While We’re Young | By K L Walther

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

While We’re Young is told from multiple perspectives. Normally, I enjoy this style because it gives readers better insight into each character. However, at times, I felt like James’s chapters disrupted the flow of the story. We could have done with just Grace, Isa, and Everett—James’s side didn’t add much to the narrative. None of his hurdles came back in the third act, making his perspective feel unnecessary.

This also affected the pacing. One minute, I was invested in the relationship dynamics between the trio, and the next, the story cut to James sneaking around during the morning, first period, lunch and so on.

Even so, I enjoyed the story overall, as well as the characters and their emotional coming-of-age journey.

Characters and Conflicts

Aside from James, all three main characters had clear arcs. By the end of their day off, they were better versions of themselves, making it a core memory in the making. Given my critique of James, you might think he was an unlikeable character—but he wasn’t. I enjoyed his wit, but his perspective didn’t add much value to the main story beyond being Grace’s brother and Isa’s love interest.

The conflict sounded clichéd in the synopsis, but it was executed in a mature manner. Relationships ebb and flow over time, and if left unattended, they collect moss or baggage—like a river turning into murky water. The trio’s lives are so intertwined that they can’t remember a time when they had their own separate lives.

At its core, the story revolves around miscommunication. As an adult reading a YA novel, you might think, Well, this isn’t such a big deal. But if you suspend disbelief and think back to your teenage years, you can see where these characters are coming from—and why the things that matter to them feel so important.

As always, the adults in the story are mostly absent—conveniently. Then again, if I can suspend reality for fire-breathing dragons, I can certainly do the same for a group of teenage friends having a senior skip day.

Conclusion

Overall, While We’re Young is an emotional yet entertaining read. For me, it’s a one-time read, but I can see how, for the right age group, it might be worth a re-read.

About the Author

Disclaimer : I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review for TheWriteReads Ultimate blog tour.