Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Ballantine Books (2021)
Description
"An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd. Emily is having the time of her life--she's in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of their trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she'd been flirting with attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year's trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can't believe it's happened again--can lightning really strike twice? Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving head-first into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her friend's motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their coverups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can she outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom--even her life?"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kulmona
2.5 stars
Because I have read and loved two other titles on Reese's Book Club list, I was really looking forward to reading this one.
Unfortunately, it fell short.
The blurb was promising. But the writing was so repetitive and wordy that it slowed the plot's pace significantly.
Because I have read and loved two other titles on Reese's Book Club list, I was really looking forward to reading this one.
Unfortunately, it fell short.
The blurb was promising. But the writing was so repetitive and wordy that it slowed the plot's pace significantly.
LibraryThing member mtrumbo
We Were Never Here starts out with Emily and Kirsten on their annual backpacking trip (this year in Chile) that ends in an violent act, only to find out this is not the first time such a thing has happened on their usual summer jaunt– and that’s just the beginning of the book! While I do feel
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the characters could be a bit more flushed out (I could not relate to their actions whatsoever), this is a great, fun, twisty, and very suspenseful book that will definitely make you think twice about your travel companions. Show Less
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
I had an ARC of this book on my Kindle for ages and when it was chosen as Reese Witherspoon's book club book I finally decided to read it. It definitely is suspenseful and will hold your attention but the character of Emily was so frustrating to me. Her naivete and blind trust drove me crazy. The
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book is a great choice for a book club as it will spark a lot of discussions. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC. Show Less
LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
Once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down.
The Rest of It:
Emily and Kristen are best friends. Kristen pushes Emily to do things that she would not normally do. Emily has fun with her and considers her more of a sister than anything else. Kristen, always up for adventure,
After a year, Kristen decides it’s time for another vacation, this time to Chile. Emily hasn’t quite recovered from her last trip and this time, she has a boyfriend but Kristen, persistent as ever, convinces Emily to make the trip. Although Emily is loyal to Kristen, this trip doesn’t sit right with her and she begins to feel as if Kristen is pulling all the strings.
Well, as you can probably guess, something happens on this trip too! Emily cannot believe that she has gotten herself into this mess, again! And once again, Kristen is calling the shots and acting like nothing is wrong. How can that be normal? How can she not be bothered by what happened and what they’ve done? After a little digging, Emily discovers that Kristen is no stranger to tragedy and that she needs to find a way out of this relationship.
It took me a little while to get into this story. The characters are not all that likable, especially Kristen. And yes, if I am being honest the story seemed a little far-fetched but once I got into it, I was into it and flipping those pages to find out how it would end. Without giving anything away, I DO have some questions about the ending.
If you need a book to distract you from the every day routine, this is a fun one to pick up. Just give it a little bit of time to get going.
Recommend.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
Once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down.
The Rest of It:
Emily and Kristen are best friends. Kristen pushes Emily to do things that she would not normally do. Emily has fun with her and considers her more of a sister than anything else. Kristen, always up for adventure,
Show More
convinces Emily to travel to another country. But while there, something goes terribly wrong and they are forever bound by their secrets.After a year, Kristen decides it’s time for another vacation, this time to Chile. Emily hasn’t quite recovered from her last trip and this time, she has a boyfriend but Kristen, persistent as ever, convinces Emily to make the trip. Although Emily is loyal to Kristen, this trip doesn’t sit right with her and she begins to feel as if Kristen is pulling all the strings.
Well, as you can probably guess, something happens on this trip too! Emily cannot believe that she has gotten herself into this mess, again! And once again, Kristen is calling the shots and acting like nothing is wrong. How can that be normal? How can she not be bothered by what happened and what they’ve done? After a little digging, Emily discovers that Kristen is no stranger to tragedy and that she needs to find a way out of this relationship.
It took me a little while to get into this story. The characters are not all that likable, especially Kristen. And yes, if I am being honest the story seemed a little far-fetched but once I got into it, I was into it and flipping those pages to find out how it would end. Without giving anything away, I DO have some questions about the ending.
