Date of Publication: April 2013
If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died.
Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...
The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.
My thoughts:
I'll start by saying that If He Had Been With Me is well written and compelling. From the beginning of the book, you know that there is a tragedy ahead so the events in the end aren't much of a surprise. The characters were interesting and I thought the author gave a pretty good glimpse into teenage angst, rivalry, depression and heartbreak.
Having said all of that, I ultimately didn't really enjoy the book and was left with a very empty feeling in the end. I thought the book was depressing. I kind of felt cheated because the ending was so abrupt with no clear resolution or a sense that things would be OK. I'm not a fan of open ended endings. I didn't like that I went through that entire journey with Autumn only to have to make up in my own mind how she would end up. I also didn't really feel the connection between Autumn and Finny that I think I was supposed to feel in the end. I felt like there wasn't enough of them together in the book for me to see it.
I think this is going to be a book that people will either love or not. It has gotten rave reviews, so I think it is one that you should read and see for yourself. It would definitely make for good book group discussions. In the end, it just wasn't for me.
Interview with Laura:
Kari& Autumn: What inspired you
to become a writer?
Laura: I intensely loved
reading as a child. I adored going into other worlds and being another person
for a little while. As an adolescent I discovered that writing my own stories
was an even more intense experience. Basically, I’m a writer because I’m hooked
on it; I just can’t help myself.
Kari& Autumn: Where do you come
up with the ideas for your books?
Laura: I dreamed the ending of If
He had Been with Me. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought, “I
need to write a story that ends like this.” When there is a story I need to
write it’s like my brain has gotten snagged on a thought, and writing about it
is the only way to get it out of my head.
Kari& Autumn: What exciting
projects are waiting in the wings?
Laura: Right now I am working
out on a few different projects, none of which are under contract, so I don’t
really know what’s going to come out when. I promise you with absolute
certainty though, there is going to be more from me!
Kari& Autumn: Who is your
favorite literary character and why?
Laura: I am going to say
Frances Glass from J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, for the simple
egotistical reason that I deeply identify with her character, in both her
strengths and especially her flaws.
Kari& Autumn: Just for fun, if
you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
Laura: This question is
actually very close to my heart, because desperately wish that I could turn
into a house cat for a week. Or maybe for a month even. I would love to
alternate between periods mania over bits of string and languid naps in the
sunshine.
About the author:
Website:
http://laurarosener.wordpress.com
Twitter:
Laura_Nowlin
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