While We Were Burning

I received a digital advance copy of While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi via NetGalley. While We Were Burning is scheduled for release on April 16, 2024.

While We Were Burning centers on the relationship between two very different women. Elizabeth is the well-off white woman who finds herself spiraling after the strange death of a friend. Brianna is the composed and together black woman hired to be Elizabeth’s personal assistant. Under the surface, Brianna is searching for answers in the death of her young son and believes those answers lurk in Elizabeth’s neighborhood.

In this novel, Koffi gives us characters that are difficult to sympathize with. The two main characters both have secrets and issues that influence their choices in this novel. While I understood their motivations throughout, I ended up not particularly liking either of them. Around these two women were other characters who also made choices that made them hard to like. The result was a book full of characters that were hard to root for. This was likely intentional, as one of the main themes of the novel is the impact of actions on relationships.

The plot of the novel was not complex, but did have enough secrets and mysteries throughout to keep me asking questions. This helped me stick with the story despite the distance I felt from the characters. In the end, there were no huge surprises for me as the reader, but the answers were revealed to the characters in a way that gave a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, While We Were Burning is a mystery/suspense centered on friendships and the consequences of the choices we make. Readers who enjoy complicated, morally gray characters will likely enjoy this novel.