A review by mflynn8908
If He Had Been with Me, by Laura Nowlin

emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m not a fan of YA books and hardly ever chose them to read. However, I kept hearing about this story and then was gifted this book by a friend. At first I struggled to get into the writing style but after several chapters I was hooked. I was instantly taken back to middle/high school and felt like I was watching this love story unfold from a fellow students pov. I will say knowing how it was going to end did soften the blow and I’m not sure if I liked that it was reveled right at the beginning of the story. Also, the mental struggles for both the main character and her mother were great representation on how a teenager would view and have to cope with the emotions and feelings. 
Loved the short chapters and the tragic story line. It was rather predictable for me but I would definitely recommend this if you are a YA fan or just need a break from adult fiction. 
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