This has similar nuances to In a Lonely Place (which I love) but is less subtle. I appreciate the early revelation of the culprit and the way Sara Koffi doesn't shy away from racism and police brutality--the way Elizabeth's character development plays out is particularly effective--but I felt like there could have been more depth and emotion inherent in the characters. The conclusion also feels hollow and disconnected from the rest of the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

While We Were Burning explores how racism and classism affects communities and how the truth and disaster impacts it too. An interesting and unique story worth picking up!

Wonderful read if you can handle that every single character is veryyy of messed up lol

This was an incredibly unique take on the thrillers-exploring-racism sub genre in ways that I don’t want to get into for fear of spoiling it for prospective readers! But it was inspired and interesting and thought provoking.

This one is hard for me to rate. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, but many that I didn’t. The story started out strong and with a bang, but it took quite awhile for the action to pick up again. Then it seemed like things just went off the rails and then the book was over. I did enjoy this author’s writing style and even though it took awhile to get there, I was still invested in the story and motivated to keep reading. This author also did a great job of writing incredibly unlikeable characters. Even Brianna became hard to root for after while.

I will say I was not expecting that final scene at all, so bonus points for that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for a review copy. I’ll definitely read from this author again.

Koffi is clearly a smart writer, and I will definitely read her next work. I love a revenge thriller, but this one kind of went off track quickly with Patricia-- I just didn't buy it. The two central characters are interesting, and I was interested to see what they did.

Very slow and hard to connect with the characters. Picked up in the last 20% but took me forever to get to there and had already checked out.

This book was entertaining. The character development was so intriguing. The ending was unexpected and I recommend this books! hank You to Sara Koffi, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth's friend mysteriously dies and is certain that she was murdered. Her husband suggests that she get a personal assistant to help her get her life back into some semblance of order. In comes Brianna, who steps in seamlessly and helps get Elizabeth back on track. As they get closer, Elizabeth confides that she thinks her friend was murdered and now both of them are looking into her death although Brianna has her own reasoning for investigating. Overall, this book covers a lot of themes, from race, to class, to mental illness and even though none of the characters seem truthful with themselves, it deals with the responses to grief.

This was an enjoyable, entertaining read! I liked the character development and I wasn't expecting the ending. If you like books with unexpected endings, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Sara Koffi, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

While We Were Burning is a race-conscious debut thriller about Elizabeth Smith, a politically "progressive," White, suburban housewife whose friend dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances. As she works to put her life back together and understand what happened, she hires a personal assistant named Brianna, a Black woman working through her nursing degree and looking for answers to her son's death by police shooting.

Marketing this book as "Parasite meets Such a Fun Age" set my expectations tragically high. The story was entertaining, but I didn't find the overall themes to be very original and the character motivations seemed weak and inconsistent, particularly at the end when we find out how Elizabeth's friend died. That said, I still recommend this to anyone interested in the synopsis and I would read more from Sara Koffi in the future.

This one was okay. Ultimately it just couldn't keep me as engaged as other thrillers and it's hard to put my finger on why, This one didn't click for me but I think it will be a popular read this summer!

While We Were Burning is a gripping and intense debut that skillfully tackles significant themes such as racism, classism, and mental illness. The novel delves into the complexities of grief, portraying how individuals navigate their pain, whether through a quest for revenge or a descent into mental turmoil. The morally ambiguous characters are portrayed with depth; while their responses to grief are often deplorable, their motivations may resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced trauma or loss. Having personally battled with my mental health and endured such unshakable pain, I found this book emotionally challenging to read at times, which is a testament to how effectively Koffi addresses these sensitive, important subjects.

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the digital ARC!

An interesting read but one i did not find myself fully investedn in. It was a little unbelievable at times.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was unable to connect with the characters, and I couldn't get into the book. There was a lack of emotion and appeal for me.
The affair took the book in a direction that strayed from what I felt was the premise of the story, and it just became unbelievable.
There just could have been a lot more to this- as the expose on racism and the fallout of one’s unthinking actions, is a topic that, sadly, we must still ensure is told. But it fell flat for me.

After losing her best friend under mysterious circumstances, Elizabeth is spiraling. No longer able to keep track of things, she hires a personal assistant to help out. Brianna fits into Elizabeth’s life perfectly, picking up the slack and doing everything necessary to keep Elizabeth’s world in balance. Soon she and Elizabeth are working together to solve her friend’s untimely death. Brianna has questions of her own and is there under false pretenses. She’s looking for answers and the only way to find them is to entwine herself deeper into Elizabeth’s life…but neither of them is what they first appear. Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This novel had the potential to be so much more than it is. The premise is intriguing, but the characters were all so over-the-top in their actions, dialogue, and personalities that it made them unlikable and disingenuous, which in turn, made the book awkward.
2.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me early access to the ARC ebook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Rating 2.5 Stars

While I was super intrigued, this book was not for me. But I definitely recommend it for someone else. I didn't like the characters and I just couldn't get into the story as much as I would have loved to. It fell flat for me. I will be giving this author a second chance though because I did like the writing style, just not the story.

The premise of this sounded really interesting. I love a good revenge story & Brianna definitely deserves to get her revenge. However, the story turned more into a Lifetime movie & it lost the suspense for me. The dialogue between the characters was also weird. They kept saying the person's name that they were talking to. It was a lot of "David... this." "That... David." I couldn't help but picture Alexis Rose saying David every single time. It really took me out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Puttnam for the eARC.

A quick read doesn't always mean the best read. Some of the characters didn't fully come together for me and I felt at the end it was too far out there to believe or feel connected to. 3 stars rounded up.

Fast Paced Psychological Thriller, with Insane Characters you will not like. Still, it was a book I did want to stop reading. I liked the premise of the book, but the last quarter of the book, the book becomes completely unhinged. You do have to suspend belief, as it’s hard to really believe people would behave this way. It becomes a giant soap opera, with a strange ending. Too Over the Top, but still worth a read. Just don’t go into this thinking you are getting great social commentary or literature. It’s more towards the Lifetime Movie Genre.

Thank You NetGalley, Sara Koffi, and Penguin House Putnam for a copy of this book. I leave reviews for all books I read.