Have you ever found an unusual friend? Someone you never thought you would click with, but then you did? Or you were put in a situation where you needed to make friends, and it worked out in the end. Sometimes those friends are the ones who stick with you the longest. Friendships are a beautiful part of life that should be treasured more, no matter how unusual the pairings are. These are five unlikely, impactful friendships that we see in novels.
Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer
Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer are all characters from the novel Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and are the first in the trilogy. Not only that, but it also became an animated movie from Studio Ghibli; it is a fun fantasy story of magic, curses, and witches. It follows Sophie as she journeys to find this moving castle to break a curse put on her.
Sophie is a shy girl with quite an attitude. She is stubborn, but that won’t stop her from breaking the curse that turned her into an older woman. She has no magical experience, though, unlike her companions. Howl is a wizard, and everything Sophie hates is arrogant and evasive. She is everything he hates: aggressive and sassy. Their friendship blossoms more than expected, especially with a reputation like Howl’s of being quite the womanizer. Then there is Calcifer, a witty and loyal companion who powers the castle and happens to be a demon.
Sophie also blackmailed Calcifer. Who wants to be friends with their blackmailer? Calcifer and Sophie become friends despite everything, and a found family starts. They all had no choice in their friendship; instead, it was more out of necessity, making the bond more meaningful.
Ove and Parvaneh
Trigger Warning: The mention of suicide in this book might be triggering to some readers. Please exercise self-care.
The first name is familiar and might make you feel sad. Ove and Parvaneh are from Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove. It is a standalone film, and it became a movie in 2015. It follows Ove’s life and Parvaneh, and she moves in next to Ove, who has been labeled the grumpy neighbor.
Ove is a grumpy older man who isn’t talkative or chatty, but it is all because of sadness. His beloved wife passed away, and he sees no point in continuing with life because he has no one left by his side. Then Parvaneh and her family moved next door. An eccentric and pregnant woman, who has no intention of leaving Ove friendless. He finds her rather energetic and annoying as they are his exact opposites. She interrupts his suicide attempts, trying hard to be the friend that he needs. He doesn’t want it, but he obliges.
This friendship is beautiful because Parvaneh’s family gives Ove a different perspective on life, challenging everything he thought he knew. Parvaneh never judges him either, always giving him the benefit of the doubt. She forces him to see life through, over and over. Everyone needs a friend in dark times, even when they seem incompatible.
El and Orion
El and Orion are from A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. It is the first book in the trilogy that it is part of. It is a dark academic romance, following a girl who attends a magical school. There are no teachers; the school teaches the students, and most students need to make it to graduation alive. You are heavily encouraged to join Enclave, a group of students with sworn loyalty to protect each other and work to kill the others, as those who make it to graduation are rewarded heavily.
El has the most unique and destructive powers the magical world has ever seen, but she also refuses to be anything but a loner. Thinking she is better off by herself, she leaves herself vulnerable with no enclave; people are after the girl with dark powers. Orion must be everyone’s hero and the golden boy of the school’s most powerful enclave. Orion also just happens to be wherever El is whenever something goes wrong and she needs “saving.” While they aren’t enemies, they weren’t trying to become friends.
This friendship seems harder to form than the others, as El despises the kids in enclaves because she and Orion don’t exactly “click.” Their friendship is rocky and awkward at times, but either way, they prevail. A friendship initially formed for reasons like surviving the school quickly turns into a genuine friendship. How can they not become friends when they constantly avoid death at every turn in this cursed school?
Queen Elizabeth II and Norman
This fictional story follows two extremely unlikely friends, Queen Elizabeth II and Norman. They are from Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader. It is a short book, following the Queen as she stumbles upon a mobile library, where she borrows a book. Soon she realizes a love for reading, but that isn’t the only thing she discovers. Norman, a kitchen worker, also loves it and becomes someone she goes to for reading advice.
The Queen is, well, a queen. Bathed in riches, her only job was to be her country’s royal figurehead, while Norman worked in her kitchens. The two are in widely different social classes and tax brackets. However, the interactions aren’t what you would think. Norman isn’t initially enthralled by the fact that the Queen is talking to him, but she is excited to have a friend who likes reading, just like she does. She even protects him against prejudices within the staff, and he thus begins to offer unwavering support to her newly found hobby.
This is so unlikely that Norman doesn’t see her as anything but another human. He does not care that she is Queen, even though we often see the working class rise against the wealthier. This friendship wasn’t built out of force or necessity; it was pure coincidence and shared love of reading. Their friendship is based on intelligence rather than emotions, creating a unique dynamic between them.
Rocky and Ryland
Rocky and Ryland are from Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. You might recognize him as the author of the famous The Martian. Project Hail Mary is a standalone series and is also becoming a movie, which will be released in theatres in 2026. It follows a science teacher who was sent to space to save Earth, but when he wakes up from sleep, his crew is dead, and he has no memory of his mission. Now he must piece the puzzle together and hopefully have a successful mission.
Ryland was no astronaut. He was an exceptional teacher and a gifted scientist. During his mission, as his memories come back, he meets Rocky. Rocky is a crab-like creature from another planet, and he was sent on a mission to save his world from the same threat. He is intelligent and logical, but they couldn’t be further apart. Rocky needs different things to live than Ryland, making a friendship harder as they can’t board each other’s ships.
Their friendship is so unlikely, but amazing because they are two different species. They have nothing in common but their goal to save their planet. Partially due to force, science-based friendship forms. They share science facts from each other’s worlds, which is also highly emotional, as they have been isolated for so long. It is beautiful and empathetic, showing that friends can form, even when there is nothing in common. You end up sharing things to create a common space instead.
These beautiful friendships were all formed in the most interesting scenarios with the most unlikely companions. Whether it is found family or friendship from isolation, they all show that bonds can be formed, no matter who you are.
To find more books with incredible friendships, check out this article here!
Want to see the team’s favorite books based on friendships in them? Click here.
