What to Say Next

3.01/5 stars “They seem to understand that the world is a big, diverse place, and that different is not the same thing as scary. It's amazing to me how many people mistake the two.” whispers I don't really remember how to write reviews, as I am so out of practice, so I apologize in advance for its suckiness.So you may or may not know, I am currently in the Great Slump of 2k17™ aka the Worst Slump to Ever Exist Ever and reading hasn't really been a priority in my life right now, as much as I wish it would be. But I can see the finish line of this slump in my peripheral vision and I figured that last boost I need to cross it is to stop watching reruns of Teen Mom 2 and type up some half-assed review and hope for the best. So here we are. I miss writing reviews very much. I miss everyone who would read my reviews and lie to me telling me they are okay. Also, if any of you are caught up on Teen Mom 2, hmu and let's discuss everythingNow, my friend Scrill has somehow stuck with me through this slump pit hole and still talks to me on a somewhat daily basis I know, she's insane and told me about this book. She also bribed me with a reread of [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500689111s/23437156.jpg 42077459] and a map of the Grishaverse that still hasn't made it's way to me... So I drugged the Slump during one of those rare moments when it wasn't tormenting me and actually sat down to read for once. And I finished it! Me! I finished a book!Me @ my slump: But enough about me. I know none of you are even here for that. Let's talk about What to Say Next shall we? The Part Where I Finally Talk About the Book Also the part of the review where I have writer's block. How does one write about a book? I don't remember.Have any of you ever read a high school contemporary before? Anyone? I mean, if you are on this website, I doubt it. Nobody here reads. Well, with high school contemporaries, there always see to be a nice recipe authors use to churn them out:• 2 cups of attractive 17-year olds. • A dash of parent death• A teaspoon of “Are we friends? Are we more?”• 3/4th tablespoon of antagonistic popular teenagers• A pinch of social outcastThere are other ingredients too, but those are some of the prominent ones found inside of this book. Now, if you are to one day cook up your very own high school contemporary, you don't want to follow the recipe too closely. Experimentation and creativity can help create something truly unique and well written. And, while this book did follow that recipe, it also strayed from the norm and create something quite beautiful. I did have my problems with it, as I do most book except SoC, hence the three stars, in the end, I truly did enjoy What to Say Next.Now, if I didn't have any self-control, I would probably end the review here. Like look! I have something written! Isn't that enough after four months? But I won't do that to you. And also, I have gifs that I have been sitting on for months and I wanna find a way to sneak them into this review.So I guess we can talk about the plot? If you haven't read this book, the plot might be useful to you I guess.The Plot.What to Say Next is about Kit and David, two teens that are on opposite sides of the social/popularity scale. Kit is the pretty girl with the supportive group of friends and an overachiever attitude. David, on the other hand, is on the Autism spectrum—he has what used to be known as Asperger's—and is very content being by himself. Things change after Kit's father dies in a car accident. Kit, in her grief, struggles to be near her friends and decides to sit at David's table during lunch. From this, a friendship forms. Wow. That summary. I know. I know. Give me a break, I'm a little rusty. This book was more than the friendship though. It was a book about grief and accepting differences. I was concerned going into it that there wouldn't be that much that would happen thoughout it, but I was quickly proven wrong. There were way to many scenes that had me like:Which I quite like in books. I want all the #ohShit moments that I can get. Is that enough summary? I hope so. Let's move on. Characters. Kit. I liked Kit. I really did. Except, I'm sitting here, trying to remember everything about her and I'm struggling. But that isn't a bad thing. The purpose of her character wasn't for us, the readers, to know everything about her, but instead to see how she navigates life after the death of her father. Her actions are more prominent to me then her personality. Like any reader, I've read many books where MC's parent died unexpectedly, but it's been awhile since I've read a book where I felt like the MC's emotional state was accurate. If my father was to die, I think I'd be acting the exact same way that Kit did in the beginning of the book. I liked that. It made this book feel real. David. #ProtectDavidDrucker. Now, I don't know a lot about autism. I have cousins who have high functioning autism similar to David's, but they live out of state and I don't know them well enough to even say I have experience with autism. So while it is a big part of David's character, I don't feel comfortable enough to state how accurate his representation was. Besides, it wasn't the only part of his character. He was sweet, funny, and passionate. He was a great friend and a great person. And all the shit he had to go through wasn't deserved at all. David is one of the best characters I've read in awhile. Hands down. So, Emi, If You Liked This Book So Much, Why Three Stars? Well, person, like I said earlier. I had my problems with the book. I think my major problem was the romance. It was in here, because it is a YA contemporary novel and that's what some people seem to want, but I don't think it was necessary. To be honest, I wish it wasn't even a factor in this book. I haven't been in a relationship, obviously, but I assume that they take a lot of time and patience and focus. Neither Kit nor David were at a place in their life where I felt like they were emotionally stable enough to be together. Made in a different book. But I just wanted them, mainly Kit but David too, to put themselves first and focus on healing themselves. Also, a more annoying problem, was the constant talk of being attractive. Sometime in this book, David got one of those magical makeovers that happen in a lot of books where everyone is suddenly like, “Woah, he was a good looking person all along!” and that really grinded my gears. I know many people probably interpreted this a different way, but I felt like this suggested that somehow people that society views as “unattractive” are lesser than those that they view as “attractive” and this isn't the case. At all. No human being is lesser than another. David is great no matter if he has a haircut or not. This book could have definitely done without this element. I'm also one of those people who knows that she should't compare books to one another, but still does it anyways. Especially when the books are by the same author. And I absolutely love [a:Julie Buxbaum 843820 Julie Buxbaum https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1438042196p2/843820.jpg]'s other book, which I usually refer to as the YA Waffle Book, but is actually called [b:Tell Me Three Things 25893582 Tell Me Three Things Julie Buxbaum https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448596179s/25893582.jpg 43223043] and, to me, this book wasn't as good and that affected effected? the rating. I know it shouldn't. But it did. #SorryNotSorry.To Conclude...Hey look! I actually finished this review! I'm so proud of myself. Don't expect another review anytime soon. In fact, I'll see you in four months for my next review. Anyhow, this book is a great, easy read. You should pick it up if you haven't. Or not. You do you.