“If He Had Been With Me,” by Laura Nowlin, is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel. This was one of the first books I read when I started to really get into reading more, and it definitely had an impact on how much I read now.
The novel tells the story of Finny and Autumn, childhood friends who drift apart once they reach high school, but later grow their bond into something more.
The beginning of this book was a little slow. However, as I kept reading, it hooked me and slowly got better once the plot had begun to deepen. I liked how slowly I began to learn more about the characters, which pulled me in. Once it captured me, this became a one-sitting read.
Finny and Autumn are inseparable as kids, but as they grow up, they find themselves in different social circles, pulling them apart. Like people walking down the same street but in opposite directions, they needed different things at different times.
Because their families are still close, they eventually rediscover their connection, but just as they find what they lost and create more for themselves, it is too late.
As I got closer to the end, I predicted what was going to happen, but did not want to accept it. Sooner or later, when I reached the end, I was heartbroken by their story. It was one of the most devastating things I have ever read, and I am still not over it.
Laura Nowlin came out with a second book from another point of view, but it did not add any closure for me, and was not as good as the first, in my opinion.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, mostly to the 13-18 age range. It showcases important themes such as missed opportunities and really makes people think about all the what-ifs in life.