Reviews

When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review

DNF

I was tempted to DNF this book after 60 pages but I tried to go on and finish it. Sadly that did not happen. I just got so bored with the story I didn't want to continue.

enne_deali's review

5.0

this book is heartbreakingly beautiful.

that's all i have to say. go read it.

annamickreads's review

4.0

I'm on a string of really pretty book covers lately because this one was textured soft soft matte with a shiny-sparkly something on the title and it was fabulous

ANYWAYS,

"When We Were Them" follows three best friends who have been together essentially since birth, always operating as a unit. Luz, Willa, and Britton are in their senior year of high school when Willa does something unthinkable that ruins their relationships right before graduation.

The story is told in both the past and the present, leading up to the week of graduation and then through graduation as Willa decides how she is going to remedy her mistake, which the readers don't learn until the VERY end. The setup, which I initially thought would be confusing with all the jumping-back-and-forth in time, but instead it was super engaging and I was so intrigued about what Willa had done that I ZOOMED through this book.

No spoilers for the end, but I really appreciated that what I thought would be another book about girls fighting over their relationship to one boy turned into a really important conversation about friendship and growing up. Admittedly, I did cry a little.

notlikethebeer's review

inspiring sad medium-paced

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

3.25

There were parts of this that were really gorgeous, and parts that were just flowery for the sake of being flowery. I found the "big reveal" quite anti-climatic (even with my teenage brain on, it wasn't that big a deal surely!) but I really loved the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Grief

marianaros's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This book was about a friend group that are about to graduate high school. I think is was fun to read during my senior year, because I felt like I could relate to it. I didn't really get to relate to it though. Willa is the main character in the book. She went through some tragic events involving death and betrays her friends. I did enjoy how it explained their friendship and all the fun times they had together. I thought this book was a little to slow-paced for me, which made it hard for me to get through. This was an ok book to read but definitely not my favorite. 

sailorsixam's review

4.5

I love books that don’t have a strong plot, but instead follow a character (or multiple characters) through years of their life. That’s exactly what this book was. Another thing I love is friendship focused-stories. Especially when the main character puts their friends before their romantic interest. Another thing this book delivered on. The present themes of loss, grief and recovery were well executed, though I didn’t feel super strong emotions at any time, or towards the characters. My main grievance is that the ‘betrayal’ wasn’t as serious or dramatic as it was set up to be, so the end fell a little flat.

ngreader's review

3.0

Solid 3.5
Great discussions about friendship and grief and other tough conversations - like supporting a friend after an attempted sexual assault. But it felt overly descriptive and wordy in some parts that knocked it down .5 for me.

Spoiler

contains depictions of the protagonist almost being sexually assaulted, conversations between parental figures and teens about sex and condoms, kissing, making out, fade to black scene (assumed they had sex but idk), cursing, near death of a child, death of a love interest

rachelwrites007's review

4.0

I thought the writing in this book was beautiful and lyrical and heartbreaking. I appreciated the passage of time chapters, the fact that Willa was undecided in her future, and the friendship.

Spoiler

I know teens can be dramatic but I felt that the betrayal wasn't a huge thing, and Luz could have forgiven her sooner for it?

lieshareads's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This made me nostalgic for my old high school friendship group, despite how toxic and flawed it all really was. It was a simpler time but like Willa I took ownership I found out who I was alone. Life may not go the way you planned but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. 

yanners's review against another edition

1.0

Came for the gobsmackingly, insanely mindblowing cover

Left with utter secondhand embarrassment when her mum found the unspeakable in her bag


Petition to have a committee match quality covers to quality books PROMPTLY
#weneedstandardisedcovermatching
#onerightdontmakewrongright

1.5 stars