Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 384 pages ($19.99) Ages 12 and up.

After her unforgivable betrayal of her two closest friends, 18-year-old Willa looks back on important moments the three shared growing up as she tries to figure out a way to win them back in this poignant novel set in San Diego.

Britton is a musical prodigy, a mezzo soprano planning to study voice in Paris. Cuban-American Luz is a brilliant student with a laser focus on becoming a cardiologist. Willa is a swimmer, lifeguard and surfer but has no career goals as her friends have. She is haunted by the memory of her little sister's near-drowning in the family's backyard pool, a trauma that has taken a toll on their mother.

Britton's dreams of Paris are nearly blown up by her mother's overbearing fiance. Luz is grappling whether to stay close to home for college or head to Johns Hopkins when her beloved brother Nico is killed in an accident.

Laura Taylor Namey says she wrote this novel as a love letter to the Crown Point neighborhood of San Diego where she grew up.

A slow paced book about friendship, grief, and family. I loved all the characters and the ending was satisfying. Willa, Luz, Britton — they're each so stand-out, each unique in their own way. Overall this book tackles some tough issues in a moving relatable way. Trigger warnings :dysfunctional families, and emotional confrontations.

A beautifully written book, which a friendship at the center of the story was so powerfully done that it sometimes felt like it overwhelmed the other plots a bit, particularly the romance, and even sometimes made it hard to make sense of the main character (an issue which the narrative itself points out but doesn't necessarily fix). The other friends and side characters were really well defined, however, and the subplots involving Willa's relationship with her mother and the continuing trauma of her sister's near-death experience were very compelling if left dangling a bit. I at first wasn't sure about the flashback setup (the present day sections didn't seem to move the story forward very effectively) but was convinced by the end. A real sisterhood book minus the traveling pants, but plus a little more grounding than the flashy Ya-Yas.

When We Were Them follows Willa, a graduating high school student, as she journeys through her memories to make amends with one of her best friends, Luz, before graduation. Her self-reflection involves remembering painful experiences and examining how those events influenced her decision to commit the act she did.

Namey created an emotional read from start to finish. I immediately picked up on the notion that two significant events occurred in Willa’s life that were taking a significant emotional toll on her wellbeing. While I predicted what these events were, how they were revealed to the reader was a surprise. These reveals stopped me in my tracks, causing me to go back and make sure I had read correctly. Willa’s pivotal events were revealed at unexpected times, but this timing was well-crafted to give readers all the information they needed at precisely the right moment.

That isn’t to say When We Were Them was predictable. Though I could predict the two main events, there are countless others that I was not expecting and was not prepared for. I also was surprised at what the act against Luz was, despite the framework for it being given early on in the story. Her action was simple yet impactful, a desperate attempt to maintain something familiar when everything was changing around her.

As we take this journey with Willa, we aren’t only reliving her important life moments but those of her family and friends as well. Though these events are seen through Willa’s eyes, I still experienced the emotion that these characters were feeling. For example, Willa’s other best friend, Britton, experiences what can be characterized as an act of betrayal. As a reader, I experienced Willa watching Britton react, but I also felt like I was Britton. This adds to the character development throughout the story, which caused me to forge connections and remain hopeful that Willa would be able to right her wrong in time.

The ending was not what I had hoped, but it was what the story needed. The decisions made were in line with the direction the characters took, and the epilogue showed that it was the direction they needed to take. I finished reading and had questions simply because the characters made different choices than I would have. However, that’s why this book was so enjoyable to me. Each character never did quite what I expected, making the book more engaging and realistic. To me, that is successful character development. Character development drives this book more so than the plot, and it ultimately works in the reader’s favor.

When We Were Them is a wonderful depiction of a young adult reflecting on their high school experience as it comes to a close. Willa taking the necessary steps to save her close relationships before her time runs out is beautifully crafted for the readers to receive just the right amount of information when they need it but to leave them wondering until the next piece is delivered. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a coming-of-age story or for well-written characters to connect with.

5/5 stars

Oh, wow. This book was beautiful. Beautiful in a writing sense, the style of writing seeped into my soul and put a mark on it. Beautiful in the emotions it wrought. Beautiful in the story it told, small pieces coming together to form a whole.

I love the characters. Willa, Luz, Britton — they're each so stand-out, each so spectacular. I could relate to Willa a lot, and what ultimately drives her to do the thing she does. This book broke my heart and put it back together a thousand times over.

I love it.

I decided to DNF this one at the 43% mark. I absolutely loved Laura Taylor Namey's first book ( A Cuban's Girl to Tea and Tomorrow) and was so excited about the potential this book was going to bring. But it just wasn't for me. The story seems to be dragging and I'm sure whatever our MC did not merit this entire situation and friendship to be dragged. I also will say that I did not enjoy at all that the MC's friends are making her go through "challenges" or "assignments" to earn their forgiveness. If you've been friends for someone for literal years - I don't think they should have to work to earn your forgiveness by doing menial tasks. You either are forgiven or not. The story had plenty of potential but it just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

I have enjoyed reading this author’s first two books and so it saddens me to have to make a review like the one I will be making. It sucks to read a book you dislike by an author you do like. In no means I am saying this is a bad book. Namey writes well and it shows throughout every book she has written. This one just didn’t mesh me and that’s okay, although still sad. I know that there is an audience for this book and it will do great because of it.

