Title: Call It What You Want
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: 27th June 2019
BLURB from Goodreads
When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.
Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.
When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...
This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?
Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.
When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...
This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?
PURCHASE LINKS
REVIEW
After
reading and loving Brigid Kemmerer’s Letters To The Lost Series I know straight
away if she did another contemporary style book I had to read it! Once again I
have seen two covers for this book (pictured at the end of this post). I do
like both styles of cover though I discuss them further in my “Cover Comparison
Post”. The genres listed for this book are YA, Contemporary, I love YA and have
warmed to the contemporary genre especially when coupled with YA and by this
particular author.
The
main character is former “it” boy Rob Lachlan junior, who once had it all, money,
popularity and an easy life. That was until his dad Robert Lachlan Senior got
caught embezzling money. He was turned in by family friend and co-employee Bill
Tunstall. Bill was cleared of all charges and so he and his family were
untouched by the notoriety and disgrace that the Lachlan family endure. Robert
Lachlan senior couldn’t cope with the fall out from being caught having fraudulently
stolen money from many of the neighbours and he attempts to take his own life.
Horrifically for Robert Lachlan junior he is the one that finds his dad.
Rob
has no one to call a friend at school now, even his best friend Connor Tunstall
ignores hm. Someone else used to being less popular is Maegan, her dad is a
policeman. It’s a good job she doesn’t have close friends as if she did it
would be harder to hide the fact her sister Samantha has come home from
University and is pregnant. Naturally Maegan’s family want to keep the shock
news private for as long as possible. Maegan has attached enough notoriety to
the family name by cheating at the school exams. The ironic thing is she is
clever enough to pass without cheating.
The
reason the two main characters suddenly find themselves pairs up which just
leaves Rob & Maegan.
With
everyone judging Rob by his fathers standard when certain opportunities
literally begin dropping in his lap its difficult to blame him for taking
advantage of them. First of all, there’s the money that Connor Tunstall drops
when he is in the cafeteria. Rob picks it up and his attempts to return it to
Connor fail. In the end he decides to give it to Owen Goettler who is on the
equivalent to school dinners in the US. Which means Owen is usually eating a
rather grim looking cheese sandwich. Gradually the money Rob comes across
become larger and larger amounts until he steals a pair of earrings. In his “defence”
the person who steals them from would not miss them or the money they cost. He
has some deep thinking to do, such as should he pawn the earrings? Should he
return them? What should he do?
I
liked the characters of Samantha and Maegan, though throughout the book Maegan
actually comes across as the more mature sister despite Samantha being the
eldest. There is plenty going on in the book that certainly has you glued to
your seat with the book in your hand!
I
was surprised to find out the other people involved in the embezzling. Although
I did love hating Connor’s dad within the book, he is a very controlling
character.
Another
character I was wary of but then ended up adoring was Mr London, the gay
librarian with a husband at home. Despite being one of the victims Mr London
soon becomes a shoulder to lean on for Rob. Through Rob’s love of books they
share a hobby and have that to initiate a friendship. One that it turns out Rob
really needs.
I
Loved the characters that all had their own problems and family issues yet at
the same time still managed to be there for each other when they most needed
each other. Well written, totally believable read.
COVER COMPARE
The cover on the above left has a dark blue background, with a row of what looks like different coloured paper hearts, like small folded notes and then the title is in a kind of loopy handwriting style. This style of cover could really be for any genre and fit it well. I do like the cover. . .
The cover on the above right has a pale pink background, with what appear to be white paper hearts, again, like the type of bits of paper you would pass back & forth in class. Again it has the title done in a loopy handwriting style. I think the pale pink cover will make some think that this book is a kind of chick lit genre. I do like the cover....
So which cover do YOU like the best and WHY?
I would have to say though I like both covers I find the cover on the left, is the most appealing to me!
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