
You Say it First
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Standard romance of opposites deals with drinking, suicide.
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What's the Story?
YOU SAY IT FIRST is about a long-distance romance between opposites. Meg lives in a wealthy Philadelphia suburb, goes to an elite high school, and was accepted into the Ivy League for college. Colby lives in rural Ohio, barely graduated high school, and carefully avoids getting his hopes up about anything. They "meet" when Meg calls Colby's house for her job trying to help people register to vote. The call goes badly, and Meg can't leave it like that. So against all the rules she tracks down Colby's number and calls him again to apologize. Somehow talking to a stranger makes it easier for both Colby and Meg to open up to each other in ways they can't with the people they've known forever. Soon they're talking for hours every day, and realizing that as impossible as it seems they're falling for each other, hard. But they live an eight-hour drive apart. Impossible, right?
Is It Any Good?
Romance fans will enjoy this pretty standard, opposites-attract, long-distance romance by veteran author Katie Cotungo. It's rather predictable, and at first the characters come across more as types than as real people. But as we get to know them they become relatable and more fleshed out. Meg's problems are mostly "first world," but as she changes and grows she becomes someone we hope will really make a difference. Colby comes from a less-privileged background, and learning more about him, especially about his father's death, make him easy to sympathize with. Both main characters' journeys give the story some depth and keep it from being just a breezy, fluffy romance.
It's also enjoyable to see how Colby and Meg challenge each other. Sometimes the sparks really do fly. Strong language, excessive alcohol use, the aftermath of suicide, and other mature themes make it best for high-schoolers and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about alcohol use in You Say it First. Is the depiction of teen drinking accurate? Is it OK? What about Meg's mom? How does her drinking affect her and Meg?
How did you feel about the strong language? Is it a big deal? Is it realistic?
Have you been affected by suicide, or do you know someone who has been? Where can you get help? How can you help someone who's hurting?
Book Details
- Author: Katie Cotugno
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Friendship , High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: June 16, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 21, 2020
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