This was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into it. Didn’t feel like anything I was interested in finding out with happened.
I liked the multiple prospectives

This was another fun K.L. Walther read! I love reading Walther's books through the lens of my pre-teen and teenage students because while they are mostly lighthearted "summery" stories, there are some hard-hitting topics that get hit in a manageable and empathetic way. As a long time fan of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I found While We're Young to be a cute and modern twist on the story! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

All the stars to this gender-swapped retelling of Ferris Bueller set in Philadelphia. The characters were well developed, the humor top notch, and the story arc such a delight.

This was a great story! It was a gender-swapped Ferris Bueller with a few clever nods thrown in. I really enjoyed this and adored the main characters by the end. Clever twist and clever storytelling!

Truly this is what I’m looking for in YA books. Like a silly, out of this world but so fun premise with a little heart and depth. This book delivered on those accounts, and I did feel a little like I was reading an updated version of Ferris Bueller. The tension of the romance subplots was great, and I loved having the alternating POVs. My main complaint was that I felt like the ending was sudden and didn’t resolve everything. I assume that it was left semi-open for a reason, but I knocked it to a 4 for that reason.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I flipping LOVE K.L. Walter and their stories are always such a good palate cleanser from too much murder or dragons. Highly recommend any of their books.

Thank you Delacorte Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I’ve been a fan of K.L Walther’s since I read The Summer of Broken Rules the year it came out. If i was still in high school, i know i would eagerly await her next releases and create mood boards and reread them often. I remain a fan as an adult reader! I liked this book a lot, loosely based on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I think it will be especially fun for Philly sports fans and Philly natives to read as well. Nothing has topped TSOBR for me but this was a fun, breezy YA that got me in the mood for more of the genre.

Synopsis:

“Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship. With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Premise—i love Ferris Bueller and i loved how everything happened in one single day. I think it’s a fun and unique take that i don’t see too often and makes the book feel quite cinematic.

The Characters—I loved this group and how they had to navigate the very real and very difficult changes that were happening to their families.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Stakes—Didn’t feel as grave as they were written about, but i could always attribute that to my adult perspective. Things are BIG when you’re a teen.

Mention of a Tesla Incessantly—I know books are written well in advance of their publication, but the car was constantly referred to as “the Tesla”. A plot point is running out of power/needing to charge it, so i understand, and there is no mention of Musk. It just bummed me out given the current climate and Musk’s meddling within the US government.

Open/Closed Door:

I do not like to mention or think about “spice” in YA as the characters are young so, gross and wrong. But KL Walther writes sex positive romance and while it is decidedly closed door/fade to black, there is a scene where characters take the next step in their relationship.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I had so much fun reading this book! K.L. Walther has such a knack for evoking late teen/coming of age nostalgia in her books - they are one of very few things that make me miss being a high schooler! She encapsulates the feeling of being on the cusp of growing up in a way that no one else can touch. I loved the multiple POVs in this book. Getting to hear everyone’s side of the story really enhanced the reading experience. I really enjoyed this book and foresee myself reading it again!

Amazing book! I've loved this story so much, it's so nostalgic, so heartwarming!
There is a mix of everything - characters developments, adventures, feelings, romance, friendship. Whirlpool of everything.

I've craved for such kind of friendship ans our characters have, so it was absolutely delightful.
K.L.Walther has me hooked after the Summer of broken rules and every other book was also so good, never a disappointment.

This one was okay. I didn’t love it as much as some of her other books and it took me a while to get through.

I liked the emphasis around friendship throughout this book and it was fun to read about all of the activities they were up to.

I felt bad for James and was also frustrated by all the secrets they were keeping from each other. I also felt like the ending didn’t feel that finished and like there were things that still needed to be resolved (like with Isa’s whole situation…).

Overall, this had fun vibes and I enjoyed it but I just needed a bit more from it.

Tropes:
- Senior skip day
- friendships
- bucket list trip
- various pov
- first person

Oh, my gosh! I loved everything about While We're Young. Inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, this young adult romance is much deeper and richer than the movie. Freshman year changed the three-way friendship among Grace, Isa, and Everett. Since that time, Grace has felt that she has to pretend to keep Ev at arm's length to support Isa, whose parents are determined only top Ivy League colleges will help her be successful in life. Neither Grace nor Isa realizes how much a family tragedy impacted Everett, and he certainly doesn't grasp the impact it had on his besties.

James, meanwhile, used to be so close to his sister, but Grace and he are on different roads. She is the senior class president, beloved by the staff, faculty, and the student body, but the only thing James will be known for is detentions. And he really doesn't much care. In a desperate hunt to expose what Grace and her friends are up to, he unfolds one of his infamous plots, bringing humor and antics to an otherwise emotionally tense storyline.

Walther was wise in how she plotted out While We're Young. There are so many intense feelings in what happened in high school for these three friends, that if it wasn't lightened by this unofficial senior skip day and James's pursuit, the novel would have been draining. This story ends on such an amazing note for all four characters that the reader is totally satisfied with the conclusion, even though so much of their lives is left unwritten.

