I liked going into this book blind, and I would encourage others to do so. I felt like this was more slow burn suspense/mystery rather than thriller. If I had seen it marketed as thriller before starting I may have been disappointed because I was expecting something else.

I loved the unhinged and unlikeable main characters- it was fun to read Brianna and Elizabeth's scenes together. This kind of reminded of the main character in Yellowface. You can’t help but watch the chaos unfold.

Social issues were written in seamlessly and left me thinking about mental health, class, race, and female friendships. This was a strong debut that was unputdownable and easy to follow. Would recommend to people who love unlikeable and unhinged characters.

3.5 rounded up to 4

While We Were Burning is the thriller of all thrillers with nth degree of deceptions and plotting for revenge. Read only for expectation of exhilarating mental psychotic action in women's fiction.

Set in Memphis with both white and black protagonists, Sara Koffi’s debut novel, “While We Were Burning,” is a treatise on racism, bigotry, lies, deceit, adultery, and murder.

Elizabeth is a pretty white woman who lives in a posh neighborhood with her dishy successful husband. At his suggestion, and that of their therapist, Elizabeth hires a personal assistant to help her through an emotional breakdown.

Elizabeth and Brianna, an alluring Naomi Campbell model-look-alike with gleaming bronze skin, have instant chemistry and hit it off great during the interview.

Brianna, although not a college grad, is smart, calm and perfect for the PA position—or so it seems. The job appears ideal for her, too. It pays $25/hour to make sure that Elizabeth takes her meds, stays calm, and gets her daily tasks done. Great gig, right?

However, Brianna has ulterior motives for wanting to be in Elizabeth’s fancy neighborhood. Underneath her calm demeanor, Brianna is a pressure cooker ready to blow.

“Burning” is an emotional, controversial and disturbing testament to the often uneasy relationships between blacks and whites, police and minorities, and couples after tragedies.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Sara Koffi, and G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

I got sucked into this book and ended up finishing it in one day. The storyline felt familiar while also being quite unique by the end of it. Some of the story felt a little far fetched but was still a good story.

Brianna’s gets a new job while seeking the truth about her son’s death. Elizabeth (Lizzie) is coupling with the death of a friend and trying to pick up her life. Brianna and Elizabeth’s lives intertwine in an unexpected way.

The premise to this novel sounded great, but it ended up being very bland. The writing was a bit too flat for me.

This book really drew me in right from the beginning with a great voice and style. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

tore through this book, which I knew I'd love as soon as I started it. it actually lives up to the such a fun age x parasite comparison! much like such a fun age, it is a very easy to follow page turner that thoughtfully explores themes of class and race. the relationship between the two main characters is sooo good- complex, playing with and then subverting tropes, and actually infused with a lot of careI . I thought it was very interesting how it uses 1st- and 3rd- narration and whose voice you become tangled up in. one of the early reveals is sooo good and really changes the tone of the book (a la parasite). don't go into this expecting lit fic, but this is a perfect read if you want a thriller with a little more heft. I wish there were more books like this! ty to netgalley for e-arc

A book that deals with race and class and gender. The writing was really faced paced and easy to follow. A cool revenge story that I enjoyed.

The book captured my attention from the very beginning, however about 3/4 of the way through it goes completely off the rails. Still, I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way too late finishing it. I give the book 3.5 stars because it was a quick and easy read that was really entertaining even if the ending was completely unhinged. I would like to praise the author on her ability to seamlessly weave relevant topics of social justice into the story.

Now the things that I think could have used a little work. The David/ Brianna thing was weird and out of character. Breanna is very calculate and David doesn’t fit into her plans, she even says so, but somehow this strong woman is unable to resist a man? Also David in general, we keep being told he is a wonderful guy, one of the nicest people you will meet but he comes across as anything but. This is minor but Brianna’s timeline jumps around a lot and I could see how that could be confusing to some readers. Finally, I would have loved to hear more about Jay. I think getting a better sense of who he was would have really added to the story.

Overall the book started out strong and fell flat at the end (unless you love a crazy unbelievable ending). I think the author has a lot of potential and I look forward to reading her future work.

This was incredible. I was hooked from page one and it just got better. Will be recommending for sure!!

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. It deals with race and privilege in Tennessee. You will not agree with all the characters actions but you will understand why they do what they do.

I like my reads to be smooth in the right way, but I'm afraid that I found rading. "While We Were Buring" to be like traveling down a choppy and confusing road of dialogue and characters. I had to work to read this book all of the way to the very last page. Also, things can be fantastical, but they also need to be plausible.

A poignant and entertaining look at race, mental health, relationships, and more!
The characters were dynamic and artfully unlikable, while the story itself oscillates seamlessly between searing social commentary and riveting drama in a way that keeps you turning pages. Can't wait to see more from this author!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read, I enjoyed it and I would rate it a solid 3/5 stars.

This book had all the makings of something I would like, two women dealing with issues in their lives and their relationship to each other. Looking at class and racism and other issues. But somehow I could 't connect with it and had to push myself to keep reading. It is a short book so did finish it but it left me wanting more, to it to make better use of the potential. Others might enjoy it more than I did.

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

**A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publusher, and Sara Koffi for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book**

This book deals with a lot of familiar topics of every day life: Class, female friendships, trust, race, mental illness/abuse.

I hated all of the characters, but surely I kept going because the author just sucks you in.
She certainly succeeded in making me feel all the feelings. I was mad. I was anxious. I didn't know who I was rooting for at times.

Elizabeth and Brianna both know how to put on a face and neither is who they present themselves to be.

4 stars, would recommend!

After the death of a friend, Elizabeth Smith hires a personal assistant to help get her life back together. Little does she know the assistant she hired has a motive for helping. This story explores relationships, race and a quest for justice. I really enjoyed this book told by alternating viewpoints and look forward to future books from this author.

I was so afraid that I would have a negative reaction to this book. I just knew I would find fault with the way the subject matter was approached and handled. Thank you for proving me wrong, Sara Koffi. I was so consumed by this book. I wanted know how it ended. I had to keep reading. I can't say it's an easy read, but books that stay with you usually aren't. Just a great debut. Loved it.


Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi

Release Date: April 16, 2024
Genre: Thriller

Content Warnings: racism, mentions of suicide, mental illness, death of a child, emotional abuse

Themes: Racial injustice, classism, unhinged women, revenge

My Thoughts: I was very impressed with this twisty debut novel. The publisher likened it to Parasite meets Such a Fun Age and I couldn’t agree more. The story is super fast paced and exciting, I read it in almost one sitting. None of the characters are likable but I found myself still feeling deep empathy for Brianna and Elizabeth. I wish we had more of Elizabeth’s background as there were some unexplained behaviors throughout the book but that is really my only complaint. I loved it, I love unhinged women trope more than anything and it was so well done!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Net Galley and Penguin/Putnam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.