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We Weren't Looking to Be Found
Two young girls. Two disparate stories. One unlikely friendship.... Dani comes from the richest, most famous Black family in Texas and seems to have everything a girl could want. So why does she keep using and engaging in other self-destructive behavior? Camila's Colombian-American family doesn't have much, but she knows exactly what she wants out of life and works her ass off to get it. So why does she keep failing, and why does she self-harm every time she does? When Dani and Camila find themselves rooming together at Peach Tree Hills, a treatment facility in beautiful rural Georgia, they initially think they'll never get along—and they'll never get better. But then they find a mysterious music box filled with letters from a former resident of PTH, and together they set out to solve the mystery of who this girl was . . . and who she's become. The investigation will bring them together, and what they find at the end might just bring them hope. From award-winning author Stephanie Kuehn comes a breathtaking tale of friendship and healing. Both poignant and timely, We Weren't Looking to Be Found is complex, hopeful, and heartbreaking all at once.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2022
34 people are currently reading
2922 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
November 30, 2023
Wow, I had a Rollercoaster ride of feelings while reading this book. This was such a good book about mental health issues, friendships/relationships/family and how to learn to live through the issues that happen in life. It was so beautiful the bond between the two main characters. Both are strong, brave and caring... even if they don't think that themselves. The ending was bittersweet and sad, but still beautiful.
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January 11, 2022I loved this. No one can hurt, heal, and surprise me like Stephanie Kuehn.
June 25, 2022
DNFed. Don't want to write a mean long review. Not the book for me or a book which I would recommend regarding abuse, substance abuse and mental health.
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July 26, 2022This was my first book by this author and I really loved it.
CW: self harm, suicide attempt, addition
This book is a dual POV of two girls in a mental health facility. One struggles with addiction and the other struggles with self-harm. They are both dealing with things in their own ways and struggling in what feels like vastly different arenas but have so many similarities.
I read some reviews from people complaining about how this book opens with the content warning and complaining about how it doesn't bring anything new to YA and I disagree. First of all content warnings are super helpful and it's great if you don't need them but please don't shit on them for other people. If you don't need them just skip them. Who cares? I think that a lot of mental health narratives still center around white people and that is a dangerous narrative to have. Mental health and mental illness are not singularly affecting one group of people and it's really important to have diverse representation in all things but especially mental health so that people don't feel ostracized from help or treatment.
Dani and Camila are both Brown and have different familial structures that play into their addictions and self-harm. Coming from two ends of a spectrum, one with wealthy parents who are not very invested in their daughter's life and more of a middle-class family who really wants their daughter to succeed but can't afford to send her to art school. The parent/daughter relationships are really big part of the story and how the parents actions affect their daughters livelihoods and futures.
I honestly think my favorite part about this book was the ending. There's a mystery element that it's kind of just whatever but the epilogue was my favorite bit because I really needed this book to not cure mental illness. These aren't things that you can take a pill and be better and it is about coping strategies and learning to live with these additional struggles and it's not as easy as a quick fix. I really appreciated this book took about route.
CW: self harm, suicide attempt, addition
This book is a dual POV of two girls in a mental health facility. One struggles with addiction and the other struggles with self-harm. They are both dealing with things in their own ways and struggling in what feels like vastly different arenas but have so many similarities.
I read some reviews from people complaining about how this book opens with the content warning and complaining about how it doesn't bring anything new to YA and I disagree. First of all content warnings are super helpful and it's great if you don't need them but please don't shit on them for other people. If you don't need them just skip them. Who cares? I think that a lot of mental health narratives still center around white people and that is a dangerous narrative to have. Mental health and mental illness are not singularly affecting one group of people and it's really important to have diverse representation in all things but especially mental health so that people don't feel ostracized from help or treatment.
Dani and Camila are both Brown and have different familial structures that play into their addictions and self-harm. Coming from two ends of a spectrum, one with wealthy parents who are not very invested in their daughter's life and more of a middle-class family who really wants their daughter to succeed but can't afford to send her to art school. The parent/daughter relationships are really big part of the story and how the parents actions affect their daughters livelihoods and futures.
I honestly think my favorite part about this book was the ending. There's a mystery element that it's kind of just whatever but the epilogue was my favorite bit because I really needed this book to not cure mental illness. These aren't things that you can take a pill and be better and it is about coping strategies and learning to live with these additional struggles and it's not as easy as a quick fix. I really appreciated this book took about route.
Read
June 12, 2022While I loved how complex Camila and Dani were--both girls of color with mental health challenges they're being treated for at an in-patient facility--the mystery element did not work for me in this one.
March 5, 2023
kind of a strange way to address mental health by not addressing mental health-? i feel like there were a lot of plot holes while at the same time there was no plot at all. not a book i would recommend (especially to someone struggling with their mental health- i feel like it didn’t impact me in the way other books surrounding personal well-being have before) but it wasn’t terrible.
