Title: Say What You Will
Author: Cammie McGovern
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 343
Publication date: June 3rd 2014
My rating: 5/ 5 stars
Synopsis:
John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this beautifully written, incredibly honest, and emotionally poignant novel. Cammie McGovern's insightful young adult debut is a heartfelt and heartbreaking story about how we can all feel lost until we find someone who loves us because of our faults, not in spite of them.
Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.
When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.
(taken from goodreads)
Review:
I went into this book without really knowing what to expect. At first, I took it to be your typical contemporary book with teens with illnesses and disabilities. However, the more I read, the easier it became to realize that this book wasn't going to be one to merely read and quickly move on afterwards. It is one hell of a powerful and amazing book. The kind that really makes you think about the way in which you perceive the world and the people around you. Like I said, I didn't know what to expect from it, but it certainly wasn't this. It left me completely impressed. In more ways than one.
This book is technically a love story. Then what makes it so special? you may ask. The answer is simple;there just happens to be a lot more to it than a simple love story.
Amy was born with cerebral palsy. Meaning that she must get by with a walker and machine that does the talking for her. She also can't control her facial expressions which can sometimes result in her drooling. Basically she doesn't have such an easy life. The thing is, Amy doesn't let that stop her from anything. She always tries everything possible in order to gain a little bit more of independence, despite of her disability. She doesn't let others' pity over-take her and always keeps moving forward and proving how brilliant she is. As for, Mathew, he suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD. This disorder consumes the majority of his life and prevents him or makes it more difficult to do many daily activities.
They have both known each other all their lives. It is now in their senior year of high school when Amy decides to get Student Aids in order to get her by the school year and maybe make it more interesting, that they really get to know each other and take part in the other's life. They both have feelings for each other and they eventually show them.
{A lot of things happen along the road that I couldn't even dream of spoiling for you so I'm just going to leave it at that}
I really love how they helped each other with facing daily challenges and tried their best to understand the others' illness/disability. As well as how the author gave us readers a very beautiful and real portrayal of them. That really was a great insight and it made the story exceptionally substantial. Not only was the story amazing as a whole, but the writing was simply beautiful. Also, the character's were really believable and had voices that you just can't help but want to listen to.
In short, this book undoubtedly sparked some emotion in me. It is moving and I truly believe that everyone will be able to take something from it.
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