Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

As a reader and an educator, I am a huge fan of Rex Ogle's work. His own stories and the way he tells the stories of others are so needed by young people today. When We Ride is a beautiful novel in verse about two best friends who are seemingly headed in very different directions after high school. Teen readers will be able to relate to at least of the struggles the boys face in their friendship and though it is a tough story, I think it's an important one. I will absolutely be ordering a copy for my classroom library!

This is a huge compliment to the author, but this book ripped my heart out in a way that typically only Jeff Zentner has been able to do. If you know, you know.

When We Ride explores themes of friendship, society, loyalty and family. Beautifully written novel in verse, it is both approachable and motivating for the YA audience it is intended for.

Diego and Lawson have been friends since Grade 3, and that means a lot to both of them, even if one is sinking deeper into drug dealing, and one is looking for a way out of town via college. SO MUCH for kids to grapple with and discuss, making this perfect for a teen book club. This author doesn’t shy away from tough topics, and I am so glad.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this amazing story.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!!

Just wow. I’ve been reading YA for 15+ years and I’m ready to see this one win ALLLLLL the awards. The Printz and the National Book Award don’t often overlap, but I’m 👀👀👀

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YA hits differently now that I have kids. I read it not just for my own entertainment, but with my boys in mind. Although they’re only 2 and 4, I’m always on the lookout for books to add to my personal YA library in hopes they’ll be interested someday. WHEN WE RIDE will join Neal Schusterman’s CHALLENGER DEEP and Jason Reynolds’s LONG WAY DOWN on my shelf as one of the most eloquently written, hardest-hitting YA books with a male narrator I’ve ever read.

This gut-wrenching novel-in-verse follows Diego “Benny” Benevides and his best friend, Lawson, through their senior year of high school. Benny and Lawson grew up in the same rough neighborhood and would do anything for each other. While neither has an easy road ahead of them after graduation, Benny is focused on getting into college, while Lawson sees selling drugs as his only way out. As Lawson slips further and further, dragging Benny down with him, Benny begins to question whether this friendship is worth risking his future.

This book is IMPORTANT. It is rare to find books for teens with male narrators who strike the right balance between being good role models and actually sounding realistic. Despite having a pretty clear message about the dangers of enabling someone you love, WHEN WE RIDE never once comes across as an “issue” book. The free verse style makes this a quick read, and it’s the best use of this form I’ve come across in awhile. The formatting tells a story of its own, so this is one I’d highly recommend reading in print if you can.

A quick (spoiler-free) note on the ending: while it creates some plot holes, the emotional impact is worth it. No other ending could have hit this hard or been more fitting for this story and these characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company (Norton Young Readers) for the opportunity to read WHEN WE RIDE in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rex Ogle writes such heartfelt, important work, and this YA story in verse is no exception. This was such a push and pull of the connection between friends who consider themselves brothers, and the division that drugs, addiction and pain can bring. I was swept up in the drive of Diego (Benny) to stay clean and graduate high school at the top of his class. He continuously read classic books with tragic narratives such as Candide, A Clockwork Orange, and more. Each book seeming to parallel the tragedy of Lawson's downward spiral.

The pain and consequences continue to spill over into Diego's friends and family, as well as Lawson's girlfriend's lives until they culminate in tragedy. This book wrecked me, with allegorical writing that will keep me thinking about it long after I have finished.

I highly recommend this book for high schools and libraries.

Rex Ogle hits it out of the park with his first young adult fiction novel. This story told in verse is a ode to friendships that are like family, but also a warning that sometimes staying loyal may not be what is best for us. Great messages for teens and and engagin read.

I loved the formatting of this novel. It gave the feeling that I was reading poetry from the start and that made it really intriguing and fulfilling to read. I was happy to read the Author’s remarks at the end and realize that they started with writing poetry. This novel was a page turner and quick read which is great for YA audiences. Rex Ogle did a wonderful job with painting the picture throughout the entirety of this novel. I only wish that we could have had a different ending, but that is exactly the point. There were so many times where I wanted to speak directly to the characters and ask them questions and tell them that they knew better. This novel is very relatable and I will definitely recommend and discuss it with other readers.