We Were Never Here is about best friends Emily and Kristen, who take backpacking trips to foreign countries. Compulsively readable, the book spins a tale of trauma that tests the bonds of trust and friendship. A sexual assault during their travels the previous year left Emily deeply disturbed. Kristen had interrupted the assault and killed the assailant. Fearful of foreign justice systems, they hid the body. The book opens with their current trip to Chile. Kristen takes a man back to the room and Emily leaves her time and space. Yet when she returns to their shared room, she finds Kristen has killed a second time to foil an assault. Once again they dispose of the body.
When Emily returns to her home in Wisconsin, the only person she can talk to about this traumatic event is Kristen. But they must be careful. Moreover, Kristen is acting like nothing happened at all. Emily questions how well she really knows her best friend. Will their heavy secret keep Emily from developing her relationship with her boyfriend, Aaron? Why is Kristen stalking Emily and her friends?
I do expect this to be made into a movie. Yet, the Netflix plans never got off the ground. It would make for a very engaging drama with lots of psychological tension and plenty of twists and turns. If only they could make the movie without overexposure during the sex scenes. The book handled them discreetly, focused primarily on the women's feelings of danger. The assaults serve as springboards for the psychological games that follow.
2 comments:
Good review, gotta pass on this book. (too intense for the moment) FYI: We're on a long road trip, driving to Alaska and most of the time internet has been inaccessible.
Gretchen - Safe travels to you. Enjoy time in the beauty of nature and with family. Worth giving up internet accessibility, no doubt.
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