Thriller

We Were Never Here

We Were Never Here

  • Downloads：6977
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-08-05 00:50:58
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Andrea Bartz
  • ISBN：0241559235
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Summary

On holiday in Chile with her best friend Kristen， Emily is having the time of her life。

Until one night， she finds their hotel suite covered in blood。

Kristen claims a backpacker attacked her。 She shouted， but no-one heard。 She struggled， but he was too strong。

She had no option but to kill him。

With no evidence of the assault， Emily must help her hide the body。 。 。

Back home， Emily tries to forget what happened， but a surprise visit from Kristen forces her to confront the events of that night。

As the walls close in， Emily asks herself: can her closest friend be trusted？

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Reviews

Savitri （IG: bookishcatsavant） ，

Thank you Random House for gifting me an advance copy from one of my top fav thriller authors！！！If you read Andi’s previous novel， 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗱， you know she pulls no punches when it comes to writing thrillers with strong and equally manipulative female leads！Emily and Kristen are 2 BFFs。 Emily lives in Wisconsin and Kristen lives in Australia。 Every year， they travel to a different location for fun。 However， in the previous year to Cambodia， Emily and Kristen end up killing a backpacker who assault Thank you Random House for gifting me an advance copy from one of my top fav thriller authors！！！If you read Andi’s previous novel， 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗱， you know she pulls no punches when it comes to writing thrillers with strong and equally manipulative female leads！Emily and Kristen are 2 BFFs。 Emily lives in Wisconsin and Kristen lives in Australia。 Every year， they travel to a different location for fun。 However， in the previous year to Cambodia， Emily and Kristen end up killing a backpacker who assaulted Emily， leaving Emily emotionally unstable ever since。 However when history repeats itself with another backpacker dead in their current trip to Chile， Emily begins to question Kristen， herself and their friendship。 To make matters worse， one of the deaths resurfaces and torments them to take them down。 How do you hide， not just one， but two deaths from the world around you？ Two BFFs with very different ways of handling death， trauma and coping mechanisms。 One of the two friends may or may not be manipulative。 The reader will find themselves questioning are they team Emily or team Kristen？ Or if you’re like me， team Neither？ I do think a majority of readers will agree this is a perfect textbook of 𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽！ And that ending！！！！ 🤯Bravo， Andi！！！ I。DID。NOT。SEE。THAT。COMING！！！ This book is also @reesesbookclub August pick and also available as a BOTM August pick so don’t hesitate on this one！ 。。。more

Jon Latessa ，

Good fun。 A little messy but overall a fun read。

Lauren ，

I am so glad none of the co-dependent friendships of my twenties ended without anything more than hurt feelings。 Emily and Kristen have been best friends for ten years when we join them on a trip to Chile。 When Kirsten is attacked and they end up with a dead body in their room-Emily is forced to Kristen the first dead body they racked up on the trip the year before， and the too-similar situation。 Emily begins to wonder if they’re really that unlucky， if or Kristen is really that dangerous。This b I am so glad none of the co-dependent friendships of my twenties ended without anything more than hurt feelings。 Emily and Kristen have been best friends for ten years when we join them on a trip to Chile。 When Kirsten is attacked and they end up with a dead body in their room-Emily is forced to Kristen the first dead body they racked up on the trip the year before， and the too-similar situation。 Emily begins to wonder if they’re really that unlucky， if or Kristen is really that dangerous。This book is just full of paranoia/claustrophobia as Emily panics while Kristen appears unbothered。 Their friendship and the power balance are so fascinating。 This book includes one of the better depictions of a therapist that I’ve read， as she feels true to life without being plot-serving。 The tension in this book is just incredible。 All of the early buzz for this book felt well-earned。 The perfect friendship thriller， which is fast becoming one of my favorite thriller areas。 Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more

Mags ，

Kristen and Emily are lifelong best friends with a desire to see the world。 They travel to a few exotic locations and find themselves in situations with men and death。 A surprising twist on the thriller where you wonder if you truly know someone or if they are the enemy。

Jess ，

Well， nothing says white supremacy like stealing from a farmer while on vacation knowing "their yield sucks this year。" On the first page。 By page two， readers find out that these characters are literally watching people working in the fields while stealing from them。 I'm not about to spend 300 pages with people who justify theft and that is the absolute first impression readers receive of the characters。 They care more about their own blood sugar than respecting someone whom they clearly know w Well， nothing says white supremacy like stealing from a farmer while on vacation knowing "their yield sucks this year。" On the first page。 By page two， readers find out that these characters are literally watching people working in the fields while stealing from them。 I'm not about to spend 300 pages with people who justify theft and that is the absolute first impression readers receive of the characters。 They care more about their own blood sugar than respecting someone whom they clearly know well enough to speak about the status of crop yields。 Before you come at me with "you don't know they're white，" okay， sure。 I'm guessing。 If they are not， we'll go with "American travel supremacy and gross lack of awareness of privilege。" It's 2021。 Why are we reading books about people who are parading their privilege around？ Honestly？！ DNF。 。。。more

