This was a cute, quick read and a modern YA take on Ferris Bueller's day off. I enjoyed spending the day with Grace, Isa, Everett, and James.

I had a really hard time reading this and tried for 100 pages. It didn't give a lot in terms of character and likeability. This could be someone else's cup of tea but unfortunately was not mine.

If you’re a fan of “Ferris Buellers day off” you’ll love this book. 3 friends who are about to embark on their college careers decide to play hookie, what could go wrong? Everything? This book has drama, humor, heartbreak and some light romance.

#whilewereyoung #netgalley
**A Heartfelt and Hilarious Coming-of-Age Adventure**

This delightful novel perfectly captures the chaos and charm of teenage friendship, love, and self-discovery. Grace, Isa, and Everett’s tangled history set the stage for an unforgettable senior skip day filled with humor, heartache, and unexpected moments of connection.

The author brilliantly weaves together complex emotions and witty dialogue as Grace plans a spontaneous day in Philadelphia, hoping to heal old wounds and rekindle friendships. From iconic city landmarks to hilarious mishaps (like crashing a wedding), the adventure keeps readers entertained while allowing the characters to confront their past and uncover hidden truths.

Grace’s unspoken love for Everett and Isa’s secret romance with Grace’s brother adds emotional depth to the story, while James’s attempts to keep his sister in check provide plenty of laughs. The tension between the characters feels authentic, and their gradual growth and vulnerability make their journey all the more relatable.

With its perfect blend of humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of romance, this book is a must-read for fans of coming-of-age stories and messy, unforgettable friendships. It’s the kind of story that leaves you smiling and reflecting on the bonds that shape us as we step into the future.

I enjoy a young adult book every now and then and this sounded cute. While I did enjoy the characters, I had a hard time getting into it and keeping the flash backs and present time straight in my head. The friendship aspect was nice and it was fun to watch James try to figure out what was going on with his sister and friends.

I read/listened to the audio book. I’m sure teens will enjoy this more than I did. I think I will still look into other books by this author though.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 4 March 2025

A YA romance inspired by the classic film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Say less.

As senior year comes to a close, Grace hatches a plan to create a memorable skip day for her and her two best friends Isa and Everett. Meanwhile, her twin brother James hatches his own escape plan from school to track down his sister and missing friends. A chaotic day of adventure and mishap brings these friends closer together, patching past wounds and exposing new romance.

While We’re Young is a cute YA romance, it touches upon topics of grief and trauma and gives major friends to lovers vibes.

Thanks to Random House, Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for my copy; all opinions are my own. While We’re Young is out now!

While We’re Young by @klwalther9

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacorteromance for the ARC of this book!

“A whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off about four friends whose hearts are broken and mended over the course of an epic senior skip day—from the bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules!”

This was such a fun, easy and enjoyable YA Romance. This really centered on the importance of friendships in high school and how to handle the pressures that life can throw onto teens.

This was clever and had great banter and adventures for the MCs! I loved the audiobook too by @prhaudio with the Duel Narration between the 4 narrators. I thought they did such an amazing job bringing this to life!

If you like:
🩷YA Romance
👯‍♀️Importance of Friendships
❌Best friends Ex
💪Best friends brother
🤣Cute banter

Give this one a try!

#whilewereyoung #netgalley #youngadult #yabookrecs #friendship #friendstolovers #bestfriendsbrother #ferrisbuellersdayoff #bookrecommendations #bookreview

All the Ferris Bueller's Day Off magic & old school vibes!! I'm not necessarily the target audience, but I still had such a fun time reading this. If I had read this while being in the same era/age as the characters, it definitely would have been my favorite book. K.L. Walther does a great job balancing the fun, carefree attitude with deep, introspective moments. I do feel like the character arcs/issues were a bit unresolved at the end, but I loved that it stayed true to an overall theme of endurance through love and friendship.

This is the third book of hers I read, and personally I really like how there's always some type of quest that guides the narrative and moves things along in interesting and amusing ways. She just nails what it feels like to be a teenager on the cusp of the unknown, in the best way. And this one being based off of an iconic movie made it feel even more nostalgic and happy :)

3.5 stars rounded up <3

K. L. Walther, aka our YA Queen. For those looking to read books that makes you nostalgic for your youth. Walther always manages to capture the fun memories of sunny & younger days, youthful late night pranks, and young love. Her books are fresh air and always hinted at deeper themes without makes you too depressed. While I like this book, it wasn’t my favorite of hers! I think the multiple POV’s kept me from being too invested in anyone characters.

The senior “day off” was such a fun premise but wish more had been at stake! But that’s also something I love about Walter, she & her novels are just FUN! So if you’re looking for a break from your heart pounding, life or death novels. Maybe this is your sign to pick up her books!

This was such an adorable book! I do feel very old reading a book inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off starring characters who weren’t even born in the decade after that that movie came out.

Now this might come as a shock but I really liked the miscommunication in this book. It felt really natural & not just put into the book for the heck of it. In fact all the characters felt very natural & fleshed out.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

YA is a tricky genre for someone in their 30s to read. I often really enjoy it but, of course, sometimes it will seem too immature.

My lukewarm reception of this book is more about it being intended for a different audience than anything about the actual quality of writing.

While We're Young has all the ingredients for a great, feel-good read: romance, friendship, and some classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”-inspired antics. It’s a whirlwind of a story that brings together four friends with messy love lives, broken hearts, and lots of secrets. And while I enjoyed the adventurous vibe and the strong sense of nostalgia, the book ultimately felt like it tried to do too much without fully resolving some of the emotional weight behind it.

