This book will be an easy three stars, four for the right readers. The voice didn't particularly draw me in, and the formatting of the ebook was poor, so I didn't feel up to continuing on this one. Stopped after chapter 1. (6%)

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

- If you had told me this was the authors debut book I wouldn’t have believed you. It drew me in and I couldn’t put the book down. Every twist and turned made me want to turn to the next page. The main characters are really complex and are not cookie cutter characters. There were parts when you loved the characters and then hated them. genre this book was characterized is a thriller and I agree. When there was a new character I didn’t know I want to learn more about them.
- I love seeing the social media group posts! I thought it was such a cute touch and it added a lot to the story! I absolutely love when there are two pov’s in a story and those two character end up meeting. It’s just so satisfying, like finding the last puzzle piece.
- The only complaint is every time David said “baby” it just made me really hate him more and more. I also did not like the David and Brianna romantic storyline, I did pick up on the few looks that lasted a little too long but it seemed rushed and would have liked it better if there was some more foreshadowing of this storyline.
- Thanks to Net Galley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for letting me read this advanced copy

Elizabeth is a suburban wife dealing head-on with the aftermath of her friend's death alongside a turbulent marriage. She hires Briana to be her personal assistant, hoping Briana would help her get her life back in order. She doesn't know that Briana has her secrets and Elizabeth is at the center of them.

I loved the domestic thriller premise and how the book explored the different relationships that Elizabeth had with those around her. The book did start off a little slow for me but picked up steam towards the latter half. I felt like a lot of the characters were pretty unlikable (especially the protagonist) and yet somehow it worked. I do wish the author had fleshed out Briana's character a little more, especially towards the end.

I enjoyed the overall plot of While We Were Burning and thought it was an enjoyable debut effort.

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam books for allowing me to read an eARC. This book was something else. All the characters were messed up in their own ways, and I was there for it. Justice was served in the most inconceivable way possible, and I reveled in every second of it. This book comes out in April of next year, and I 100% recommend checking this one out as you meander your way through Barnes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of While We Were Burning.

I liked the title and the premise was intriguing so I was excited my request was approved.

Sadly, this didn't fulfill my expectations namely because the narrative was too hard to suspend disbelief for.

I love revenge stories and I thought that was Brianna's motivation but the narrative took a hard right turn into Lifetime-silly territory when she and Elizabeth's husband hook up.

Elizabeth is a one dimensional character, poorly developed and difficult to take seriously.

Not surprisingly, she's an unreliable character with a lot of issues, and not just because she discovered her non-friend Patricia's dead body and becomes convinced she was murdered.

Brianna isn't great, either. Her character really had potential to be someone wily, dark, and dangerous, but instead she becomes the next Elizabeth.

The writing is average, and the narrative is neither suspenseful or exciting, filled with unlikable and/or characters you don't like or care about.

The most exciting thing about this book is the title.

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with an eARC copy of While We Were Burning. Second, I want to say that this book absolutely hooked me in the way only a good thriller can. The description of Such a Fun Age meets Parasite is spot on, and yet it clearly stands on its own! This book brings together, awful people, grappling with morality, conversations on race, and a pace that makes you never want to put it down. On the other hand, I do think that the character of Brianna deserves even more time on the page, and it would be fascinating to see more of Elizabeth's mother. However, these are absolutely minor criticisms and I am so happy to report that I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new and exciting thriller to read.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it was paced well throughout, and had me constantly wanting to hurry up and finish just to see how this all is going to wrap up. I had some moments where i felt that things the characters said or did didnt mesh, but overall....very engaging very entertaining, very crazy!

"While We Were Burning" by Sara Koffi is a gripping and thought-provoking thriller that explores the complexities of race, privilege, and the secrets we keep. The story revolves around Elizabeth Smith, whose life takes a dark turn after her best friend's mysterious death. Struggling to cope, she hires Brianna as a personal assistant to help keep her life in order. As Brianna becomes an integral part of Elizabeth's world, a riveting and unexpected connection emerges between the two women.