Kathleen ，

“Is it really a good idea to be alone in a cabin in the woods with Kristen？”Kristen？ Your best friend for ten years？ Or Kristen， the possible psychopath？ This is Emily’s dilemma。 Of course， it’s complicated。 Emily and Kristen take an annual backpacking trip to exotic， off the beaten track vacation spots。 Last year in Cambodia， a casual hookup turned violent and Kristen fought off Emily’s attacker。 She killed him…accidentally， she said。 Then， on this year’s trip in Chile， Kristen takes handsome P “Is it really a good idea to be alone in a cabin in the woods with Kristen？”Kristen？ Your best friend for ten years？ Or Kristen， the possible psychopath？ This is Emily’s dilemma。 Of course， it’s complicated。 Emily and Kristen take an annual backpacking trip to exotic， off the beaten track vacation spots。 Last year in Cambodia， a casual hookup turned violent and Kristen fought off Emily’s attacker。 She killed him…accidentally， she said。 Then， on this year’s trip in Chile， Kristen takes handsome Paolo back to the room。 Emily walks in to find him dead on the floor。 Another brutal attack。 Another dead body to dispose of？ Coincidence？Emily returns to Milwaukee， her job and a new relationship only to find that Kristen is moving near her and texting her frequently to leave odd mentions of what happened in Chile。 This cat and mouse game escalates until Emily reaches a breaking point。 What happens next is totally unexpected and shocking。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Andrea Bartz for this ARC。 。。。more

Jessica Goodman ，

Obsessed with this compulsive， unputdownable thriller！ I raced to the end and was NOT disappointed。

Diane Hernandez ，

Best friends since college， Kristen and Emily， take annual trips to faraway lands。 But on their trip last year to Cambodia， something went terribly awry。 Emily， the more sensitive one， has finally got over that trip when they next fly to Chile。 While there， the same type of tragedy occurs。 In both cases， the women quickly flee the country and insist We Were Never Here。Emily is a hot mess。 The fact she doesn’t see Kristen is the cause of most of her problems for over 80% of the book is my main is Best friends since college， Kristen and Emily， take annual trips to faraway lands。 But on their trip last year to Cambodia， something went terribly awry。 Emily， the more sensitive one， has finally got over that trip when they next fly to Chile。 While there， the same type of tragedy occurs。 In both cases， the women quickly flee the country and insist We Were Never Here。Emily is a hot mess。 The fact she doesn’t see Kristen is the cause of most of her problems for over 80% of the book is my main issue with this book。 It was frustrating hearing myself， internally， screaming at Emily throughout at least half the book。 However， I did enjoy the characters’ twisted motives and histories。 The ending of We Were Never Here was definitely worth being frustrated with Emily too。 It is literally the best last line I’ve ever read！ 4 stars！Thanks to Ballantine Books， Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Cait （Luckycharmedlovesbooks） ，

WHOA。 I read this book in one day。 I was hooked on Emily and Kristen’s story and did not want to put it down。 And then that ending？！ Sheesh。 The suspense throughout the plot and all of the “wait do I really remember what happened or am I confusing things？” was so well done。 Most books lately have kind of overplayed the forgetful/unreliable narrator but the way it’s done in this story is just fabulous。 Andrea Bartz is a flipping writing genius and I can’t wait to read all of the other books she’s WHOA。 I read this book in one day。 I was hooked on Emily and Kristen’s story and did not want to put it down。 And then that ending？！ Sheesh。 The suspense throughout the plot and all of the “wait do I really remember what happened or am I confusing things？” was so well done。 Most books lately have kind of overplayed the forgetful/unreliable narrator but the way it’s done in this story is just fabulous。 Andrea Bartz is a flipping writing genius and I can’t wait to read all of the other books she’s written。 Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Susan ，

