ashley woodfolk when you were everything

The fact that sometimes our friendships can’t stretch without growing pains, that sometimes we don’t know how to bridge the distances between us, to have those difficult conversations. I love how Woodfolk celebrates how messy and complex our friendships can be. There are lines that I had to stop and digest. When You Were Everything is just so gorgeously written. We can begin to assume the people we love will never change, that the person we are with them will never change, but that’s not true. It’s not only about the secrets that Cleo begins to find out, but the ways in which When You Were Everything is a learning experience about who we are, what kind of person we want to be, and who are the people around us. I adore books which explore family and When You Were Everything has such phenomenal exploration. And this goes across the board, not only for Cleo, but all the characters. We can’t easily say if someone’s actions were right or wrong, because we’ve all made mistakes. What makes When You Were Everything so amazing, so memorable, is how Woodfolk doesn’t make anyone out to be the culprit. The dual timeline writing style is fabulous at maintaining this tension – before and after – and I couldn’t stop myself from reading more. Charactersįrom page one, When You Were Everything is full of emotions and suspense as we wonder what happened between Cleo and Layla. Looking into windows we think we understand, the secrets we keep from each other, the rose colored glasses. I loved that from the beginning, Cleo’s family is a huge part of the story. Those times when our house of cards seems to be attacked from all fronts and tipping on the point of collapse. While When You Were Everything revolves around Cleo and Layla’s friendship, the story focuses on Cleo’s life – the moments where things begin crumbling – in her friendship with Layla, her own family, and her life. I knew from the beginning that When You Were Everything was going to be emotional, but it’s also a love letter to the magic of New York City and to family. When someone was a part of you – a piece of your soul – and they begin drifting away, they break apart. The friendships and loss which hits us harder than any other relationship. When You Were Everything is a heart wrenching story about mistakes, friendship, and loss.

Ashley woodfolk when you were everything