When You Were Everything

Ashley Woodfolk’s novel When You Were Everything is a work of young adult fiction originally published in 2019. The novel is told from the first-person perspective of the protagonist, Cleo Baker, as she reflects on the dissolution of her high school friendship with Layla Hassan. The novel alternates between Cleo’s past and present life in order to emphasize how Cleo’s memories contribute to her developing identity in the midst of an array of stressful life changes.

A graduate of Rutgers University with over a decade of experience in the publishing industry, Ashely Woodfolk is the author of The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, Blackout, Nothing Burns as Bright as You, and The Flyy Girls series.

This guide refers to the 2020 Delacorte Press paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide include descriptions of bullying, exclusion, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Plot Summary

Cleo Baker and Layla Hassan have been best friends for years. When they start their sophomore year at Chisholm Charter in New York City, Cleo expects things to remain as they always have.