The book is told from two timelines, past and present. The present is very short since it only captures a week leading up to graduation for the group of friends. The past takes up a good chunk of the book. Both timelines are from the perspective of Willa. Usually I would be on board with a dual timeline. I have enjoyed many books with it. For this one, I’m not entirely sure but I think it boils down to the slowness of the plot as well as not connecting with the characters.

Friendship is a big part of the plot and these particular friendships go through a lot including grief. Grief isn’t a new topic in books, but I am always curious to see what writers do with the topic and how their characters will handle it because it can be different. I do get grief and I can connect on the surface level of it from this particular book but not being able to connect with the characters is what ultimately caused me to not mesh with the book. It really sucks when it happens, especially for a book you were hoping to love.

The book does start out with giving us a hint that the friendship between two of the girls has gone amiss. There really isn’t much to the mystery of it besides going back into past to figure out what went wrong. There wasn’t any particular plot twists that kept you engaged and maybe that is why it felt slow. I don’t think the payoff at the end was major and just kind of had me feeling meh about the whole thing.

Overall, this was okay. I liked the friendship between the girls and seeing how sometimes things happen that make friends drift away. The grief was understandable too. I just couldn’t connect to the characters and with the plot being on the slower side I just couldn’t mesh with it.

I was completely absorbed while reading When We Were Them. Full of flashbacks, Namey tell a story of reflection, of earthquakes forming below our feet, and wounds that may never heal. At the beginning while we don't know exactly what happened, Namey takes us on an emotional journey of all the straws breaking. All those moments you never bothered to write down but which end up being pebbles on a mountainside. And then when we find out what happened, I legit gasped aloud.

When We Were Them is a gripping story which begins at the end, going back to the beginning to see if we can make amends. Throughout When We Were Them, we witness pieces coming together in slow motion which combine to form this examination of loss and friendship. All these layers of memories and betrayals, of moments we cannot forget before we even notice the cracks. Because while When We Were Them is a story about friendship which comes alive in striking color, it's also about self-discovery and forgiveness.

Rating 4.5/5

When We Were Them is a story about trying to mend broken friendships before it is too late.

Willa, Luz and Britton are inseparable friends until one single act of betrayal by Willa tears them apart. Luz demands that Willa figure out why she did what she did. As they get closer to their high school graduation, Willa begins to sort through a box of mementos of the past few years of her life bringing back both painful and joyful memories. The narrative switches between graduation week and the past that eventually led to her betrayal.

This is a painfully beautiful coming-of-age story.

It is impossible not to get through this book without escaping a few tears and broken hearts.

This book touches on lighthearted topics like cake (Yes I said cake :-)) and school dances but also dives deeper into more difficult and upsetting topics like grief and family trauma.

Ultimately this book reminds us all of the importance of friendships and the power that seemingly small moments can have on us forever.

Highly Recommend!

OMG! This book is like a strong drink hits you so fast! You don’t expect to feel so many emotions at the same time. It breaks your heart, haunts your soul! You ache for the characters, easily connecting with them. You dab your eyes, hardly restraining your tears, barely gathering yourself together.

Friendship, betrayal, grief, forgiveness, love, dysfunctional families, more emotional confrontations… This book is heart wrenching, pure, genuine and so real!

It’s also great tribute to San Diego homage from its author!

The story centered on the friendship of three main characters: Willa, Luz and Britton. Willa does something which is a definition of pure betrayal to their long time relationship! She can beg for forgiveness of Luz. But why did she do this? Why she did she act like that? What is the motive behind her actions?

When we make a backwards timeline: we realize the events occurred at graduation day affected their future lives. From POV to POV we keep reading their opinions, their actions, their reasonings. Something so traumatic happened to them at the age of 13. That thing haunted Willa’s life forever, changed her mother’s psychological well being. She started to give her full attention to her garden instead of being mother to her daughter.

Well, I already gave too much away and I still drying my tears! This book has remarkably emotional and heartbreakingly intense story! Such a tear jerker, moving, powerful friendship story I highly recommend!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster’s Children Publishing /Atheneum Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

You see how gorgeous the outside of this book is? Well, you're in luck, because the inside is just as gorgeous, if not more so. I fell so in love with this book, frankly. It is a love letter to friendship, and growing up. To letting go when necessary, to become your own best version of yourself. The writing is beyond stunning, and I cannot wait to read more of the author's work.

I think this is the kind of book you needn't know much about before going in, mostly because you need to experience the story for yourself. But I am going to tell you what this book has a ton of, and therefore, why you should give it a go.

