My Brilliant Friend

Two girls, both clever, both poor, grow up together in Naples, Italy, amid chaotic family situations, with neighbors who deal with problems by using violence. The two girls become friends, very close at times, sometimes estranged, but eventually becoming close again. The two find ways to go to school even when their parents want to dissuade them from doing so. Both girls learn ways to handle boys they don't like who like them as well as boys they like who don't like them.

The stories feel very, very real and the setting feels authentic. The characters are a realistic mix of likable and unlikeable qualities that made me enjoy watching them grow and develop.