June 28, 2022
A beautiful, raw and real portrayl of life of both of the two girls in this story. I was worried about this one after the reviews, but it was definitely not how I felt about it. I finished this one in under 24 hours. It was heavy read, but was easy to breeze through because I loved the writing style. It was beautiful and flowed easily throughout. Thank you so much for allowing me access to this book!
July 16, 2022
I couldn’t put it down so I didn’t. I read it in less than a day.
April 29, 2024
Dealt with mental health among teenagers and the pressure they have on them! It was a GOOD read to me!
“Life is hard, you gotta keep fighting, YOU’RE NOT ALONE”
“Life is hard, you gotta keep fighting, YOU’RE NOT ALONE”
January 11, 2023
This is an interesting book, by Stephanie Kuehn, about two teenagers who are struggling with mental health along with addiction issues. They meet each other inside a progressive, inclusive treatment facility when they become roommates. They stumble across a music box with letters and attempt to figure out who wrote them. Even though this was recommended for YA I enjoyed it.
May 10, 2023
very wholesome read! i like that the author went back and forth to both Dani and Camila’s perspective. i read this in a few hours because I was so hooked. this book almost reminds me of Girl, Interrupted just not as intense or dark. that’s not to say that this book is not, but there’s a relatively happy ending… depending on how you perceive it
December 30, 2023
2023 reads: 395/350
content warnings: self harm, suicide attempt, substance abuse, eating disorder
dani and camila come from very different lives, but when they’re put together as roommates at a treatment facility, they eventually become friends. however, with this friendship comes hard questions about their own destructive behaviors they must answer themselves.
i love reading books about mental illness, so i was eager to start this one. i haven’t read many books in which the main character has substance abuse disorder, so this was a new perspective for me. i can only speak on this aspect from the perspective of someone who’s known people with this disorder, but i think it was handled well. dani had her ups and downs and it took a while for her to even admit she had a problem. part of this was due to her relationship with her parents. since they were the ones saying she had a problem, she was sure she didn’t. i liked seeing her progress throughout the novel.
camila also has a not-so-great relationship with her parents. she’s a dancer and is thrilled when she finally gets into her dream school, just for those dreams to be crushed when she realizes her parents took the money meant for this school and used it for home renovations. she lives with depression and anxiety, which can manifest themselves as self harm. i also think this aspect was handled respectfully and realistically.
overall, this was a great book exploring themes of mental illness, family, and friendship. i recommend to anyone okay with the content.
content warnings: self harm, suicide attempt, substance abuse, eating disorder
dani and camila come from very different lives, but when they’re put together as roommates at a treatment facility, they eventually become friends. however, with this friendship comes hard questions about their own destructive behaviors they must answer themselves.
i love reading books about mental illness, so i was eager to start this one. i haven’t read many books in which the main character has substance abuse disorder, so this was a new perspective for me. i can only speak on this aspect from the perspective of someone who’s known people with this disorder, but i think it was handled well. dani had her ups and downs and it took a while for her to even admit she had a problem. part of this was due to her relationship with her parents. since they were the ones saying she had a problem, she was sure she didn’t. i liked seeing her progress throughout the novel.
camila also has a not-so-great relationship with her parents. she’s a dancer and is thrilled when she finally gets into her dream school, just for those dreams to be crushed when she realizes her parents took the money meant for this school and used it for home renovations. she lives with depression and anxiety, which can manifest themselves as self harm. i also think this aspect was handled respectfully and realistically.
overall, this was a great book exploring themes of mental illness, family, and friendship. i recommend to anyone okay with the content.
May 12, 2022
Two girls from different backgrounds become roommates at a mental health treatment facility. The girls share their stories in first person alternating back and forth. At first the girl's relationship with one another is strained as both are dealing with adjusting to the facility procedures and hiding their secrets. An incident happens that forces the girls to see each other's painful truths and one feels betrayed by the other. The two are forced to work together cleaning out a storage unit where they uncover letters written by a former patient hidden in a music box. Together they embark on a quest to try and find the person who wrote the letters. Young adults will find the voices and stories authentic. Content warnings may need to be noted before some choose to read the book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
July 23, 2022
I’ve been a fan of Stephanie Kuehn since her first novel so I looked forward to reading WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND about two teenagers struggling with mental health and addiction issues inside a progressive, inclusive treatment facility.
The Audible narration was the best part of WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND, with two distinct, equally compelling voices,
I’m always glad to see more books on mental health with main characters of color, but WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND adds nothing new or unique to the body of YA novels currently on the market.
