Book Review: Say What You Will

If you’re looking for a young adult novel with a disability focus, or something that is more diverse that what you’ve been reading.  Check out Cammie McGovern’s Say What You Will.  Say What You Will is about a senior high school student named Amy who was born with cerebral palsy.  She uses a walker, a computer to talk to people, and doesn’t have a single friend, until Matthew and the other peer helpers.  Amy decides to forge relationships with a number of students during her senior year of high school and encourages a handful of students to act as aides; helping her to her classrooms, getting her set up to take notes, and sitting with her at lunch.  Matthew’s not one to shy away from the truth and soon he and Amy begin a relationship like nothing they have ever known.  As Amy begins to learn more about Matthew, she discovers that he has obsessive compulsive tendencies that he tries to hide, but are taking over his life.
This novel was extremely well-written in that it didn’t shy away from situations like romance, sex, the “typical” high school issues like prom, family situations and more.  Without giving away too much of the plotline, Amy, a character with a disability, actually thinks about having sex… shocking, right?  Or is it.  I applaud McGovern for creating a character that teens can relate to on a number of levels.
Check out author, Cammie McGovern’s website!
Title: Say What You Will
Author: Cammie McGovern
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: 2014
Page Number: 343 pgs.