Seventeen-year-old Evie Parker is devastated in the wake of her father’s sudden death. But she knows something her mother doesn’t: the day of his heart attack, her dad was planning to move out. After finding his packed bags, an impulsive Evie puts everything away, desperate to spare her mom more heartache.
To make matters worse, Evie soon learns the reason her father was going to leave: he had been dating his twenty-two-year-old receptionist, Bree, who is now six months pregnant. Desperate to distract herself, Evie signs up for a summer photography class where she meets a motley crew of students, including quirky and adorable Declan. Still, Evie can’t stop thinking about her father’s mistress. Armed with a telephoto lens, she caves to her curiosity, and what starts as a little bit of spying on Bree quickly becomes full-blown stalking. And when an emergency forces Evie to help Bree, she learns there’s more to the story than she ever knew…
Alex Richards crafts an addicting and compelling new story about betrayal, complicated family secrets, and getting to the heart of what matters — ultimately asking readers how far they’d be willing to go to unravel the truth.
My Thoughts
**Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review!**
Evie Park is still getting over her father's sudden death when she returns home to find her father's packed bags. As if returning from the hospital wasn't enough, she discovers that her father had planned to move out earlier that day.
He packed everything. My dad was leaving us. There is no other explanation. And I'm finding out like this.
On an impulse decision, Evie unpacks the bags and hides everything from her mother, including the reason why he left. Turns out, his receptionist is already 6 months pregnant! Evie soon takes up photography class to spy on her father's mistress, but soon discovers that there was a lot more to it than she initially thought.
The fact that I can't remember breaks my heart. No, I take that back. What really breaks my heart? Knowing he was probably with her.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
This book was engaging because I couldn't put it down after I started it. I was really curious about what would happen next, but I found it to be a little predictable.
The interactions between Evie and the rest of the characters were touching and honest. I felt the same pain and sadness Evie did but also anger towards her dad for the way he treated his family.
Overall, When We Were Strangers was a book about grief, pain, and healing. It felt real and not everything was perfect which I liked.
About the Author
Alex Richards is the author of Accidental (Bloomsbury Kids, ‘20) and When We Were Strangers (Bloomsbury Kids, ‘21), and is a freelance magazine contributor. She is a terrible navigator (just ask the African jungle she got lost in) but makes up for it with a dark sense of humor and homemade horror films. Raised in New Mexico, she now lives with her family in Brooklyn.
Title: When We Were Strangers
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