When We Were Strangers

April 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-While Evie sits in class during the last few days of school, she receives word that her dad has suffered a heart attack. He dies, and Evie returns home to discover that he had packed his bags, ready to move out of the house and in with his girlfriend. She quickly puts everything back in place so that her mother, who has not arrived home yet, won't know her father's plans. The next few weeks and months, both Evie and her mother have a difficult time, with her mother drinking too much and Evie sad and angry at her dad, especially when she finds out about his girlfriend's pregnancy. With the help of her best friend Juana and a new friend she meets in a photography workshop that her uncle arranged for her to take, Evie begins to stalk Bree, her father's girlfriend. Set in Santa Fe, NM, Richards does a superb job of sharing the ambience of the city. Richards also paints a compelling portrait of the many faces of grief as Evie and her mother process and try to come to terms with their loss. Ultimately, Evie must face her father's girlfriend and decide if she wants to be part of her half-sibling's life. The intensity of this decision impacts not only Evie, but also Juana and her mother. The emotional aspects of dealing with the aftermath of death show the characters' grief, anger, love, and resiliency. Evie is white and Juana is Latinx. VERDICT A strongly written plot, a complementary setting, and strong characters make this a compelling read.-Janet Hilbun, Univ. of North Texas, Denton

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 24, 2021
Richards (Accidental) poses challenging moral questions in this absorbing contemporary novel set in Santa Fe, N.Mex. On the day her father dies unexpectedly from a heart attack, high school senior Evie Parker, presumed white, learns that he was preparing to leave her and her mother. Faced with his packed bags and not wanting her mother to know, Evie puts his belongings away. Days later, she discovers he was having an affair with his young receptionist, Bree, who is now six months pregnant. Overwhelmed with anger and grief, Evie distracts herself by taking a photography class, where she meets new crush Declan, who’s half Japanese and half white. Still, she’s haunted by what her father did and begins stalking and photographing Bree, a path that turns unexpectedly as Evie becomes aware of the woman’s vulnerability and loneliness through the memorable images captured. Dynamic characters, including Evie’s lesbian best friend Juana and the inclusive photography class’s quirky members, add brightness to this introspective story of changing emotions and a softening heart. Ages 14–up. Agency: LGK Agency.

Starred review from June 1, 2021
A 17-year-old girl is devastated by her father's death and the secrets she learns after his passing. Evie Parker returns home from the hospital following her father's sudden death from a heart attack to find his belongings packed up. Realizing he had been about to move out and heartbroken, angry, and worried for her mom's well-being, Evie unpacks everything and keeps her discovery secret. This snap decision marks the start of a difficult journey, one that involves struggling with her already fraught relationship with her mother while they both grieve--and discovering that her father had a much younger lover named Bree. Despite the support of her best friend, Juana, and the new friends she makes in the summer photography course she joins (including the incredibly cute Declan), Evie starts to spiral when she finds out that Bree is pregnant. From Evie's growing passion for photography, her strained relationship with her mom, her loving friendship with Juana, and her charming romance with Declan to some incredibly difficult, harrowing encounters with Bree, the author crafts a beautiful exploration of a family torn apart by secrets and grief. Written through the lens of a messy, complex teen girl, this is a story infused with humor, hope, and a lot of heart. Evie and Bree are presumed White; Declan is Japanese and Irish American; and lesbian Juana is coded as Latinx. A moving portrayal of grief, family, and the complexity of different perspectives. (Fiction. 14-18)

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