We Used to Be Friends

Two best friends navigate their senior year of high school in Los Angeles, told through dual timelines moving in opposite directions. James and Kat have been inseparable since kindergarten, but their paths begin to diverge as they face college decisions, family changes, and new relationships. James struggles with her parents' divorce while planning her future at a local university to stay close to her father. Kat throws herself into new friendships and romance while preparing applications for east coast colleges, creating distance between herself and James. The story captures the complexities of maintaining longtime friendships during periods of major life transitions. Through its unconventional timeline structure, the narrative explores how relationships evolve, fracture, and transform during the bridge between adolescence and adulthood.

Readers connect with the book's realistic portrayal of how close friendships can drift apart during senior year of high school. The dual-timeline structure, with one storyline moving forward and one backward, enhances the emotional impact for many readers. Readers appreciate: - Raw, honest depiction of friendship breakups - LGBTQ+ representation and coming out storyline - Authentic teen dialogue and emotions - Complex family dynamics Common criticisms: - Confusing timeline structure - Slow pacing in middle sections - Some found both main characters unlikeable - Lack of resolution in certain plot threads "The backwards/forwards format made the emotional gut punch hit harder" - Goodreads reviewer "Too much focus on romantic relationships instead of the central friendship" - Amazon reviewer Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (4,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (120+ ratings) BookPage: 4/5

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When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk The story alternates between past and present as two best friends experience the dissolution of their friendship during their sophomore year.

📚 The book's unique structure moves both forward and backward in time, with one storyline progressing from January to December while another runs December to January. 🎓 The story explores friendship breakups, a topic less commonly addressed in YA literature than romantic breakups, despite their significant impact on teens' lives. ✍️ Author Amy Spalding drew inspiration from her own experience of a friendship ending in her thirties, which helped her connect with the emotional complexity of teen friendship dissolution. 🌈 The protagonist James comes out as queer during the story, reflecting Spalding's commitment to including LGBTQ+ representation in her works. 📍 The novel is set in Los Angeles and incorporates authentic details of life in Southern California, where Spalding herself resides.