Blog Tour: What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
Published: July 11, 2017 by Delacorte Press
Source: ARC from publisher

Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.


DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth? [goodreads]

Ever seen that kid sitting alone in the cafeteria lunch room, eating by themselves? I'm sure we've all seen that kid, or even been that kid, at one point in our lives. The premise for this story really grabbed me because it's that kid that has always resonated with me.  We tend to assume they are a loner, that something must be tragically wrong, or perhaps they don't have friends.  This story is quite interesting because it presents the thought that perhaps, that kid WANTS to sit alone.

I enjoyed the quiet dynamic between David and Kit, and their different stories that bring them together. They are both interesting people, well written characters, that you can't help but want to get to know more.  In the darkness of this story, there seems to be a light that keeps growing brighter and brighter.  David helps Kit unearth the mystery surrounding her father's death, while discovering secrets she hadn't known to be buried.  All the while David is learning how to let people in, especially Kit, and the repercussions of what can happen when you open yourself up.

I found myself rooting for these two, but also felt my heart breaking a little through out. There's an innocence here that reminds us of how difficult growing up can be.  It was tough to read in parts, but definitely worth it in the end.  I enjoyed this novel and its sweet, yet meaningful story it has to tell.