If you need a book to distract you from the every day routine, this is a fun one to pick up. Just give it a little bit of time to get going.
Recommend.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
This was one of those thrillers where your brain gets tired while reading because it’s working nonstop trying to figure out who and what to believe.
Kristen and Emily, best friends, vacation together and something happens. They deal with it but then when vacationing together AGAIN a couple years
Emily decides she needs to spend less time with Kristen but that’s not going to be allowed to happen. And now Emily has a boyfriend who’s also in the way.
And that last line?!?! Oh boy. What does it even mean?!?
Kristen and Emily, best friends, vacation together and something happens. They deal with it but then when vacationing together AGAIN a couple years
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later, something similar happens and they deal with that too, but the coincidence is too much for Emily and she starts to ask lots of questions. Kristen goes home to Australia and Emily returns to the States, but things are strained between them. Emily keeps asking questions, but the answers are slow in coming and she has to really work to find out anything. Even when she does find a little piece of information, there’s alway a lot more to the story. Emily decides she needs to spend less time with Kristen but that’s not going to be allowed to happen. And now Emily has a boyfriend who’s also in the way.
And that last line?!?! Oh boy. What does it even mean?!?
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LibraryThing member Nikkicolee
Wow! This book was crazy! Had me hooked from the first page and left me wanting more. The author could easily do a part 2 which I’d love but even if not, I think this one will stay with me for awhile. 5 stars!
LibraryThing member brianinbuffalo
Given that suspense novels are typically not my thing, I was pleasantly surprised when I became engrossed in Bartz’s twist-filled tale. It was just what I needed at the end of a somewhat exhausting year – pure escape. Granted, the storyline does stretch the outer boundaries of reality. But
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“We Were Never There” is an engrossing and enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelaLam
Even though I'm not a suspense reader in general, the unreliable narrator showed up midway through the book (poor timing) and the ending felt contrived. The pacing sagged in the middle. I almost put this book down and did not finish, but I gave the book one more chapter and the pace raced through
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again. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
Emily and Kristen are best friends. Emily lives in Wisconsin, Kristen lives in Australia. Each year, they take a trip to exotic places. Emily is still thinking about a tragedy that happened on their previous trip to Cambodia. This year, they are in Chile. On their last night, another tragedy
When Kristen moves back to WI without warning, Emily starts examining their friendship more closely.
You may think you have this all figured out, until Emily and her boyfriend are on a trip at the end of the book. Then, you will have to wonder: what did you just read?
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occurs. Now, Emily can't get it out of her head, but Kristen doesn't seem to be affected by it.When Kristen moves back to WI without warning, Emily starts examining their friendship more closely.
You may think you have this all figured out, until Emily and her boyfriend are on a trip at the end of the book. Then, you will have to wonder: what did you just read?
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
This one pulls you in quickly, but I wish there were more answers at the end. This psychological thriller is about two best friends on vacation. It reminded me a lot of Who Is Maud Dixon? In both books there is travel, two women, and unreliable narrator, and a slow burn plot.
LibraryThing member pdebolt
I wasted time getting to page 90 in this book. The premise was ridiculous, the characters were unappealing and the repetitive writing was wearying. Not sure what I missed when I read some of the glowing reviews, but I had to put it down before I found out why.
LibraryThing member mojomomma
Two friends travel to exotic locations for fun. In Cambodia, one of the women is sexually assaulted and the women accidently kill him. Fearing they'll be unable to avoid a foreign jail, they dump the body in the river, leave the city and deal with the trauma when they return to their homes. During
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the follow-up trip the following year, a similar thing happens to the other woman and again they bury the body in a secluded Chilian roadside. Eventually we learned this second assault was staged and we learn the all of death's in Kristen's past aren't necessarily coincidental. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
The whole bestie snogfest is making me gag. Are all millennials this needy? This unable to do anything by themselves? It's nuts. So smothering. Stand up for yourselves already, on your own to feet. Perhaps you need A Dummy's Guide to Adulting.
Awards
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
Reese's Book Club (2021-08 — 2021)
Language
Original publication date
2021