I didn’t like that WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND started with a content warning, which I believe infantilizes readers without teaching them they can stop reading a book is upsetting. Additionally nothing in the warning wasn’t also on the blurb.
The Audible narration was the best part of WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND, with two distinct, equally compelling voices,
I’m always glad to see more books on mental health with main characters of color, but WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND adds nothing new or unique to the body of YA novels currently on the market.
I didn’t like that WE’RE NOT LOOKING TO BE FOUND started with a content warning, which I believe infantilizes readers without teaching them they can stop reading a book is upsetting. Additionally nothing in the warning wasn’t also on the blurb.
January 30, 2023
This book focuses on drug addiction, self harm, and mental health.
The "mystery" component was hollow and completely meaningless.
Of course the mystery was predictable but I guess the mystery was just a small addition so this excuse how dry it was.
The ending was the finest part because it wasn't a "they lived happily ever after" conclusion.
It demonstrates the reality of mental illness and how challenging it is to recover from it.
Sadly, it doesn't add anything new to YA, which disappointed me.
Additionally, the language is simple to understand, thus I recommend it to anyone learning to read in english.
The "mystery" component was hollow and completely meaningless.
Of course the mystery was predictable but I guess the mystery was just a small addition so this excuse how dry it was.
The ending was the finest part because it wasn't a "they lived happily ever after" conclusion.
It demonstrates the reality of mental illness and how challenging it is to recover from it.
Sadly, it doesn't add anything new to YA, which disappointed me.
Additionally, the language is simple to understand, thus I recommend it to anyone learning to read in english.
July 20, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
I really loved the two main characters and empathized with their struggles. Outside of that, I don’t think that the plot was really there. The book tries to hook you with the letters in the music box- but they end up being such an insignificant part of the story. The “twist” at the end shocked me only in that I wasn’t particularly interested in figuring that out. I just wanted the girls to be okay. Definitely not my favorite book about mental health, drug addition, self harm etc. but I finished it in under 24 hours and it was entertaining enough. Another one I don’t regret but wouldn’t necessarily recommend.
I really loved the two main characters and empathized with their struggles. Outside of that, I don’t think that the plot was really there. The book tries to hook you with the letters in the music box- but they end up being such an insignificant part of the story. The “twist” at the end shocked me only in that I wasn’t particularly interested in figuring that out. I just wanted the girls to be okay. Definitely not my favorite book about mental health, drug addition, self harm etc. but I finished it in under 24 hours and it was entertaining enough. Another one I don’t regret but wouldn’t necessarily recommend.
January 21, 2024
This was a nice YA novel. Definitely some tough subject matter involved, pease check trigger warnings below. I appreciated how realistically and vulnerably it discussed what many young girls deal with, especially black and brown girls and especially, in high school before adulthood. And im of course always a sucker for strong sisterhood bonding. The character development was solid and the audiobook was narrated really well too. I would prefer this story as a movie or tv show because that’s what it read more like, but I still really enjoyed the book overall!
Trigger& content warnings: depression, su!c!de/self harm, addiction
Trigger& content warnings: depression, su!c!de/self harm, addiction
June 5, 2023
Amazing book, actually covers raw emotion and conversations a teen would have with a therapist but it jumped ahead as of the girls already trusted their therapists.
Camilla and Dani have two very different stories but what they do have in common is really strongly connected.
First book I’ve actually cried while reading in a long time
Camilla and Dani have two very different stories but what they do have in common is really strongly connected.
First book I’ve actually cried while reading in a long time
August 11, 2023
Not a book I’d usually subject myself to. It was surprising to say the least. Every moment of the book was expected but not. And the ending definitely surprised me. I loved it. Ugly and yet so beautiful. Wonderful story.
November 13, 2023
Some books that feature mental illness seem misinformed but this one doesn’t. The author did such a great job navigating Dani’s and Camila’s situations. I loved that they were both still working to be better by the end and not miraculously healed because that’s unrealistic.
June 14, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. It's super easy to get through. The plot makes sense. I got attached to the girls so quickly (me and Camila are on the same meds, purr). The ending was a little anticlimactic, in my opinion, but it wasn't horrible.
November 30, 2023
This book is very slow. I like that it shows different sides of mental health.
December 14, 2023
This week on substance abuse, self harm and treatment.
We meet Dani and Camila. Dani is from the richest, most famous black family in Texas, yet still she feels unseen. Which is how her reliance on drugs and alcohol came about. Camila’s Colombian American family doesn’t have much, but after three attempts of trying to get into the dance school of her choice, her parents tell her they don’t have the money to send her. Camila results to self harm to numb her feelings and when both girls hit rock bottom, they both end up at Peach Tree Hill as roommates. When they find letters from a past patient, they seek to find her which in turn brings them closer together.
