When You Were Everything Review:
Author: Ashley Woodfolk
Publication Date: 10 March 2020
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Page Count: 400
Reading Method: Digital ARC
Synopsis:
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 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.
Review:
This one hit me right in the feels. I think we’ve all experienced growing out of a friendship – and that stuff hurts! It’s even worse when you part on bad terms like Cleo and Layla.
We follow Cleo on her journey of healing, self-discovery, and forging ahead with establishing new relationships.
First we meet Dom – a hunky out of towner. Not only is he a total dreamboat, he’s sweet and funny and hardworking. And he loves his grandparents. Does it get any cuter than that? Now I know what you’re thinking – “Oh fabulous, a mushy love story.” Insert epic eye roll. But that’s really not what this one is about. Yes, Dom is a romantic interest, but more than that, he is a friend who helps set Cleo on the right path and reminds her that it’s okay for things (and people) to not always live up to her standards.
I really enjoyed being along for Cleo’s journey. She really seems to grow as a person and it’s nice to be a part of that. We do get to experience what happened between Layla and Cleo slowly, in pieces throughout the story. It felt like I was back in school experiencing a friendship breakup.
This was a really great read!
You can purchase a copy of When You Were Everything here (amazon) or here (book depository)
Learn more about Ashley Woodfolk here
