When You Were Everything

Cleo Baker is the protagonist and first-person narrator of the novel. The novel’s primary conflicts and thematic explorations originate from Cleo’s internal world, because in both the past and present timelines, she is telling her story in her own words. Cleo is a high school student who lives in New York City with her parents, Cliff Baker and Naomi Bell. Her grandmother, Gigi, also lived with the family until her death four years prior to the narrative present. Cleo’s family has therefore shaped her understanding of herself, and when Gigi dies and her parents suddenly decide to split up, Cleo feels overcome by sorrow and confusion. Meanwhile, Cleo and her best friend, Layla Hassan, are experiencing a falling-out, which further complicates Cleo’s understanding of herself and the world around her. She and Layla have been friends for years, and Cleo has learned to rely upon their friendship for safety, support, and balance. When Layla starts to make new friends with the Chorus Girls, Cleo feels lonely and abandoned. Everywhere she goes in the city, she is reminded of Layla, and she therefore feels plagued by her memories. She is so desperate to escape this pain that she sets out to prove that her “memories are just as malleable as the snow” and that her “past is as rewritable” (11) as she wants it to be.