A rather silly book about a school reunion that caused nothing but problems,
One of them decided to write a book and get all their school friends together to catch up on what everyone was doing.
But someone had a grievance against them and was determined to pay them pay.
Sorry this was not particularly a good book but I finished it.

I read this book in one sitting. It is a fast paced story about the organising of a school reunion. Someone is sending nasty and cruel messages to people. The messages have some very personal details about the recipient. This story evoked memories of high school. There was the popular gang, the bullies and those who were on the periphery of everyday happenings. Teenagers can be so cruel and judgemental. I got totally caught up in the whole story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Loved, Loved Loved this book! Thank you so much to Netgalley and B.M Carroll for the opportunity to read a review copy.

I could not put this book down, I adore a mystery book and this one was packed full of red herrings and paranoia that had me running in fight down all the wrong garden paths!

The characters were fantastic, there were quite a number of main protagonists which can sometimes become confusing but this author made it easy to distinguish them all and make them all noteworthy in their own right.

The ending was fabulous, the suspense held until the very last chapter.

I haven't read any other books by this author and was absolutely thrilled to find out about The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy which I can't wait to read.

This mystery story is a fun, quick, but riveting read. It was almost impossible for me to put the book down even though I disliked almost all of the characters and was confused about where most of them were living. I think that, with the exception of three or four of them, they all lived in the same Australian conurbation, but I could be wrong.
With thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for this honest review.

This review will go live on the blog tour on 13 May:

Hi and welcome to my review of Who We Were! Many thanks to Viper Books for the invite and the eARC via NetGalley!

I’m still trying to stay away from NetGalley but I just had to go and request Who We Were. I just love that juxtaposition of who-we-were and who-we-are, the study of how people evolve, or not. And I must say, I found that incredibly well executed in Who We Were. The author nailed the high school clique thing, with all the clichés that became clichés because they’re true – the queen bee and her obedient best friend, the jock, the class clown, the shy girl, the mocked kid – and shows us some very realistic character arcs.

In high school I was definitely a Katy, the shy one, the one who’s neither popular nor unpopular, the one who tries to get along with everyone, the one who keeps a low profile and mostly flies under the radar. I’ve always been an introvert and I’ve always been a reader and most people just didn’t get that. I had my own little clique of likeminded friends so high school was rather fun. Still, a few years ago there was talk of a reunion and a friend wanted us to go and I dug my heels in and said: nope, I’m not doing that! Having read Who We Were I’m glad we didn’t go, who knows what could have happened?!

In Who We Were, Katy – the shy girl who’s grown into a confident woman – is organising a reunion. It’s been twenty years since the year 2000 students last saw each other and Katy wants to do a yearbook update showing what the students have been up to, who they have become. But before long, someone is sending out hurtful messages to some of the former students, messages containing sensitive information that only a select few know. It looks like someone is trying to sabotage the reunion, but if they are really trying to settle old scores, they won’t stop there.

All the characters in Who We Were are well rounded and fully fleshed out. I became invested in them, I connected with them, I felt like I knew them, I rooted for them. When they became paranoid, I became paranoid with them, even though I knew at least some of their suspicions had to be red herrings. I did figure out whodunnit before it was revealed but for the longest time it was far from obvious (despite my fantastic sleuthing skills 😉)

Plot-driven and character-driven in equal measure, Who We Were is a highly addictive thriller, I read it in a day, staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. The outcome is surprising, yet not unrealistic and everything is wrapped up nicely in the final pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and if you like high school vs. adult life type stories, I think you will too, recommended!

“Annabel Moore: pretty, popular, poisonous.
Grace McCrae: couldn’t go to the toilet without Annabel.
Zach Latham: thought he was so fucking funny, the idiot.
Melissa Andrews: stuck-up bitch.
Luke Willis: gay as Christmas.
Katy Buckley: always trying to be everyone’s friend.
Jarrod Harris: Annabel’s on-and-off boyfriend till he got her up the duff and became full-time ‘on’. Jarrod is the one he despises the most.”

Who We Were is the second novel by Australian author B.M. Carroll (who also writes as Ber Carroll). For the twenty-year reunion of class of 2000 at Macquarie High School, Katy Buckley, now a science teacher, thinks it would be a great idea to update the yearbook entries to reflect their present-day lives. But someone has taken this idea to a level with which most of the school’s ex-students would not be comfortable: official-looking emails mimicking the yearbook entries are dropping into inboxes, and they reveal private lives most have not, nor would prefer to, share.

By the time several people have received these disturbing, perhaps even slightly threatening, messages, brains are racked to deduce who the sender might be, trust is strained and suspicions emerge. Katy has second thoughts, wonders if she should cancel the whole thing, but is encouraged by the others to persevere.

Then a shocking assault has them wondering if it is related to the messages. Invasions of privacy induce a bit of paranoia, and several recipients look back on their treatment of a certain student, most with guilt and remorse, and realise that resentment of their teenaged behaviour could furnish a motive.

