When We Ride by Rex Ogle - ISBN: 9781324125518
Paperback
Loyalty’s deadly price, when choices drive you to the edge.

When We Ride

A Novel

$31.75

  • Paperback

    352 pages

  • Release Date

    26 September 2026

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Summary

Diego Benevides works hard. His single mother encourages him to stay focused on school, on getting into college, on getting out of their crumbling neighborhood. That’s why she gave him her car.

Diego’s best friend, Lawson, needs a ride—because Lawson is dealing. As long as Diego’s not carrying, not selling, it’s cool. It’s just weed.

But when Lawson starts carrying powder and pills and worse, their friendship is tested and their lives are threatened. As the lines between deale…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781324125518
ISBN-10:1324125519
Author:Rex Ogle
Publisher:WW Norton & Co
Imprint:WW Norton & Co
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:352
Release Date:26 September 2026
Weight:314g
Dimensions:25mm x 140mm x 211mm
Audience Age:14-18
A-Format
B-Format
When We Ride by Rex Ogle - ISBN: 9781324125518
140 × 211 mm
C-Format
A4
mm / in
What They're Saying

Critics Review

“The expertly paced plot twist at the end makes Benny and Lawson’s story heartbreakingly unforgettable… . Achingly, beautifully written.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In this riveting, at times heartbreaking verse novel, Ogle delivers an affecting portrait of two “ride or die” friends in dire circumstances for whom the phrase becomes scarily literal.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Ogle is exceptionally skillful at inviting readers into the emotional intensity of each decision Benny makes, with addiction and poverty laid raw using spare, carefully selected free verse. This pairs well with similarly themed verse novels where decision-making is paramount, like Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down and Ellen Hopkins’s classic “Crank” series. A gritty and nuanced glimpse into the underbelly of poverty, addiction, and gun violence.” – School Library Journal (starred review)
“Dynamic and affecting… Written in spare, emotive verse that features realistic dialogue and approachable poetic forms. Ogle develops characters and relationships that are so sincere, their growths and losses will likely be both celebrated and mourned by readers. Fans of Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down or Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X will likely savor this moving novel… Magnetic.” – Shelf Awareness
“Ogle’s excellent, hard-edged novel in verse is a cautionary tale bound to invite thought and serious discussion. An important book.” – Booklist

About The Author

Rex Ogle

Rex Ogle is the award-winning author of Free Lunch, Punching Bag, Abuela, Don’t Forget Me, Road Home, and, most recently, When We Ride. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

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