When You Were Everything was very high on my TBR list and I’m so thankful I finally got to read it because… it’s a new favorite. Read on my review below to find out why!
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk Published by Delacorte Press on March 10, 2020
Genres: contemporary, young adult
Format: Paperback
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You can't rewrite the past, but you can always choose to start again.
It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded.
Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again.
Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex–best friend. But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates—and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom—Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.
Alternating between time lines of Then and Now, When You Were Everything blends past and present into an emotional story about the beauty of self-forgiveness, the promise of new beginnings, and the courage it takes to remain open to love.
☂️ TRIGGER WARNINGS:
ableism, parental separation, bullying.There are no spoilers in this review.
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I ENJOYED…
☂️
- I had a feeling When You Were Everything would break me and… it did. Honestly, I’ve been craving books with friendships and friendships breakups for a long time now and this one is a gem. It’s beautiful, heartbreakingly real and I loved it so much.
- Told between moments in then and now, we get to explore Cleo and Layla’s relationship as it slowly shatters and the consequences of years of inseparable friendship between the two teenagers. I was immediately caught into the words and story, wanting to know what has happened to them and what could drive them apart. The realization that, most of it all, some friendships, no matter how strong they are, aren’t meant to last, just breaks my heart, but it also rang so damn true. Because, honestly, it’s life. Teenagers and everyone just needs to read these kind of stories and I found one in this book.
- I quickly grew fond of Cleo, the narrator of this story. She’s certainly flawed and makes terrible mistakes, but it was so easy to see where she came from and to know why she did things the way she did, too. In everything she do, she’s so real. I loved seeing her grow, slowly open up to new friendships and more.
- In the friendship and its fallout, it’s easy to point fingers at one or another friend. I loved how nuanced it all was here and how, ultimately, there’s not one person needing to take the fall. Honestly, this is how it happens in real life and I loved seeing that. As hurtful at it is.
- There’s a little bit of romance, but it was so soft and kind and didn’t take too much space. This is a story about friendship before anything else and I appreciated it so much.
- The ending was wonderful, too. I’m not going to spoil anything for you here, but I just found it perfect for this story. Also, I cried, so. There’s that.
OVERALL
☂️
When You Were Everything is a beautiful tale about friendship and, honestly, I’m still feeling SO many emotions from it all. If you’re looking for a great young adult contemporary about friendship breakups, growing up, expectations and family, I 200% recommend you pick up this one. It’s a new favorite for me!
FINAL RATING : It’s a hurricane!
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📚 Books similar to When You Were Everything that I’d recommend:
- For another story about friendships breakups, I recommend We Used To Be Friends, by Amy Spalding.
Did you read When You Were Everything or do you want to? Do you have any recommendations of great contemporary books with friendships? Let me know in comments!
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I also five-starred this book. It was really emotional and beautifully written. The timeline flip was used well, and this is a topic we should see more in books.
Ah I’m so happy you enjoyed this book so much as well, it’s such a great read! <3
Ahhh! I loved your review, Marie! 😊
I loved this book when I read it last year, it was so good. Friendship break ups are just as painful as romantic ones so it was good to read this. I also agree with you, the romance in this was so soft and in the background that it didn’t overpower the main plot!
Oh thank you so much!! I’m so happy you enjoyed this book as well, it was so, so wonderful 🥺
You’re welcome! It was very wonderful; I need to read more from Ashley Woodfolk!
Ahh you should try The Beauty That Remains, if you haven’t just yet, it’s heartbreaking but so, so good!
Oh, thank you for the rec! I will have to check it out!! 😊
Yes please do!! 😀
I definitely want to check out more from Ashley Woodfolk after checking out her debut. I especially love that the focus on this book was the friendship aspect. It is often underappreciated in books, particularly as the main relationship. Friendship breakups are true and painful. I also love that you mentioned how real it felt. 100% a book I need to look out for. Thank you for the review and I hope you are well. 💕
Ahh I hope you will, Sophie! I have a feeling you could love this book, it’s such an important story. We do need way more stories focusing on friendship adn how complicated they can be. Thank you <3 <3
I appreciate how your review delves into how friendship is explored throughout the book! Your review is convincing me to read this asap. I will have to pick this one up, awesome review Marie. 😌💚
Oh thank you, this means so much! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did 🥰