This book is heavy, but I was truly enamored with every aspect of it. How Kuehn unpacks mental health issues, substance abuse and self harm, it’s so raw and real, I kept turning every page in hopes that the girls would get better.
The different point of views from Camila to Dani and their growth as well as relapses really brought the book to life for me.
From Dani starting off in denial that she had any issue at all and it was just her parents trying to control her by saying she had a problem. To understanding that she did have a problem and healing from it.
To Camila, who my heart went out to the most because she just didn’t want to be here. To realizing that self harm was a form of deflecting from how she really felt.
This book gripped my heart and didn’t let it go until I was finished with it. Admittance, seeking help and healing is so pivotal when it comes to mental health and this book touched on just that.
As Chloe says, “I realize that most people don’t ever do it. They don’t self-reflect or grow or do much other than coast. That’s because self-reflection is hard. It’s often painful, but in my experience, it was worth it. It’s still worth it. It’s not something you really ever finish, it’s more of a journey you choose to take.”
We meet Dani and Camila. Dani is from the richest, most famous black family in Texas, yet still she feels unseen. Which is how her reliance on drugs and alcohol came about. Camila’s Colombian American family doesn’t have much, but after three attempts of trying to get into the dance school of her choice, her parents tell her they don’t have the money to send her. Camila results to self harm to numb her feelings and when both girls hit rock bottom, they both end up at Peach Tree Hill as roommates. When they find letters from a past patient, they seek to find her which in turn brings them closer together.
This book is heavy, but I was truly enamored with every aspect of it. How Kuehn unpacks mental health issues, substance abuse and self harm, it’s so raw and real, I kept turning every page in hopes that the girls would get better.
The different point of views from Camila to Dani and their growth as well as relapses really brought the book to life for me.
From Dani starting off in denial that she had any issue at all and it was just her parents trying to control her by saying she had a problem. To understanding that she did have a problem and healing from it.
To Camila, who my heart went out to the most because she just didn’t want to be here. To realizing that self harm was a form of deflecting from how she really felt.
This book gripped my heart and didn’t let it go until I was finished with it. Admittance, seeking help and healing is so pivotal when it comes to mental health and this book touched on just that.
As Chloe says, “I realize that most people don’t ever do it. They don’t self-reflect or grow or do much other than coast. That’s because self-reflection is hard. It’s often painful, but in my experience, it was worth it. It’s still worth it. It’s not something you really ever finish, it’s more of a journey you choose to take.”
February 22, 2022
Two girls from disparate backgrounds end up at the same treatment facility where they become unlikely friends. Included is a mini mystery in which they find some letters from another girl who was at the treatment facility as well.
The book isn't anything insightful or new which left me feeling meh about the book. The dialogue isn't unique nor is the writing powerful to draw me in and root for the characters in a deep-seated way, feeling for their circumstances and issues. Unfortunately a bit of a dud for my own reading life.
The book isn't anything insightful or new which left me feeling meh about the book. The dialogue isn't unique nor is the writing powerful to draw me in and root for the characters in a deep-seated way, feeling for their circumstances and issues. Unfortunately a bit of a dud for my own reading life.
August 11, 2022
I enjoyed this a lot. It reminded me of the fierceness of my teen years and the conviction that comes with the utter self-absorption of youth. That’s not meant as a criticism; children and teens, not yet grown and (mostly) subject to the whim of adults, NEED to be self-centered to survive.
I didn’t really clock that there was a central mystery; it simply seemed to be part of the story of realization and treatment.
I didn’t really clock that there was a central mystery; it simply seemed to be part of the story of realization and treatment.
October 4, 2022
I felt like the plot was pretty flat. I love that the main characters are POC but there could have been more to the story. It did not get as deep as I thought it would have.
August 13, 2022
"Resistance is an illusion, and as I walk toward my stated destination, the aide following me like an unwanted shadow, I'm struck by the familiarity of my actions, like a dream long gone or the faint shimmer of déjà vu. This is who I am and who I've always been. I comply.
I comply.
I comply."
Dani and Camila weren't looking to be found.
Dani comes from the richest Black family in Texas, but the only way she feels in control is under the heavy influence of drugs and alcohol. Camila comes from a struggling Colombian-American family but has passion to express herself through dance—the only thing is, every time she fails at reaching those dreams, she self-harms.
The two are admitted to an in-patient mental health facility called Peach Tree Hills and become roommates. Dani and Camila initially hate each other because of their contrasting backgrounds, believing that they share no common personality traits. However, when the two come across letters from a past resident in the resident's lost and found, they find themselves connecting to this unknown resident and each other. Maybe if they figure out who the letters came from, they will find a glimpse of hope to start a journey of healing.
