Review: While We're Young by K.L. Walther
Thank you Delacorte Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I’ve been a fan of K.L Walther’s since I read The Summer of Broken Rules the year it came out. If i was still in high school, i know i would eagerly await her next releases and create mood boards and reread them often. I remain a fan as an adult reader! I liked this book a lot, loosely based on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I think it will be especially fun for Philly sports fans and Philly natives to read as well. Nothing has topped TSOBR for me but this was a fun, breezy YA that got me in the mood for more of the genre.
Synopsis:
“Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.
With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.
In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Premise—i love Ferris Bueller and i loved how everything happened in one single day. I think it’s a fun and unique take that i don’t see too often and makes the book feel quite cinematic.
The Characters—I loved this group and how they had to navigate the very real and very difficult changes that were happening to their families.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Stakes—Didn’t feel as grave as they were written about, but i could always attribute that to my adult perspective. Things are BIG when you’re a teen.
Mention of a Tesla Incessantly—I know books are written well in advance of their publication, but the car was constantly referred to as “the Tesla”. A plot point is running out of power/needing to charge it, so i understand, and there is no mention of Musk. It just bummed me out given the current climate and Musk’s meddling within the US government.
Open/Closed Door:
I do not like to mention or think about “spice” in YA as the characters are young so, gross and wrong. But KL Walther writes sex positive romance and while it is decidedly closed door/fade to black, there is a scene where characters take the next step in their relationship.