Title: Something More
Author: Jackie Khalilieh
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publishes On: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 336
Synopsis:
A contemporary teen romance novel featuring a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school, for fans of Jenny Han and Samira Ahmed.
Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Something More by Jackie Khalilieh, a young adult contemporary debut, is witty and nostalgic and shines a spotlight on two groups of people who are sorely underrepresented in the book world. One of the best kinds of books is one that teaches the reader while also entertaining, and Something More fulfilled that for me quite satisfactorily.
When the book opens we meet Jessie Kassis, a Palestinian-Canadian teen, who is about to embark on her first year of high school after just being diagnosed as autistic. She’s determined to hide her diagnosis from anyone outside of her family, and after encouragement from her therapist, she creates a list of goals to help keep her focused on what she’d like to achieve her first year of high school.
“Maybe if people can get past the things that make me different on the outside, then they might try to get to know the real me. And maybe I’ll let them.”
What makes this story shine is Jesse’s voice. I’ve seen several other reviewers use the word authentic, and it’s spot-on. The author, who also identifies as an autistic, Palestinian-Canadian, uses her own experiences to bring life to Jesse, and she’s created an unforgettable character. Jesse’s aware of the things that make her seem different from her peers, and she wears so many different masks, sometimes it’s hard for her to know who the real Jesse is. She knows she’s uncomfortable in social situations, that she says unexpected things, and that she’s obsessed with all things 90s. But she yearns to be accepted, have real friends, and to fall in love, just like most teenagers. Her journey is messy, but oh so rewarding.
I was especially impressed by Khalilieh’s ability to illustrate that what may seem obvious and predictable to the reader, is not so for Jesse. She did this graciously by showing and not just telling, a perfect reminder that we may all see the world differently and shouldn’t expect uniformity.
I had an unexpected nostalgic reaction while reading this book. Khalilieh did a good job of placing me back in my high school years. It may have been that Jesse is obsessed with all things 90s, which is when I attended high school, but many of Jesse’s successes and heartbreaks during her first year brought back memories of my own experiences. I was surprised by how much Jesse’s story made me revisit those emotions.
Jesse has a wonderful supporting cast, as well. From her boisterous, loving family to her new friend-group to her love interests. While much of the book does focus on Jesse’s love interests, the relationships are deftly woven into Jesse’s life, only enhancing her story.
And if you’re a follower, you know I can’t end a review without mentioning all the music that was included throughout these pages. I was thrilled to find Jesse’s playlist at the end of the book.
Joyful, authentic, and nostalgic, make sure you add Something More to your summer TBR!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating:
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About the Author
Jackie Khalilieh
JACKIE KHALILIEH is a Palestinian-Canadian writer with a love of nineties pop culture, Dad jokes, and warm and fuzzy romance. Like many autistic females, she received her diagnosis as an adult. She is passionate about positive representation within her writing. She currently resides just outside Toronto, Canada with her husband and two daughters, complaining nightly about having to cook dinner. Something More is her debut YA novel.
A Song For A Book
As I mentioned in the review, I was pleased as punch to find Jesse’s playlist at the back of the book. It makes it much easier to choose a song to highlight, as well. And then it was super fun to find the author had made a playlist on Spotify, also. I’ll be linking it below. I’ve chosen to highlight Bryan Adams’ song “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”, which has a very special appearance in the book. 😊
Look into my eyes, you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there
You’ll search no more
Don’t tell me, it’s not worth tryin’ for
You can’t tell me, it’s not worth dyin’ for
You know it’s true
Everything I do, I do it for you…
Have you read Something More? Did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
Sounds like a great read! And I’ve always been a fan of that Bryan Adams’s song.
Such a nostalgic song for me. It was at its peak during my high school years. 😉
That playlist is oldies heavy for sure (my college years there). Do they put on Little Shop of Horrors? Curious why those songs were included.
Yes, it is oldies heavy! Jesse is obsessed with all things 90s. It brings back my high school years. And yes, the play they put on is Little Shop of Horrors!
I’ve added this one to my TBR, based on your review. I love when there’s a playlist at the end of a book 🙂
Yay!! I would love to hear what you think of it. It’s such a sweet book. I’m still thinking about it. <3