The If He Had Been with Me books must be read in publication order by following this sequence:[2-3]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
If He Had Been with Me | Year of publication: 2013[3] | Introduces Autumn and Finn’s relationship and the tragedy. |
| 2 |
|
If Only I Had Told Her | Year of publication: 2024[2] | Reframes the first book’s events and continues into the aftermath. |
1. If He Had Been with Me
If He Had Been with Me (2013)[1] establishes the central relationship between Autumn Davis and Phineas “Finny” Smith, tracing their childhood closeness, their high-school separation, and their gradual return to one another. This novel is framed by Autumn’s retrospective voice and by the fatal event that shapes the story.[3]
It should be read first because it supplies the emotional and narrative foundation for the next book.[3]
2. If Only I Had Told Her
If Only I Had Told Her (2024)[2] revisits the final stretch of Autumn and Finn’s story through Finn’s perspective, then shifts into Jack’s account of grief, memory, and the lives affected by Finn’s death.[4]
This book adds context to events already introduced in If He Had Been with Me and carries the aftermath forward.[4]
References
- If He Had Been with Me. Sourcebooks Fire. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781728205489.
- If Only I Had Told Her. Sourcebooks.
- If He Had Been with Me. Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN: 9781728205489.
- If Only I Had Told Her. Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN: 9781728276229.