I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum Published by Random House Children's Books on July 11, 2017
Pages: 304
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes a charming and poignant story about two struggling teenagers who find an unexpected connection just when they need it most. For fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Niven, and Rainbow Rowell.
Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.
KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.
DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.
When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?
My Thoughts:
Julie Buxbaum’s Tell Me Three Things was one of my favorite books that I read in 2015. I have been eagerly awaiting What to Say Next since then. I jumped at the chance to read it early for this blog tour!
What To Say Next is one of those books that I didn’t want to put down but couldn’t stand to read all at once. I was just so emotionally invested in it. I would find myself needing to take a break from the intensity of what I was feeling. But then I would just spend all my time thinking about the book and wishing I knew what happened next! I really loved the characters and my heart just went out to them so very much.
We get to see the story from both David’s and Kit’s perspective. This means we get to see how they are perceived by others, as well as what they are really like. Both characters had so many stories and layers to who they are and how life has shaped them. Their voices were so unique. I loved learning more and more about them.
As for the story itself… I don’t want to spoil anything! I was invested from the get go. The more we learned about Kit, David, and the events that brought them each to where they are, the more I cared. Each new scene drew me deeper and deeper into their lives. What an excellently woven story!
If you like contemporary stories that pack an emotional punch I recommend checking out Julie Buxbaum’s books!
Leave a Reply