The View from the Very Best House in Town

The View from the Very Best House in Town

Part thriller, part friendship story, part real estate listing, this witty and inventive debut explores the nature of friendship and home.

Sam and Asha. Asha and Sam. Their friendship is so long established, they take it for granted. Just as Asha takes for granted that Donnybrooke, the mansion that sits on the highest hill in Coreville, is the best house in town. But when Sam is accepted into snobbish Castleton Academy as an autistic “Miracle Boy,” he leaves Asha, who is also autistic, to navigate middle school alone. He also leaves her wondering if she can take anything for granted anymore. Because soon Sam is spending time with Prestyn, Asha’s nemesis, whose family owns Donnybrooke and, since a housewarming party gone wrong, has forbidden Asha to set foot inside. Who is Asha without Sam? And who will she be when it becomes clear that Prestyn’s interest in her friend isn’t so friendly? Told from the points of view of Asha, Sam, and Donnybrooke itself, this suspenseful and highly original debut explores issues of ableism and classism as it delves into the mysteries of what makes a person a friend and a house a home.

Amazon Editor’s Pick
Book Riot February Must-Read
A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection (print book and audio book)
CCBC Choice 2023

Praise for The View from the Very Best House in Town

“This debut novel from Trehan presents intriguing, achingly real characters in the persons of Asha, Sam, and Prestyn. . . the original presentation and complex young characters carry this compelling exploration of friendship and home.”

— Booklist

“The growing pains of middle school friendships, peer pressure, and bullying are palpable; readers will ache for Sam and Asha as they grow distant and cheer their tentative steps toward new relationships. . . . An unusual, insightful exploration of what makes strong foundations in houses, families, and friendships.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“This is a book about friendship, and what it means to be a true friend. In the end, friendship wins out. Readers who struggle with the social scene in middle school will relate to the characters and the desire to be accepted for who they are.”

— School Library Connection

“A story both delightfully unreal and gratifyingly true to life.”

— Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medalist and New York Times best-selling author

“Asha and Sam are among the most memorable characters I’ve ever encountered. In meeting them, young readers will find their worlds expanded and their hearts enlarged.”

— Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times best-selling author

“Best friends Sam and Asha confront a secret from their past whose echoes can be felt inside Donnybrooke, the strangest and most beautiful house in town. Part mystery, part friendship story, Meera Trehan’s engaging debut shows us how a good friend is like a good home: comforting and protective.”

— Sheela Chari, author of the Edgar Award nominee Vanished

“I fell in love with the characters in The View from the Very Best House in Town, including the house of Donnybrooke itself. Meera Trehan captures middle-school friendship in all of its wonders and difficulties. Readers can’t help but identify with (and root for) Asha and Sam. By the time you finish the book, the characters feel like dear friends.”

— Sarah Kapit, author of Schneider Family Book Award Honor recipient Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!

“A thought-provoking look at bullying and social pressures through the eyes of its victims and of an inanimate, yet opinionated, mansion that will ring true with many readers.”

— School Library Journal