Koffi's writing expertly delves into the emotional turmoil faced by both Elizabeth and Brianna. Brianna's grief over the loss of her young Black son, killed by the police, becomes a powerful driving force that compels her to seek answers about the incident. The novel deftly portrays the impact of systemic racism and prejudice on individuals and communities, making it a timely and important read.

As the story unfolds, the relationship between Elizabeth and Brianna evolves beyond mere employer and assistant, blurring the lines between friendship and intrigue. The intricate web of secrets, lies, and hidden motives keeps readers on edge, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth.

Koffi skillfully navigates through the complexities of the characters' lives, revealing their vulnerabilities and flaws, making them feel incredibly real and relatable. The author's exploration of identity and the lengths people go to protect their own adds depth and authenticity to the narrative.

"While We Were Burning" is a powerful and compelling tale that challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths and examine the complexities of human relationships. Sara Koffi's skillful storytelling and exploration of social issues make this novel a standout in the thriller genre. It is a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally charged experience that stays with them long after the final page.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

WHILE WE WERE BURNING is an ambitious debut from Sara Koffi revolving around a wealthy white woman and her black personal assistant, both struggling to uncover the real truth behind their loved ones' deaths, and the places where those timelines intersect. The plot kicks off with Elizabeth Smith, a white woman living with her husband in the suburbs of Memphis, discovering the body of her neighborhood friend, Patricia. Disturbed by the incident and desperate to find the killer, Elizabeth hires Brianna, a black woman seeking to avenge the death of her son in a police shooting, as a personal assistant.

This book is billed as a domestic thriller, and I appreciated its fast pace that kept the story moving along smoothly, if somewhat predictably. New reveals and twists are scattered throughout to further complicate the narrative and add tension between the two women. I enjoyed the alternative perspectives on the same issue and found the themes discussed to be thought-provoking-- I can definitely see this book gaining traction for that reason alone.

However, I can't say that I was altogether the biggest fan of this book. I really wanted to enjoy it more than I did, but something about all the individual components just didn't work together as a whole for me. The prose is streamlined and stripped-back, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, but it made for a predictable rhythm that felt a little redundant to me. In keeping with this style, the dialogue is also simple and straightforward, which made it feel stilted and somewhat childish to me. My main gripe with WHILE WE WERE BURNING, however, would have to be with the characterization. For a story such as this which revolves completely around the lives of two characters in particular, I was expecting stronger characterization and deeper development. Instead, I struggled to define and differentiate Elizabeth and Brianna's personality traits, and didn't feel a particular connection with or affinity towards either of them. Towards the end of the book, one of the women commits a fairly extreme act, which I won't spoil, but it felt totally out of nowhere, because the characterization hadn't depicted her as unstable or capable of such a thing before. Hence, the plot line diverges into something that feels a little overdramatic and unbelievable, which made it hard for me to emotionally invest in the final act as much as I'd like to have.

While I think WHILE WE WERE BURNING may have bitten off a little more than it could chew for a debut, I commend the creative representation of modern-day racial and class tensions, and took an interest in reading more about them from an intimate, domestic perspective. The setting also served the book well, with the Memphis backdrop interesting and compelling enough to provide a unique angle to the story. I can see fans of [book:Such a Fun Age|43923951] or any similar upstairs-downstairs story turning to this book for something a little more commercial and breezy to read through quickly.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Sara Koffi treats readers to a taut, propulsive psychological drama in her debut novel “While We Were Burning”. Koffi reminds us that The “American Dream” is never far-removed from the “American Nightmare”.

All the main characters of “While We Were Burning” are struggling in one way or another with identity. Are we what we present to others? Rarely. Are we what we see in the mirror? That depends, doesn’t it? Are we ever known even to ourselves? Not according to our therapists.

There is plenty to keep the reader engaged in this page-turner. There are smart, non-polemic references and treatments of race, class, patriarchy, attitudes towards policing. There is subtle use of the latest weapons of electronic addiction and surveillance including identity theft and stalking.