Funny and romantic, I highly recommend While We're Young.

I really enjoyed this book - 3.5 out of 5 stars gladly. I wanted a book that felt like the beginnings of summer and this book did just that. I loved KL Wather's book The Summer of Broken Rules and she didn't disappoint with While We're Young.
The four characters have unique dynamics both as a large group and between different pairings. I love that they're all family friends and true friends. There is a pretty heavy miscommunication trope that goes on throughout the novel, BUT they are seniors in high school so it's a bit expected. There is a closed door sex scene that... I think we could have passed on but it is what it is. It doesn't get explicit so it's still appropriate for younger readers.
I loved the different nods to music and movies throughout that was a fun touch.

KL Walther where is your debut adult novel... I think you'd crush it!

This fun YA romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off follows the story of Grace, Isa, Everett, and James who were all four best friends growing up but only all hang out together now when their families are together. Grace decides it’s time to get the gang back together and plans a day off, taking her best friend Isa and her secret crush Everett (who used to date Isa before a messy freshman year break up) with her. This leaves her twin, James, to figure out what really going on because he has a sneaking suspicion that is sister isn’t really sick. He may just get a few clues from Isa, who he has a secret romance with, because every high schooler knows it’s not cool to date your best friend’s brother! Only an adventurous day such as this one could stand a chance of bringing these four back together.
This was such a heartwarming book and such an easy read. I thought the characters were cute, and I really enjoyed the story. At times I felt it was a little disjointed, and I sometimes found the characters a little annoying (which I think is my personal problem when reading books where teens are the main characters, no fault of the author). But if you’re looking for a fun, coming of age, easy read, this one is for you!

Thank you @netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review

I liked this much better than I did The Summer of Broken Rules. It was a fun romp, that I think many teenagers will enjoy.

While We’re Young is very much a fun, carefree, <I>live while we’re young</I> very high school vibe. Some YA books are relatable to adults, but this one is not. But it’s oh so fun!! It was fast and sweet and I really liked it!! This is a great summer read. I’d definitely recommend the audiobook.

It took me about a quarter of the book to really get into it. I found the characters hard to connect with at first until some truths started to come out and they started to be more like people than caricatures. But once I started liking the characters I was so invested in them. I love this little quartet.

One of the main conflicts is between Isa and Everett and their infamous freshman year breakup; girl, you were 14 lol get over it. And Grace and Isa have so many miscommunications, ugh. And now Isa, Grace, Everett, and James are seniors and keeping all kinds of secrets from each other…. Yall!! Honesty is the best policy! Gahhh! I liked the characters so much that I was rooting for them and wanted them to make better choices. Ugh.

Overall: Super fun book! It starts off feeling very juvenile, but I promise it gets better as the day goes on. This would be the perfect beach read!!!

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I am so glad it's finally out.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

3⭐ out 5

"A whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off..." - This a snippet of the description that is very important for anyone wanting to read this book. I have never seen this movie at all and never really had a pull to watch it. But I do understand the premise of it.

With that being said, I have these a 3 star, neutral rating. I don't think this was for me, in many ways.
-Again, Ferris Bueller inspiration, not for me.
-Format was a off. I have read books with many POVs but the change in views just lost me at moments. The repetition of one moment shown throw the multiple characters made it felt like dragging but I understand it. Could have been done in a different way but that's my opinion....

There were aspects that I did like. I related very much with Isabel's character. I think I would have enjoyed it more if she was the central character. The romance.

I would recommend this book to other people.

This was such a cute and fun read! I got through it incredibly fast. It had all of the heart ache and resilience The Summer of Broken Rules had! This is such a cute book, I loveeeee all of the Taylor Swift references in all of K. L. Walther’s books! This story followed 4 seniors as they engaged in Ferris Bueller’s Day off type shenanigans, it was almost Book Smart (the movie) meets Ferris Bueller’s day off! The fun twist in this was that it was the goody two shoes sister that pretended to be sick and her brother who was in trouble for skipping trying to track her down. That role reversal was very cute and fun. I think my ~main~ complaint is that I feel like there were loose ends with Isa’s character arc. I think all of the characters were left super open ended, but hers just felt a bit unfinished to me. This was a quick, fun read- and it’s great for high school aged readers or anyone who enjoys YA!

This is a drama-filled YA contemporary retelling of Ferris Bueller, but with moments of emotional depth alongside the comedy and hijinks. I loved all the complex layers of the relationships between all the characters, who are friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, and siblings in various combinations. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end and would like to read more from K.L. Walther.

This was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed having a modern Ferris Bueller’s Day Off retelling. This has 4 point of views and one largely stood out as my favorite-James! He was charming and funny. I laughed out loud. The other storylines were good although I did sometimes feel like the two female POV were too similar and I had to keep reminding myself who was who. Overall a cute, book and I think teens would enjoy.