Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
"The thing I didn't realize about having a best friend while I still had one is just how wrapped up she is in everything. Every outfit I wear or song I listen to. Every place I go. Losing someone can leave you haunted."
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk gave me all the feels. It is very rare to see friendship break-ups be the main plot in books. so I have been anxious to read about the one between main character Cleo and her ex-best friend Layla since I first heard about it last year. Because as much as I've read about romantic breakups over the years, I'd had yet to read a book about breaking up with a best friend. And this one felt so realistic to me.
With the timeline moving between then and now, readers see the actions that led up to the inevitable demise of Cleo and Layla's friendship, as well as how Cleo is dealing with the fallout. Weaving through the background is a sub-plot showing the blossoming of a potential love thang between Cleo and the cute new guy Dom as well as a new friendship with Syndney and Willa, but I love that the friendship between Cleo and Layla is the main focus.
Woodfolk's beautiful writing within this book explored Cleo's innermost feelings so raw and realistically. Maybe she did crappy things that caused a rift in the relationship between her and her best friend, Layla. Perhaps Layla had gained the attention of a new crew and it made Cleo feel threatened. And maybe Cleo didn't always say or do the right things. But her feelings were valid throughout the story and I was able to sympathize with her because I've had a couple of bff breakups in my life as well. There's always miscommunications, unclear intentions, and boundaries we aren't even sure we're crossing until it's too late.
Woodfolk walks us through the story of Cleo and Layla's friendship in a way that many young adults will be able to relate to. While there were times I felt the pacing was slow, Woodfolk's three-dimensional characters who jumped off the page making themselves seen and felt more than made up it. I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the downside of friendship and what happens when best friendships fall apart and fail us.
Major thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC of When You Were Everything in exchange for an honest review.
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk gave me all the feels. It is very rare to see friendship break-ups be the main plot in books. so I have been anxious to read about the one between main character Cleo and her ex-best friend Layla since I first heard about it last year. Because as much as I've read about romantic breakups over the years, I'd had yet to read a book about breaking up with a best friend. And this one felt so realistic to me.
With the timeline moving between then and now, readers see the actions that led up to the inevitable demise of Cleo and Layla's friendship, as well as how Cleo is dealing with the fallout. Weaving through the background is a sub-plot showing the blossoming of a potential love thang between Cleo and the cute new guy Dom as well as a new friendship with Syndney and Willa, but I love that the friendship between Cleo and Layla is the main focus.
Woodfolk's beautiful writing within this book explored Cleo's innermost feelings so raw and realistically. Maybe she did crappy things that caused a rift in the relationship between her and her best friend, Layla. Perhaps Layla had gained the attention of a new crew and it made Cleo feel threatened. And maybe Cleo didn't always say or do the right things. But her feelings were valid throughout the story and I was able to sympathize with her because I've had a couple of bff breakups in my life as well. There's always miscommunications, unclear intentions, and boundaries we aren't even sure we're crossing until it's too late.
Woodfolk walks us through the story of Cleo and Layla's friendship in a way that many young adults will be able to relate to. While there were times I felt the pacing was slow, Woodfolk's three-dimensional characters who jumped off the page making themselves seen and felt more than made up it. I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the downside of friendship and what happens when best friendships fall apart and fail us.
Major thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC of When You Were Everything in exchange for an honest review.
This cut quite deep having gone through a similar experience this year. I don’t think I’ve read something that has described the loss of a friendship so well. I love the fact that we see Cleos sadness, anger, grieving and her acceptance.
“thinking of every ugly thing I’ve done that has led me to this moment”
I guess this book just teaches you that in life the people we assume will be in our lives forever are not always permanent… More importantly there’s always room for growth and new love/friendship
New favourite quote:
“Hang out with people who fit your future not your past”
“thinking of every ugly thing I’ve done that has led me to this moment”
I guess this book just teaches you that in life the people we assume will be in our lives forever are not always permanent… More importantly there’s always room for growth and new love/friendship
New favourite quote:
“Hang out with people who fit your future not your past”
I didn't expect this book to sink so deeply into my heart.
Although this book is relatable for the current YA crowd, it feels like a love letter to the women (and men) who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a friend in high school. I don't buy every book I read, but this one will have a home on my shelves.
Although this book is relatable for the current YA crowd, it feels like a love letter to the women (and men) who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a friend in high school. I don't buy every book I read, but this one will have a home on my shelves.
I read this book after dealing with my own friend breakup and let me tell you, it gave me some insight and revelations on things. The fall of the friendship between Cleo and Layla resonate a lot for me. It's sometimes hard to accept that we as people change and no longer fit into each other's lives. I think the saddest parts of the book is when Cleo realizes that Layla no longer *wants* to protect her as her friend. I think Layla could've done more in regards to not allowing Cleo to be harassed by the chorus girls, but I also understand that she just wanted to be accepted for once. It was nice getting to see that although Cleo lost a major friendship, she also gained friends who truly care for her too. The ending of Cleo reading her poem and Layla following by singing their song, truly broke my heart into a million little pieces. Some people you've got to learn to love from a distance, no matter how much it hurts you.
good very very good
este libro me pareció bello y muy necesario, tiene de todo lo que amo y es sobre un tema por el que todos pasamos por lo
menos una vez en la vida y es el sentir que estás perdiendo amigos
siento que ambas de nuestras protagonistas tuvieron culpa en varias cosas ósea nadie es perfecto, incluso logre simpatizar con Slone, sin embargo si me sentí más apegada hacia Cleo y la entiendo de una manera tan fuerte, su inseguridad de perder amigos es algo que me ha pasado muchas veces, sentir que esa persona prefiere pasar su tiempo con personas más populares y cool es algo tan feo… 10/10 ame mucho
este libro me pareció bello y muy necesario, tiene de todo lo que amo y es sobre un tema por el que todos pasamos por lo
menos una vez en la vida y es el sentir que estás perdiendo amigos
siento que ambas de nuestras protagonistas tuvieron culpa en varias cosas ósea nadie es perfecto, incluso logre simpatizar con Slone, sin embargo si me sentí más apegada hacia Cleo y la entiendo de una manera tan fuerte, su inseguridad de perder amigos es algo que me ha pasado muchas veces, sentir que esa persona prefiere pasar su tiempo con personas más populares y cool es algo tan feo… 10/10 ame mucho
I read somewhere recently that you're much more likely to cry over emotional books or movies on an airplane and that was absolutely true for me with this book. I may never have had a true best friend like the central premise of this book, but valuing and thinking about friendship relationships is important.
“I think I’m only realizing now that every friendship is an island. Willa and Sydney’s relationship doesn’t have anything to do with what’s between me and Willa or how much I care about Sydney. We are all important to each other in different but similar ways, and that’s all that matters.”
I really enjoyed listening to this book about high school friendships and what happens when you put your trust in one friend and then you lose her. I could really relate to this story as I had my own troubles with friendships at that age. The diverse characters and inclusion of the girls’ parents were appreciated as well.
I really enjoyed this book about the loss of a friendship.
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ohh man this is a really emotionally rough one, but so so well done. Woodfolk is really careful with her characters, even those whose interiority we don't see - and that's an incredible feat. They all fuck up, they all get hurt, and they all hurt each other. There is no high ground, just mess and spiraling. A lot of light is shone on the cycle of emotional and psychological violence teens, and especially teen girls - because socialization and the encouragement of unhealthy competition to push them to feed into tokenization and more and more - can put each other through. This book is a LOT but I love these characters and I'm deeply glad they exist. I was teary eyed most of the way through and could not put it down.