Stephanie Kuehn writes such stunning fiction worth reading, and the representation in her content is so important to today's young readers. There is so much to this story worth talking about, and I'm glad that we see an authentic story discuss it. I also appreciated the mention that those of us suffering from a lack of control or a self-destructive mind aren't broken people. With the right resources and support, healing becomes a feasible thing. Additionally, I liked that Dani and Camila's healing was a non-linear journey, which is so accurate to reality. The path to getting better is not a one and done thing. Sometimes we fall back to old habits. Sometimes we lose ourselves. But that doesn't make us failures. It's just a part of the healing process. That inclusion was very nice to see in this story.
That being said, I was a little disappointed by the writing itself. Most of the story seemed to read like a retelling of events instead of reading like we were there with Dani and Camila. The pacing seemed rushed and breezed over, but the moments that were slowed down only contained shallow exchanges of dialogue. I know Kuehn can write gorgeous imagery and emotion, so the lack of it in this story confused me a bit. Sections like this just read a bit flat to me:
"I hug Dani when the class is over, and I tell her how happy it made me to have her show up. She manages a smile and tells me I did a good job, but I can't help but sense there's something wrong."
I wanted to see more intimate moments of pure vulnerability and emotion. I'm not saying that the self-harm itself needs more detail, as that might be triggering, but I wanted more intense internalization behind these numbing moments. I know that when feeling hopeless, these unwanted thoughts are incredibly overwhelming and scary, and there didn't seem to be much of that going on. But you see, this is such a tough topic to tackle, as you don't want it being too unbearable where it makes the reader uncomfortable, so I definitely understand the challenge of developing that.
I found it difficult to connect to Dani and Camila, which hurt because I know that there are elements to them that are indeed relatable. I wanted more details about their backgrounds integrated within the story, because weaving in vivid specifics would certainly make the prose pop. Delving into Ivan's significance and confronting Dani's mom might have been interesting. I thought it would have been nice to see more development from the other girls in the facility, as well as Yolanda. Engagement with these characters aside from dialogue might have helped mutually to develop Dani and Camila. Additionally, more conflict between Dani and Camila as roommates would have made for an interesting contrast once the two actually start to get along and support each other. The two mainly seem indifferent toward each other for a majority of the story, which made their friendship anticlimactic.
I still think that this book is incredibly important and worth reading. The unlikely friendship that stems from these roommates and the lessons they learn are incredible.
I comply.
I comply."
Dani and Camila weren't looking to be found.
Dani comes from the richest Black family in Texas, but the only way she feels in control is under the heavy influence of drugs and alcohol. Camila comes from a struggling Colombian-American family but has passion to express herself through dance—the only thing is, every time she fails at reaching those dreams, she self-harms.
The two are admitted to an in-patient mental health facility called Peach Tree Hills and become roommates. Dani and Camila initially hate each other because of their contrasting backgrounds, believing that they share no common personality traits. However, when the two come across letters from a past resident in the resident's lost and found, they find themselves connecting to this unknown resident and each other. Maybe if they figure out who the letters came from, they will find a glimpse of hope to start a journey of healing.
Stephanie Kuehn writes such stunning fiction worth reading, and the representation in her content is so important to today's young readers. There is so much to this story worth talking about, and I'm glad that we see an authentic story discuss it. I also appreciated the mention that those of us suffering from a lack of control or a self-destructive mind aren't broken people. With the right resources and support, healing becomes a feasible thing. Additionally, I liked that Dani and Camila's healing was a non-linear journey, which is so accurate to reality. The path to getting better is not a one and done thing. Sometimes we fall back to old habits. Sometimes we lose ourselves. But that doesn't make us failures. It's just a part of the healing process. That inclusion was very nice to see in this story.
That being said, I was a little disappointed by the writing itself. Most of the story seemed to read like a retelling of events instead of reading like we were there with Dani and Camila. The pacing seemed rushed and breezed over, but the moments that were slowed down only contained shallow exchanges of dialogue. I know Kuehn can write gorgeous imagery and emotion, so the lack of it in this story confused me a bit. Sections like this just read a bit flat to me:
"I hug Dani when the class is over, and I tell her how happy it made me to have her show up. She manages a smile and tells me I did a good job, but I can't help but sense there's something wrong."
I wanted to see more intimate moments of pure vulnerability and emotion. I'm not saying that the self-harm itself needs more detail, as that might be triggering, but I wanted more intense internalization behind these numbing moments. I know that when feeling hopeless, these unwanted thoughts are incredibly overwhelming and scary, and there didn't seem to be much of that going on. But you see, this is such a tough topic to tackle, as you don't want it being too unbearable where it makes the reader uncomfortable, so I definitely understand the challenge of developing that.
