You Know Me Well is a book that focuses on two characters, Kate and Mark. They go to the same school but don’t know anything about each other other than that they sit next to each other in Calculus. Through a series of completely unrelated events they meet each other at a bar during Pride Week and quickly become friends. Both are gay teenagers, and both are struggling with love; Mark with his best friend Ryan and Kate with a girl named Violet, who she’s never met. They quickly become close friends who support each other when they both needed someone to count on.
One thing I really liked about this book is the friendship between Kate and Mark. It’s really realistic and meaningful, and although they both have separate conflicts that take up a large narrative of the book, their friendship is the most prominent theme throughout the novel. I also thought it was really interesting how even though the entire novel takes place over only the span of one week, it feels a lot longer than that. Something I didn’t like about this book, however is some instances of poetry. I felt like it distracted from the main storyline and just felt out of place.
One memorable thing about this book is the writing style. It alternates between Mark and Kate’s point of views. Nina LaCour wrote all of Kate’s parts while David Levithan wrote all of Mark’s, which makes the characterization of Mark and Kate more unique and personal.
Reviewed by Emily, Grade 10, Twin Hickory Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 