Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah 
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 What I Didn't Say is told from the POV of Jake Hayes. He's a senior in high school, a football player, has great friends, and a wonderful (yet huge) family. The one thing he's missing is Samantha--a girl he's loved for years--as his girlfriend. He's never had the guts to tell her how he feels, but that's about to change. 
 During a homecoming party, Jake has a few drinks and decides it's time to tell Sam how he feels. He and his two drunken best friends pile into the car and make way for her house. Their poor judgement is realized all too quickly when they get into a tragic accident before making it to their destination. His two friends walk away from the crash with minor injuries, but Jake himself was impaled through the neck and, as a result, can never speak again. 
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 What a wonderful story! Since there wasn't anything I disliked about it, let's dive right into the good stuff. :) 
 I always love a book from a male's POV. It's semi-rare in Young Adult and it is always refreshing when a good book from a male's perspective pops up! Jake is not portrayed as your average teenage guy; he's sensitive and kind. Is he perfect? Hardly. He makes mistakes, feels sorry for himself, but he learns and he knows when he's wrong. I really enjoyed his character. 
 Samantha was a character I was unsure of at first. Before I learned her back story, I found her to be kind of snooty and oblivious. Once the secrets were out though, my heart wept for this girl. The saddest part of it all is that what happened to her, happens to real kids every day. It's terrible and unfortunate and maddening. I think her situation added to the story wonderfully and made this couple seem even more fit for each other. Sam needed someone to care and take care of her, and Jake needed to see that life could be worse and that things aren't always what they seem. Both teenagers were struggling with the hardships of life in completely different ways. They were both extremely inspirational characters. 
 Another thing I loved about this book was the fact that the protagonist's parents were supportive, loving, quality people. It seems like every time I pick up a YA novel these days, the parents are absent, oblivious, abusive, or simply uncaring. It was a nice change. In fact, a lot of my most favorite parts of the book were the ones spent with Jake's family. I live far away from my family, so it made me feel all nostalgic. :) 
 There are also plenty life lessons to be learned from this story. The first and most obvious one is the lesson of drinking underage, as well as driving while under the influence; a lesson every young person should be taught and remember. Another thing to learn from this book is not to hold off when it comes to saying or doing something that you feel is important. Life is short and time is precious. Then, you of course have the lesson that people of all ages seem forget: Don't take the people and things in your life for granted. Things as simple as speaking can be taken away in a heartbeat. I really applaud Keary Taylor for putting it all out there. 
 Overall, What I Didn't Say is just plain amazing. It's a cautionary story that will touch your heart and leave you feeling slightly humbled. It's beautiful and intense. It's real and raw. The characters multidimensional and easy to relate to. The romance is definitely on the gooey side, but it's done incredibly well - it's sure to make you swoon! The pace is perfect and it'll keep you glued to the pages from beginning to end. I definitely recommend this one for those who enjoy YA Contemps. 
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 Book source: NetGalley 
 Publisher: CreateSpace