I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

I have SO. MUCH. LOVE. for this book!! You Were Here somehow manages to be heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, an emotional roller coaster that you just can't get off of.

Told in alternating POVs, You Were Here follows five teenagers on a quest to complete a series of dares left unfinished by Jaycee's dead brother, and find themselves in the process. I loved this storytelling method: every chapter is seen from a different character's POV - and the narrative style changes accordingly. Jaycee's chapters are all narrated in 1st person, Natalie's and Zach's in 3rd, while Mik's are expressed as graphic novels and Bishop's reproduce his urban art. For me, this was an incredibly original and engaging way to keep the story working even with 5 different points of view, which usually makes it very confusing for me to follow.

I actually really liked getting to know all these characters, and by the end of the book I was feeling them a little bit like my friends, too. Each of them have their own problems and their own dysfunctions, from Jaycee's inability to cope with her brother's death to other characters' mental health issues or situations of family abuse. I think the author did a great job of portraying these difficulties, without trivialising or stigmatising them, and really conveys the message that ultimately, the strength to move on from difficulties can only be found within you, but having good friends and people who love you around you definitely makes this process a whole lot easier. The character development is also pretty amazing. No one stays the same after what they go through together, and they all come out of the book extremely different from how they got in.

This is a fairly intense book, and the themes it deals with are by no means light, but still there are some light-hearted moments and some great banter. And that ultimately makes a lot of sense, because that's the way life goes: for every bleak moment of sadness or outright desperation, there is always the chance of a positive, light and happy time with our loved ones. It doesn't often happen to me to find a contemporary that keeps me truly hooked, but this one I just couldn't put down. I'm certain that You Were Here will stay with me for a long time, and it's one I could actually re-read pretty soon.

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This was a super sweet novel about a variety of characters in a sense coming of age.

The settings of this book were a lot of fun, often places that an urban explorer would dream about. I loved the detail used, especially about the theme park, and how easily I could feel the adrenaline rush and the tension that would come from exploring each location.

Though the story was told from five points of view, only one was in first person which made it a whole lot easier to follow. I felt most connected to Natalie even though she wasn't the main character. The five were also extremely different and had their own backgrounds and ideas which made them a rather unlikely cohort, but a very amusing one.

One character's section was told in a graphic novel sense, and one in graffiti art. While I'm not usually very appreciative of art, I thought the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous and really added to the story. They were also very representative of the characters and contributed to the overall theme.

I loved how this dealt with various different problems that the blurb entirely misses out on. Jaycee might have the biggest problems, but she's in a way looking for the most attention and she gets this throughout the story.

This book was a solid read with gorgeous underlying messages, but I ultimately liked it the most for its creative settings.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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This is a bit different from my normal fare but I'm really glad I read it. It's the story of a group of five friends who after graduation, finally come to terms with an event that changed their world years ago, when Jaycee's brother Jake died in an accident on his graduation day. On the anniversary of Jake's death, the group find each other again and begin to heal and move on.

Each chapter is told from the POV of a different character, though sometimes those chapters are wordless and consist of a few comic panels or just a single depiction of some art or graffiti - for Mik and Bishop, the silent one and the artistic one, respectively, this works very well. However, the constant shifting POVs made it hard to really connect to any one character, and there were times I felt frustrated because I wanted to stick with one character and the story didn't.

In the end, I enjoyed the book, and it's sensitive and truthful acknowledgement of the grieving process, and that everybody grieves differently and at different rates.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley ( )

4.5 stars.
Despite its somewhat somber subject matter, Cori McCarthy's young adult novel, You Were Here, is a surprisingly uplifting journey of healing.

Five years after her brother Jake's shattering loss, Jaycee Strangelove is still trying to come to terms with both his death and her lingering grief. In an effort to keep his memory alive, she has been following in his adrenaline-filled footsteps by recreating his thrilling stunts and accepting any dare that comes her way. On the anniversary of his death, Jaycee reunites with a couple of friends from her past and they, along with two other teenagers, decide to spend the summer visiting the same decaying urban landmarks that Jake visited before he died.

Jaycee idolized Jake and not only is she still traumatized by witnessing his death, she has been unable to process her grief or make sense of how to move on without him. She is completely closed off emotionally and clinging tightly to her memories while at the same time she is resentful of her parents' very different ways of coping with the loss of their son. She also remains deeply angered by her best friend Natalie Cheng's abandonment immediately following his death. Jaycee values honesty to the point of tactlessness nor does she refrain from making sometimes hurtful observations. However, in spite of her harsh edges, Jaycee is an extremely likable and sympathetic young woman who is trying to move forward the best way she knows how.

On the anniversary of Jake's death, Jaycee is joined by his childhood friend Ryan "Mik" Mikivikious as she revisits his favorite haunt, an abandoned mental hospital. She tagged along on many of their exploits when she was younger and no one understands her loss more than Mik. Although Mik has little to say to her (or anyone for that matter), she is comforted by his company as she searches for proof of Jake's presence in the old hospital. Jaycee also has a huge crush on Mik but she does not know how to show her feelings to the ever silent young man.

The last thing Jaycee expects is to renew her friendship with Natalie. Despite Jaycee's simmering anger, hurt feelings and ever present animoisty, Natalie wants nothing more than to bury the hatchet in hopes that she can move on to the next phase in her life. Their initial exchanges are full of heartbreak but underlying all of the interactions is their shared past that continues to draw them to one another. Natalie's organized, type A personality is the complete opposite of Jaycee's impulsivity but these differences are a large part of the reason why their friendship worked so well for so many years.

Natalie's boyfriend Zach Ferris and their friend, Bishop, also join Jaycee, Natalie and Mik as they follow in Jake's urban explorer (urbex) footsteps. Zach has unexpected ties to Jake since his older brother Tyler was one of Jake's best friends. Zach is a reluctant adventurer since he would much rather play video games while drinking his way to oblivion in his father's basement, but wherever Natalie goes, he is sure to follow. Their long term romance is on its last legs since Natalie is going to college out of state in the fall while he plans on going to the local college but he is determined to cling to her as long as possible.

Although Bishop did not know Jake since he moved to town after his death, he is an eager participant in the urbex adventures. Nursing a broken heart since his rather brutal breakup months earlier, he is pleasantly surprised by the meaning he finds at each of their stops. He has been distancing himself from Zach in anticipation of his upcoming departure to college, but when Bishop learns distressing news about Natalie, he comes to Zach's defense.

You Were Here is narrated from multiple points of view but each voice is distinctive due to the somewhat unique form of narration. Jaycee's chapters are written in first person and her anger, hurt, confusion and pain are revealed in heartwrenching detail. Zach and Natalie's chapters are written in third person and their chapters prove very illuminating as readers discover that Natalie is nowhere near as together as she appears and that Zach is much more perceptive than he lets on. Bishop's contributions to the storyline are in the form of sketches and graffiti at each of their stops. Mik's perspective is revealed through a series of graphic novels which is completely in character with his pervasive silence. Although unorthodox, the narrative is seamlessly woven together and provides a well-rounded view of each of the characters.

You Were Here is a captivating young adult novel that is the perfect blend of heartache and healing. The characters are beautifully developed and likable with relatable flaws and true to life problems. Cori McCarthy deftly broaches difficult topics with sensitivity and her innovative approach to storytelling brings this emotional novel vibrantly to life. ( )