I don’t know about you, but my summer days as a teen were pretty low key and consisted of reading as many books as I could to log for the local library’s summer reading program. Even if I did go on an adventure or a vacation, the most exciting thing I did was take a little time to kayak or go for a hike. Who We Were in the Dark isn’t completely set in the summer, but it definitely feels like a summertime read to me. A little escape to the mountains, unpredictable new friends, a missing girl–this book had a LOT going on. 

Nora and her brother Wesley have a tough home life. From dealing with their ill mother to trying to parent themselves while she is mostly bedridden, they’re doing their best to get by and they’ve become used to it. Until their dad, who they didn’t even know existed, comes into their lives and takes them into the mountains to live with him in his cabin at Donner Lake for the summer. We don’t hear much about Kevin, their dad, throughout the book, and we learn that their mother is actually dealing with an opioid addiction, so Nora and Wesley fend for themselves a lot. 

At Donner Lake, Nora and Wesley are quickly attracted to Grace and Rand who are also there for the summer, and they all become fast friends. All four of them are obviously trying to escape from their reality at home. It’s obvious right away that Grace is a bit unstable and that she and Rand have virtually no supervision so they are free to do whatever they like. Days are suddenly something elaborately planned out by Grace, days that seem like something out of one of the imaginative stories she likes to tell. Though Grace is a fun friend, she often seems to push for things that are dangerous and impulsive, and there are several times when Nora begins to wonder who Grace really is.

At the end of that first summer, they all decide to meet up again at Donner Lake. The book kind of jumps all over with the seasons and past and present, so I did get a bit confused as the change in perspective seemed sudden at times. A lot of the book was incidents involving Grace and her dramatic actions and exits. The rest of the group is heavily influenced by her and she clearly knows it, often taking games of truth or dare a bit too far. Then one day Grace disappears. Is this another one of her games, or is she really missing? 

I honestly did not see the ending of this book coming and was intrigued by the storyline. If you’re looking for a book that is a bit thrilling and unpredictable, then this might be a good pick!

Review of a Digital Advanced Review Copy from Penguin Random House

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 6 religious exclamations; 6 mild obscenities; 45 scatological words; 13 anatomical terms; 52 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore: A minor discovers that her mom lied about their dad being dead; kids talk about the Donner Party and cannibalism; a brief scene occurs where minors dare each other to do risky things; two younger girls are reported missing in separate incidents; a brief scene occurs where a minor is waterskiing and falls, hits her head in the water; a minor reports that he crashed his snowmobile with some minor injuries mentioned; a minor almost falls from a height but his friends rescue him in a brief scene; a scene occurs where a minor jumps off of a cliff over water and doesn’t surface right away; a minor is described to have some injuries including a gash on head and lip that are bleeding a bit; two boys are described to get into a fistfight and hit each other; minors are mentioned to break into a hotel room and consider stealing items; a girl briefly mentions that she was bullied in school and her sister beat the bullies up for her; a mother is reported to have OD’d on prescription medication; a search is conducted for a missing girl and her friends talk about the possibility that someone may have taken her or she killed herself; friends get into a fight while tensions are high over their missing friend; a girl is described to fall from roof she is repairing and into a cabin, sustaining some injuries, later it is mentioned that her friends she was with were also trapped in the cave in for a time; a group of minors find a character dead from exposure to the elements in a brief scene.

Sex/Nudity: Two girls kiss in a brief scene; a girl kisses a boy on the cheek; kids joke about virginity in a brief conversation; several brief scenes occur with boys and girls flirting and kissing; a brief scene occurs where a boy and girl embrace and touch each others chests under shirts.

Mature Subject Matter:

Missing persons; addiction; death.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Minors drink champagne; a minor encourages other minors to drink; kids realize their mom is addicted to prescription drugs, she later overdoses; minors drink red wine; minors drink hard liquor.