- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 8–12
- Comedy
Cringe Club: Battle of the Besties
Book 2 of 3 in Cringe ClubView the full series
The second helping of chat-and-doodle tween comedy: back at Hellington High after half term, Kennedy juggles a suspiciously-nice arch-enemy, wobbling friendships, a theme-park trip that terrifies her, and The Mother's new vegetarian regime.
- Best for8–12
- FormatIllustrated
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
- Epistolary
Tone
- Funny
- Irreverent
- Warm
- Silly
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Kennedy King is back at Hellington High after the October half term, and this term she is DETERMINED not to be cringe. Fat chance. Her arch-enemy Harmony Bliss is suddenly being weirdly nice, Devon is racking up cringes thanks to his mortifying parents, and Liv is deep in boy trouble. Then Kennedy earns herself yet another unwanted nickname, the group chat starts fraying at the edges, and she's dragged onto a school trip to a theme park despite being TERRIFIED of heights. To cap it all, The Mother has decided the whole family is going vegetarian. Told, like the first book, entirely through group-chat messages, lists, emojis and Wotto's doodles, Battle of the Besties turns the everyday warfare of friendship fallouts, bathroom politics and tween embarrassment into laugh-out-loud comedy with real heart. A perfect next step for readers who loved book one, and for fans of Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A book-two comedy for 8-12s reading independently, with the fast group-chat format keeping reluctant readers hooked. The friendship-fallout and light bullying thread give it most bite for the 9-12 range; assumes no knowledge of book one but rewards it.
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- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny school stories
- Reluctant readers
- Friendship stories
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
- Being bullied
- Low self esteem
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Kennedy is back and cringing harder than ever: a two-faced enemy, a group chat that keeps blowing up, and a theme-park trip when she's petrified of heights. The Bathroom Wars alone are worth the read, and every fail lands as a punchline.
- Friendship and belonging
- Being understood finally
- The underdog winning
Why parents love it
The group-chat format keeps reluctant readers turning pages, while the story digs into trust, bullying and the churn of tween friendships without ever getting heavy. Sharp, quick and genuinely funny for the adult reading over a shoulder.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Cringe Club.
3 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
