We Were Never Here Summary: A Toxic Friendship Thriller
TL;DR: What You Need to Know
On the final night of a backpacking trip through Chile’s remote Elqui Valley, Emily Donovan returns to her hotel suite to find blood on the floor and a dead man behind the sofa.
Her best friend Kristen stands over the body, insisting it was self-defense. The problem is this exact scenario happened once before, on a trip to Cambodia a year earlier.
Andrea Bartz’s We Were Never Here follows Emily as she tries to resume her normal life in Milwaukee while questioning whether Kristen is a guardian angel or a dangerous killer.
The novel moves between present-day Milwaukee, traumatic flashbacks to Southeast Asia, and a final confrontation in the Arizona desert.
It examines the dark side of female friendship, the weight of shared secrets, and the psychological toll of living a lie.
- Two murders, one friendship: Emily and Kristen cover up a killing in Cambodia, then face an eerily similar situation in Chile a year later.
- Kristen is not who she seems: As Emily digs into her friend’s past, she uncovers a history of institutionalization, a childhood tragedy, and a pattern of manipulation.
- Emily’s growth: The novel traces her journey from a passive, anxious follower to a woman who finally confronts the truth and breaks free.
- Central themes: Codependency, gaslighting, trauma, privilege, and the question of whether loyalty can become a prison.
- The ending: A cliffside confrontation in Phoenix forces Emily to choose between her friend and her survival. Kristen dies, and Emily begins a new life.
We Were Never Here Summary
Spoilers ahead. This section recounts the novel’s major events, including its ending.
Thirteen months before the main story, Emily Donovan and Kristen Czarnecki take their annual trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At a bar, they meet Sebastian, a South African backpacker. Emily uses the fake name “Joan,” and Kristen calls herself “Nicole.”
Sebastian becomes violent in Emily’s hotel room, pinning her against the wall. Kristen bursts in and strikes him repeatedly with a metal floor lamp, killing him. Kristen convinces a traumatized Emily that they cannot go to the Cambodian police.
They weight Sebastian’s body with rocks and dump it in the Tonle Kak river. They flee to Laos and return home. Emily develops severe PTSD, while Kristen moves to Sydney for work and calls her daily.
A year later, the two reunite in Chile’s Elqui Valley. On the final night in the village of Quiteria, Emily returns to their suite to find Kristen covered in blood. A traveler named Paolo García lies dead behind the sofa, his head smashed with a wine bottle.
Kristen claims Paolo tried to rape her. Emily, remembering Cambodia, helps dispose of the body. They wrap Paolo in a shower curtain, drive into the mountains, and bury him in a shallow grave. They clean the suite with makeup remover and burn Paolo’s belongings.
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Back in Milwaukee, Emily tries to rebuild her life. She works at a feline healthcare startup called Kibble and begins dating Aaron Meuleman, a kind graphic designer. She also starts therapy with Adrienne Oderdonk, though she hides the killings.
Kristen suddenly moves back to Milwaukee, leasing an apartment a block and a half from Emily. Her presence becomes suffocating. For Emily’s 30th birthday, Kristen sends a scavenger hunt that ends with a Dropbox photo of Emily leaving the Phnom Penh bar with Sebastian—a silent threat.
News breaks that Chilean police found Paolo’s body. His wealthy family offers a $1 million reward. Emily begins investigating Kristen’s past, uncovering a childhood friend named Jamie Rusch who committed suicide at 12.
Emily learns that Kristen’s father, Jerry, sexually abused Jamie. Jamie set fire to the Czarnecki home, killing both of Kristen’s parents. Kristen was later committed to a psychiatric facility called Westmoor Behavioral Health.
When Emily confronts Kristen, Kristen gaslights her, claiming Emily was the one who killed Sebastian. Terrified, Emily books a trip to Phoenix with Aaron to escape. Kristen tracks them through Aaron’s social media posts and follows.
At a desert canyon, Kristen reveals she drugged Paolo with Rohypnol before killing him. She declares that she and Emily are bound forever and tries to push Emily off the cliff. Emily fights back and grabs a bush.
Aaron arrives in their rented SUV and swerves to avoid hitting Emily. The car strikes Kristen and plunges into the canyon, crushing her beneath it. Kristen dies at the scene. Aaron survives with severe injuries.
In the hospital, Emily tells Aaron everything. His aunt Deirdre, a defense attorney, takes her case. With Kristen dead and no physical evidence against Emily, prosecutors drop all charges.
Nine months later, Emily and Aaron are traveling in Tbilisi, Georgia. In a wine cellar, when a stranger asks their names, Aaron says “Dan” and Emily says “Joan.” They smile, acknowledging that Emily has survived but is permanently changed.
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Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Emily Donovan | The protagonist and first-person narrator; a Milwaukee project manager who helps cover up two killings. |
| Kristen Czarnecki | Emily’s best friend since college; charismatic and controlling, with a hidden history of violence and institutionalization. |
| Aaron Meuleman | Emily’s boyfriend in Milwaukee; a graphic designer who survives the cliffside car crash. |
| Sebastian | A South African backpacker killed by Kristen in Cambodia after he assaults Emily. |
| Paolo García | A traveler killed by Kristen in Chile; his family offers a $1 million reward for information. |
| Priya | Emily’s coworker and friend at Kibble whose social media posts help Kristen track Emily. |
| Jamie Rusch | Kristen’s childhood friend who was abused by Kristen’s father and committed suicide at age 12. |
| Jerry and Anne Czarnecki | Kristen’s parents; Jerry abused Jamie Rusch, and both died in a fire set by Jamie. |
| Dr. Lydia Brightside | The psychiatrist who treated Kristen at Westmoor Behavioral Health. |
| Adrienne Oderdonk | Emily’s therapist in Milwaukee. |
| Deirdre | Aaron’s aunt and a criminal defense attorney who protects Emily from prosecution. |
Book Details
- Genre & Subgenre: Psychological Thriller / Suspense / Dark Friendship Noir
- Core Narrative Tropes: Toxic codependent friendship, unreliable narrator, vacation gone wrong, murder cover-up, gaslighting, hidden dark past
- Tone & Atmosphere: Claustrophobic, paranoid, tense, emotionally raw, hyper-vigilant
- Primary Conflict: Emily’s struggle to break free from Kristen’s controlling grip while hiding their shared crimes
- Pacing Style: Fast-paced, non-linear psychological suspense alternating between present-day and flashbacks
- ISBN: 978-1984820464
- Pages: 320
- Book Structure: 46 numbered chapters
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