This story had good bones but just never came together for me。 The situations and each of the characters actions/reactions felt somewhat forced to fit within the outline of the story。 I struggled with how the two characters could have such a supposedly strong relationship yet all these issues were only now coming to the surface。 Even the ending felt like that was how some abstract outline decided the ending needed to be but there was nothing really indicating that it was realistic based on the e This story had good bones but just never came together for me。 The situations and each of the characters actions/reactions felt somewhat forced to fit within the outline of the story。 I struggled with how the two characters could have such a supposedly strong relationship yet all these issues were only now coming to the surface。 Even the ending felt like that was how some abstract outline decided the ending needed to be but there was nothing really indicating that it was realistic based on the entire story leading up to it。 Just something thrown on at the end to see if maybe it would stick。 I felt that way several times throughout the book。 And， likewise， I felt like avenues were opened during the story that could have led somewhere interesting but were never followed up。 The end result book was good but I feel like it could have been better。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more

Vicky ，

Have you ever had a friend who isn’t content just being a sometimes companion？ A friend who for whatever reason has identified you as their person – their ride or die。 It’s super important to see these types of people coming from a mile away before it’s too late。 Because if you decide that they are getting too close and maybe little toxic？ Chances are it’s going to be impossible to get out of the friendship unscathed。That’s the kind of relationship that Kristen and Emily have。 And now there are Have you ever had a friend who isn’t content just being a sometimes companion？ A friend who for whatever reason has identified you as their person – their ride or die。 It’s super important to see these types of people coming from a mile away before it’s too late。 Because if you decide that they are getting too close and maybe little toxic？ Chances are it’s going to be impossible to get out of the friendship unscathed。That’s the kind of relationship that Kristen and Emily have。 And now there are two dead backpackers。 It could be a coincidence。 It’s more likely that at least one of the girls is a complete psycho。 And given that they’ve been locked in a co-dependant relationship for years， it’s hard to know if even they know which one。I think it’s quite possible that the author， Amber Bartz， has had these types of friends before。 Because it’s clear that she knows the dynamic well。 In fact， she writes about toxic female relationships in The Herd too， which was a fantastic read！ Oftentimes the most toxic friends are the ones that we love the most – at first。 And then when they change and we start to realize who they really are， our lives are so interwoven with theirs that it is hard to detach。Heard does an amazing job highlighting a very complicated friendship and the fallout。 I can’t say much else but there are definitely some twists and turns and surprises。 We Were Never Here is a must read。 Read it because it’s a compulsive page-turner or read it to see if you can find some warning signs in your own friendships。Special thanks to Netgalley and Ballatine Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review。 This one is out August 3！ 。。。more

Victoria Lanigan ，

Gripped to the edge of my seat every single page， this book had me hooked。 。Emily and Kristen are on their annual reunion trip enjoying every second until Emily arrives to Kristen’s room to a dead backpacker and blood everywhere。 Kristen said it was self defense but Emily immediately falls back to the year before when another back packer died due to self defense。 Can this really happen two years in a row？。Back to her normal life in Wisconsin Emily tries to put the past behind her but Kristin app Gripped to the edge of my seat every single page， this book had me hooked。 。Emily and Kristen are on their annual reunion trip enjoying every second until Emily arrives to Kristen’s room to a dead backpacker and blood everywhere。 Kristen said it was self defense but Emily immediately falls back to the year before when another back packer died due to self defense。 Can this really happen two years in a row？。Back to her normal life in Wisconsin Emily tries to put the past behind her but Kristin appears and things are quickly spiraling out of control。 With deadly riddles and dark word play Kristen puts Emily through the ringer as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life but who is the bad guy and what did they really do？。I loved this one。 I couldn’t get to the ending fast enough。 Total page turner and as a Midwestern girl I loved that she snuck “Ope” in there when her boyfriend was at the airport， just as she was writing it she was probably like， “Ope， I’m gonna sneak this Midwestern word in right here！”。Thank you to #NetGalley and #Ballantinebooks for an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lisa Keeffe ，