I found it difficult to connect to Dani and Camila, which hurt because I know that there are elements to them that are indeed relatable. I wanted more details about their backgrounds integrated within the story, because weaving in vivid specifics would certainly make the prose pop. Delving into Ivan's significance and confronting Dani's mom might have been interesting. I thought it would have been nice to see more development from the other girls in the facility, as well as Yolanda. Engagement with these characters aside from dialogue might have helped mutually to develop Dani and Camila. Additionally, more conflict between Dani and Camila as roommates would have made for an interesting contrast once the two actually start to get along and support each other. The two mainly seem indifferent toward each other for a majority of the story, which made their friendship anticlimactic.
I still think that this book is incredibly important and worth reading. The unlikely friendship that stems from these roommates and the lessons they learn are incredible.
April 30, 2023
Stephanie Kuehn’s latest YA offering We Weren’t Looking To Be Found concerns the lives of Dani and Camila, two teenagers who end up as roommates at Peach Tree Hills, a live-in treatment facility for young women who suffer from addiction/mental health issues.
Dani comes from an affluent Dallas family. Her mother is a city councilor, about to make another re-election bid. Dani’s relationship with her mother is strained.
…leave it to Emmeline Rosemarie Washington to care more about our community than she cares about her only daughter’s happiness. But that’s par for the course around here, as is my insistence on ignoring her concerns. My mother only cares about the Black community so much as it can make her look good and boost her political clout…
Dani’s father is “clueless; he’s always griping about stuff like eating disorders and depression being these frivolous “white people problems””.
Dani deals with her messy life by not really dealing with it at all. Instead, she self-medicates with alcohol and the pills she steals from her parents’ medicine cabinet: Xanax, Adderall and Vicodin.
Camila comes from decidedly less affluent circumstances. She lives in Lamont, Georgia where “A foulness […] clings to our clothes, seeps into our skin, and haunts our dreams.” Her father is from Colombia and her mother is Mexican American and although she knows they love her, she doesn’t feel as though they understand her. What Camila wants more than anything is to attend Fieldbrook, a prestigious dance school in New Jersey. She’s auditioned twice before and failed to gain entry; she’s hoping this time will be different. And when it is different, and then her plans are kiboshed, Camila takes drastic measures.
When their lives go off the rails, Camila and Dani end up at Peach Tree Hills. Peach Tree Hills is “the best place for adolescent girls, especially girls of color. The staff is very diverse and sensitive to context and culture.” Neither girl wants to be there, but it is also clear that they have a lot to work through in order to become whole and healthy.
Kuehn is a clinical psychologist and it would probably be easy for this book to feel didactic, but it doesn’t. The professionals who work with the girls certainly sound authentic, but they don’t “instruct” the reader or the characters. More importantly, they aren’t able to wave a magic wand and fix these girls. Each of the main characters are a work in progress and the work is often messy and difficult. Often, it’s two steps forward and one step back.
I have read several other books by Kuehn (Charm & Strange, Complicit, Delicate Monsters, and When I Am Through With You) and each of those books had a sort of psychological suspense element. We Weren’t Looking To Be Found does have a teensy mystery, which I think is oversold in the book’s synopsis. The book really doesn’t need it anyway. Camila and Dani are engaging, and intelligent narrators (they take turns telling their story) and their journey to healing – while certainly not easy – is more than enough to keep readers engaged.
3.5 stars
Dani comes from an affluent Dallas family. Her mother is a city councilor, about to make another re-election bid. Dani’s relationship with her mother is strained.
…leave it to Emmeline Rosemarie Washington to care more about our community than she cares about her only daughter’s happiness. But that’s par for the course around here, as is my insistence on ignoring her concerns. My mother only cares about the Black community so much as it can make her look good and boost her political clout…
Dani’s father is “clueless; he’s always griping about stuff like eating disorders and depression being these frivolous “white people problems””.
Dani deals with her messy life by not really dealing with it at all. Instead, she self-medicates with alcohol and the pills she steals from her parents’ medicine cabinet: Xanax, Adderall and Vicodin.
Camila comes from decidedly less affluent circumstances. She lives in Lamont, Georgia where “A foulness […] clings to our clothes, seeps into our skin, and haunts our dreams.” Her father is from Colombia and her mother is Mexican American and although she knows they love her, she doesn’t feel as though they understand her. What Camila wants more than anything is to attend Fieldbrook, a prestigious dance school in New Jersey. She’s auditioned twice before and failed to gain entry; she’s hoping this time will be different. And when it is different, and then her plans are kiboshed, Camila takes drastic measures.
When their lives go off the rails, Camila and Dani end up at Peach Tree Hills. Peach Tree Hills is “the best place for adolescent girls, especially girls of color. The staff is very diverse and sensitive to context and culture.” Neither girl wants to be there, but it is also clear that they have a lot to work through in order to become whole and healthy.
