Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer - HIGH

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer, 384 pages.  Bloomsbury, 2019.  $19.  

Content: Language: R (71 swears; 1 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH  

Rob is a senior in high school who used to be at the top of the social ladder, but is now struggling to get through each day.  Rob’s father stole money from a lot of people in his town and then unsuccessfully attempted suicide, which left him paralyzed and Rob and his mom in charge of caring for his dad’s paraplegic body.  Maegan is a good student, but ever since she tried to cheat on the SAT test and was caught, she is ridiculed at school and her parents don’t trust her at home.  On top of that Maegan’s perfect older sister has returned from college pregnant and leans on Maegan for help.  After they are paired together for a school project, Rob and Maegan learn to share their heavy problems with each other and try to survive their senior year.  

Kemmerer writes empathetic characters and pulls you into their dramas from the beginning.  I enjoyed the plot building and the twist and read this book quite quickly.  Romance, tension, secrets, heartache and familial bonds build a captivating read.  The ending felt abrupt and the content includes a descriptive suicide attempt, teen pregnancy and a student involved with a teacher.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson