What to Say Next

What to Say Next

Julie Buxbaum

What to Say Next, by Julie Buxbaum,, is emotional, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns. When popular Kit Lowell, and isolated David Drucker, become friends, it shocks everyone, especially Kit and David themselves. When Kit’s father dies, she decides to sit with David for a breath of fresh air. David’s blunt honesty and strange personality, is actually refreshing for Kit. When Kit asks David to help her figure out how her dad dies, David’s all in. But when David goes too far, and forgets about how to act, Kit and David’s friendship is on the line. Can they survive the truth?

What to Say Next, is a gripping read, that hooks readers from the first chapter. I believed the emotions coming from Kit. I believed that her dad died, that she was scared and hurting. Although this trope of parent’s death is overused a lot in Young Adult novels, children can relate to these topics and emotions. The plot twist at the end was depressing, and destroyed me completely. Although it is quite extreme, I don’t think it changed the story too much. Although this story wasn’t exactly what I expected, I still enjoyed it. The narration and writing style was emotional and engaging.

Grade Level: - Suggested: 4th-6th - Advanced: 3rd - Genre: Realistic-fiction - Key Elements: Death, betrayal

- Possible Themes: Death, bullying, betrayal, mental health

Overall Rating: 4/5 Happy Reading! -The Book Lover- If you like more details about the book or would like to request something for me to read, you can contact me at thebooklovercontact@gmail.com