Loved this book。 1 star off bc the last paragraph I was like 🤔

BookBagDC ，

This is a story about how well we can really know even those we are closest to。  Emily does not have many close personal relationships -- she is distant from her parents and has not had a romantic partner for several years。  The one exception is her best friend， Kristen。  The two became fast friends in college and have been close ever since， even living as roommates in Milwaukee for years until Kristen moved to Australia for a job。  Even though they love across the world from each other， Emily a This is a story about how well we can really know even those we are closest to。  Emily does not have many close personal relationships -- she is distant from her parents and has not had a romantic partner for several years。  The one exception is her best friend， Kristen。  The two became fast friends in college and have been close ever since， even living as roommates in Milwaukee for years until Kristen moved to Australia for a job。  Even though they love across the world from each other， Emily and Kristen go on an annual trip together， which is the highlight of both their years。 The novel opens with the two on their latest trip to Chile。  They are having a terrific time until the last night， when Kirsten goes back to their room with a cute backpacker she met at a bar。  When Emily returns to the room， she finds the backpacker dead and Kristen claiming she had to kill him in self-defense。  The most shocking part is that this development is almost exactly the same as what had happened the year before， this time to Emily， when they were on a trip to Cambodia。  Both times， fearing local law enforcement， they decide not to report the attack and hide the body。As Emily returns to Wisconsin， she tries to get her life back on track and put the traumas out of her mind even as she fears an investigation into the latest death。  Although she never expected to think it， she is grateful to have Kristen far away so she can process what happened。  Then， out of nowhere， Kristen returns to Milwaukee。  As they spend more time together， Emily begins to question why Kristen is back -- and what really happened those last two summers。  As Emily feels closer and closer to getting caught， she realizes that her and Kristen's shared past secrets may go far deeper than she could have ever expected， and threaten the future she imagined。I was a huge fan of the author's previous book， The Herd， so I was eager to read this one -- and it did not disappoint。  This was a great thriller。  Full of twists， I tore through it in two days because I was so eager to find out what happened。  The author does a great job of capturing Emily's incredulity as she gradually unravels what has happened。  I won't say more to avoid any spoilers。Highly recommended！ 。。。more

ElphaReads ，

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！I enjoyed Bartz's previous book THE HERD and was very intrigued by the premise of WE WERE NEVER HERE。 Two backpacking women in Chile whose friendship is super close but also complicated end up with a dead man on their hands is already enticing， but then you add in 'and the same thing happened once before' and we get a whole new level of potential。 And WE WERE NEVER HERE was oozing with potential， but it never quite got off the gr Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！I enjoyed Bartz's previous book THE HERD and was very intrigued by the premise of WE WERE NEVER HERE。 Two backpacking women in Chile whose friendship is super close but also complicated end up with a dead man on their hands is already enticing， but then you add in 'and the same thing happened once before' and we get a whole new level of potential。 And WE WERE NEVER HERE was oozing with potential， but it never quite got off the ground to live up to it。 What I did like was that Bartz appeared to have a really good feel for the codependent， and toxic friendship between Emily and Kristen， and how Emily starts to realize that not only is it toxic， but that Kristen may be dangerous。 It felt like a pretty realistic （if not extreme given the circumstances） examination of this kind of friendship， and how it can tax one member while feeding another。 But in terms of the slow reveals about Kristen and her shady past and hidden dangerousness， it was all pretty predictable。 It was also marred by the fact that there was a weird disjointed pacing issue， where we get a big climactic moment that didn't feel all that climactic， only to have a bit of a meandering wrap up。。。。 and then one final twist。 It didn't work so well for me。I definitely know that I can find the right readers for WE WERE NEVER HERE and that it's going to be enjoyable for a lot of people。 It just didn't work for me。 That said， I'm still interested to see what Bartz comes up with next！ 。。。more

Monica ，

This was a Goodreads Giveaway copy。 It was an intense page turner。 The further I read， the faster I read。 You will not be able to out this one down。 The first I read by Andrea Bartz and now I will read the rest of her books！

Kindle Worm ，

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer 。。。 but what do you do with frenemies？ Kristin and Emily have been friends since college。 As they neared their twenties the friends， being is different locations， meet in exotic locations to vacation together。 This year they are in Chili。 When Kristen kills a backpacker in self defense， it’s eerily similar to what happened to Emily on their last trip。As they travel home， Emily is overwhelmed with what has happened， but Kristin seems fine and doesn’ Keep your friends close and your enemies closer 。。。 but what do you do with frenemies？ Kristin and Emily have been friends since college。 As they neared their twenties the friends， being is different locations， meet in exotic locations to vacation together。 This year they are in Chili。 When Kristen kills a backpacker in self defense， it’s eerily similar to what happened to Emily on their last trip。As they travel home， Emily is overwhelmed with what has happened， but Kristin seems fine and doesn’t want to discuss it。 Emily starts to feel uneasy as Kristin shows up unexpectedly and seems to be everywhere she is。 Going so far as to place herself in between Emily and her new boyfriend， Aaron。 As Emily finds out new information about Kristin’s childhood， Emily feels more and more troubled as she starts to question Kristin’s sanity。 Emily starts to unravel as the backpackers body is found。 Can they continue to hide， is Kristin really innocent？ Is Emily in danger now too？ Everything is answered as the day of reckoning finally arrives and Barth leaves us with a rather creepy ending！ Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more