Grace, Isa, and Everett’s complicated relationships are at the center of the story, and I appreciated the author’s attempt to explore the intricacies of their friendship and romantic entanglements. The tension between Grace’s secret feelings for Everett and Isa’s history with him creates a lot of drama, and I found myself rooting for Grace throughout. However, some of the emotional moments didn’t land as well as I hoped—partially because the plot felt rushed at times, especially during the chaotic senior skip day.

The day itself is packed with hijinks, like racing up the Rocky steps and crashing a wedding, which definitely adds to the fun. However, I couldn’t help but feel like the book became a bit too distracted with these side adventures, leaving some of the deeper emotional conflicts underexplored.

Overall, While We're Young is a light, quick read with some heartwarming moments, but it didn’t quite have the emotional depth or cohesion I was hoping for. If you’re in the mood for something breezy and fun, it might hit the spot—but don’t expect it to completely satisfy on the emotional front.

While We're Young introduces Grace, her brother James and her best friends Isa and Everett. They used to be inseparable until Isa and Everett had a short-lived romance with a messy breakup. In the last month of their senior year Grace orchestrates a “day off” to Philadelphia to repair relationships but leaves James behind. She and Everett are secretly in love and Isa is with James, but each couple is afraid to go public. Reenacting their favorite Philly experiences, with James hot on their trail, they deal with grief, family secrets and mental health issues. Told in four points of view, this joyride through Philadelphia playfully reenacts the shenanigans from the classic movie. .

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review!**

4 Stars - "You're my true home Ev. You and Isa and James. No matter where we move, you're not going anywhere."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I simply love K.L. Walther and her books. Something about them is just so fun to read, but also so nostalgic. For this book especially, as someone who just graduated high school last year, this book was so nostalgic. One thing I will say before I get into my review, I do feel like I'm starting to outgrow K.L. Walther's writing style a bit (age wise, not that her style is bad), but I think I will always continue to read her books.

Plot: Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship. With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something. In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

Review: I had so much fun with this book, seriously, so much fun. It was so fast paced and kept me engaged the WHOLE time. I was a bit skeptical of the four different POVs since I can sometimes have trouble differentiating different POVs, but I found that I really enjoyed them. I also really loved the emotional depth to the story. K.L. Walther is known for adding emotional elements into her stories and this is no exception. Ev's character and his emotional turmoil along with Grace, Isa, and James' trouble really helped to keep my engaged. Now, I've never seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off so I can't compare these two, but I did pick up on some outright references to the movie (in terms of lines), which I thought was cool. Overall, this book is fun, fresh, and perfect for this season. I can't recommend it enough! Happy reading!

This book was super cute! It was an easy read because I just wanted to keep reading. I liked that it was more than one point of view, as it kept me interested. I fell in love with the characters and by the time I reached the end I wanted more!! I would definitely recommend that people read it.

I am a really big K.L. Walther fan but this one didn't quite work for me. I felt like the characters were interesting and the writing was compelling but I struggled a bit with rooting for the characters. I would have loved to seen more flashbacks in this book. I didn't feel like I fully grasped the characters history and why the romances made sense. I did find the skipping school aspect fun but I will give a small warning that this one starts with a description of someone seeming to have the stomach flu. If anyone else is not a fan of descriptions of that (like me) be prepared.

This story felt like an overall fun concept that unfortunately didn't quite work. I particularly struggled with the ending which felt quite abrupt and the miscommunication.

Oh, what a fun book! I loved every minute of it, from cover to cover. This wonderfully written novel is inspired by and reimagines Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the quintessential 1980s film that was such a memorable part of my childhood.

I appreciated how the story was modernized with elements that didn’t exist when the film was released, such as social media, hashtags, Uber, Teslas, and cell phones. Unlike Ferris Bueller, this book features a female protagonist who serves as Ferris’ counterpart—just as mischievous and full of charm! Along with her two best friends and her brother, she embarks on an unforgettable ditch day adventure through Philadelphia.

Beyond the humor and wild escapades, the book thoughtfully explores themes like mental health, parental loss, infidelity, and the pressures of college—issues that feel incredibly relevant to teens today. The balance between comedy and emotional depth was masterfully done. I also loved the clever nods to the original film, from naming the dog Rooney to a TV anchor named Ferris, plus plenty of other fun Easter eggs for fans.

Finally, I found it heartwarming how the four friends tied their childhood trips to Philly to their present-day adventure, making their journey even more meaningful. An excellent book—highly recommended!

I struggled to figure out what about this book was familiar until I saw another review that mentioned Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It definitely had many strong correlations to that movie.
The story was interesting and the road trip was fun but my favorite part was the brother's story. He was the one that was the great comic relief.
The conflicts and character's angsts were a bit contrived and could have been resolved with a few words. Instead it was revisited time and again to the point where I lost interest in whether things would be resolved.
If this story is new to you, you will be entertained. It is written in a lighthearted fun way.
Enjoy!

Four different perspectives with a definite hint of ferris bueller with a twist or two. I would recommend it for 14 yr olds and up.

What fun!! This is a fun, gender bent, love letter to Ferris Bueller's Day Off! The little nods to the original characters were so cute! If you love the classic movie, then you'll love this book!! I have such a fun time when I read a Walther book, and this one did not disappoint! I can't wait to read more by her! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!