Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - If He Had Been with Me

The main character was hard to love due to her not-like-other girls attitude. The plot was generic and it was easy to figure out where the story was headed so when the emotional climax happened I felt nothing.

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eerised_ravenpuff's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I found the main character to be insufferable at times, but it’s understandable considering her age and her journey to navigate life as a teenager. Her immaturity and self-centered perspective could be grating, but when I reflected on my own teenage years, I was able to empathize with her struggles.

That said, her “pick-me” behavior was difficult to overlook. The way she would get upset when people complimented her appearance or her insistence on wearing those tiaras—it was as if she needed to constantly remind everyone (including herself) that she was not like other girls. This “I’m different, and that’s why people don’t like me” attitude was exhausting at times. It felt performative, like she was intentionally rejecting anything mainstream to stand out, even when it didn’t make much sense. However, I think this ties back to the universal struggle of trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be in high school. It’s a phase many people go through, but boy, was it annoying to read.

That aside, I feel the development of her relationship with her best friend—or rather, the dissolution of it—could have been explored in greater depth. At times, I wondered if they were truly friends to begin with. While we caught glimpses of his feelings for her, their connection felt underdeveloped, leaving me wishing for more nuance and exploration. Hopefully, this dynamic will be addressed more thoroughly in the sequel.

Despite my frustrations with the protagonist, I have to commend the author for the ending. The depiction of tragic loss was one of the most heart-wrenching and emotionally resonant moments I’ve read in a long time. It left me feeling as inconsolable as the main character, which is a testament to how powerfully Laura Nowlin conveyed the weight of losing someone who means the world to you.

While the protagonist’s perspective made the book challenging at times, the raw emotions and themes of loss and regret ultimately made this a memorable and moving read. It’s a book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

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blue_feather15's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I went into this book with pretty high expectations, and I was slightly disappointed. I still enjoyed it, and it was a good book, it just wasn’t an AMAZING book.

I would have liked the author to have gone into more detail, as I felt like I didn’t get to know the characters enough. There were also parts that were skipped over that really should have gone into more detail (eg:

Finn’s death/accident

)

Speaking of Finn’s death, I felt that chapter 1 kind of ruined the ending a little bit. I was happy they finally got together, but I knew he was going to die soon, so I didn’t get too attached, and therefore it wasn’t as gut wrenching as it should have been.

The suicide attempt really shocked me, but it does make sense since she had made a big deal about it with Jamie.

I want to get to know these characters on a deeper level, but I don’t feel like I got the opportunity to do that.

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