Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jun 2016
320 pages
Genre: Romance
Publication Information
In this exquisitely written and emotionally charged young adult debut, Jennifer Gilmore explores how sometimes the wounds you can't see are the most painful.
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.
"Starred Review. Reading this dramatic romance is both a painful and mesmerizing experience. The reward comes in Lizzie's recognition of her own strength and resilience as her focus shifts from what she can't do to what she can still accomplish." - Publishers Weekly
"The romance is so-so, but the dual portrayal of friendship and adjustment to a rarely discussed condition is sensitive and insightful. Ages 14-18." - Kirkus
"This moving, lyrical, life-affirming story is perfect for John Green fans." - Booklist
"This young adult debut explores how invisible scars are often the hardest to heal. Readers will root for Connor and Lizzie even as past tragedy and circumstances tear them apart. Drugs, sex, and a tragic car accident make this more appealing for mature teens." - School Library Journal
This information about We Were Never Here was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jennifer Gilmore is the author of Golden Country, a 2006 New York Times Notable Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Jewish Book Award, and Something Red, a New York Times Notable Book of 2010. Her work has appeared in Allure, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Vogue, and The Washington Post. She lives in Brooklyn.
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