The story didn’t fully click for me, I can see how it would be a hit for the right audience. It has that nostalgic, coming-of-age summer vibe that feels tailor-made for fans of youthful romance and introspection. The writing was solid, and the narration was engaging enough to keep me listening, but I just didn’t find myself connecting deeply with the characters or storyline. Maybe I’m not exactly the target demographic for this one.

Interestingly, I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off right before starting the audiobook, which turned out to be a cool coincidence. The comparison actually highlighted what While We Were Young was going for—a sense of seizing the moment, breaking routine, and figuring out who you are. Ferris just did it with more flair and rebellious charm, while this story leaned more into quiet reflection and emotional growth.

All in all, it was an okay listen. If you’re into contemporary YA with a heartfelt tone and a bit of summer romance, this might be your jam. It just didn’t leave a huge impression on me personally.

A day in the life of four teenagers who feel they need to let loose for once. They all have some kind of family drama and their romantic entanglements need some resolution but somehow it all comes together in this light and fun snapshot of a story.
This a really easy quick YA read

I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review

While We’re Young is a gripping mix of teen drama, humor, and nostalgia. The story perfectly captures the chaos of youth, blending laugh-out-loud moments with deeply relatable emotions. With a cast of engaging characters, plenty of drama, and a touch of heartfelt sincerity, this book feels like stepping back into the world of being sixteen. Fans of Walther’s work won’t be disappointed!

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things.

This was a fun read. It explored some heavy topics as well. I loved the three friends' adventure through the city as Grace's brother James also tried to figure out just where they were.

There was some miscommunication but that was to be expected as these were high schoolers. The romance was a bit cheesy and I found the implied sex scene at the end to be unnecessary.

It took me quite a bit to get the hang of the characters as there were four POVs with different narrators. They did a fairly good job though.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3⭐
Steam level: 2🌶️ Fade to black scene

K.L. Walther has done it again! While We're Young is the kind of book that makes you want to hop in a car, roll the windows down, and chase the feeling of being young and unstoppable. It has all the charm of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off but with a modern twist—think reckless adventure, heart-tugging nostalgia, and a story that lingers long after the last page.

The characters are vibrant and full of life, the friendships feel raw and real, and the way Walther captures fleeting youth and those unforgettable, life-changing moments is simply chef’s kiss. The banter was sharp, the emotions hit deep, and the journey? Absolutely exhilarating. The Audiobook is even better!!!

If you’re looking for a book that reminds you to live—to embrace the messy, the magical, and everything in between—this one is a must-read. It’s fun, heartfelt, and brimming with adventure. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the beginning I thought it was dragging and too YA for me, but again as a Mum whenever I read YA I both imagine myself when I was at that age and my daughter when she will be at that age. I enjoyed trailing the friendship of Grace, James, Isa and Everett , including the friendship amongst their families; all them revelations just in a day trip’s time!! Oh when you are young! Fun easy read…narrators are good too.

🩷 ya romance
🩷 Friends to lovers x2 (multiple couples)
🩷 Inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off
🩷 Strong friendships
🩷 Senior skip day


The Summer of broken rules is one of my favorite YA books. The vibes just brought so many smiles and good feelings. This book reminded me a lot of that one!
Class president is skipping class 😱 and making a plan to get her two best friends (who are ex's!) to skip with her. They have a hell of a day going down memory lane, hiding from school staff and her twin brother is secretly helping while also hunting them down.

Overall this was so fun and such a feel good read. I did wish the ending had a little more. Felt like I was left on the cliff on a few things.

Thank you Hachette UK for this ALC

A fun audiobook that really made me want to visit Philadelphia! I wasn't quite convinced by the parents' refusal to discuss their house moving plans but that didn't detract form my overall enjoyment. The different narrators were all good (and clearly identifiable) and the story kept my interest all the way through.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. While I liked the characters and the multiple POVs, they didn’t have much depth, which made it hard to connect with them. The story itself felt like it was missing something, and I struggled to stay engaged.
One of my biggest frustrations was the overwhelming focus on miscommunication. It felt like all of the conflicts could have been resolved with a single honest conversation, which is something I don't like.
Even for a YA book, the writing and the way certain situations played out felt a little too childish.
Overall, this book had potential, but it just wasn’t for me.
That being said, I did enjoy the narration of the audiobook.

A fun YA adventure trip with friendship and navigating teen issues at its core. Grace and Isa have been friends since early years and now as they navigate the stress of school, think about college and try to overcome relationship stains, Grace does the unthinkable for a student president, ans pulls a sick day. She tricks Isa into joining her and plan to kidnap Everett and all three head off on a day trip with unexpected happenings. Grace decides to leave her brother James out of her plans, which makes thinks interesting since he has started dating Isa. The story is told from all four perspectives, which adds to the overall sense of belonging to the foursome. A superb coming of age drama story. The audiobook felt like hanging out with friends. It took me along on the adventure. #whilewe'reyoung #klwalther #netgalley

This book felt like the teenage live movies we used to watch when we were teenagers! Everything about it from the characters to the story made this book really wholesome and fun to listen to. The narration was also done amazingly, each narrator did a great job.

