Say What You Will

McGovern, Cammie. Say What You Will. 2014. 343p. ISBN 9780062271105. Available at FIC MCG on the library shelves.

Matthew has a new job this school year. He will be a student aide to Amy, a disabled student. Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can’t talk by herself and needs a walker to move from classroom to classroom. When she got her first talking computer in 3rd grade, it opened a new world of possibilities for her. But when Matthew reacted negatively to a paper Amy wrote in 11th grade, telling her that not everything was positive in the world, and that Amy was sheltered, she realized that she indeed was. For her senior year, she wants to make friends and live a life without a teacher aide. And she wants Matthew to help her.

Matthew himself has issues with obsessive compulsive disorder. He has to wash himself all the time, or the voice in his head will tell him he will cause harm to someone. He must count lockers and other objects in the classroom. He is completely hung up on sex. But he’s been keeping his eyes on Amy, wondering what makes her tick and how she lives her life on a daily basis. So when he is approached to be one of her aide, he agrees.

Now that the two school misfits have found each other, they must learn to know each other and stretch beyond their comfort zone to finally open up and interact with the world.

Fans of Eleanor and Park will absolutely adore this tale of sorrow and growth as Matthew and Amy decide whether they can trust each other.