When We Were Them

October 1, 2021
A high school senior on the eve of graduation recalls what unraveled the relationship between her and her two best friends. In San Diego, California, Willa, Luz, and Britton are inseparable. Or, at least, they were, until Willa committed an act of betrayal so extreme that their once-tight friendship is on thin ice. Now, faced with an ultimatum to reveal to her friends the full story of her betrayal, she finds she doesn't even know who she is without them. She uses a box of memorabilia from their shared history to spark her memories, diving into the past and discovering why she was compelled to do what she did. Most of the novel revolves around Willa's revealing to readers exactly what this act was and giving it context, starting in the girls' freshman year and ending in their senior year, when the transgression occurs. Together the friends navigate crushes, grief, trauma, and more. Namey's prose is lyrical and tender, authentic in its portrayal of late teen angst and growth. The mystery of Willa's unexplained deception will be enough to guide many readers through a slower middle--and an effective, emotional ending makes it all worth it. Luz is Cuban American; Willa and Britton read as White. An intimate portrait of friendship at the cusp of adulthood. (Fiction. 12-18)

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October 25, 2021
In this slowly unfolding, character-driven narrative set during graduation week in San Diego, sentimental white surfer Willa Davidson, 18, revisits life-altering moments featuring her estranged best friends, mezzo-soprano prodigy Britton, who is white, and driven, medical school–bound Cuban American Luz Martín, as she wonders how to earn back their trust after they discover a secret she’s kept for months. Through the trio’s memory box, Willa remembers formative experiences that deeply bonded them—such as her younger sister’s near drowning; Luz’s brother Nico, with whom Willa is romantically entangled, leaving for boot camp and the Navy; and Britton’s clashes with her new stepfather—while trying to discover what led her to betray their friendship shortly after Nico’s sudden death. As readers gradually piece together the book’s central relationships, Willa begins to understand the grief, fear, and insecurity that motivated her actions, and finds the courage within herself to rebuild broken connections. Female relationships take center stage in Namey’s (A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow) narrative about growing up, growing together, and, sometimes, growing apart, which will especially resonate with readers facing high school’s end. Ages 12– up.

November 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 Breaking up hurts so much, especially when you break up with your very best friends. Willa, Luz, and Britton have been each other's world since they were 15, feeling more like family than friends as they confide in one another and move through life-changing moments together. But when they turn 18, Willa betrays them all, shattering a bond that, until then, felt unbreakable. Now Willa is facing her high-school graduation alone, save for a box full of mementos from their friendship. That's when the story turns beautifully poignant. Willa tries to repair the relationships she damaged, while desperately trying to figure out why she betrayed Luz and Britton in the first place and who she is without them. Namey's new novel explores themes of love, loss, and the grief of losing oneself while growing apart from old friends. It's a bittersweet story that will touch many hearts, especially as readers remember that time when their friends were everything. Hand to those who love Nina LaCour.

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