I came into this book expecting yet another angsty YA contemporary story (that I’m shamelessly into) and yet I am kicked directly in my non-existent balls by Ms. K without warning... and I stan it!
This book raised a shit ton of social issues! A shit-ton!!
- poverty
- teen pregnancy
- sexuality
- political corruption
- a hint of racism
- bullying
And mainly the idea that there are ALWAYS two sides in every story.
We are introduced to Rob and Meg who are constantly challenged by their own personal heavy issues throughout the book with the help of confiding with eachother and with the people surrounding them. As teenagers they obviously come up with silly solutions and assumptions about certain situations and people.
But as the story progress, they provide solutions to their problems that encompasses their morality and pushes them to become very mature individuals.
But what really struck me about this book is the fact that Ms. K didn’t just focus on the 2 main characters. ALL characters in the book have their own problems and backstories that shows us that they too are people subjected to the current issue surrounding their little town like Rob and Meg. It humanizes these characters and makes you really feel for them and I admit (like Rob and Meg) some people in this book did made me feel like an asshole for having such ill thoughts towards them- one great example is Connor. He was introduced to us as your stereotypical high school bully but as we delve into his story, we realize that he is actually yet another unfortunate victim of the issue that everyone is drowning in.
I love how the side characters are unlike NPCs in a game where they exist only for the plot and this gives me the idea that maybe (just like More than we can tell- a pt.2 of Letter’s to the lost) Ms. K might one day delve into the lives of one of these characters *coughOWENcoughCONNORcough!!* and I would really love to read about this! My heart bleeds for these two characters- mainly Owen- his backstory hits home. This has become easily my second favorite of Ms. K’s books (first ofcourse is A Curse)!
But most importantly, I’m ecstatic to have the right decision to follow and support an author such as Ms. Kemmerer. One can really tell that she puts so much time and effort and heart into her books as they are gradually becoming saturated with such heavy hitting issues (started with A Curse So Dark and Lonely) and I don’t doubt that one day she will earn her place with the other NYT best sellers as she should!
Everyone who is into contemporary books should definitely read atleast one of her books- this one especially! She needs to have the recognition that she so heavily deserve! I am looking forward to see her rise to the top and I will continue to support such a brilliant author! Five stars.🌟

PS: MS. KEMMERER IF UR READING THIS, PLEASE GIVE ME THE OWEN CONTENT I DESERVE!!!😭🤤

Realistic fiction romance contemporary

Maegan and Rob are each social pariahs and holding onto secrets when they end up partners for a Calculus project. Along the way, they become friends while dealing with their families and issues. I don't think the work on the project the entire time. Good pacing, an ending I wasn't expecting, realistic characters.

East coast- Pennsylvania maybe? Baltimore/Annapolis?

Spoiler

Some swearing, making out (removing tops), a little violence, suicide attempt, underage drinking

p. 67: "'So you know how people say the opposite of love is hate?' he says...'My mom once said that's not true. She said the opposite of love is indifference. She said love and hate both require directing energy at someone....'"


p. 340: "'I'm not lost. I want to do the right thing.'
'Most of us do,' she says ruefully. 'The problem is that it doesn't always look the same for all of us.'"

BK is really the best at making it hurt so good.

I was fortunate enough to receive a Netgalley ARC of Call It What You Want by Bridgette Kemmerer, a realistic fiction that explores the story of Rob and Maegan’s unlikely connection. Both characters have garnered the ire of most of their classmates, Maegan through her involvement in an SAT cheating scandal that ended up invalidating the scores of over 100 classmates, and Rob by being the son of a financial advisor who attempted suicide after stealing millions of dollars from unsuspecting clients, most of whom are the parents of his former best friends. When Maegan and Rob are partnered for a math assignment, both expect the worst, but their relationship quickly grows beyond a school project as Rob tries to define himself against his father’s infamous legacy and Maegan navigates the tricky waters of how to support her sister after an unplanned pregnancy.

While the plot is compelling, Kemmerer’s ability to capture the nuances of character is what truly drives this book. Almost no character is pictured as fully good or fully bad; for example, when unburdening himself about his mixed feelings about his father, Rob comments, “He was awful...but he wasn’t an awful father.” Kemmerer captures the duality of real life in Call It What You Want; best friends inadvertently betray, strong siblings display weaknesses, good people do bad things, parents fail to communicate, and moral issues appear murky. There is an exploration of poverty, labels, morality, and what it means to do right, but, as in life, this novel offers no easy answers. In the end, readers are left with the clear impression that there is good in almost everyone and, as Kemmerer repeats through a number of characters, “One choice doesn’t determine your whole future.”

By considering the gray areas of life and confronting some starkly difficult situations while mixing in just the right amount of teen romance and mystery, Kemmerer succeeds in creating a compelling read that will appeal to a wide audience and encourage empathy. Call It What You Want is a strong choice for any high school library where realistic fiction is popular.

Review on my blog https://georgiabooks.wordpress.com/

**4/5**

It only took me a few hours to read it, so obviously it was really good. It had its issues, but I liked how the relationship between the reader and the characters grew as the story went on.

Me encanta todo lo que escribe Brigid Kemmerer. Siento que todo lo bueno que dije en su momento de [b:Letters to the Lost|30038855|Letters to the Lost (Letters to the Lost, #1)|Brigid Kemmerer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464361740l/30038855._SY75_.jpg|45042926] lo podría repetir aquí. Me encantan sus personajes, lo humanos que son. Tienen sus matices y definitivamente se mueven en escalas de grises, no todo en ello son blancos y negros.

En este libro se tratan temas como la soledad (y el aislamiento social), las relaciones paternofiliales, cargar con errores que no son tuyos, lo rápido que a veces juzgamos (y condenamos) sin tener toda la información...

Me ha hecho llorar en un par de ocasiones porque me he identificado mucho con algunas de las situaciones que se plantean. Me han gustado muchísimo todos los personajes (se salen bastante de los estereotipos que solemos encontrar en este tipo de novelas) y la relación de Meagan con Sam y la de Rob con Owen me han parecido lo mejor (la amistad de Rob y Owen en concreto me ha dado la vida; más amistades así entre chicos en la literatura, por favor).

La única pega que le pongo es el final, se resuelve todo un tanto bruscamente pero vamos, el resto me ha gustado tanto que lo perdono ♥

RATING - New favorite book of all-time

"Megs, you made a mistake. You're allowed to make a mistake."

cw: attempted suicide, talk of abortion, bullying, talk of racism, gun violence, parental abuse

How does one articulate how much a book has impacted them? Truly.

This book touches on some nuanced thought - the main being the shades of gray in people. What mistake is too far and can someone still be good if they've made terrible mistakes. All the characters in this book have flaws, just like all of us do. I think every single character in this book is being faced with the consequences of some action they've taken and it made all the characters so distinct and intriguing. I hated some of the characters in this book at points but by the end of the narrative, it really made me think - why did I view what this person did as worse than what this other person did?

I feel I could dissect this book for ages and ages but god this made so many great points. Some people may not agree with the points made, but I really appreciated the dialogue on privilege and money.

On top of all of that these characters were beautifully crafted (as always) and I loved them all to pieces. Okay - that's not entirely true some of these characters were vile but as I said, nuanced.

The romance in this was top notch and our main characters were just amazing amazing amazing. I also loved loved loved the added sister dynamic between Maegan and Samantha - it was just amazing to read. I think this may be a perfect book???? My favorite Kemmerer???? My top 5 favorite books of all time???? Wow.