This author writes perfectly for the nostalgia of high school. I devoured her other books. Unfortunately this book didn’t have the same draw. I tried so hard to get into the book and it didn’t ever draw me in and make me want to continue reading. I still have faith in this author I just don’t think this is her best book.

Incredible dad as 3 (4) seniors take one last hurrah for their friendships, each other and themselves!

Fun take on a retelling of a classic movie. Only hitch for me was the last scene with Grace and Everett. Jumping from longtime friends with crushes on the each other straight into bed was a jump too far for me and unnecessary and something that pushes my recommended age higher. This book tackles some tough issues for young people and does so in a sensitive way. Overall, I truly enjoyed it.

While We're Young overall had a sweet premise and while it was an enjoyable read, it wasn't my favorite from K.L. Walther.

Ferris Buellers Day Off was one of my favorite movies growing up. So I instantly excited to read gender swapped retelling of the movies in KL Walther's book While We're Young. This book was told in multiple povs (Grace, Isa, James,and Everett) and the their day in the city. The book had a really slow start (to be honest I almost dnf it at the beginning), however, once the adventure started going, it was hard to put down.
I love the sense of nostalgia (nice shot to small references to Sloane and Ferris) and how everything came together.

4 stars

Cute YA story - fun for a vacation or to feel like you're back in high school for a day. Creative references to Ferris Bueller as well! Really enjoyed this one and finished in a couple days

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

This book was a sweet YA homage to Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, sprinkled with Beuller and Taylor Swift references. I enjoyed the story enough, but felt like there was little resolution at the end without a proper epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book follows a high schooler, Grace, who decides she needs a day off. Not only does she take the day off, but she loops her friends into it too! Her brother, however, was left out of the charade and he's not too happy about it.

The story was very age appropriate for high schoolers...and discusses some of the stress they and their families put on themselves. I enjoy when authors don't try to push "adult agendas" on kids, and actually paint the picture of high school life. The things they choose to do on their day off are stained with memories from childhood and now have new memories tied to them. The family dynamics are a solid addition to the story.

Overall, it was lighthearted with moments of grief. There are plenty of fun moments and a whole bucket full of the miscommunication trope is present. The ending definitely left me with lots of questions about how things unfold.

Pros:
-friendship
-laugh out loud moments
-family memories
-high school love

Cons*:
-miscommunication
-affair
-grief

I really enjoyed this ode to the iconic Ferris Beuller's Day Off film, as the movie is such a fun romp and celebration of the fun & rebellion of the teen years, and I'll read anything K.L. Walher writes! Her pacing and Taylor Swift references are always on point! Grace (seemingly the main character) fakes sick on a random day in May & convinces her bestie, Isa, to play hooky with her in nearby Philadelphia. Grace also comes up with an elaborate plan to sneak fellow friend and crush, Everett, out of school under the ruse of being chosen by the Phillies' mascot to come shadow the team for the day. Grace does not invite her brother, James, as the two have been drifting apart for the past few years, and her sole goal is to repair the former friendship between Grace & Everett who broke up their freshman year and haven't been the same since. Grace & Everett both want to date and have been pining over one another for years, but can't bring themselves to tell Isa due to the animosity she has towards Everett about how he handled the breakup Freshman year. Meanwhile, Everett is still reeling from the death of his father and Isa needs to tell Grace that she wants to date her brother. James also figures out pretty quickly that something is up when the threesome are not at school, and makes his way to Philly, as he's not letting Grace get away with all the fun.

As the three friends navigate tourist attractions &memories from their past (eating at a fancy restaurant, finding the best Philly Cheesesteak, escaping their principal at a craft fair, crashing a wedding, serenading the crowd, and defacing Isa's father's favorite car), the secrets of the group make their way to the surface, as do real-life discussions about navigating grief, depression, anxiety, and the pressures of preparing for college life. I loved the multiple perspectives of each character in this one, the witty banter, and the fast-moving pace. Walther does a great job of navigating the teen perspective through her use of realistic dialogue and internal monologue, and I enjoyed seeing each character get the chance to verbally reconcile their issues within the friend group. My only letdown was how quickly Grace & Everett hooked up after their special day, as I still felt like it was too soon for such a jump in a YA book despite their years of friendship and longing. While I think it was certainly possible (hello, hormonal teens!), I just didn't like that choice mixed in with him not being on his depression meds at the time, and I wanted to see more of a true ending than the day simply being over. I'm always a sucker for an epilogue, and I wanted to see how Isa navigated telling her mother about her father's affair, how Everett's new medication went, and why Grace and James' parents were so hell-bent on selling their house.

Recommended for anyone who loved Ferris Beuller, fast-paced teen adventures, friends to lovers and best friend's brother tropes!

