This young adult novel turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise! I don’t usually go for recommended books, especially on my local digital library, but the brief description I read for What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum seemed intriguing enough. That means I decided to give it a go!
Told in alternating perspectives, we first meet David, who as he starts talking is evident he’s got Asperger’s Syndrome to some extent. He’s currently caught up in the fact that someone is sitting with him at his lunch table. Not just anyone though, it’s his crush Kit! From Kit’s view, she’s trying her hardest to avoid what used to be her normal life, but that was before he dad died in a car accident. She picked David’s table because she was pretty positive he wouldn’t speak to her. David surprises himself by not only speaking to Kit, but also comforting her later in the day. The two start sitting together at lunch after that.
This book took many interesting turns and even had a few very surprising reveals that I won’t spoil here. Buxbaum’s words are so easy and enjoyable to read that you’ll just have to check this book out yourself if you want to know what all goes down. Needless to say though, David tries his hardest to navigate life without being able to read or interact with people like everyone else. He’s got an extremely supportive and loving family, but David is also a teenager, which means he’ll make mistakes along the way regardless. I like that he never made excuses for himself, and always tried to learn from an experience regardless of how uncomfortable the situation might have been.
Kit is more of a closed shell and has a real hard time opening up, even if she does find it easier to talk about things with David. She appreciates his blunt honesty in a time when people are tip-toeing around her. It’s almost like they are a perfect pair…I mean, duh. The only thing I found frustrating about Kit is that she never thought much further than “David is a little weird” in trying to figure out why he had trouble communicating certain things. I suppose that’s both good and bad that she doesn’t just assume things, but it makes for some unnecessary tension in my opinion.
Personally, I felt like Buxbaum handled her characters with skill, and while I don’t know all of the specifics of Asperger’s Syndrome, it seemed to be a pretty honest portrayal of someone with it. Again, this book was an easy and extremely enjoyable read, so give it a shot! I myself am already reading one of Buxbaum’s other novels, so I’ll be reporting back soon!