I really enjoyed this as it looked at change, love, loss, grief, pressure and rebellious. It did remind me a bit of my school days and various friends. This book is about friends finding each other again after grief and loss, which everyone deals with differently but also how sometimes people can forgot closeness of others outside family.

My only criticism of the audiobook is that Valerie and frankie had very similar voices to me, and did cause some confusion on who's point of view or who was talking. But otherwise the narration was clear, fun and easy to follow I do like that each of the 4 teenagers has their own narrator.

so i was listening to the audiobook while reading an actual book one day after the release, and here are my thoughts;

for the audiobook, i have really a great time for this! the narrators did a really good job, especially the voices of grace and james (isa and everett's voice too).

this is the same also for the actual one. however, the mention of products, musicians and shows got me irritated. also, there are some issues that i felt uncomfortable while reading.

Sure! Here’s a polished and

A Heartfelt and Relatable Story About Love, Growth, and Timing

While We’re Young is a beautifully written novel that explores love, ambition, and the complexities of growing up. The characters are well-developed, and their journeys feel authentic, making it easy to connect with their struggles and triumphs. The emotional depth is balanced with humor and warmth, creating a story that feels both heartfelt and real.

While the pacing slows in some parts, the strong character development and engaging dialogue make up for it. The book captures the bittersweet nature of young love and the choices that shape our futures.

Overall, it’s a touching and thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page. If you love stories about love, self-discovery, and the what-ifs of life, this one is definitely worth picking up.

While We’re Young is a cute and nostalgic YA read, a homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

It read a bit younger than I expected, though the narration made the characters sound a bit older than their age. The author does a great job of capturing their sense of excitement and adventure. The story carries a blend of happiness and romance, balanced with the challenges of love and loss, of change and growing up.

The narration was engaging and lively, and captured the emotional experience of characters well. I had some trouble initially keeping the characters straight, but did find it easier as their stories developed. 3.5⭐️

Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio for a complimentary ALC. Opinions expressed are my own.

This is my second book by this author and just like the first one, this didn’t wow me.
In this story we follow four friends: James, Isa, Everett and Grace. Grace is secretly in love with Everett, however he is also Isa’s ex. Isa is at the same time trying to hide her relationship with James, Grace’s brother. On a whim, Grace decides to organise a day off with Everett and Isa, to try and rekindle their friendship. Will their friendship flourish or end just before leaving college?

I enjoyed listening to this as there were four different narrators for each of the characters. The writing was easy to read, however this felt quite childish? I understand it’s ya, but I couldn’t help but cringe at almost every scene. The characters weren’t that great either, we had a couple of scenes to give a backstory and make them “realistic”, however by the end just we knew a couple of characteristics for each. The romance also was just…okay? At best. I love a good old ya romcom, but this one totally missed the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute audiobook. I loved all of the POVs. I thought they transitioned seamlessly. I loved how K.L Walther brought to life her hometown for someone who has never seen it. I look forward to reading more from her.

DNF @ 53%

Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd this audiobook.

i loved the movie 'ferris bueller's day off' so when i found out that that was the inspiration / premise of this book, i thought it sounded like a fun time!! i was aware this was a young adult novel, which usually doesn't bother me, but this time around, it just felt VERY 'ya,' maybe more towards the lower age range of that category - which is fine, it just meant i didn't feel like the target audience for this book. that said, k. l. walther did a great job of conveying the excitement and adventure of the four main chaaracters, and i was invested in them being able to pull it off successfully (albeit the story being relatively low stakes). i also would have preferred the romance storylines to be a little more prominent the whole way through, rather than just at the end, as this made the end feel super slow to get through, but overall it was a cute read!!

thank you to netgalley and harper collins uk audio for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was soooo cute!!
I really loved the premise and the characters were all individually so well rounded and interesting. The multiple narratives worked seamlessly in giving them all enough airtime to have a past present and future that readers care about, without feeling like an influx of too much content.

The coupling worked brilliantly and the chemistry was the perfect amount for a YA feel without turning the book entirely into a romance and maintaining friendship as the key focus.

I always love a narrative contained by location/time so the fact that this all took place in one day was massively appealing to me and the history between the characters worked well to lengthen the time without relying purely on flashbacks.

My only fault would be that it is quite predictable and a little unbelievable. But - - that’s okay! It was a very sweet and enjoyable read.