We Were Never Here

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We Were Never Here

We Were Never Here from author Andrea Bartz is my latest and greatest read. This was a novel that seemed really predictable, but it was nothing like that! I had never read any of her books before this, and so it was a brand new experience for me.

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Have you read We Were Never Here yet? Come and let me tell you about it!

About We Were Never Here

Emily is having the time of her life—she’s in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she brought back to their room attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense.

Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year’s trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can’t believe it’s happened again—can lightning really strike twice?

Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving headfirst into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to confront their violent past.

The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their cover-ups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can Emily outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom—even her life?

A Note From the Author

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for reading We Were Never Here and for sharing your thoughts with other passionate bookworms! It’s been a joy to connect with people over my debut, The Lost Night, my sophomore thriller, The Herd, and now my third novel—my favorite one yet.

I had the idea for We Were Never Here when I was in a remote mountain town in Chile myself, where my friend and I befriended the one other backpacker in Pisco Elqui. He was so cool and kind and non-creepy that we all jumped on a running gag about how he was actually a psycho angling to kill us and steal our money.

On the last night, we were drinking wine in our hotel suite, and out of nowhere, I said, “Stephen, you’ve known us exactly as long as we’ve known you . . . and you didn’t watch us pour your wine in the kitchen. What makes you so sure we’re not a danger to you?” (What can I say—I’m a thriller author!) A long silence ensued, and the idea for this book was born.

In non-pandemic times, I’m a travel writer, which means I’m often visiting far-flung places. People are always telling me I’m brave or reminding me to be careful, and newspapers occasionally print articles aimed at female travelers listing aaall the ways we should protect ourselves. It seemed to me that, on some deeper level, all the hand- wringing and subtle victim-blaming are ultimately about

convincing us we shouldn’t explore and experience the world. With We Were Never Here, I wanted to turn that idea on its head by making female travelers the ones with blood on their hands. Obviously I don’t want men running terrified from women, either (ha!), but I hope the book makes you think!

And just as importantly, I hope this book makes you daydream about travel! My goal was to airdrop you into the settings, so you’re right there with Kristen and Emily as they explore Chile—sipping pisco sours on a deck and admiring the mountain views and dancing to Latin pop on a jungly patio. (And then, you know, ditching a body in a remote patch of farmland . . . but I’m getting ahead of myself.) When we can’t travel in person, books are a beautiful way to escape, and I’m honored you’re starting that journey with me.

I hope you enjoy We Were Never Here and, if it resonates with you, I hope you’ll recommend it to your fellow thriller lovers. Thank you, truly—your support means the world.

Warmly, Andi

Book Playlist

This playlist comprises songs Emily and Kristen would’ve listened to together in college and beyond, songs they could’ve danced to on that patio in Chile, songs about Emily’s floaty feeling of falling for Aaron, and, finally, songs that capture that ultimate yearning for true freedom!

“I’m Good” by Wafia
“Woman” by Kei$ha
“Los Ageless” by St. Vincent
“Agua De Jamaica” by Maluma
“Feeling Myself” by Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé
“YO NO SÉ – Remix” by Mati Gómez, Nicky Jam, Reik
“Get Back” by Ludacris
“Purple Hat” by Sofi Tukker
“Probarlo Todo” by Moral Distraída
“Wish You Were Here” by Incubus
“Sun In Our Eyes” by MØ & Dipl
“Hysteric” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Night Go Slow” by Catey Shaw
“ICU” by Phoebe Bridgers
“Wreath” by Perfume Genius
“Monument – The Inevitable End Version” by Robyn and Röyksopp

Thoughts on We Were Never Here

Between the about We Were Never Here blurb and the gorgeous book cover, I knew I wanted to read it! Who wouldn’t want to read it?!

We Were Never Here started out really strong, and I fully expected I would read it within a day, maybe two days at most. Because I was really excited that I had picked this as my next read.

