TAYSHAS 13

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

As much as I loved Tell Me Three Things by the same author, I liked this one more. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I have a young man in one of my classes that reminds me of David, though my student is quite a bit more outgoing and social, so maybe David in a couple of years. At any rate, if I can relate a book to my life or something connected to my life, I am going to enjoy it more.

This is told by two characters, David and Kit. They are juniors in high school, in a reasonably small town in New Jersey. David is a bit of a loner because he has Asperger's (which, as he points out, is no longer a recognized disorder). Also because of the Asperger's, he is considered a bit weird, and kids treat him badly. Due to an incident in junior high, he has been training in various martial arts. He's probably the smartest kid in school, but he doesn't really have friends.

Kit is going through a rough time. A month ago, her father was killed in a car accident, and it has hit her hard, which is totally expected. Totally expected except by her friends, it seems. They seem to think that she should be back to her normal self, and don't understand why she's not. So, one day, she sits at David's table at lunch.

Thus begins a beautiful friendship. Because of Kit, David starts coming out of his shell. Because of David, Kit has someone to talk to who won't judge her for what she's going through.

This was a great read. There were times I was smiling so big, and others where I was on the verge of tears. I loved this, and highly recommend it.