On the second day of ninth grade, introverted Frances meets Sonja, a wildly funny newcomer from France, and the girls form a fast friendship. Frances adores Sonja's worldliness, and Sonja adores Frances's family, especially her older brother, Will. Frances and Sonja immediately declare themselves The Poets and rally their homeroom to enter the homecoming parade with a poetry-mobile built from Frances's father's old band bus. But respective family crises begin to escalate, and tensions come to a head when Sonja temporarily moves in with Frances's family--forcing each friend to decide how close is too close. Alternatingly funny and poignant, The Take-Over Friend is a smart page-turner that focuses on the importance of finding your own voice in relationships.

THE TAKE-OVER FRIEND powerfully explores themes of guilt, jealousy, possessiveness, and the difficult task of staying true to oneself. In the same vein as Hayley Krischer’s The Falling Girls and Anne Fine’s The Tulip Touch, Dines’ new novel weaves together the beauty and pain of friendship and growing up.

Carol Dines writes novels and short stories for adults and young adults. Additionally, her fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals including Ploughshares, Narrative, Colorado Review, Salamander, Nimrod, as well anthologies Someone Speaks My Language, Love and Lust, and Voices of the Land.

Carol Dines is a recipient of the SWCA’s Judy Blume awardand the Eric Hoffer Award, as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin State Artist Fellowships. She’s a graduate of Stanford University and has an M.A. from Colorado State University. She was born in Rochester, Minnesota and currently resides in Minneapolis with her husband and standard poodle.

Patricia Cumbie is the author of two books, the memoir The Shape of a Hundred Hips, and the young adult novel Where People Like Us Live. Her writing has been supported by The Loft Literary Center’s Fiction Mentor Series, a SASE/Jerome Fellowship, a Loft Career Initiative Grant, and a Minnesota State Arts Board fellowship. She was also nominated for inclusion in Best New American Voices and recently received the Carol Bly Award for Nonfiction for her essay “Finishing School” from Bemidji State University. Her young adult novel, Where People Like Us Live, is her first book. The Children’s Cooperative Book Center named it one of their “Choices” for their best-of YA fiction list for 2009. School Library Journal declared the book a “gritty and honest exploration of sexuality, coercion, friendship and power.” Booklist reviewer Michael Cort said, “[Cumbie’s] characters have a dignity and innate courage that readers will not soon forget.”

A note about in person events:

We are very excited to bring authors and readers back together in our space, and we know you are too!

As we all navigate the transition back to congregating in person, we ask that you use honesty, care, and understanding in interacting with fellow event-goers, staff, and authors.

Please note that Magers & Quinn will always comply with current city and state regulations, and reserves the right to change the below policies at any time. These are guidelines only, and if you have questions about the most up to date information, you can always call us at 612-822-4611.

For information about how our in-person events work, please read on:

Q: Are masks required?

A: Masks are not required to browse in the store. However, we strongly encourage masking while seated in the event area and waiting in the signing line.

For the health and safety of others, we strongly encourage you to wear a mask or face covering, especially for longer visits to the store such as events.

Q: Are in store events free?

A: Yes, Magers & Quinn events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Q: Do I need to RSVP?

A: Yes, please. Each event will now include a registration link.

As we navigate this step back to in-person events, we will be limiting event capacity to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees and authors. By requiring pre-registration, we can easily communicate event updates and policies with those who plan to attend, and can contact attendees after the event with follow-up information.

We strongly suggest registering via the Eventbrite link provided on our website, but if you are unable to sign up online, please call or visit the bookstore and register with a bookseller.

We may or may not be able to accommodate unregistered walk-ins, and seating priority will always be given to registered customers. We appreciate your understanding of this process!