*4.5
age recommendation: 13+
clean
"There's something about a childhood friend that feels different. Maybe it's because we knew everything about each other. Maybe it's because, when we were together, we didn't worry about image, or acceptance, or saying the perfect thing in the perfect way."
OH THIS BOOK. My heart is melting.
Places We've Never Been is a book I picked up on a whim. It follows Norah as she and her family embark on a whirlwind reunion road trip with her childhood best friend Skyler and his family. The trip isn't going as smoothly as hoped, however. Years of separation has driven a wedge between the two friends, and with each family keeping their own secrets, it seems things can't just return to the way they were.
My favorite part of this book was obviously the relationship between Norah and Skyler. Childhood best friends to lovers is a trope I adore with my whole heart and soul. You can tell they truly love and care for each other and feel completely safe in each other's presence. I also love the bond they share over their love for art. They're just the cutest and I loved getting to know them in this book, even if their misunderstandings were frustrating at times.
The actual road trip wasn't as prevalent in the story, and served as a backdrop for character and relationship development. It was cool to see all the different destinations the families travelled to though.
Norah as a main character was a little frustrating at times, but I also found her very relatable. She feels like she needs to "filter out" certain aspects of herself when talking to certain people, and she designs her personality and what she says based on what she believes people want to hear. Girl, as a people pleaser, I relate!
As with every YA contemporary, secrets are a part of this story. I always enjoy extra things slowly being revealed over time, and this was no exception. The whole time I was just BEGGING for Norah to do a little more eavesdropping to find out what on earth was happening! The reveals were definitely sad but added more depth to the story which was nice.
All in all, if you're looking for a quick and cute YA contemporary with some added depth to it I definitely recommend this one!