You Were Never Here

Book Name

You Were Never Here

Author

Kathleen Peacock

Book Description

Montgomery Falls is the town that Cat Montgomery’s family founded years ago. However, she hasn’t been back there for years. Ever since she first kissed Riley Fraiser, she discovered something about herself, something that she has been forced to live with. Only Riley knows about her secret, but this secret tore them apart. When she returns to Montgomery Falls, years later, she finds out that Riley has been missing for 3 months. Noah, Riley’s brother, asks for help with finding out what happened to Riley, but Cat isn’t sure if she wants to, because of the risk of him finding out her secret. But after another violent event occurs, she realizes that she has to do something. The deeper she gets into the story, the more she finds that Riley and everything else isn’t what she thought it was. She must overcome the obstacles to find out what truly happens, without trapping herself in the process. Will she be able to find out what really happened to Riley? Or will she succumb to the secrets of Montgomery Falls? Read the book to find out!

Age Rating

14+

This book is appropriate for readers aged 14 and above. Firstly, there is some violence in this novel (detailed below). Additionally, there are adult topics (also detailed down below) that only older readers should be exposed to. However, the supernatural topics of this book can be especially interesting to older readers. It is subtly mentioned throughout the book, and doesn’t take the focus off of the main story, which I think is something that more experienced readers will be able to enjoy. Additionally, the book is from the perspective of a teenager, and in order for the reader to truly understand it, they would have to be of an older age.

Good Messages

3/10

There aren’t too many good messages in this book. Some that are there include loyalty to friends (seen through how Cat stays loyal to Riley by looking for him) and presence of mind (seen through the fight scene that happens at the end of the novel).

Violence

5/10

There is definitely some violence in this novel. Noah, Riley’s brother, is heard to be getting into fights. A girl is found wounded and hurt with deliberate injuries, and at the end of the novel, a series of violent attacks are revealed by the antagonist. 

Language

Intensity: 7/10

Usage: 3/10

There is bad language used within this novel, including words like the f-word, b*tch, a**hole, and more, however they aren’t used that often.

Romance

4/10

There is some romance in this novel. Two characters are in a relationship, there are some crushes/feelings that Cat has for people, but there isn’t too much overall.

Adult Topics

There are a few adult topics in this novel. There is a party where alcohol is mentioned and two characters are mentioned to have had sex.

Tvix’s Take

Personally, I love thriller novels. However, I did think that this novel was a little slow. It was definitely interesting, but I wasn’t hooked on it. I think that the reveal of the actual villain was shocking, and I really enjoyed that, but at the same time, I didn’t understand the reasoning behind it. I also think that the supernatural part of the novel could have been emphasized a little more. However, I definitely think that for anyone who likes thriller novels, this is a great one to read!