The story’s narrative is from seven perspectives that make it clear that several of the characters are in very different places from what was expected when they left Macquarie High. Carroll’s characters are easily relatable, and their dialogue familiar, the sort we all encounter in the café, bar or supermarket. Her depictions of teenaged cruelty, insecurity, drug use, anxiety and rebelliousness are convincing. The story also features homelessness, bullying, cliques, and step-children.

The story is set in 2020, but it’s not the written-by-Stephen-King 2020 we currently inhabit, it’s the 2020 we might have had if COVID-19 had not reared its ugly head. The mystery aspect (which definitely has a Big Little Lies/Liane Moriarty feel) is skilfully done, and even the most astute reader will be kept guessing until the final chapters. This is a brilliant novel, a moving and thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Serpent's Tail/Profile Books

Who We Were was a fast paced easy mystery. Featuring everyone's favourite event - the high school reunion.
There were a couple of characters I adored and I would have loved more Luke content as he seemed to be a bit left out.
I loved all the towers and turns, and how little pieces of information that you don't really take note of all contribute to the end. Overall a wonderful read.

Really enjoyed this one a light read from my normal genre.

A fast paced story that I found really entertaining, kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Realistic well developed characters.

Thought I had it figured out in several occasions only to be disproved!

I found this a good and intriguing twisty and devilish novel. The characters at times were believable... even though I am quite glad I have never been around people quite as bad or just plain horrible as these casts of characters seem to be. I found some of the story a bit too unbelievable and quite a bit odd at times. I just want to clarify how big is the wardrobe? It felt too much like a soap opera than actuality. I also didn’t like any of the characters to have any empathy for. But on the whole it’s a good thriller.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and girlie books therefore am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. The book was well written & a the different characters all added a great deal to the plot. All the characters were interesting & you ended up caring about all of them & wanted to see how their stories ended. It also made me want to visit Australia Australia asap!

This was a good read. I liked the different perspectives of each of the main characters, but it did feel like there were too many to remember at times. I didn't feel wowed, but it was enjoyable.

First book I’ve read by this author.
I enjoyed the storyline but did think it was rather slow in places.
One too many characters for my liking. Until I got quite far into the book I had to try and remember which character was which.
Overall a good read that kept my guessing until the very end.
I will look out for more from this author

Who We Were by B.M Carroll
Thanks @netgalley and @serpentstail for my arc
Publication date 7th May 2020
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This book was fabulous, a highly addictive and fast paced read. A group of friends are about to attend a Twenty year school reunion. Old secrets and dark pasts emerge. Someone is out to torment each and every one. Creepy, dark and a really authentic read. Very likeable and relatable characters. Highly recommended xxx

An excellent, engrossing and entertaining read.
The writer is a talented storyteller that developed a great story and realistic characters.
The mystery is solid and the characters are interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What a fantastic read!! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Interesting and realistic characters . It really felt like a "behind the scenes" look into their lives. Perfect for Lianne Moriarty fans!

Many thanks netgalley for the ARC

Who We Were is a light mystery, which often feels more like a contemporary. Although the characters are targeted by threatening messages, most of the book is focused on the characters' personal storylines and problems, and the stakes get higher only towards the end. I like my mysteries to be more engrossing and focused on the thriller element; however, the ending was quite good and, while I figured out the culprit eventually, I had doubts right until the end.
The characters were interesting enough. I preferred some above others, but all of them were not typically likeable or unlikeable, and their problems were different and well portrayed.
All in all, worth a read, but definitely more recommended if you prefer light mysteries which are more character driven.

Thank you to Serpents Tail and Net Galley for a #gifted copy.

Oh, high school reunions. You know the drill - who got married? who stayed single? do they have kids now? what are they working as? did they "make" it?

20 years later after graduation, these are the questions raised in the breakfast club-esque setting of "Who We Were" by BM Carroll. Both friends and rivals are forced to face their past: the popular girl who fell pregnant in high school, the unforgiving bully who has strived to redeem himself as a doctor, the wallflower who is now noticed and even stalked, and the bullied victim who even in adulthood as yet to find a foothold. Yet there is a grudge in their midst - someone who hasn't forgotten, nor forgiven, what happened two decades ago, and begins to systematically pick apart their deepest secrets and fears, culminating in threats, harassment and perhaps even murder.

I enjoyed "Who We Were" because it fit the thriller genre well. Fast paced, intriguing and plenty of red herrings while you try to figure out who the culprit is. My main critique would be that the ending wrapped up too nicely - yet this is more because I enjoy loose ends, and feel that they portray the imperfection of humans better. The eventual culprit was a bit of a stretch for me as well, as I would have preferred a more "elegant" revelation, rather than a character who was mentioned, largely ignored, and then only resurfaced towards the end, with tenuous motive.

Fun read overall, and would recommend it a book to take on holiday!

Who We Were is incredible! Dark twisted and full of thrills and chills!

Extremely entertaining and I thought the pacing was perfect! My only complaint is the amount of characters!

4/5

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was highly addictive read, with good characters and a good story line