Benny and Lawson have been best friends - more like brothers - pretty much forever. They live over the road from each other but lead quite different lives. Benny plans to go to college. His mum will do anything to get him there, including giving him her car so he can get to school and work - he has a job washing dishes at a local diner. Lawson doesn't expect to go to college and relies on Benny to drive him around. This isn't so much of a problem when Lawson is dealing weed but when the pull of this lifestyle draws him in further and he starts dealing harder drugs, Benny knows that at some point, he is going to have to put himself first for a change.

I read this in one sitting. It's in verse and is a pretty quick, albeit heartbreaking, read. I found that I quickly became invested in the characters and desperately wanted Lawson to accept the help and advice given by his friends but at the same time, wanted Benny to stop risking everything to support someone who wasn't ready to listen.

I really enjoyed this book and will seek out more from the author.

Oh my goodness, this book hit me in the FEELS! Like wow.

This book is a free verse YA about friendship. Of that friend we all have and maybe shouldn't.....but it's the friend who is our "ride or die." The friend who is truly like a brother or sister. A blood brother if you will. And for these two boys, who are growing up together and whose lives take very different paths (when really they could have gone one way or the other), they are left to stop and ask "is this right for me?"

This book tackles TOUGH stuff, namely drugs. The buying and selling of drugs. And getting in too deep.
This book addresses hanging out with the wrong people can sometimes have negative effects.
This book talks about wanting to make something better of yourself after time and time again being knocked down. Or wanting to be better than what you have had for so long.

What I love about free verse is that I truly feel as if I am experiencing each voice in an authentic manner. When We Ride is already my pick for next year's Printz or Newbery. (Fight me people). And the ending of this book made me SOB.

Wow, what an insightful story written in my favorite style- verse. While I could see where the story was headed early on, I was hooked immediately. I stayed hopeful that I would be wrong, and the characters would make changes before the end. The ending felt too abrupt, and I didn’t love the final chapters. I think there could have been more to show the impact of the death of the family and community. All in all it was a good, quick read.

Omg. This is going to be one of the TOP YA books. If you like Jason Reynolds, "Long Way Down", you will devour this book. Written in verse, this was impossible to put down. My heart is still pounding from this DEEP, relevant book!!

What a fantastic book about friendship and loyalty. Diego and Lawson have been friends since third grade. When Lawson starts selling drugs he has Diego to drive him around. Diego’s mom worries Lawson will get Diego in trouble. Then Lawson starts doing coke and other drugs and now has a new dealer, Trent, one you can’t say no to. Diego refuses to drive Lawson around, and they stop talking. Diego sees Lawson selling out of his house. After a graduation party, Lawson apologizes to Diego and they go to Lawson’s house when Trent shows up. Trent wants his money, Diego doesn’t have it and someone gets shot. Who gets shot?
Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

When We Ride is a powerful coming-of-age novel in verse about Benny and the struggles he faces when trying to balance his friendship/brotherhood with Lawson when it could destroy the goals he has for himself.