Krista Hajjar-Nejad ，

This book blew me away！ So incredibly good！ I thought I had it all figured out — until I didn’t！ This is a must read！！ Loved characters Emily and Kristen and their crazy friendship。 First book I’ve read by Andrea Bartz and it was nothing short of amazing！！Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC！

Ceylan （CeyGo） ，

I enjoyed this author’s previous two novels， but this one was just a meh for me 🤷‍♀️ ✔️there were some unique aspects to the story - mainly at the beginning when Emily and Kristin are faced with some tough choices and unfortunate events while traveling。 As a big traveler， the book definitely raises awareness about some of the dangers of traveling alone and trusting those you meet on the road ✖️ Emily is like the worst friend ever - I wish we had more than just her perspective ✖️ this book is rea I enjoyed this author’s previous two novels， but this one was just a meh for me 🤷‍♀️ ✔️there were some unique aspects to the story - mainly at the beginning when Emily and Kristin are faced with some tough choices and unfortunate events while traveling。 As a big traveler， the book definitely raises awareness about some of the dangers of traveling alone and trusting those you meet on the road ✖️ Emily is like the worst friend ever - I wish we had more than just her perspective ✖️ this book is really slow and a lot of it feels like the ramblings of a crazy woman2。5 ⭐️ 。。。more

Jennifer ，

Emily and Kristen have been BFFs since college and even though they now live on opposite ends of the globe， they plan a yearly trip to a new and exciting location。 But Emily hasn't really been the same since their last trip to Cambodia where she was sexually assaulted by another tourist。 Kristen had returned to the room during the assault and the girls did what they had to do - attacked back in self defense， leaving the assailant dead。 Rather than end up being the next Amanda Knox， the women dec Emily and Kristen have been BFFs since college and even though they now live on opposite ends of the globe， they plan a yearly trip to a new and exciting location。 But Emily hasn't really been the same since their last trip to Cambodia where she was sexually assaulted by another tourist。 Kristen had returned to the room during the assault and the girls did what they had to do - attacked back in self defense， leaving the assailant dead。 Rather than end up being the next Amanda Knox， the women decide to take matters into their own hands and get rid of the body rather than report it to the authorities。 Now， a year later， the girls have seemingly gotten away with murder and are in Chile for their annual trip， but when this one also ends in a disturbingly similar manner Emily has to decide if this is a horrific coincidence or something more devious。 Emily and Kristen provide two completely different versions of people dealing with trauma。 Emily is constantly worried they will be found out， she wants to talk thru events， and perhaps even come clean in order to assuage her guilty conscience。 Kristen acts as if the whole thing never really happened， in her mind she doesn't need to continue to dwell on the events because what good would it do。。。。what's done is done。 With Kristen acting so peculiar， Emily decides to do some digging and finds out things she didn't know about her so-called best friend。 Emily starts to distance herself from Kristen and of course that is not well received。 The reality of the situation is that these women are now bound together forever and Kristen not so subtly reminds Emily of that fact numerous times。 The gaslighting and manipulating that takes place between the women is on another level， because of this Emily constantly rehashes certain events over and over which was repetitive。 The last third of the book had me turning pages quickly to see how it was all going to play out！True Rating 3。5 starsIf you are a fan of stories with toxic female friendships and/or a strong "single white female" vibe then you will likely enjoy this one。 Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an electronic copy of this novel。 。。。more

Eryn Eaton ，

Whoa。 I was not prepared for the rollercoaster that was We Were Never Here。 What starts out as a fun trip between friends quickly takes a dark turn， and then you find out it's happened before。 This is certainly a book that will leave you guessing with every chapter。 I will say the ending totally took me by surprise （no spoilers！）I will say it felt like the first 30-35% were really strong， and very much a pageturner， while the middle felt a bit drawn out as it's all about Emily， her past， and her Whoa。 I was not prepared for the rollercoaster that was We Were Never Here。 What starts out as a fun trip between friends quickly takes a dark turn， and then you find out it's happened before。 This is certainly a book that will leave you guessing with every chapter。 I will say the ending totally took me by surprise （no spoilers！）I will say it felt like the first 30-35% were really strong， and very much a pageturner， while the middle felt a bit drawn out as it's all about Emily， her past， and her current quest to find out who her best friend really is， and her new relationship with Aaron。 I'd say the last 25% was back to pageturner that had me guessing。 As for the characters， I liked Emily。 As a reader， I certainly felt her emotions and I think as a whole， she was pretty relatable。 Maybe a bit too co-dependent on Kristen， but a fairly average thirty-year-old who happened to get into a giant mess with a crazy best friend。。 Kristen seemed a bit nuts from the beginning。 I definitely got bad vibes from her immediately。 And Aaron seemed like a good guy， and I liked having him as someone neutral and new to the friendship， but definitely on Team Emily。This was my first book from Andrea Bartz， and I've excited to check out others by her now。 Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Jodi ，

