Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Section: YA
Reviewer: Charlotte
Summary Review:
The main character Corrine Parker is a runner and has been secretly dating Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school running team for a year. Suddenly Maggie dies and Corrine is left all alone with her grief and no one she can confide in. Then she meets Elissa, Maggie’s ex-girlfriend (who Corrine never knew existed) and the only person who can understand what Corrine is going through.
“Who I Was With Her” was a book filled with grief and love. Corrine Parker, a seventeen year old girl, had been secretly dating Maggie Bailey for a year when Maggie suddenly dies in a car accident. Corrine is left to grieve all alone with no one other than Maggie’s brother who knew they were dating. Maggie’s brother ends up introducing Corrine to Elissa, Maggie’s ex-girlfriend, at Maggie’s wake. Elissa was one of my favorite characters, she was supportive and understanding while also being very calm while dealing with Corrine’s struggles.
Corrine, like many other young LGBTQ+ people, struggled with the idea of coming out and potentially not being accepted by friends and family. She deals with guilt and grief in this story, while going between two time lines, present day and her memories of Maggie. Although some of Corrine’s decisions in this book may be annoying or frustrating to some readers, I simply saw her as a teenage girl trying her best.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was wonderfully written and I found the ending to be very peaceful as a reader. Switching between the two timelines helped paint a picture of loss and the pain that comes with trying to move on. This book also deals with alcoholism and how addiction can strain relationships. Reading this book made me emotional and in general it was a very good book.
