Book Review: Say You Will by Eric Walters

11/16/2017

SYNPOSIS

Sam is not exactly what you'd call a regular guy: while his IQ is stratospheric, his social skills don't quite rank as high, and his dating history: well, there's no history to speak of . . . yet. But Sam has set out to finally fit in. He's resolved to get some answers wrong in class; to stop getting perfect marks on his assignments; to get to know some people other than Ian and Brooke, his two closest (okay, only) friends--and find himself a prom date.

And the prom is on everyone's mind: Sam's school has become swept up by promposals--in other words, very elaborate, very public scenes in which someone is asked to the prom. Sam thinks he might have found the inspiration he needs to ask the girl dreams out for a perfect night at the prom--as well as the unforgettable way to do it.

Synopsis from Chapters.Indigo.ca

PERSONAL REVIEW

This was a fun book for a Sunday afternoon when you just want something light. I really wasn’t sure how an entire book could be about a promposal but I thought I’d give it a try anyways. Plus, the author is Canadian and I love being able to support Canadians!

All three characters are quirky and easy to love:

Sam: absolutely brilliant and I loved being inside his head. The way he thinks about people, things, and situations is hilarious to read about. Sam is incredibly compassionate, like speaking to Trevor about how he is the bravest person he knows after such a humiliating day, and has so much love for his friends and parents.

Brooke: she’s an activist, very socially aware of problems in the world, and actually lives by what she stands for. While this could easily come off as overbearing, I think that she is so cool (I wish I could make my own clothes; it would save me so much money) and liked reading about her interactions with Sam and Ian.

Ian: such a sweetheart, even though he can’t keep his thoughts in his head. I think the best moment of this book was actually when Ian decides not to have lunch with Sam because he’s afraid of blurting out who Sam is asking to prom. He is so grateful that Sam trusts him and will literally go into hiding to make sure that he doesn’t break that trust.

“I started to feel a rush of embarrassment and then stopped myself. There was nothing wrong with a guy hugging his best friend. I hugged him back” – this is one of my favourite moments in the book. I love it. We need more male characters that aren’t afraid to show their emotions; guys have feelings too and it’s ok to show them!

This ended up being a very easy read and it made me really grateful that promposals were not a thing when I was in high school!

FINAL RATING: 3.5/5