Reviews with content warning for Racism - Who I Was with Her

This book was absolutely incredible. It is one of my favorite books I've read this year, and it hit in so many places I didn't realize it was going to. The main character Corinne, was one of my most relatable characters in a while because of her struggles to come to terms with her bisexuality. A lot of the situations she found herself in in terms of trying to figure out if/when/how to come out and who to come out to and all of that were very relatable. Of course, this book also centers around the death of her girlfriend, and although I can't relate to that aspect and layer to what she was going through, she still said a lot of things and did a lot of things that felt to me like things that I have done or would do. Her grief was portrayed in a way that I thought was brilliant. Corinne was messy and aching in ways that so very few people can understand, and it was portrayed perfectly. The relationship and feelings that developed between her and Elissa were done very well and handled in a great way, especially in how it ended. I think the same can be said for how she interacted with her girlfriend, Maggie's brother. However, my favorite part of this book was the development of her friendships throughout the story. As someone who does struggle with my sexuality when it comes to friends and worrying about their reactions, it felt really good to watch her take that journey. It just felt so similar to the one I took and am still taking. There were so many scenes that made me cry, and I couldn't have asked for a more healing reading experience. I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who would not be triggered by the subject matter. Seriously, if you aren't triggered by the subject matter, you really should read this book. It has a lot to offer in terms of feeling seen by people who relate to Corinne in any way, and has a lot to teach and show those who might not find her as relatable.

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verysillygoose's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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amabel_xo's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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melaniereadsbooks's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This was absolutely heartbreaking, but I loved it so much. Corrine goes through such a journey in this book, told in two alternating time lines, and my heart aches for the growth and change she had to go through.

I really enjoyed the way this book dealt with the tricky subject of coming out--when you're not ready, and someone you love wants you to. You don't owe your coming out to anyone!!!!! When Corrine had people pressure her to come out, my heart was so broken for her. She really thought she was being a coward or didn't really love them and I'm just....just so glad her journey brought her to understand that is not the case.

This was a beautiful book!

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I'm gonna cry forever after this beautiful yet devastating piece of literature.

Rep: Biseuxal/questioning female MC, sapphic girlfriend (who dies--not a spoiler in the synopsis), sapphic Jewish BIPOC love interest, asexual/questioning BIPOC female best friend, a couple other queer side characters and BIPOC side characters. MC's mother is alcoholic.

CWs: Alcohol consumption, alcoholism, biphobia--specifically an incident when a biphobic joke is made, child death, death, grief, misogyny, antisemitism, racism, outing--MC fears coming out and the implications of it, many internal and external conversations about it.

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mockingbyrd's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

It took me awhile to get into this book. It was sad and Corinne was a somewhat frustrating character. But being queer myself, I’ve felt what she’s felt. And I’ve felt that frustration I got reading at myself. This book does a good job portraying the experience of coming out, and it handles grief well.

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aqzi's review against another edition

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emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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idontstandbymostofmyoldratings's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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