You Say It First by Katie Cotugno

You Say It First

by Katie Cotugno

An addictive, irresistible YA novel about two teens from different worlds who fall for each other after a voter registration call turns into a long-distance romance—from Katie Cotugno, the New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days. Perfect for fans of Mary H.K. Choi, Robin Benway, and Nicola Yoon.

One conversation can change everything.

Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: she and her best friend, Emily, plan to head to Cornell together in the fall, and she works at a voter registration call center in her Philadelphia suburb. But everything changes when one of those calls connects her to a stranger from small-town Ohio.

Colby is stuck in a rut, reeling from a family tragedy and working a dead-end job. The last thing he has time for is some privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process. So he says the worst thing he can think of and hangs up.

But things don’t end there.…

That night on the phone winds up being the first in a series of candid, sometimes heated, always surprising conversations that lead to a long-distance friendship and then—slowly—to something more. Across state lines and phone lines, Meg and Colby form a once-in-a-lifetime connection. But in the end, are they just too different to make it work?

You Say It First is a propulsive, layered novel about how sometimes the person who has the least in common with us can be the one who changes us most.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Meg was passionate about being part of the political process, and put her money where her mouth was by dedicating her time and effort to many causes she was believed in. One such cause was voter registration, but she never thought her phonebanking would lead to an unlikely friendship and so much more.

I always lament being a lonely moderate in this VERY politically polarized environment. So, I will admit, I approached this book with trepidation. However, it was a pleasant surprise, and not what I was expecting at all. I should have just trusted Katie Cotugno.

I definitely knew where Meg stood, politically, but Colby didn't seem to have too much conviction either way. He seemed more fed up with or disappointed in the political process, while Meg was a firm believer, that change was possible via this avenue. I thought the idea of being part of the process was such an important one, and I also liked that Meg spotlighted local politics. The federal government does not make all the rules, and I, therefore, appreciated the focus on getting involved locally.

For me, the beauty of the relationship, that blossomed between Colby and Meg, was how they challenged each other. Things were great at school for Meg, where everyone agreed with all her views, but along came Colby, and he had her questioning multiple aspects of her life. Meg also pushed Colby, and she dared him to see more possibilities, to believe that change could happen. They debated, they discussed, and they forced each other to see things from a different point of view. It was that change in perspective, which resulted in a lot of personal growth for them both.

I found myself fully absorbed in this story. I sped right through it, and overall, was pleased with what I read. I was a bit conflicted about the ending, though. I found it symbolically beautiful, but would have loved to have seen beyond that point. I will say, that I knew enough about the direction in which the characters were heading. However, I was somewhat excited about these developments, and greedy me wanted the story to go a wee bit longer, so I could see how it all worked out.

Overall: I throughly enjoyed this blend of romance, personal drama, and politics. It was about embracing differences, and seeing them as a way to refine and examine our own beliefs.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 27 May, 2020: Reviewed