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Parents' Guide to

You Say it First

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Standard romance of opposites deals with drinking, suicide.

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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Is It Any Good?

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Kids say (2 ):

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.

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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