This is marketed as a psychological thriller but there's way more emphasis on the psychological part than the thriller aspect。 I don't think anything about this book gives suspense or thrill or anything like that。 It's not a bad book but not what I expected。 This is 300+ pages of reflective thoughts from a 30 year old relatively successful woman who is portrayed as codependent with "irrational" thoughts。 We spend so much time in Emily thoughts that it becomes repetitive and tiresome。 There was s This is marketed as a psychological thriller but there's way more emphasis on the psychological part than the thriller aspect。 I don't think anything about this book gives suspense or thrill or anything like that。 It's not a bad book but not what I expected。 This is 300+ pages of reflective thoughts from a 30 year old relatively successful woman who is portrayed as codependent with "irrational" thoughts。 We spend so much time in Emily thoughts that it becomes repetitive and tiresome。 There was so much emphasis placed on her distrust but not enough was done to make those claims feel valid。 I really wish more was done for her character instead of another psychological thriller resting on the unreliable female narrator trope。 At least she isn't written as a hopeless alcoholic I guess。 This is a story about manipulation but nothing about it is what I've come to expect from a psychological thriller。 The pace is considerably slow and the writing is unnecessarily wordy。 The events of the plot are increasingly troubling but the focus is on Emily's thoughts as it relates to her best friend Kristen or some boyfriend。 I was so desensitized to the actual action by the time I got to the climax。 So yeah， 3 stars。 Interesting enough to see it through but not enough to be eager to finish。Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Drea ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A quick， “fun” read with twists and turns about a dysfunctional （understatement） female friendship。 Here’s the deal though - I’m not a fan of crazy-woman-does-crazy-things to another woman stories。 It’s a trope I’d rather not read again。 Jealousy and manipulation - boring。 Im sure that if you aren’t plagued with the same abhorrence for this that I have， you’ll enjoy this one。 It’s Beach Read material which I’m always game to read - but how about next time it’s two men with the relationship inste A quick， “fun” read with twists and turns about a dysfunctional （understatement） female friendship。 Here’s the deal though - I’m not a fan of crazy-woman-does-crazy-things to another woman stories。 It’s a trope I’d rather not read again。 Jealousy and manipulation - boring。 Im sure that if you aren’t plagued with the same abhorrence for this that I have， you’ll enjoy this one。 It’s Beach Read material which I’m always game to read - but how about next time it’s two men with the relationship instead of women？ Heartfelt thanks to Ballantine Books for a copy of this book。 I’m so grateful。 。。。more