The problem was the middle portion of the book was painfully slow, and I took a break to read another novel and a short story before going back to We Were Never Here. Andrea Bartz could have cut out about 20% of the book and still had a really solid novel.

We Were Never Here reminded me of dealing with someone who is completely narcissistic and controlling. That is what they thrive on, and exactly what Kristen is. The sad part is many people, including in this story, don’t realize how bad it is until the end.

Because of that, I found myself rooting for Emily to finally wake up and see the light. To grow a spine and find her voice. She did, thankfully. But it felt like it took longer than it should have to get there, in my opinion.

The ending is a little bit crazy, but I also thought it was fitting too. Both the beginning and the end of this novel were really solid writing that kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to see more.

Final Thoughts on We Were Never Here

We Were Never Here was a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Although I would not call it a great book. The length of it really killed it for me. The plot twists were insane, and I liked that. I just disliked the scenic route Andrea Bartz took in between them all.

I found this book to be similar to The Tattooist of Auschwitz in that it was good, but needed a lot more help to become a great book.

Discussion

Have you read We Were Never Here yet? Or any other writing from author Andrea Bartz? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Are you on the hunt for your next great read? Here are some of my favorites.

Discussion Questions

Emily and Kristen have been best friends since college, ever since Emily’s breakup with her high school boyfriend. What did you think of the way this breakup cemented their friendship? Do you think it was the beginning of a pattern that is followed throughout the novel? Do you have a pivotal moment in your life that you saw one way in the moment, but in an entirely new one light years later?

Emily notes: “In the US, 40 percent of murders go unsolved. Some arithmetic, then: That meant that detectives threw up their hands at almost 7,000 murders a year—7,000 cadavers with no origin story, no clarity around the moment they went from human to body. And that meant there were thousands, maybe millions in the aggregate, of people walking the earth this very moment who’d gotten away with murder.” These stats are accurate. Did that surprise you? Did you find yourself sympathizing with Emily, despite her at least partial responsibility for two deaths?

Ever since Emily’s traumatic experience in Cambodia, she has struggled to move forward in her life, particularly regarding romantic relationships—and, especially after the events in Chile, she discovers that Kristen’s help alone is not enough and begins to see a therapist. What does it show about Emily’s character when she reaches the decision to finally seek professional help for her recovery? What does Kristen’s reaction to this demonstrate about their relationship?

At one point, Emily reflects, “All the handwringing about women tempting fate by going on adventures, how it was our responsibility to protect ourselves . . . wasn’t it just a way to keep women’s lives small? To keep us cowering at home, controlled, contained?” Do you believe women are responsible for protecting themselves from violence? Have you ever been told you were “tempting fate” for something you said, did, or wore?

Kristen often uses uniquely subversive “gestures of friendship” to disguise her threats to Emily; did this kind of manipulation ring true to you? How did you feel about the way Emily handled these moments? Would you have reacted in the same way?

As the secrets from Kristen’s past bubble to the surface, Emily realizes just how much of Kristen’s life she’d held back from Emily over their decade-long friendship. What did you think of this? Did you believe Kristen’s reasons for withholding her past? Can a friend keep their most private traumas secret and still be trustworthy?

Though the book’s central traumas revolve around those nights in Cambodia and Chile (and the fallout), Emily is no stranger to “casual violence,” citing examples from her ex-boyfriend and father, and even street harassment. Kristen, too, is both a victim and perpetrator of abuse. Why do you think the author included these elements from the characters’ pasts?

About the Author

Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and the author of the forthcoming We Were Never Here. Her second thriller, The Herd, was named a best book of 2020 by Real Simple, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, CrimeReads, and other outlets.

Her LA-Times bestselling debut, The Lost Night, was optioned for TV development by Mila Kunis. It was named a best book of the year by Real Simple, Glamour, Marie Claire, Library Journal, Crime Reads, Popsugar, She Reads, and other publications.

Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Martha Stewart Living, Elle, and many other outlets, and she’s held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other titles.

Purchasing We Were Never Here

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