Book Review: When I Was You

Author: Amber Garza

Narrator: Vivienne Leheny

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Book Review

When I Was You by Amebr Garza is a great domestic thriller with an unreliable narrator.

One morning Kelly Medina gets a call from the pediatrician she used to take her son to calls to confirm a doctor appointment for her baby. There is another Kelly Medina and they accidentally call the wrong one. Of course Kelly wants to know what the other Kelly Medina is like so decides to meet her. Is it a coincidence that the other Kelly Medina suddenly goes to the same pediatrician and daycare? What are both of the Kelly Medinas hiding?

When I Was You grabbed my attention from the first page. There are so many holes left in the plot from the beginning. There are so many hints about things that happened in the past that I had to keep reading to find out. Kelly’s husband is away during the week and only comes back some weekends. He frequently has something come up that keeps him from coming home the weekends he is supposed to.

Kelly’s son is away at college and Kelly is lonely than ever before. Kelly quickly develops a friendship with the new Kelly, and it quickly becomes an obsession. Kelly’s friends start to question her sanity based on the past.

Both Kellys had so many secrets that I couldn’t wait to find out. There were so many questions throughout the novel that I couldn’t put it down. It was really interesting seeing how all of the characters reacted to Kelly when she seemed to be going crazy. Kelly even began to question herself. Does the other Kelly actually exist?

When I Was You takes the unreliable narrator to the extreme. Kelly doesn’t know if she can trust herself but wants to. What is actually going on? Kelly thinks she has everything figured out and I did too. We were both wrong. The reader has to read until the end to find out what happened.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Vivienne Leheny. Leheny’s narration was excellent and really fit with the story. Leheny was the perfect voice for Kelly Medina.

I recommend When I Was You for fans of thrillers with unreliable narrators.

About the Author

Amber Garza has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they’re real people. She lives with her husband and two kids in Folsom, California, which is—no joke—home to another Amber Garza.

She is currently working on her next novel.