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emma_melling98 's review for:
When You Were Everything
by Ashley Woodfolk
This book made very me very angry, and I'm not sure if that was the point, or if the subject matter just hit a nerve as I have been in the same situation as the main character, but either way, there is certainly something commendable in the writing that is can evoke such strong emotion.
There were parts of the book that I enjoyed reading, and parts that made me have to put it down and read something else, and it definitely feels like you are reading YA, but on the whole I'd say it was pretty good, and the story certainly felt new and original compared to the plots of much contemporary YA. I feel the switching between preset and past was a double-edged sword - on the one hand I liked slowly seeing how everything unfolded and being kept in suspense, but also I felt it left less time to explore Cleo's recovery and less time to dedicate to the other characters so that it all felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. (SPOILER) The ending did put a nice spin on how we should positively perceive friendships that have ended, but still felt quite unsatisfying to me as there was never any repercussions for Sloane despite her bullying.
Overall I don't think I will be recommending this book to everyone, but I am certainly glad I read it, and I do think certain readers will benefit from and enjoy this book, so if the subject matter appeals to you, do pick it up.
There were parts of the book that I enjoyed reading, and parts that made me have to put it down and read something else, and it definitely feels like you are reading YA, but on the whole I'd say it was pretty good, and the story certainly felt new and original compared to the plots of much contemporary YA. I feel the switching between preset and past was a double-edged sword - on the one hand I liked slowly seeing how everything unfolded and being kept in suspense, but also I felt it left less time to explore Cleo's recovery and less time to dedicate to the other characters so that it all felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. (SPOILER) The ending did put a nice spin on how we should positively perceive friendships that have ended, but still felt quite unsatisfying to me as there was never any repercussions for Sloane despite her bullying.
Overall I don't think I will be recommending this book to everyone, but I am certainly glad I read it, and I do think certain readers will benefit from and enjoy this book, so if the subject matter appeals to you, do pick it up.