Call It What You Want

by Brigid Kemmerer

[Kat @ Novels & Waffles]

Reading Call It What You Wantis like having your soul scrubbed clean with a handful of steel wool – it rubs you raw and leaves your heart totally ravaged. But in a strangely cathartic way.

As I've come to expect from Brigid Kemmerer, this was an emotionally-charged coming-of-age story filled with evocative scenes that had my heart aching and my tears flowing. Heavy topics such as suicide, loneliness, teenage pregnancy, and abortion were all discussed with a transparency that brought a realistic element to the narrative.

Every character, even the supporting ones, were fleshed out and complex. They were broken, flawed, and emotionally scarred, but together they helped each other heal and become better people. This seems to be a recurring theme in many of Kemmerer's books, and the way she weaves into her stories is so earnest and layered.

All in all, if you're looking for a cute and fluffy contemporary romance, this book might not be for you. But if you're looking for a heartfelt, real-to-life story that shows both love and life can be messy – yet hope-filled – affairs, then consider picking this one up.