This is an ambitious book, one that tries to grapple with the massive, complicated sense of impending doom we're calling "climate anxiety." The core of the book is how we, as individual organisms, relate - or fail to relate - to the planet-wide systems we live in. Like us, the book spends some time grappling around the edges of the problem, looking for a way in, so it rewards patience and a reader willing to give the characters time to figure out what they're doing.
Gersen's writing is efficient and not flashy, and her narrator, Leigh, is complicated and at times unsympathetic. And while the climate problems Gersen presents are real, the "secret" technologies Leigh spends part of the book researching are (as far as we know) fictional. Don't expect to immediately understand Leigh's motivations or goals, particularly when it takes her a while to understand them herself. Just drop in to the story and listen.

I am not entirely sure what I just read. I feel like I was missing whole chapters which would have connected the dots better among the way. Why exactly did Leigh become so overdressed with Jenny? Why didn't the book connect back to the awkward encounter with Jenny at the party at the beginning? I just didn't love this one

Who wouldn't want a second chance for a different life? In an attempt to escape the present event Leigh holds on to an old friend to make it better only is this the life she wants or an illusion. With a plot with many twists one is transfixed on an adventure that might not end as planned. A wonderful face fast-paced novel that makes one think about recovering from life-changing choices and moving on with one's life. I look forward to reading more by Hannah Gersen!

I could tell right away that Gersen's writing would be enjoyable. It was a memorable story with well-developed characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The breeze in the trees, the sound of the earth squishing after a good rain, the way the flowers smell in the wind, all of this takes you back to a simpler time, growing up on the east coast it was easy to remember summers spent outside, being in the forest in my backyard, running around, and looking at things like the mushrooms, not knowing how much they help not just the earth, but their different uses. As someone who had a family member in the military, would the ideas used in this book help recenter him post-war life? A good read, very detailed.

"We Were Pretending" by Hannah Gersen chronicles Leigh Bowers' journey involving trees, friendship, rebirth, and self-discovery.

Caught trafficking an illegal mushroom, Hekate's Key, Leigh is offered a new beginning by a covert government agency studying holistic health and AI. Reconnecting with Jennifer Hex, a holistic health guru, they devise a plan to harvest and sell the mushroom within a utopian commune, delving into themes of nature, technology, life, and death.

The narrative delves into Leigh's exploration of climate anxiety, leading to a personal renaissance intertwined with themes of interconnectedness and nature's profound impact. As Leigh embraces the forest's resilience and beauty, she finds clarity about her place within her ecosystem, nurturing relationships and autonomy.

Gersen's narrative delves into the integration of technology and nature, sparking contemplation on the balance between artificial intelligence and the natural world. The novel invites reflection on the future's possibilities, prompting readers to ponder the implications of our evolving relationship with technology.

Gratitude to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the theme of friendship and the story kept me on my toes, but it did slow down as it went. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A book that is just as much about grappling with the realities of the world around us (climate anxiety, the rise of AI, weird government initiatives) as it is with grappling with a crisis of identity.

Leigh was caught selling Hecate's Key, a mushroom that was used to help terminal patients accept death, and now works for a government program that is trying to find a way to "ease climate anxiety" among other goals. Leigh did this out of wanting to help others, after watching her terminall ill mother completely bereft at the idea of death.

In her line of work, an old classmate, Jenny, falls on her radar as someone the government program wants to keep eyes on. Where this novel struggled, for me, was in showing a relationship between these two women. The writing around their past friendship and how things came to be felt strange and off -- something about it felt kind of "as you know, Bob" rather than exploratory.

The pacing also struggled, and I'm not entirely sure the story that we got was the best story we could have pulled from Leigh, Jenny, and the circumstances. We aren't really getting a story about a tenuous friendship gone bad, but about big life changes and how they impact us. I wanted more of the friendship struggle or a better show of "who Jenny really is."

I like writing that is tighter and packs a stronger punch, but it's not like this was poorly written or anything. It was very matter-of-fact, this happened, then this happened, etc. I just think that with topics like mushrooms, nature, etc, we could have landed somewhere more provocative or insightful.

We Were Pretending is a book about trees, friendship, starting over, and consciousness.

Leigh Bowers is caught trafficking an illegal mushroom called Hekate's Key and is offered the chance to work for a top secret government agency studying the intersection of holistic health and AI. After losing her mother, marriage, and sense of self, Leigh takes up the opportunity and discovers the interconnectedness of it all. A long lost friend Jennifer Hex- a new agey health guru, provides tree therapy, catching the eye of Leigh's government agency who would like Leigh to find out more about Jennifer and her controversial healing practice. Leigh and Jennifer seem to pick up right where they left off in high school and mastermind a plan to harvest and sell Hekate's Key to health practitioners while living off the grid in a utopian commune. But like the mushrooms they are harvesting, something dark is growing within Jennifer and Leigh, something shady that will force Leigh to confront the nagging feelings living on the edge of her fears, insecurities, and grief.

We Were Pretending was an interesting story that explored the intersection of nature, technology, life, and death. The topic of climate anxiety was discussed triggering an existential crisis in the main character Leigh, who entered into her own underworld experience of death and rebirth. The name of the mushroom, Hekate and another underworld goddess Demeter, were used to support these themes. By the end of the story, Leigh discovers the beauty, resilience, and deeper aspects of nature that helps her through her crisis. By coming to understand the interconnectedness and interdependence of the forest, Leigh comes to realize the truth of who she is and how she fits into the ecosystem of her life- supporting her daughter, father, friends, and autonomy and vice and versa. Technology and the innovations happening in the wellness industry were also explored, which brought up the controversial issue of the benefits and dangers of using artificial intelligence to connect with and override the natural world. This is the first fiction novel I have read that has explored this topic and it made me think a lot about the future, just like Leigh.

This book is certainly out of my primary wheelhouse, however, I found the snippet and cover entrancing. I definitely didn’t feel like I knew what was coming next in this book. Leigh is incredible with what she deals with throughout the book and I unfortunately found myself identifying with her a little too much. She’s such a strong protagonist though that I think she’s one of those characters that will stick with me for quite some time, Not everyone is going to love some of the turns in this book but man, I know I did!

Thank you NetGalley, Little A and Hannah Gersen for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like a long walk in the woods in that you never know what is going to be around the corner. Is this book about family? Yes. Is it about death? Yes. Is it about mushrooms? Yes. Is it about friendship? Yes. I don't know how it all works together but it just does. I think Leigh is a strong, multi-faceted character and I sympathized with her in several situations. She is overcoming the loss of her mother, her marriage and struggling with changes to her parental role but when an acquaintance from the past comes back into her life she finds herself drawn into her world and has to make decisions that could affect her future.

I don't think this book will be for everyone, but I enjoyed it and found it to be unique.

Thank you NetGalley, Little A and Hannah Gersen for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story started out captivating enough. A run in with an old friend? Enemy? We aren’t too sure. We are then whisked back and the past unfolds. Jenny and Leigh were outcasts and high school friends who reconnected later after college to start a business. While the blurbs made it seem Leigh would rekindle this friendship and find herself along the way none of that truly happened. The story became tedious and boring. Leigh ultimately did not rekindle the friendship nor did she really find herself. There were no big revelations. It ended up being a tepid story about a mid life crisis.