Review of While We Were Together

[Abril Zacca]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "While We Were Together" by Frederick W. Sonpon.]

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1 out of 5 stars

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Sasstown, a town in Liberia, is facing a problem with its high school students. Many of the scholars are too preoccupied with love affairs and, as a result, become parents at a young age. While most of the boys manage to continue with their studies, there is a significant issue with the girls, who end up pregnant and have to take care of their families. This situation leads to them dropping out of school and not being able to complete their education.

Juan is a young girl who is living with her uncle after the death of her parents, and she is determined to finish her high school education to eventually go to college and have a comfortable life for herself. This is also Jim's plan, but when these two teenagers meet, their love for one another starts to bring them all sorts of trouble and distract them from their original plans of finishing their studies.

The diverse range of personalities among the characters in the story was particularly captivating. However, I feel that more depth could have been given to Juan's friendship group and Jim's family, as it would have added to the overall story. I also found it interesting to read about a different culture. Unfortunately, the narration of the book was poorly written; I encountered multiple errors, and on various occasions, it was difficult to understand what was happening in the story. All of this leads me to assume that this book was not professionally edited.

On another note, "While We Were Together: A High-School Love Story" is most definitely not a love story, and in my opinion, it is harmful to consider it one. Juan spent the entire novel worrying about Jim and her future; she truly loved him but wanted to wait until they finished college to start a family together. Meanwhile, Jim was obsessed with trying to forcefully kiss Juan to have some sort of claim on her and wanting to pick up a fight with her uncle; this is extremely toxic behavior and should not be considered romantic.

Considering all the points made in previous paragraphs, I give "While We Were Together" by Frederick W. Sonpon 1 out of 5 stars. I cannot recommend a book with this many errors to anyone since it is difficult to read and comprehend. I think with some extra editing and without considering it a romance book, it has the potential to be an interesting story about what the culture is like in Liberia.

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While We Were Together
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[Jennifer Coxon]

This is a great review. I agree completely that acts of this kind should not be considered a romance novel.
I also agree that there is a minimum level of editing required before a book is published, otherwise, it does deserve a bad rating because it affects the reader's ability to enjoy or even understand tbs book.

[Abril Zacca]

This is a great review. I agree completely that acts of this kind should not be considered a romance novel.
I also agree that there is a minimum level of editing required before a book is published, otherwise, it does deserve a bad rating because it affects the reader's ability to enjoy or even understand tbs book.

I'm glad you enjoyed my review, Jennifer! Thank you for your comment.

[Ravindra Mahajan]

This story revolves around the challenges faced by young scholars in Sasstown, Liberia, with a focus on Juan and Jim's complex relationship. It offers insight into Liberian culture but suffers from narration issues and a problematic portrayal of love, resulting in a 1-star rating. The story has potential with improved editing and a more accurate genre classification.

[Sarah Zain]

I applaud you for your honest opinion. The amount of errors and considering toxic behavior as romantic is something I do not like to read. Your review is wonderfully Well written.

[Abril Zacca]

This story revolves around the challenges faced by young scholars in Sasstown, Liberia, with a focus on Juan and Jim's complex relationship. It offers insight into Liberian culture but suffers from narration issues and a problematic portrayal of love, resulting in a 1-star rating. The story has potential with improved editing and a more accurate genre classification.

Thank you for taking the time and commenting Ravindra!

[Abril Zacca]

I applaud you for your honest opinion. The amount of errors and considering toxic behavior as romantic is something I do not like to read. Your review is wonderfully Well written.

I appreciate your comment, Sarah, I also don't enjoy toxic behavior being considered romantic Thank you for your comment.

[MsH2k]

Thank you for your honest and thorough review. Your concerns are well taken. It would be interesting to learn more about life in Liberia, but in its current state, this book does not seem to be the way to find out.

[Anusha Thatavarthi]

Kudos for not condemning toxic behaviour as romantic. Your rating is very justified. Thanks for the great review.

[Maltida Jane]

Thank you for your honest opinion about this book.
Toxicity is not romance!

[Abril Zacca]

Thank you for your honest and thorough review. Your concerns are well taken. It would be interesting to learn more about life in Liberia, but in its current state, this book does not seem to be the way to find out.

I think it would be interesting too, thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!

[Abril Zacca]

Kudos for not condemning toxic behaviour as romantic. Your rating is very justified. Thanks for the great review.

Thank you for your kind words Anusha!

[Abril Zacca]

Thank you for your honest opinion about this book.
Toxicity is not romance!

It most definitely isn't and we need to stop considering it as such. Thank you for your kind comment Maltida.

[Jeff Kanda]

This book seems interesting because as I finish my Campus studies, I would like to know the view of the characters about love. Thanks for the honest review.

[Abril Zacca]

This book seems interesting because as I finish my Campus studies, I would like to know the view of the characters about love. Thanks for the honest review.

I hope you like it, thank you for your comment.