IF WE WERE US

Sage and Charlie have known each other forever, and all their friends think they’re secretly in love. While new romance does bloom during their senior year, the fear of changing relationships and pressure from their peers cause anxiety within their friend group. As Sage and Charlie repress their emotions and identities to maintain the status quo, they dream of being free to live true to themselves. While there’s a wide cast of characters, the focus stays on Sage, Charlie, new student Luke, and Charlie’s twin, Nick. Covering their entire senior year at the Bexley School, the story is at times confusing to follow, with key events being related as reminiscences, lessening their emotional impact for readers. The protagonists’ families’ influence on their decisions, from Sage’s divorced, high school–sweetheart parents to Charlie and Nick’s elite, old-fashioned family, adds necessary character depth. The emotional stress of coming out is depicted in an empathetic manner. While the story unfolds slowly, the storylines become gripping and realistically convoluted. The book situates whiteness as the norm for most characters; Luke’s mother is Japanese (his late father’s ethnicity is not specified). Several minor characters are cued as racially diverse.

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