Lisa Leone-campbell ，

Emily and her best friend from college， Kristen are on their annual girl’s getaway。 This year they are in Chile， drinking， hiking and enjoying each other’s company。 With Kristen now living in Australia for work， this is their only chance to play catch-up in person。But， on the last night of their vacation， Kristen is charmed by a backpacker she met。 She decides to take him back to their room。 As Emily relaxes at the bar， she gets a frantic call from Kristen saying something went terribly wrong an Emily and her best friend from college， Kristen are on their annual girl’s getaway。 This year they are in Chile， drinking， hiking and enjoying each other’s company。 With Kristen now living in Australia for work， this is their only chance to play catch-up in person。But， on the last night of their vacation， Kristen is charmed by a backpacker she met。 She decides to take him back to their room。 As Emily relaxes at the bar， she gets a frantic call from Kristen saying something went terribly wrong and she has to come back to the hotel room。 There she finds blood and the backpacker dead。 Kristen says he tried to get physical with her and she did not know what to do。 Emily and Kristen decide they must get rid of the body。 But what makes this situation worse is it is a repeat of what happened during last year’s girl’s getaway。 Only it happened to Emily when she was violently attacked in their room and Kristen killed him。During last year’s trip Emily brought someone back to their room and he became physical。 Kristen came back to the room and saw what was happening and killed him。 It was decided that they should dispose of his body in a remote area and wipe out any existence of themselves being in this area so it would look like they were never there。So they once again attempt to discard the body and make it look as if they were never there。 But Emily can’t believe this has happened again。 She also cannot believe Kristen’s attitude toward the murder。 She seems calm and collected。 During the past year after the other murder， Emily was so traumatized she began having panic attacks。 It was with Kristen’s help that she was able to get through the year。As Emily returns home， back to her life and her new relationship， something she was hesitant to tell Kristen about as she always seemed to point out faults in her boyfriends which Emily would always agree with and end up breaking up with them。 But she felt this relationship could be different and did not want Kristen’s input just yet。 But as Emily is preoccupied with what happened while they were away， Kristen it seems is quite unfazed。 Emily begins to wonder about her best friend。And then Kristen suddenly shows up。 She decided to leave her job and come back to be with Emily and her own family， her grandparents。 Her parents had both died in a housefire when she was young。 She begins to insert herself into Emily’s life and relationship。 Emily starts to look at her best friend in a very different light and begins to dig into Kristen’s background， something she never imagined she would ever do。Emily begins to discover Kristen has many secrets。 She is not the person she thought she was and quite frankly could be very dangerous。 But Emily has a bigger problem。 She cannot tell anyone about Kristen because Kristen holds Emily’s murderous secrets。 Emily is thrown deeper into Kristen’s craziness， while trying to pretend there is nothing wrong。 She also is trying to protect her boyfriend from harm。 But what may be even worse is Kristen starts to notice a difference in Emily’s behavior， and faced with the fact that she could be losing her best friend begins to go off the deep end。 It seems Kristen will use everything in her arsenal to keep her obsessive relationship with her best friend…perhaps even kill again！The old adage of keep your friends close and your enemies closer collide in We Were Never Here， a nail biter of a read with shocking twists and turns no one could ever see coming。 The ending， an explosion of turmoil！Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #WeWereNeverHere #AndreaBartz for the advanced copy。 The book will be out in early August。 。。。more

Melissa （LifeFullyBooked） ，

This book had some strong parts and some weaker parts， it is basically a character study of an insane person and a co-dependent person who doesn't really recognize that fact until it's too late。From the beginning， I had bad feelings about Kristen。 She seemed off to me and I couldn't figure out why Emily couldn't see it。 When I learned more about Emily's background and how the trauma she had experienced the year before had affected her life， I could see why she was clinging to Kristen， who had a This book had some strong parts and some weaker parts， it is basically a character study of an insane person and a co-dependent person who doesn't really recognize that fact until it's too late。From the beginning， I had bad feelings about Kristen。 She seemed off to me and I couldn't figure out why Emily couldn't see it。 When I learned more about Emily's background and how the trauma she had experienced the year before had affected her life， I could see why she was clinging to Kristen， who had a strong， forceful personality。 When the girls get home after their second disaster-ridden trip in a row， I really felt like Emily should have seen the writing on the wall， especially when Kristen shows up。 So many times I just wanted to shake Emily for acting so nervous and frantic and dithering around。 Yes， I guess most "normal" people would act that way after what she experienced， but it was frustrating to read over and over。 The beginning of the book is good and the ending is good， but the middle part did drag on and on。Overall a fairly decent read， if you can get past all of the hand-wringing in the middle section。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book， all opinions are my own。 。。。more

MarilynW ，

We Were Never Here by Andrea BartzEvery year Emily and Kristen， best friends since college， go on a backpacking trip in a foreign country。 Last year's trip， in Columbia， didn't turn out so well， leaving Emily an anxious mess once she got home。 But Kristen supported her， often for hours each day by phone， since Kristen has been living in Australia。 This year's trip to Chile ends with a very similar disaster。 The most common denominator of this year's disaster and last year's disaster is the role We Were Never Here by Andrea BartzEvery year Emily and Kristen， best friends since college， go on a backpacking trip in a foreign country。 Last year's trip， in Columbia， didn't turn out so well， leaving Emily an anxious mess once she got home。 But Kristen supported her， often for hours each day by phone， since Kristen has been living in Australia。 This year's trip to Chile ends with a very similar disaster。 The most common denominator of this year's disaster and last year's disaster is the role that Kristen plays in both horrors。 Now Kristen wants Emily to commit to taking off work to spend six months backpacking together。 Emily just wants to escape to her home， job， and new boyfriend。 Not long after Emily gets home， Kristen shows up on her doorstep， back in Milwaukee for good。 This is a story of co-dependent bad judgement， manipulation， and gaslighting， with strong Amanda Knox vibes。 Or， at least， Kristen likes to bring up Amanda Knox to get Emily to bow to her wishes。 Finally， Emily is getting suspicious and realizing that Kristen might not be the kind of friend she thought she was。 The story starts out strong but then drags with Emily's detailed reflection of all that has gone on in the past and present。 As crazy as the first part of the story is， the last part of the story is even more over the top。 It becomes hard to tell where one crazy ends and the other begins between Emily and Kristen and still， the final paragraph of the story seems out of place。 Publication: August 3rd 2021Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more