►Amazingly well developed characters. Oh, how I fell in love with all of them. When we meet Willa, she's a mess, basically. And she's going to tell us all about how and why she is where she is. And intermixed with the past, we're going to see how Willa attempts to move forward, tries to grow as a human being. It's beautiful, really. We see this character for snippets in time, but we get a feel for who she is at her core. We also get to see so many of the important people in her life, and they are equally complex and messy and wonderful.

►Huge focus on all kinds of relationships. Friendship is clearly the key focus of this story, but there's so much else too. Willa and her friends are trying to navigate their late teen years with their families, with each other, with romantic partners. And it's a lot! Just growing up is a lot, and figuring out how your relationships will grow and change is a lot too. They have to figure out how to become who they want to be, what they want to be, and it's beyond daunting.

►Willa is a little lost. And I am so glad that the author acknowledges how completely okay that is! Willa doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up, and that's cool, me either. The thing is, it isn't a flaw. Willa may think so, certainly at first, but it's not. And I liked that.

►So. Many. Emotions. They ran the gamut, frankly. I obviously cried, but I laughed, and I had my heart warmed a lot too. Basically, the book is incredibly emotionally provocative, but without being needlessly dramatic- it's basically the perfect blend.

Bottom Line: I loved this story with my whole heart, and was so very grateful to be able to go on Willa's journey with her.

Laura's beautiful and descriptive language makes this coming of age story latch onto the hearts of the readers and it refuses to let go. Without giving too much away, Willa is living through the week before her high school graduation as she relives all the love and trauma that brought her to this pivotal moment in her life. I always love Laura Taylor Namey's work, and this time is no different!

2.5 stars

Namey paints a detailed portrait of friendship, trauma, and grief in this contemporary YA piece, and - as a lifelong Southern California resident - I appreciate that she effectively pays homage to San Diego: a great town with a very specific environment and demographic. For me, things took a wrong turn with the pacing and the plotting.

Willa, the m.c., is presently experiencing the week leading up to her high school graduation, and while some of the novel takes place during this week, a good amount of it also occurs in past reflections. Through both past and present, readers learn about Willa's longtime close relationship with her two best friends: Luz and Britton. Readers also learn about the various traumas that these three experience both individually and collectively.

The concept here is lovely, but this pacing did me in. It took me weeks to read this novel because I never felt connected to the characters. Readers get strung along - to some degree - waiting to find out what the big reveal from Willa is going to be (she is clear early on that the three were friends and then she somehow ruined it). While readers do learn that information, for me, it was too little too late. I never felt connected to the characters, never got gripped by the storyline, and never felt really engaged with the pacing until the very end, when, frankly, I was mostly speeding ahead to see if there was something more coming (there wasn't).

One thing I dislike more than not really loving a book by an author I have at other times enjoyed is having to write the review explaining why this is the case. That noted, this one really just did not work for me at all. I'll be back for more from Namey, but I will hope for tighter plotting and more engagement in the next effort.

4.5*

After reading Namey’s first book, The Library of Lost Things, and loving the humor, the romance, and the bookstore setting, I wasn’t expecting or prepared for the emotional tsunami of this book. Set in Namey’s hometown of San Diego,it’s a beautiful portrayal of female friendship and the multiple ways love manifests. Although there’s a romantic element, it’s the story behind the relationships and the impact grief and guilt have on families and friendships that are the primary focus.

Willa, Luz and Britton have been inseparable friends for a decade, but a single act of betrayal by Willa threatens to tear them apart. In order to gain the forgiveness she craves, Luz demands that Willa think about the real reasons for her actions in the week leading up to their high school graduation. As she begins to go through a box full of mementos that dredge up very painful memories, the narrative switches between graduation week and a past she needs to revisit in order to piece together the events that led up to her betrayal. Foremost is a near-tragic event at age 13 that affected them all and led to her mother mentally withdrawing and focusing all of her attention on her backyard garden, leaving Willa to find comfort and support from her friends’ families instead.

The heartbreaking journey Willa takes is difficult to read, as Namey does a masterful job of wringing all sorts of emotions from her readers. At times, especially at the beginning, it’s a bit difficult to understand where the set-up is leading, but it’s only a minor distraction which becomes clear as the story unfolds and ultimately reaches its conclusion. Have tissues handy for this one! Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Atheneum BYR through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A heartbreaking and hopeful novel of forever friendships, first love, and growing up.

This book broke my heart for so many reasons. It pulls no punches as it weaves a complex and nuanced story about love and loss and the impacts of trauma across a family and friend group. Namey never shies away from hard topics, but this latest offering delves even deeper. Another reviewer warned to bring tissues, and I should have listened.

I particularly loved how deeply this story reflected that time in adolescence when even the best of friends become individuals and go on different paths. Even though my high school years were different than this trio of friends, I felt myself back in that time so vividly. I also felt the character development was masterfully done through the dual timelines.

Overall, I was so moved by this book. However, at the risk of minor spoilers, I would like to give a small trigger warning and encourage anyone picking it up (thinking this is just a friendship break-up story) to be aware that death and loss play a large role.

While the middle slowed down a bit too much for me, the ending was really quite powerful. For those who are looking for a sweet and serious meditative read about three best friends in high school, I'd say check it out.