You Say It First by Katie Cotugno

Title: You Say It First

Author: Katie Cotugno

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 

Categories: young adult fiction, romance, contemporary, realistic fiction, angst

Release date: June 16th, 2020

Buy link: MPH (Malaysia) | Book Depository (International)

SYNOPSIS

Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: her boyfriend Mason is sweet and supportive, she and her best friend Emily plan to head to Cornell together in the fall, and she even finds time to clock shifts phonebanking 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, who gets under her skin from the moment he picks up the phone.

Colby is stuck in a rut, reeling from a family tragedy and working a dead-end job—unsure what his future holds, or if he even cares. 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.

MY REVIEW

They do be really saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. I expected I’d get a cute, fluffy with a little bit flimsy in the middle of the story just to show that a relationship has its ups and downs or maybe some obstacles that hamper the process of two star crossed lovers from getting back together and then poof—they’re back together through some sort of deep-talks and deep-understanding. I’m not sorry if this sounds cliché because I do love me some cliché stuff. 

This book is far from what I preconceived. There is still some cute stuff that makes me feel giddy but overall, it is so realistic that I just couldn’t disagree with the author’s intention because it is what happens in a real-life and it is better to stay in that way. I’d say this story is the perfect example for ‘say no to toxic relationships.’ And I’m happy with that in spite of receiving a massive let-down in return because this book has its own strong points that make me feel attached to it.

You Say It First focuses on family, friendships, political issues(voting), dealing with the loss of a loved one, overcoming and embracing insecurities, and the disparities between two complex people who’re tied to a long-distance-relationship. This book is pretty heavy, at some points I feel sympathy for the lead characters and their family because of what they’ve gone through. The level of angst in this book if I were to measure it inside a small cup, metaphorically speaking, it’ll be overflowed by the time you finish reading it. It’s up to everyone’s view and taste whether angsty read is a good thing or not. Paradoxically for me, it pulls me onto the track of reality and I’m okay with it. 

Would I still recommend this book? Yes, I’d recommend this to those who want to challenge themselves and volunteer to be suffered and stare at the ceiling at 3.a.m. right after finishing it. If you’re not one of them, skip it.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5

CW// suicide, suicidal signs, sexism