Reviews

We Used To Be Friends by Amy Spalding

z_brarian's review

4.0

This book shattered my heart. It's a love story about a life long friendship that somewhere takes a turn, causing a breakup. Told from two different POV, in two different timelines, James, who is stoic at times, keeps her thoughts to herself and Kat, wild child who always wants to be in the spotlight. I think the ultimate demise of this friendship was that one always wanted to be the center of attention, without actually "Seeing and hearing" what the other had to say. The story also focused on LGBTQ storyline, as well as the breakup of a love story, along the same lines as the friendship breakup. The ending had me questioning some things, however, I think this would be a great book for high schoolers to read, showing them that it's ok if those life long friendships fade away, it's inevitable. People move on, it's a part of life.

aliciaminusthekeys's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

alissad's review

4.0

Anyone whose experienced a long term friendship change into something you don't recognize will resonate with this book. The timeline was a bit confusing but didn't ruin it.

romancereadsbyshauna's review

3.0

i wish i could say this book helped my issues but it didn't, i am now more confused than ever

sndavis94's review

hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

rachelsolis's review

3.0

I found James so incredibly unlikeable. And it’s all I could think about.

maferchan's review

3.0

Confusing timelines

charvi_not_just_fiction's review

4.0

Wow, this was such an emotional read. There will be a long review coming up on my blog soon.

pattydsf's review against another edition

3.0

”‘I assumed if something was going on, you would have told me,’ I say. ‘I tell you everything.’ ‘God, don’t I know it,’ she says. ‘When would there have been room for my problems? For me at all?’ Whoa. ‘James . . . it’s not like that. I tell you everything because you’re my best friend.’ ‘But it’s not like that,’ she says. ‘It’s like I’ve been your therapist. You dump all over me and then you don’t even stick around to reciprocate. At least therapists get paid. I’m just doing all of it for free.’”

I struggled with this novel, and I wonder how many teens stick it out. Or maybe I should wonder why I didn’t get the device that Spalding was using. This tale is told by two high school friends and one’s story starts at the end of the summer after high school and the other young woman tells her tale starting with the August before senior year.

Kat and James (yes, a girl with a very male name) have been friends since second grade. However, in their senior year too much is happening, and their friendship is what suffers most. I am grateful that Spalding tackled the subject of friendship and how it can fall apart. As an adult I still struggle with how friendships work. James and Kat’s story made sense to me and I would hope it would help any teen who is suffering from a friendship breakup. They can be tough.

I wish that I had been able to fall into this book more than I did. I felt like I was watching the action, not feeling it. That all falls on me. Spalding is a good author.

emilymorgan02's review

4.0

I finished this book and immediately went back to the beginning to listen to the first chapter again. It tells about a friendship falling apart during senior year, but the two storylines are told in the opposite order. Once starting at the end and moving backward, and one starting at the beginning and moving forward. It did get a little confusing...but I enjoyed figuring out each character and how their friendship changed, how they changed, and seeing the why behind the actions. Also, the narrators were just incredible.