Kuehn is a clinical psychologist and it would probably be easy for this book to feel didactic, but it doesn’t. The professionals who work with the girls certainly sound authentic, but they don’t “instruct” the reader or the characters. More importantly, they aren’t able to wave a magic wand and fix these girls. Each of the main characters are a work in progress and the work is often messy and difficult. Often, it’s two steps forward and one step back.
I have read several other books by Kuehn (Charm & Strange, Complicit, Delicate Monsters, and When I Am Through With You) and each of those books had a sort of psychological suspense element. We Weren’t Looking To Be Found does have a teensy mystery, which I think is oversold in the book’s synopsis. The book really doesn’t need it anyway. Camila and Dani are engaging, and intelligent narrators (they take turns telling their story) and their journey to healing – while certainly not easy – is more than enough to keep readers engaged.
3.5 stars
June 6, 2024
Trigger Warning.
We Weren’t Looking to Be Found is the story of Dani, a politician’s daughter in Texas Struggling with toxic relationships, familial problems, self-destructive behavior, and heavy substance abuse problems. Dani runs from her family and winds up at Peach Tree Hills a rehabilitation facility in rural Georgia. Camilla is a shy girl who dreams of attending a prestigious performing arts college and after being rejected time and time again she is finally accepted but she finds she is no longer able to attend. Cammila struggles with overly critical thoughts, depression, High anxiety, and self-harming behaviors. With seemingly nothing left, Camila attempts to take her own life but after her failed attempt is sent to Peach Tree Hills facility where she meets Dani. The two girls get sick of the pressure and general nature of the facility and escape to a party in a nearby town. At the party, both girls fall right back into the old habits that they had been working to overcome. In an attempt to show the girls responsibility and allow them to try and rebuild the bond that they severed after the events of the party, they are asked to clean out a storage room. There they find a set of letters that help the girls realize that they aren’t as alone as they think and that together they can start to heal.
This book discusses heavy thematic topics with a focus on self-harm, substance abuse, and difficult family dynamics. While the author tries to keep it lighthearted with a blossoming friendship and a found sense of belonging I found it to be forced. With the added mystery element I felt as though the author added too many things all at once without fully developing any other plot points which made the story hard to follow and difficult to get into. For example, at the beginning of the book, the author put a heavy focus on the ethnicity of these girls but after a short while it was a completely minute detail after it had been such an important aspect of the narrative. While I valued the way the author brought in so many different components to the lives and mental health problems these young girls faced it felt implausible and like she was reaching for something to add in hopes of keeping these people interested. For an award-winning book, it felt quite juvenile in that the writing, language, tone, and overall sense of the book were either over or underdeveloped and hard to believe. mental health problems are a difficult thing to write about in a way that readers can relate to but in this book, I felt like there was nothing in the story that felt realistic enough to relate to.
Overall I value the perspective the author brings to her book but I feel as though they could be two separate stories. I love mysteries and I enjoy reading about the experiences of characters and reading about their struggles and how they work through them but having both together didn’t really work for me and it felt like a stretch I couldn’t just accept, which made the other tough stretches and plot holes harder to overlook. I am glad I read the book to better understand the experiences, lives, and struggles of others but I wouldn’t read it again.
We Weren’t Looking to Be Found is the story of Dani, a politician’s daughter in Texas Struggling with toxic relationships, familial problems, self-destructive behavior, and heavy substance abuse problems. Dani runs from her family and winds up at Peach Tree Hills a rehabilitation facility in rural Georgia. Camilla is a shy girl who dreams of attending a prestigious performing arts college and after being rejected time and time again she is finally accepted but she finds she is no longer able to attend. Cammila struggles with overly critical thoughts, depression, High anxiety, and self-harming behaviors. With seemingly nothing left, Camila attempts to take her own life but after her failed attempt is sent to Peach Tree Hills facility where she meets Dani. The two girls get sick of the pressure and general nature of the facility and escape to a party in a nearby town. At the party, both girls fall right back into the old habits that they had been working to overcome. In an attempt to show the girls responsibility and allow them to try and rebuild the bond that they severed after the events of the party, they are asked to clean out a storage room. There they find a set of letters that help the girls realize that they aren’t as alone as they think and that together they can start to heal.
This book discusses heavy thematic topics with a focus on self-harm, substance abuse, and difficult family dynamics. While the author tries to keep it lighthearted with a blossoming friendship and a found sense of belonging I found it to be forced. With the added mystery element I felt as though the author added too many things all at once without fully developing any other plot points which made the story hard to follow and difficult to get into. For example, at the beginning of the book, the author put a heavy focus on the ethnicity of these girls but after a short while it was a completely minute detail after it had been such an important aspect of the narrative. While I valued the way the author brought in so many different components to the lives and mental health problems these young girls faced it felt implausible and like she was reaching for something to add in hopes of keeping these people interested. For an award-winning book, it felt quite juvenile in that the writing, language, tone, and overall sense of the book were either over or underdeveloped and hard to believe. mental health problems are a difficult thing to write about in a way that readers can relate to but in this book, I felt like there was nothing in the story that felt realistic enough to relate to.
