Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend
by Lance Rubin
Intermediate, Middle School    Clarion/HarperCollins    336 pp.
8/25    9780063396654    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780063396678    $11.99

Rubin’s novel explores friendship, identity, and technology in a fully connected, near-future world. Twelve-year-old Zed Moonstein isn’t great at making friends, but he’s never needed more than Rishti, his best—and only—one. Living in MonoTown, the company town for tech giant MonoLyth, has its perks: Zed’s mom works there, granting their family early access to the latest Mono devices and apps. But middle school brings unwelcome changes for Zed. He and Rishti are no longer in the same classes, and her attention has turned to a new, cooler friend—and to fame as a MonoVid influencer. Feeling left behind, Zed stumbles upon a confidential prototype app on his mom’s work computer: MonoFriend. He downloads it and meets Matt, an AI companion who seems to understand him better than anyone else does. At first, Matt feels like the perfect friend. But as Zed learns more about the technology, he begins to question what it means to be truly known and accepted. Zed’s first-person narration balances humor with introspection, capturing many of the nuances of early adolescence. The novel deftly critiques tech dependency without veering into didacticism, instead posing complex questions in a relatable, age-appropriate framework. A compelling, character-driven narrative that is both a cautionary tale and a celebration of human connection, the story may spark meaningful conversations about AI, identity, and what it means to connect in an increasingly automated world.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.