When We Were Friends by Samantha Tonge - Book Review

Publication Date: 04th Oct 2023

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Got many positives but somehow doesn’t hit the mark 

***

Morgan is living a life contrary to what she wanted as a teen. Being a single parent to a nineteen-year-old is exhausting. Things get worse when her son, Olly, is determined to find his father. Morgan hasn’t even revealed his name. Olly continues to persist, and Morgan has no choice but to reach out to her three friends and ask for help, even if they have been estranged for years. 

Paige, Emily, and Tiff are leading their own lives, happy yet unhappy. They have different reactions to Morgan’s request. After all, the best friends hurt each other and broke apart. Will this be their chance to reveal the secrets, apologize, and heal? However, the four friends have to deal with many truths before they can move on. 

The story comes in the third-person POV of the four main characters in neatly marked chapters. 

My Thoughts: 

The four friends, Morgan, Paige, Emily, and Tiff, are well-etched. They have their strengths and weaknesses and are flawed people. Even their interactions feel genuine. None of them is perfect, making it easy to root for all of them. Olly makes a strong impression despite having limited coverage. 

Though the focus is on Morgan, we get enough details into others’ lives too. The presentation is neat and clearly structured. We know whose POV (all in the third-person) we are reading at all times. However, quite a bit of it is ‘told’ to the readers, which dilutes the impact. 

Friendships and relationships are messy, and this book reflects it well without making it too dramatic. It also has many lessons about boundaries, forgiveness, healing, acceptance, moving on, etc. They blend well most of the time. 

The writing is easy enough to read but tends to get repetitive. More than once, I got tired of the supposed secrets that almost came out, but something happened to prevent the reveal. This method should not be overused. The same goes for how Emily makes people share information. That was overkill.

My issue is with how the second half is structured. There’s a major reveal at 50%, with hints about the whats and whys. However, the actual story isn’t shared until after 90%. Moreover, there are many clues to guess everything. Either the clues should be fewer, or the reason should be out sooner. I’d go with the latter, given the plotline. 

The main characters are 35-36 years old. Somehow, they sound a decade older. They are weary, I get that. But the vibes don’t feel like I’m reading about people closer to my age. 

The book would work on screen. It has the elements to become a nice TV drama (the bittersweet kind). The ending is hopeful, though I wouldn’t have said no to more details. In fact, I’d have liked it if there was another chapter exclusively for Olly. I think he deserves it. 

To summarize, When We Were Friends is a good read about school friendships, teenage mistakes, and attempts to reconnect as adults. Despite the heavy themes, the book doesn’t get too intense or stressful. It’ll make a decent one-time read. 

(Rounding up to 4 stars after much thought. 3 stars do seem a little less.) 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #WhenWeWereFriends