Flora is studying to be a child psychologist and decorates the hallways with her post-it notes of affirmation. She never goes out partying, as she is often found by the phone waiting for her picture-perfect boyfriend Kevin to call.

Kevin attends Dartmouth, but is he actually perfect? Is anyone really perfect in college?

Unbeknownst to Flora, Sully and Amb are playing detective and finding out. However, while playing detective, Sully and Amb prove to not be the friends Flora thought they were and it shows just how mean girls can really be when fighting for the attention of one “perfect” boy.

Now, 10 years later, Amb has to own up to her mean girl persona, one that her current husband never knew existed. Will he still love her when he finds out? Would anyone?

The Girls Are All So Nice Here shows the true inner thoughts of a young girl who would do anything to just fit in.

I tossed back and forth between feeling sorry for Amb and being completely horrified with myself.

I was Amb- maybe not quite as horrible, but I was so desperate to fit in with the “in crowd.” I was the puppy who followed around a Sully of my own, pushing aside my own morals so I could just have friends.

Her thought process followed mine almost exactly. She felt as if she could just get Sully to like her that everyone else would too, but it’s not that way. Girls feel threatened when their friendship and place in the world is marred. They’re very territorial, so they attempt to put you down, disinvite you, make you feel less than when you try to encroach on a friendship.

So, while you gain one friend, you lose the masses, because you took their “spot,” as they see it.

Flynn not only does an excellent job of the inner workings and entanglements of girl friendships, but she also shows the mindset of how it feels once you’re in the friendship of someone you so desperately wanted to be friends with.

Because Amb was once a normal girl, while Sully was never much concerned with morals, it shows how Amb has to continue to up the stakes every time to stay friends with Sully.

Many would believe that once Amb made the friendship, everything was smooth sailing, but anyone who has had a friend like Sully will tell you, they get bored easily. If you don’t keep their attention, you’re the has been you once were.

Like I said previously, it makes you hate Amb, but feel horrified with yourself, because you were once her.

With the perfect scene setting, inner dialogue and self reflection required, this book gets a five out of five stars. It is a must read for anyone in college or new graduate.