FICTION

We Were Never Here

by Jennifer GILMORE
320p. ebook available. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Jun. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062393609.
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Gr 10 Up—After 16-year-old Lizzie collapses at summer camp, she gets diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Days of testing ultimately lead to a life-changing surgery. While in the hospital, she meets and connects with the cute volunteer Connor and his therapy dog Verlaine. The more time she spends with Connor, the deeper in love with him she falls, even as she learns that he's hiding secrets from her. Meanwhile, Lizzie is dealing with the challenges of her new reality as she comes to terms with her illness. 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.
VERDICT A powerful, poignant story for fans of Deb Caletti and Gayle Forman.
Reviewed by Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH
Sixteen-year-old Lizzie's normal life changes abruptly after an illness lands her in the hospital and eventually requires her to have ostomy surgery. There she meets and falls in love with golden yet troubled Connor, who has a sad past. Lizzie's first-person voice is honest and self-deprecating; her narration and the believable secondary characterizations will carry readers through to the hopeful ending.
 , May 01, 2016

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