Finally after a long time did I read a book that wouldn’t allow me to keep it down even for a moment. I expected it to be a young adult romance novel, but it was so much more than that. “Call It What You Want” by Brigid Kemmerer explores so many important issues that tug at your heartstrings.
Rob & Maegan ❤️
Rob Lachlan Jr. , once a popular lacrosse player is now being treated as a social outcast. His best friend too has left his side. And, it is not because of something he did. His father was caught embezzling funds from nearly everyone in town. It gets worse when his father attempts suicide and becomes wheelchair bound. So, now Rob and his mom have to take complete care of him round the clock. With the mess that his life has become, Rob has build walls around him and avoids interacting with anyone. He has drowned himself into studies and novels. Yes, he reads 😍
A LOT.
Everyone thinks of Maegan Day as the typical overachiever. When her sister gets the lacrosse scholarship to college, Maegan becomes really pressurised by this feat. She feels she too has to perform well and ends up cheating on her SAT. Because of this, the scores of all the students gets invalidated. No one at school talks to her now except for her best friend, Rachel who still supports her. Maegan’s sister Samantha comes home impregnated. So, the stressful situation is more than she can handle.
The Calculus Project!
Rob and Maegan get paired for a calculus project. With both having zero social standing, all they wish is to get through high school without too much embarrassment. They aren’t happy about being partners. They weren’t friends before and they absolutely don’t wish to be now. With much reluctance, they start meeting for the project. Slowly, they start to confide in each other and realise they have more in common than they would have guessed.
Their bond starts to grow in a beautiful way. Sure, it has its ups and downs, but it is also pure and sweet.
Slibling Love ☺️
I really liked the bond between Maegan and her sister. Like any other siblings, there was no dearth of drama. But, the way they cared for each other and looked out for each other melted my heart. There was a part in the novel when Samantha is confronting her boyfriend but she starts to break down. But Maegan doesn’t let her. She steps in and stands by Sam like a rock while giving the boyfriend her piece of mind.
Friendships 🤗
The friendships in the book have so many emotions in them and were really well done. I especially adored Rob’s and Owen’s friendship because it was such an unlikely pair. There was a point in the book where Rob and Maegan were going through a bit of a rough patch. Rachel, Maegan’s best friend thought she was hurting. And, she grew so protective of Maegan and the way she looked out for her in front of Rob was adorable.
Narrative
The narrative oscillates between Rob and Maegan. The author has added a lot of layers to all the characters. All the characters of the book, including the side characters have been written in depth and each one’s backstory has been well explored which further enhances the story.
A lot of hard-hitting topics have been discussed.
After embezzling funds from his clients, Rob’s father attempts suicide and fails. Not only did Rob have to see his father in that state, he now has to look after him full-time. His father has gone into a completely vegetative state. Rob used to be really close to his father, but now he can’t even talk to him. For everyone in town, his father is a thief but for him, he is still his father. Add to that, he has no friends. For a 17-year old, all of this was a lot for him to take in and caused him a lot of stress and anxiety.
Rob isn’t as financially sound as he used to be. At school, he is made fun because of what his father did and he is also bullied for it.
When Maegan’s sister gets the scholarship, Maegan takes a lot of pressure because of it. She believes she has to do better and is so overwhelmed by it that she ends up cheating on her SATs.
Loneliness among teenagers has been well explored in this book. Be it Rob or Maegan, the situations that each of them had to go through weren’t easy. They had to endure so much in silence and had built walls around themselves to avoid more pain.
Prose
The novel was been written in simple English. The writing is effortless and easily readable. I actually fell in love with Brigid Kemmerer’s writing! I was completely immersed in the characters’ lives.
Closing remarks
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good contemporary read. The book is really moving and has a lot to offer. I was really hooked throughout. Even during breaks I couldn’t keep myself from thinking about how the plot would have advanced. Towards the end, it felt a bit rushed, but it is a beautiful read. This was my first novel by Brigid Kemmerer and I am really charmed. I would love to explore her other works.
Cup of Reviews would rate this : 80/100
“𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬
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