While Koffi is generous in dropping bread crumbs along the route; there were lots of twists and turns that succeeded in leaving me surprised and occasionally baffled. The novel opens and closes on Halloween. What better time to dress-up, mask-up in order to impress and deceive? Who are my friends? Who can I trust?

Finally, Koffi knows her Memphis, both the old and the new.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the eARC.

This book was well narrated. Perfect little neighborhood, perfect husband, and a perfect house…but of course Elizabeth has to fixate on someone she genuinely disliked to mess everything up.

I loved Brianna’s character and was glad when she got away from the mess, even though she’ll never get away from the lingering pain (partially because she doesn’t want to heal). A modern day Karen in a modern day Jim Crow world, only vocally expressing empathy for Black Americans for popularity and the spotlight while simultaneously being the proximate cause of real issues that infest their lives and hurt them.

#whilewewereburning #netgalley

Others have called this a thriller and a riveting page turner, but I gave up a quarter of the way in because the story didn’t engage me, I did not like the characters, and there was just something off in the pacing and the writing - noting to compel me to keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Sara Koffi for the Arc. I gladly leave this review.

Floored. I cannot believe this is Sara Koffi's debut. I blazed through this book. Hello Sunshine should option this for a mini series. It's so beautifully done.

The main characters, Brianna and Elizabeth, have a friendship that is much more complex than either of them realize. Loss, betrayal, mental health, race, socioeconomics, privilege, love, and female friendship all collide in this incredible story of how our actions have consequences.

This story never drags. It only intensifies with every turn of the page. Be ready for hard truths, introspection, and heartbreak. Highly recommend!

This better be 2024’s it book for unhinged girlies. It was BONKERS in the best way. Parasite meets Such a Fun Age is an apt description. This is in the same vein as Disorientation and Yellowface if they were thrillers. I started to feel pretty skeptical when the cheating started but by the end, I was marveling at Sara’s vision. This was masterfully created.

My only huge complaint is everyone was calling each other by name way too much and according to my count baby was used 57 times. It immediately gave me the ick toward David.

While We Were Burning, while interesting in concept, was just too unbelievable for my taste. Brianna is a confusing character and her deeds go far beyond reality. I finished the book, but had a hard time reading it toward the end, as I was rolling my eyes so much.

2 stars

Brianna and Elizabeth end up on two sides of a tragedy as they both seek answers to questions that lead them towards things they didn’t know. I wanted to love this book but it didn’t quite do it for me. There was great potential with the plot and some twists that were good but predictable. I feel like there was opportunity for some really shocking unexpected events but they didn’t happen. Also, I know it’s unedited but at times, the formatting was a little difficult to follow. It was gripping enough that I finished but I would have liked more out of the thriller.

This book was like a car crash I couldn't look away from. I needed to know how it ended but had to physically set it down several times because of the anxiety it gave me. It started on the slow side but made up for it in the second half.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" haha yup that is the question I too was asking myself toward the end of the book.
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You have to love a book that has you loving and hating the characters all at the same time. A page turned for sure. Sensitive content when Lizzie's best friend is found dead of apparent suicide, but now how will she deal with it all?
David thinks getting her a personal assistant, which is more of a paid friend to be with her most of the time will do the trick. Well Brianna has other plans for this friendship.
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I would say that it started out a little slow for me but picked up very quickly. It's a hard one to review without giving away spoilers so I will say I would recommend to others. Thank you @Netgalley and @Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy for my honest review as well as @SaraKoffi for a great story.

Debut authors and stories are notable and this is no exception. Stunning success and entertaining to the end. You will not be disappointed.

This book had my heart literally racing towards the end. Which was completely delicious and twisted. Perfection. It's been compared to Such a fun age I actually think this was better. If you're looking for a fast thriller with multiple aspects, tensely plotted, beautifully written. Or if you like suburban drama and toes on race and class put this on your radar for April! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.