If He Had Been with Me: The Tiktok Sensation

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So overall, this was a pretty good book. There were some flaws and things that could have been better, but I liked it. I just wish Autumn had been a better main character (I feel like I'm being a little judgmental on her honestly, but oh well. If I said I liked her I'd be lying and no one likes a liar).

Basically, my biggest issue was the writing style. It was so fragmented, blunt, and it didn’t flow well enough to keep the book in a cohesive read. It was also extremely immature and young (which is totally fine if that’s what you love but not for me at the point I’m at in my life right now). I also did not enjoy the main character, Autumn, she just felt so narcissistic and I could not connect with her what so ever. Every time she would mention she was prettier than her best friend, I rolled my eyes. For me, I don’t like reading about a character who thinks in that way.With the writing specifically, I thought it was beautifully written and very in tune to its main character. However, some of the writing to me felt so monotone and just… flat. I don’t know if that’s because Laura Nowlin was trying to make it sound more like the main character, Autumn, but to me, it just felt forced with writing. For one thing, inner thoughts, writings, and anything that wasn’t dialogue had no contractions. Instead of saying “can’t,” it would be cannot. Instead of “it’s,” it became it is. It honestly drove me a little mad and I cannot even begin to explain the reason why. It just peeved me. Honestly, I hadn't thought I was going to cry once I'd begun reading because I didn't like the characters, but look at me now. Senior year is full of changes and personal growth. Finny and Autumn have become cordial to each other due to their gym class together. So much so that he warns her not to sleep with Jamie while drunk.

But everyone, I have learned from my mistakes, Jamie can go fall off a cliff or something (yes I do realize I say this for literally every character I hate) Acquired by Leah Hultenschmidt during her tenure at Sourcebooks Fire , If He Had Been with Me follows Autumn, a high schooler with a tight-knit group of friends who can’t avoid the feelings brought up whenever she crosses paths with her former best friend Finn. When tragedy strikes their community, Autumn considers the repercussions of their fallout, and the endless possibilities of what life could have been for them both had their friendship never ended.

As for why Nowlin’s book is resonating so much with readers, Nowlin believes Gen Z’s craving for emotionally impactful books is nothing new. “Teens have always craved emotional catharsis and have always wanted to share those experiences with their peers,” Nowlin said. “Current readers are in touch with their emotions and seem to know what they’re looking for. I’m honored that they are recommending my book for a good cry.” I would rate the majority of the book as a 4 star read. I loved following Autumn’s teenage life, friends, family and boyfriends. Sadly, I would have to give the ending a 1 star rating. That still doesn't stop the way Autumn feels every time she and Finn cross paths, and the growing, nagging thought that maybe things could have been different. Maybe they should be together. Both breathtaking and heartbreaking, this novel will leave you completely stunned...you can rest assured that this will be one book in your life you will never regret." — teenreads.com Now, plot? There are a couple of things I would’ve personally done differently. I didn’t like the fact that Nowlin started the book talking about the tragedy that drives the book forward. It would’ve been much more entertaining to me to not know about this thing that literally destroys Autumn and just find out when she finds out in the book. It felt like a prologue and I don’t like prologues. Also, why did Laura Nowlin have to do that to me…. It hurt. Like, bad bad.

If you're looking for an emotionally-charged teen read, this is your book-hands down. Fans of YA Contemporary Romance, New Adult, or Coming of Age will also enjoy this book." - Literary Meanderings Oh wait, I'm not done.) If He Had Been with Me's premise was so interesting. We already knew how it ended, but we didn't know the journey to the end. But, alas, the premise doesn't live up to the book. This is a slow-burn romance that focuses on the main character's story and thoughts. In If He Had Been with Me, we see family, friendship, high school, and romance through Autumn's point of view. The storytelling is simple and repetitive. It's unclear whether that's meant to convey Autumn's voice or is just the author's style. There's little plot and not much action as Autumn, Finny, and their friends move through high school. Finny stands out as a role model: He's empathetic and compassionate. Teen readers may relate to some of the characters' experiences, such as shifts in friend groups, cliques, and trying on various identities. This whole time I was The Mothers watching them waiting and hoping they would get together. Yeah I’ve been played. This book didn't feel like another life, it felt like an alternate universe of my own. Not because I had a boyfriend I didn't appreciate, or a boy that I loved and didn't deserve. Because I asked the same questions, showered until I was numb, craved books because I couldn't stand my own actions in a blurry and unforgiving world, and feared I was on the path to being trapped in my own mind like my couch-ridden mother.She wishes to become a writer, but Jamie feels it can’t be her full-time career. In their relationship, she doesn’t let them sleep together, not going in with the peer pressure. Jamie is frustrated but agrees. She asks him to wait till after graduation. PDF / EPUB File Name: If_He_Had_Been_with_Me_-_Laura_Nowlin.pdf, If_He_Had_Been_with_Me_-_Laura_Nowlin.epub I hated this book right from the beginning. I could tell it was the type of novel to drag on and on until the very end. And I was right. Only in the last 5-10% or so did stuff actually happen. And that was it. It was also extremely predictable. It was obvious that Finny actually loved Autumn, and not Sylvie. It was obvious from like halfway through the book that Finny and Sylvie were arguing about Autumn during their car crash. It was also obvious that Jamie cheated on Autumn with Sasha. Too much foreshadowing can lead to this. I want to savor this wonder, this happening of loving a book and reading it for the first time, because the first time is always the best, and I will never read this book for the first time ever again.” I'm slightly indifferent towards all the characters, like I didn't grow any emotional attachments, except for the feeling of hatred towards certain people.