The cast of characters is nicely diverse, and I liked the way the story includes the importance of family and the impact of parents’ and grandparents’ support, love, and involvement. There’s a sweet romance too, but it’s less important than what Cleo learns about herself and about friendship. I enjoyed seeing how Cleo opens herself up to new friendships and learns to see what’s in front of her instead of living inside her own head so much. My own high school years are way in the past, but Cleo’s feelings as she’s isolated and tormented ring very true, in a sadly timeless sort of way. When You Were Everything is hard to read at times, specifically because it’s so relatable. And while I felt that Layla was more to blame for the friendship break-up, Cleo isn’t blameless either. Layla wants more than anything to join the school chorus, and while the “Chorus Girls” adopt her right away, they have no interest in including Cleo in their elite circle.Ĭleo’s feeling are hurt over and over again as Layla spends more time with her new friends than with Cleo, and small slights turn into bigger and bigger betrayals, until there’s a final and irreparable break.Ĭleo is also dealing with her parents’ separation, and her new friendless status is made even worse by a stream of bullying and harassment she endures from the Chorus Girls while Layla stands by and does nothing.Ĭleo is smart and driven, but she also makes some poor choices, lashing out in hurtful ways when her own feelings are hurt. Friends since age twelve, the girls start moving in different directions at the start of their sophomore year of high school. In When You Were Everything, we witness the pain and sorrow and rage that occurs when besties forever, Cleo and Layla, fall apart. In When You Were Everything, the focus is on friendship - or more specifically, on the end of friendship.įew things are more traumatic for teen girls that losing a best friend. It’s refreshing to read a contemporary YA novel where romance takes a backseat. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates-and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom-Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.Īlternating between time lines of Then and Now, When You Were Everything blends past and present into an emotional story about the beauty of self-forgiveness, the promise of new beginnings, and the courage it takes to remain open to love.
But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex–best friend. Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again. It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded. You can’t rewrite the past, but you can always choose to start again.
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