One of the reasons I like reading YA is to relive feelings and experiences I'll never have again. First love, first heartbreak, the feeling of being so close to your best friends. When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk addresses a more painful part of being a teenager: losing your best friend.

It happens to most of us. You spend hours upon hours with your best friend, and you can't imagine life without them. Then one day you realize, somehow, that friendship has been severed, either abruptly or gradually over time. Sometimes, you don't even recognize that person you used to swear you'd spend the rest of your life with.

When You Were Everything beautifully captures the painful and emotional friendship breakup of Cleo and Layla. It's messy, sad, but ultimately uplifting. Cleo is flawed, just like all of us, and I appreciated how this book shed light on the mistakes and harm done by both Cleo and Layla. I loved seeing Cleo's growth throughout the book, and the new relationships she forges as she moves forward.