"It's basic physics really. We all need an equal and opposing force."

I read Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things earlier this month. I liked it. I wasn't in love with it. What To Say Next is a really good follow up to her previous novel. Again, it wasn't perfect, but there was so much to like here.

I knew by the second page that this book was special. For the most part, it delivered.

What I liked:

1. David. Just, everything about him. I thought his voice was so clear and unique, and I loved learning about him and how he saw the world and his honesty. Just everything. When he hurt, I ached for him the same way I ache when I see my son hurting. Where you just want to gather them up and tell them everything is going to be okay and then go kick the ass of whoever hurt them in the first place.

As far as the austism rep goes, I do not have autism. I do know some people with autism and it's very true what he says in the book: "If you meet one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." It's a condition that affects each person differently. From what I could see, this looked like a very sensitive and intricate portrayal of autism that didn't seem to get entrenched in all of the cliches and stereotypes that people think of when they think of a person with autism.

I did see one person, who identified herself as someone with autism, saying that while the rep was actually amazing, she was really upset because in the beginning of the book, he claims that he does not have autism. He says that the closest diagnosis for his behavior is Asperger's, but that since it's not in the DSM anymore there isn't something that clearly defines him. I understand why she would be upset, but I do think that the author may have done this intentionally to show his growth in the story because as he learns more about the people around him and attempts to integrate himself into the world, he comes to terms with the fact that he does have autism, regardless of any specific diagnosis. Now, that being said, I don't know how successful this is, but I don't think that the author was trying to say that David doesn't have autism, only that David, who is a very precise person, didn't classify himself that was at the beginning of the story.

2. Friendships.
I really loved David and Kit's friendship. She was going through something truly traumatic and didn't feel comfortable with her friends, even though they weren't being anything other than loving and supportive. I totally get that. Sometimes so much love and support can be overwhelming, to the point that it feels undeserved. David is the only one who wasn't handing out a bunch of meaningless platitudes. He was honest to a fault, and I loved that she appreciated that.
I also thought that her friends Annie and Violet were really good. At first I was nervous that they were going to have a bunch of high school drama and turn the two of them into mean girls. I'm so glad they didn't. They are there throughout the book to support Kit, even when they may not exactly understand what she is going through and the choices she is making. That's what real friends do.

What I didn't like:

1. The main conflict between Kit and David (because there has to be some sort of obstacle) in this book hinges on a twist revealed near the end of the book. My problem is that when this twist was revealed, it wasn't anything super surprising to me. I had actually predicted it near the beginning of the book based on things Kit and her mom talked about. Actually, I predicted it and then forgot that it wasn't already known information so when it was revealed, I was like, "Why are we going over this again?"

2. Kit in the last quarter of the book was frustrating. I mean, she's a mess through most of the book, but it's understandable. Her dad has just died. But the way she reacts to David after the twist was just aggravating. She knows that he isn't neurotypical, and that he won't always react the way many other people would, and yet she acts like he maliciously tried to cause her pain. I wish they'd shown her going to counseling or maybe meetings in a group setting, because she definitely needed some help.

One more thing. I saw a scathing review of this book comparing it to the 90s movie She's All That. In the book, David does get a haircut and some new clothes. Afterwards, he does get noticed quite a bit because of it. The reviewer went off on this 'trope' and how it was a ripoff of the movie...I do not get that at all. The 'makeover' is such a small part of David's story. It happens more than half-way through the book. Also, Kit didn't start liking him or thinking he was cute after the makeover. She had already admitted multiple times that he was good looking and a really good guy. But honestly, if all you get out of this book is She's All That...I just don't know what to say. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Let's be honest. I mostly loved David.