Ferris Buellers Day off meets 10 things I hate about you. If there was ever a book that said let’s just do it for the kids it’s this one. I think the intention behind the book was cute but the execution felt flat to me. Overall good writing and good characters, but the plot was flawed and relied on disbelief/ what the reader doesn’t know. She tried to give her characters these deep back stories but tbh I just didn’t feel connected to them. Maybe it was an age thing or knowing these kids were really well off (hello a garage full of cars and they just had an extra Tesla laying around) regardless I don’t think it was very realistic. I also think it was wild that the main female character loses her v-card and then her family comes waltzing into her room and she’s just there like nothing happened. Yeah, it was fine but the lack of a good ending was disappointing.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded down

thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review! as a HUGE fan of summer of broken rules i was beyond excited about this arc but i fear it fell a bit flat for me. i am a lover of ferris bueller's day off and really was drawn by the description of it being a retelling but i think somewhere along the way, the book tried too hard to be a retelling that it lost sense of the plot. honestly, did not connect with the characters and did not care for their relationships and honestly do not believe any of them are in love. i just think i may not be the target audience for this book because it felt a little too childish and the constant breaking of the fourth wall made me feel like i was reading a teenager's diary!

had i read this ten years ago though i think i would have enjoyed this way more.

3.75🌟 Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of While We're Young!

This was such a fun and cute book! Reading the note from the author at the beginning of the book about her family and how they loved movies, really set the tone for where this story was going. I really loved getting the story behind the inspiration for the this book, and I am so grateful the author for sharing the peek inside her life with her family growing up.

While We're Young takes place all in one day and follows three high school students on a whirlwind day of ditching school, running from principals, "borrowing" a Tesla, and reliving the childhood best days they used to spend together before they grew up and life got in the way. Grace, Isa, and Everett used to do everything together until a breakup made things complicated and drove a wedge between the trio. With senior year wrapping up and each of them going their separate ways soon enough, Grace decides that she is determined to bring the three of them back together with a day meant to rekindle the fragmented friendships and remind them of why they were so close.

The Ferris Bueller vibes were so much fun in this book. I really did have a good time reading it. It is a YA book and you can definitely feel it all the way through, but that's not a criticism because that is exactly how it is marketed. So, if you don't like YA books, this would definitely not be for you.

I only had two issues with this book. First, I did feel it was a bit too long. Second, one of the romances at the end of the book went from zero to 60 so fast that I nearly got whiplash. **Spoiler Ahead: I understood that these characters grew up knowing each other, so they were miles ahead in the "get to know you" phase, but when they finally decided they were going to give a relationship a go, it just moved so fast that it really took away from the sweetness of their relationship. The author had done a great job describing the yearning between them and when they finally held hands and kissed, it was really sweet. I almost felt like it would have been better left at that because she had spent such a long time pacing their relationship that it then felt a bit like it cheapened it with the quickie jump into bed at the end. It just didn't seem to fit and for me, at least, took away from the whole feel of the book.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. What a fun spring read this would be as the school year is wrapping up! I think that anyone with a love of Ferris Bueller, high school romance, and touching friendships would enjoy While We're Young.

I think this is my favorite K.L. Walther book! This is so cute. I love that this is a love letter to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This is such a perfect YA book! I also love the characters. This is funny, well written, and the characters and their struggles are so relatable. I loved the multiple povs and different voices of the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for the arc!

I am definitely not the intended audience (I'm a 61 year old veteran teacher, wife, mom, and grandma) and, tho the story was sweet and an easy read, I did have to suspend disbelief and rolled my eyes a few times, I could see how those of the intended YA audience would love it.
I will buy a copy to keep in my classroom library for kids to borrow.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really sweet. I was expecting a good YA book because I have enjoyed other titles from this author before. This book was a bit forgettable though. I almost forgot to leave a review.

Walther always knows how to write a good lighthearted and feel good book. This Ferris Bueller’s Day off inspired book was filled with so much adventure. I loved reading James’ perspective, his witty and comical thoughts were the best. I wasn’t a big fan of Isa, and honestly wished we knew the outcome of what happened with her father. As well as the outcome if Grace and James were going to move or not. Felt like I had a lot of unanswered questions at the end. Though there were some heavy topics, it was a cute and fun book.

Read if you like:
Childhood friends to lovers
Found family
Mental health Rep
Adventure

I dont know what it is about reading about adolescents without being in that season of life that I love so much but whatever it is, K.L. Walther knows!!!

This book was something like I've never read before. K.L. Walther made the dual pov's work so well, and I loved all the perspectives... for the most part. I just had to skip some of the last few chapters told by Grace's perspective because she was kind of annoying to read for some reason. Other than that, that's probably my only complaint. Love everything about this one and will definetly be promoting.

Thank you NetGalley!
First I love this author! Her writing is great and I just love her stories!
I love the secrets that came to light, this is definitely young adult, it was all the emotions I wanted to hit!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ WHILE WE'RE YOUNG by K.L. Walther

💕 Friends to Lovers
🕶️ Ferris Bueller's Day Off
💋 Best Friend's Brother
🔔 Love Letter to Philadelphia
🏫 High School Seniors

This is quite possibly my new favorite K. L. Walther book. She's really cemented her style. I loved all four of the perspectives. They all carried their own unique voice, but I loved James the most. This story was just plain fun. She writes a novel over the course of one day as a play on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but it takes place in Philadelphia. As a former Philly resident, it really made me nostalgic. I could picture all of the shenanigans they got up to and laughed along as it got even more ridiculous. Although it was fun and lighthearted, there were definitely more tender and serious moments too. It was a really nice balance. Definitely one for the classroom library. 9 and up.

I'm looking through the reviews here and feel like they're being incredibly unfair. This book is targeted towards teenagers. It's written for young people. If you're an adult who has a really hard time suspending your belief in order to enjoy young people's literature, maybe don't read and review it. Just a thought.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for letting me read early. The thoughts, as always, are my own.