Overall I value the perspective the author brings to her book but I feel as though they could be two separate stories. I love mysteries and I enjoy reading about the experiences of characters and reading about their struggles and how they work through them but having both together didn’t really work for me and it felt like a stretch I couldn’t just accept, which made the other tough stretches and plot holes harder to overlook. I am glad I read the book to better understand the experiences, lives, and struggles of others but I wouldn’t read it again.
August 22, 2022
I liked this book. I’ve always enjoyed learning about peoples lives and their struggles, so this book was fun for me to read. I was especially interested in Dani’s story because it was rich with details and complexities about her family and her mother. How it was finished off seemed graceful and represented the idea of healing taking time very well. That is a theme the entire book showed well, in fact.
From the beginning to the end, you’re wondering, “who is going to recover faster?”. While it might seem like one person is leading the race and the other is struggling, the person who’s doing “better” in their treatment constantly fluctuates. This reinforces the theme that healing takes time, and it made the book feel sweet and leisurely (most of the time). The setting and the authors descriptions of it also made the atmosphere ten times better!
While it was interesting to learn about the complexities of Dani’s and Camilla’s lives, the ending also tied off the book in a very good place. It doesn’t leave much to be wanted. Instead, it leaves the reader on a feeling that they’ve finished the main characters arcs. Even though Cams is still in the hospital and Dani still hasn’t reunited with her mom, the reader can tell that they are on the healing journey and whatever the world throws their way, they’ll be able to handle it. And, they’ll always have each other.
On the not-so-positive side, I’ve always found Cams and Dani’s friendship a little hard to believe. In my memory, they took to each other pretty early-on even though they’re polar opposites. Every time they had a fight, it was resolved quickly by Cams caving in and breaking her silent treatment with Dani. This could probably be explained away with her therapy helping her become a better person, but that seems kinda hard to believe with Cams being super introverted and thinking all relationships are superficial. Their friendship wasn’t what made the book for me (except at the very end when Dani vowed to have Cams back), it was their individual growth.
The last reason why this book is three stars is because it just didn’t make me feel many strong emotions. Most fights seemed pretty shallow, as did the friendship, and even the resolution and theme stuff didn’t feel super bittersweet, just comforting. I guess with this information you could say that only books that have super touchy or emotionally-intense subject matter gets high ratings. And you’re partially right, but I truly think almost anything can be made emotionally intense if the author dives deep enough. This book had a good shot at getting me that way, but in the end, it went a different route which I respect, but didn’t make me feel anything super strongly (other than awe at Dani’s story). If it wasn’t clear by now, Dani was my favorite of the two.
From the beginning to the end, you’re wondering, “who is going to recover faster?”. While it might seem like one person is leading the race and the other is struggling, the person who’s doing “better” in their treatment constantly fluctuates. This reinforces the theme that healing takes time, and it made the book feel sweet and leisurely (most of the time). The setting and the authors descriptions of it also made the atmosphere ten times better!
While it was interesting to learn about the complexities of Dani’s and Camilla’s lives, the ending also tied off the book in a very good place. It doesn’t leave much to be wanted. Instead, it leaves the reader on a feeling that they’ve finished the main characters arcs. Even though Cams is still in the hospital and Dani still hasn’t reunited with her mom, the reader can tell that they are on the healing journey and whatever the world throws their way, they’ll be able to handle it. And, they’ll always have each other.
On the not-so-positive side, I’ve always found Cams and Dani’s friendship a little hard to believe. In my memory, they took to each other pretty early-on even though they’re polar opposites. Every time they had a fight, it was resolved quickly by Cams caving in and breaking her silent treatment with Dani. This could probably be explained away with her therapy helping her become a better person, but that seems kinda hard to believe with Cams being super introverted and thinking all relationships are superficial. Their friendship wasn’t what made the book for me (except at the very end when Dani vowed to have Cams back), it was their individual growth.
The last reason why this book is three stars is because it just didn’t make me feel many strong emotions. Most fights seemed pretty shallow, as did the friendship, and even the resolution and theme stuff didn’t feel super bittersweet, just comforting. I guess with this information you could say that only books that have super touchy or emotionally-intense subject matter gets high ratings. And you’re partially right, but I truly think almost anything can be made emotionally intense if the author dives deep enough. This book had a good shot at getting me that way, but in the end, it went a different route which I respect, but didn’t make me feel anything super strongly (other than awe at Dani’s story). If it wasn’t clear by now, Dani was my favorite of the two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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