Laura Solar ，

We Were Never Here follows Emily and Kristen， best friends and world traveling partners。 On a trip to Chile， Emily enters their hotel room to find Kristen standing over the body of a backpacker she’d been flirting with。 She said she killed him in self-defense after he attacked her， a shockingly similar situation to one they found themselves in the year prior， when Emily was attacked and Kristen came to her rescue。 Could this situation really happen twice？ The girls cover up their crime， but back We Were Never Here follows Emily and Kristen， best friends and world traveling partners。 On a trip to Chile， Emily enters their hotel room to find Kristen standing over the body of a backpacker she’d been flirting with。 She said she killed him in self-defense after he attacked her， a shockingly similar situation to one they found themselves in the year prior， when Emily was attacked and Kristen came to her rescue。 Could this situation really happen twice？ The girls cover up their crime， but back home in the US， the paranoia takes hold and has Emily questioning whether she really knows Kristen at all。 While I’ve enjoyed all three of Andrea Bartz’s books， We Were Never Here is on another level！ （But you should still read The Herd and The Lost Night if you haven’t yet！） I loved the exotic settings， and the creeping suspicions Emily had towards Kristen made me question everything。 I definitely thought I had things figured out early on， but the twists and explanations had my jaw on the floor。 I really appreciate how realistic and wrapped up the ending was。 I’m not always super into thrillers， but this book was incredible。 Add it to your TBR， and pack it on your next vacation！ Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC to review。 This book will be released August 3。 CW: Sexual assault， gaslighting 。。。more

ʚϊɞ Shelley's ʚϊɞ Book Nook ，

The first half if the book is well paced and enjoyable， and even though you can sort of sense where it's heading， the story is good enough to keep you hooked and wondering。 The book isn't perfect。。。It drags a bit sometimes， and the ending isn't all that satisfying but to be honest the writer really captured me with her writing。 After the reveal it all goes downhill。 The twists become disappointing， everything is rushed， and you could sail an ocean liner through some of the plot hol The first half if the book is well paced and enjoyable， and even though you can sort of sense where it's heading， the story is good enough to keep you hooked and wondering。 The book isn't perfect。。。It drags a bit sometimes， and the ending isn't all that satisfying but to be honest the writer really captured me with her writing。 After the reveal it all goes downhill。 The twists become disappointing， everything is rushed， and you could sail an ocean liner through some of the plot holes。 Plenty of suspense， a smattering of mystery。 I did finish it in one sitting， and it kept me entertained。 I will definitely read more books by Ms。 Bartz in the future。 Disclosure:Thank you NetGalley， Andrea Bartz and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own。#WeWereNeverHere #NetGalley 。。。more

Palm Beach ，

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for advanced copy for honest review。This is my second book for Andrea Bartz and she does not disappoint with her new book， We Were Never Here。 Two friends meet up for another trip making memories。 The first trip did not go so well to say the least。 This trip， five years later is complete deja vu。 Friends helping friends when they need it most but one has to open her eyes and wonder why is this happening again。 Highly recommend， 5 stars。

Melissa Stickney ，

I have gone from suburban thrillers to best friend thrillers。 These seem to instantly intrigue me lately。 This book was no different。 Emily and Kristen have been like sisters since they came into each others lives。 They've been through thick and thin with each other。 Friends that continued their annual backpacking trip even after the other is relocated to another country for work。 This trip however is going to put their friendship through its strongest test yet。 When tragedy strikes a second tim I have gone from suburban thrillers to best friend thrillers。 These seem to instantly intrigue me lately。 This book was no different。 Emily and Kristen have been like sisters since they came into each others lives。 They've been through thick and thin with each other。 Friends that continued their annual backpacking trip even after the other is relocated to another country for work。 This trip however is going to put their friendship through its strongest test yet。 When tragedy strikes a second time， but to the other person， Emily finds it hard to cope。 Between recent events and horrible memories she tries to get on with life they best she can。 Slowly realizing that she isn't sure what to believe anymore as the past starts to mesh with the present。 A through provoking and thrilling story。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=We Were Never Here

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=We Were Never Here&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,We Were Never Here&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0