If We Were Us

April 15, 2020
A dramatic and secret-filled senior year at boarding school through the eyes of two childhood friends. Sage and Charlie have known each other forever, and all their friends think they're secretly in love. While new romance does bloom during their senior year, the fear of changing relationships and pressure from their peers cause anxiety within their friend group. As Sage and Charlie repress their emotions and identities to maintain the status quo, they dream of being free to live true to themselves. While there's a wide cast of characters, the focus stays on Sage, Charlie, new student Luke, and Charlie's twin, Nick. Covering their entire senior year at the Bexley School, the story is at times confusing to follow, with key events being related as reminiscences, lessening their emotional impact for readers. The protagonists' families' influence on their decisions, from Sage's divorced, high school-sweetheart parents to Charlie and Nick's elite, old-fashioned family, adds necessary character depth. The emotional stress of coming out is depicted in an empathetic manner. While the story unfolds slowly, the storylines become gripping and realistically convoluted. The book situates whiteness as the norm for most characters; Luke's mother is Japanese (his late father's ethnicity is not specified). Several minor characters are cued as racially diverse. Surprisingly and entertainingly depicts mature views on life, friendship, and romance. (Fiction. 13-18)

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May 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Sage Morgan has been best friends with Charlie Carmichael since elementary school, and wherever he goes, she follows. By the time they are both seniors at their elite East Coast boarding school, the rumors that the two of them are meant to be together has hit a fever pitch. However, Sage has a secret. She has been surreptitiously kissing someone, but that someone has not been Charlie. For his part, Charlie has had a stellar experience at school as the lead in every play, a star hockey player, the center of his social circle, and with a seemingly endless number of girls on his arm. He is poised for another exceptional year at Bexley until a new boy transfers to the school, and challenges everything Charlie thought he knew about himself. Though seemingly airy in its initial chapters, the book takes on serious topics with humor and confidence, and the themes and narrative gain depth as the characters grapple with the ideas and expectations of marriage, love, and sexuality. While there is some minor alcohol consumption, overall, this book avoids explicit scenes. VERDICT An excellent choice for most YA collections, this will be welcomed by fans of Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Molly Backes's The Princesses of Iowa.-Ellen Fitzgerald, Naperville Public Library, IL

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