A review by shaelee
If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book really takes you on a journey. You’re sucker punched right from the beginning with heartbreak and then whisked away into an angsty coming of age love story that strives to make you forget what you read in that very first chapter.

 As you read the book, the fact of what happens lingers in the back of your mind as you fall in love with the characters. Whilst it’s very mundane and simply written, there’s a certain maturity to the story that keeps readers of all ages hooked on the story. It’s more than just the story of a teenage girl going through the motions of high school 

The ending, it retells the first chapter but it doesn’t stop where you believed it does and my gosh, the feeling I felt reading those last few pages is a feeling I don’t think I’ll ever feel again. All the air was sucked from my lungs and my tears just kept flowing. I was quite literally frozen in shock an heartbreak. If you need a good cry, this book will give you that. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings