We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore

We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore

Release Date: June 14, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320

Summary:  In this exquisitely written, emotionally charged young adult debut, Jennifer Gilmore explores the bond that is formed between a hospitalized girl and the secretly troubled boy she falls in love with.

Did you know your entire life can change in an instant?

For sixteen-year-old Lizzie Stoller that moment is when she collapses, out of the blue. The next thing she knows she’s in a hospital with an illness she’s never heard of.

But that isn’t the only life-changing moment for Lizzie. The other is when Connor and his dog, Verlaine, walk into her hospital room. Lizzie has never connected with anyone the way she does with the handsome, teenage volunteer. However, the more time she spends with him, and the deeper in love she falls, the more she realizes that Connor has secrets and a deep pain of his own . . . and that while being with him has the power to make Lizzie forget about her illness, being with her might tear Connor apart.

My Thoughts: I really did like this one! But I just never really connected much to Lizzie or Connor.

We are introduced to Lizzie. She’s just a normal girl with a normal family. She lives with her mom and dad and older sister. She’s pretty ordinary. One day at camp she starts to feel sick. It only gets worse and she’s admitted to the hospital. She gets put in the Colon Cancer ward basically. This scared me a little bit as I’m dealing with my own problems right now with having anemia and being tested for stomach related issues. I thought oh crap, is this book going to scare the crap out of me?

Lizzie ends up getting diagnosed with a colon disorder and her life changes completely. She has so much to face and so many new challenges.  Than in comes a boy named Connor when Lizzie sure isn’t at her best.

I liked Connor but he had so many issues of his own. And that’s the point. We learn more about him as the story progresses. I liked him. I especially liked his cute dog.

Connor is just what Lizzie needed rather they both knew it or not. She needed someone she could lean on even if he wasn’t always around. He brightened her days while in the hospital.

I liked this one, I really did but it just wasn’t the happy go lucky book I needed right than. It was sad, it was raw, it was emotional. I also liked seeing that Lizzie and Connor weren’t perfect. Their lives weren’t perfect and they had so many obstacles to overcome.

Overall:  I really did enjoy this one but it wasn’t one of my favorites of the year. I did race right through it and finished it pretty quickly. I’d still recommend this one though. I’d say it’s probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating than a 3. I read a lot of contemps and it’s hard to please me on those!

Cover:  Love it! I love the colors and the way they are holding hands. Cute!

What I’d Give It: