When We Ride is a verse novel that is, at times, overwhelming. The storyline is so bleak, but with moments of hope, that it keeps you engaged. The relationship between the two young men is heart wrenching. Diego and Lawson are truly "ride or die" friends. The further you sink into their world, the more you become invested in their futures. The language can sometimes be rough and there are multiple references to drinking, drugs and violence. It is not an easy read, but well worth it for any young adult living in a similar environment
This book exceeded my expectations.

**Book Review: *When We Ride* by Rex Ogle**

Rex Ogle’s *When We Ride* is a poignant and gripping tale of friendship, loyalty, and the consequences of hard choices. Diego Benevides, a hardworking teenager with big dreams, finds himself caught between his determination to escape the hardships of his neighborhood and his loyalty to his best friend, Lawson.

The story is raw and unflinching, painting a vivid picture of the struggles faced by teens growing up in difficult environments. Ogle’s portrayal of Diego’s internal conflict feels authentic and relatable. Diego’s single mother’s encouragement to prioritize school and his future adds an emotional layer to the narrative, making his moral dilemmas even more heart-wrenching.

The book's exploration of peer pressure, the allure of easy money, and the dangerous world of drug dealing resonates deeply with the challenges many teens face. As Lawson’s decisions spiral out of control, the tension builds, culminating in an ending that is as heartbreaking as it is powerful.

*When We Ride* is more than just a cautionary tale; it’s a story about choices, consequences, and the strength it takes to forge your own path. Ogle’s writing is vivid and compelling, making it easy for readers to empathize with Diego’s struggles.

This is a must-read for teens and adults alike, offering valuable lessons wrapped in a deeply emotional story. Be prepared for a thought-provoking journey and an ending that lingers long after the last page.

What happens when the friend who has always had your back and been your “ride or die” starts making self-destructive decisions that jeopardize everything for both their future and yours?
Once again Rex Ogle has written a beautifully crafted, emotionally impactful book that shines a spotlight on the impossible decisions some of our teens face in our world today. He has used his gift for poetry to write his first novel in verse & I am certain this masterpiece of style and substance will resonate with me for a very long time.
Diego and Lawson have been “brothers from another mother” since 3rd grade, but now that they’re seniors in high school both struggling to finish school and help support single-mother households. While Diego gets an honest job busing tables making minimum wage, Lawson sees a path to fast money and gets caught up in the local drug scene.
From very early on, I could sense that this book may not end with a “happily ever after” but it’s so engaging and gripping that I couldn’t look away. Diego is struggling so hard to save everyone in his life that he often sacrifices his own time and convictions in the hopes that he will be there to prevent disaster. When reading I got so angry at everyone- at Lawson for sure but also there were moments I was mad at Diego for being stupid or his mom for not being stronger or even Rex for making me care about these self-destructive characters. But through the anger, I could still see the beauty of friendship and the hope that you could love someone enough to save them from themselves.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC & thanks to my friend Rex for writing beautiful, painful truths once again!

Ogle's first work of fiction is a masterpiece. It was a heartbreaking read but so true to what high school is these days. Diego comes from a single home family and his mom's dream is for him to graduate and go to college. His best friend, Lawson, lives across the street and sells drugs. At first it is only weed and it bumps up to harder drugs. Diego does his best to stay away from it but Lawson is constantly asking for a ride. He doesn't partake in drugs or alcohol but finds himself around it constantly. Diego's mom also struggled with alcoholism and doesn't like his friendship with Lawson.

Oh…. Wow.
Rex is an auto-read for me. Everything I’ve read that he has written moves me and brings forward emotions that are difficult to elicit with a book. But he does it. I’m not huge on novels in-verse, but the ones I love, I really love - and I really really loved this one. I found that I was so tense during some parts, relaxed and smiling during others. I felt dread, anxiety, anger, and hopefulness for the characters. Outstanding writing.

I typically don't read YA novels- but this novel in verse was recommended by a person I follow on Instagram. It was a sit down and read from beginning to end. And you realize that the end isn't going to be what you hoped it would be. I can see this being a highly impactful novel for YA.

Thank you to @netgalley and @w.w.norton for the ARC.
With special thanks to the author.

I went to a Title I district high school. In my law class, I remember my teacher telling us, "Once you graduate, never move back to this city unless you're going to make it better."

This is why the main character of "When We Ride", a novel-in-verse, written by Rex Ogle, strikes me as so relatable. With a plot that feels so much like a memoir paired with masterful use of poetic devices, this novel is one I could never put down.

Writing Style: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My favorite lines in verse were on pages 26 and 27.

“When we ride” is another fantastic Rex Ogle title. Sadly, I cannot purchase for my junior high library to share with my students. Despite it’s reality, the topic and language are too mature for my students. I regularly recommend “Free Lunch”, “Four Eyes”, and “Meg, Jo, Bech & Amy”, etc to my students. It is my hope that they see his name in their public or high school library to find on their own. Books like this open people’s eyes to the realities outside our suburban communities. Please keep writing the truth and sharing it with us. One day the bans and censorship will ease and libraries will fill their shelves with relatable books for today’s kids.

Benny and Lawson are more than best friends--they're family. Lawson has had Benny's back since elementary school when he defended him against a bully, and Benny has been looking out for Lawson too. Despite being on drastically different high school paths, their friendship and bond remains. But as Benny moves closer to applying for colleges and Lawson gets more and more caught up in selling drugs, can they still remain friends?

When We Ride is a gritty novel in verse that will absolutely appeal to reluctant boy readers. It's a little darker than Jason Reynolds, but will have a similar fan base. I think some may question the blunt nature of some of what happens in the book, but I definitely have readers who will find every bit of the book relatable. I wish the ending went a little bit further, but it also fits the story being told all along.

Wow, what a read! This is a true, raw story about friendship, loss, identity, addiction, and poverty. Diego's story is an important reminder that everyone is much more complex with a deeper backstory than we realize; life isn't always back and white, and sometimes the "best" choice doesn't really feel like much of a choice to begin with. The prose style of this novel tells the story beautifully, making it a quick and enjoyable read that I completed in one sitting. While a little mature for many of my middle-grade readers, I think this is going to be an impactful and relatable story for students and adults alike.

Rex Ogle can do no wrong. He is an auto-buy author for me. Unfortunately, this book is not appropriate for the middle school demographic that I teach. However, I can see many older readers learning a lot from this text.

When We Ride is raw and pulls no punches. It is a well written story that chronicles the senior year of two high school students and a friendship tested time and again by poverty and addiction. How much can a friendship tolerate? How much is too much to ask?
I would not hesitate to hand this to older high school students or students struggling with the idea of letting go of a toxic friendship.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA book that hasn’t been of the fantasy genre, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When We Ride is a brief and beautiful journey looking at the complexities of unhealthy friendships and class imbalances in a coming of age story. Following our protagonist Diego, the story looks at how he is unwillingly thrust into a world of drugs and violence by his best friend Lawson. It poses some very interesting concepts of loyalty and if you can ever save someone who doesn’t want to save themself, as Diego gets dragged deeper and deeper whilst trying to save Lawson from drowning.
Told in free verse, the writing style was not one that I am accustomed to, but I found it surprisingly easy to sink into, even if at times the rhythm caused it to feel vaguely melodramatic, although for the most part it remained very grounded.

An important novel about difficult circumstances leading to difficult choices, When We Ride is an important and well crafted story for teenage readers.

Benny and Lawson have been best friends - more like brothers - pretty much forever. They live over the road from each other but lead quite different lives. Benny plans to go to college. His mum will do anything to get him there, including giving him her car so he can get to school and work - he has a job washing dishes at a local diner. Lawson doesn't expect to go to college and relies on Benny to drive him around. This isn't so much of a problem when Lawson is dealing weed but when the pull of this lifestyle draws him in further and he starts dealing harder drugs, Benny knows that at some point, he is going to have to put himself first for a change.

I read this in one sitting. It's in verse and is a pretty quick, albeit heartbreaking, read. I found that I quickly became invested in the characters and desperately wanted Lawson to accept the help and advice given by his friends but at the same time, wanted Benny to stop risking everything to support someone who wasn't ready to listen.

I really enjoyed this book and will seek out more from the author.

Oh my goodness, this book hit me in the FEELS! Like wow.

This book is a free verse YA about friendship. Of that friend we all have and maybe shouldn't.....but it's the friend who is our "ride or die." The friend who is truly like a brother or sister. A blood brother if you will. And for these two boys, who are growing up together and whose lives take very different paths (when really they could have gone one way or the other), they are left to stop and ask "is this right for me?"

This book tackles TOUGH stuff, namely drugs. The buying and selling of drugs. And getting in too deep.
This book addresses hanging out with the wrong people can sometimes have negative effects.
This book talks about wanting to make something better of yourself after time and time again being knocked down. Or wanting to be better than what you have had for so long.

What I love about free verse is that I truly feel as if I am experiencing each voice in an authentic manner. When We Ride is already my pick for next year's Printz or Newbery. (Fight me people). And the ending of this book made me SOB.

Wow, what an insightful story written in my favorite style- verse. While I could see where the story was headed early on, I was hooked immediately. I stayed hopeful that I would be wrong, and the characters would make changes before the end. The ending felt too abrupt, and I didn’t love the final chapters. I think there could have been more to show the impact of the death of the family and community. All in all it was a good, quick read.

Omg. This is going to be one of the TOP YA books. If you like Jason Reynolds, "Long Way Down", you will devour this book. Written in verse, this was impossible to put down. My heart is still pounding from this DEEP, relevant book!!

What a fantastic book about friendship and loyalty. Diego and Lawson have been friends since third grade. When Lawson starts selling drugs he has Diego to drive him around. Diego’s mom worries Lawson will get Diego in trouble. Then Lawson starts doing coke and other drugs and now has a new dealer, Trent, one you can’t say no to. Diego refuses to drive Lawson around, and they stop talking. Diego sees Lawson selling out of his house. After a graduation party, Lawson apologizes to Diego and they go to Lawson’s house when Trent shows up. Trent wants his money, Diego doesn’t have it and someone gets shot. Who gets shot?
Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

When We Ride is a powerful coming-of-age novel in verse about Benny and the struggles he faces when trying to balance his friendship/brotherhood with Lawson when it could destroy the goals he has for himself.