Say What You Will audiobook

Just when I thought I was maybe growing 'out' of young adult books, along came Cammie McGovern, and alongside her came Amy and Matthew, reminding me exactly why I fell in love with YA in the first place. Amy and Matthew seems like a book that was written for me - it contains everything I love and most importantly, two imperfect protagonists who were easy to admire from the very beginning. Both characters have diagnosable 'disabilities', Amy has Cerebral Palsy and Matthew has OCD. Though both conditions can be very disabling, the characters certainly don't just sit back and let their problems dominate them, which is probably the main reason why I admired them so much. Their lives are undoubtedly affected, as anybody who has (or who has had) an illness will know, and it that's certainly a largely covered issue in the book, but I absolutely loved, and was so relieved, that the personalities of the characters were at the forefront. I enjoyed seeing how the two characters leaned on each other and how their relationship helped improve their wellbeing. Amy and Matthew learn a lot about themselves through each other and this creates such a perfect chemistry between the two and it's something very special. Amy and Matthew are, quite simply, perfect for each other. If I was Amy, I would love a guy like Matthew, and if I was Matthew, I'd love a girl like Amy. I don't think that anybody could deny that. The two characters are really quite different and that is patly why they work so well together. Though Amy is less physically able than Matthew, she's perhaps slightly stronger emotionally, where as Matthew is more physically able but has a harder time with his emotions. I was very interested to see what Amy was really like, what she really thought and felt, as she seemed like, and was, a very complex person. I can only imagine what it must be like to be in her situation, but I think that McGovern portrayed her amazingly well. I liked seeing how both characters changed throughout the book - I was particularly impressed with Matthew's improvements and recovery.As someone who has both chronic physical pain and mental illnesses, from what I understand of Amy and Matthew's issues, they were described well and I am glad that their issues were portrayed in a very frank, but not hyperbolic way. I sympathised with them, but didn't pity them. It is good to finally be able read a book about real people with real issues, trying to lead a normal lifestyle.I hope it's clear how much I loved this book! It's difficult to write in a review, as you really do have to 'meet' Amy and Matthew through reading. I can not thank McGovern enough for getting me back into this genre and reminding me of everything I love about contemporary YA. Amy and Matthew is definitely one of the top YA books out there at the moment. Move over, The Fault In Our Stars and make way for Amy and Matthew!

I don't know where to start. I didn't know what the book was about and I like to be surprised. When I started reading and saw that it was the story of a girl with cerebral palsy and a boy with severe OCD and socially inept, I soon realized that this novel was different, I had never read anything like it. It was a real learning, overturn prejudices, to see beyond the disability ... I liked it a lot and think it would be great if the schools students had to read this book, learn to respect the difference. And just I did not give 5, because he liked to have had a different ending.

I, like many of you sticklers out there who feel the need to compare previously popular books such as The Fault in Our Stars, Twilight, and The Hunger Games to new ones, have been shown up yet again. I completely expected a Fault in Our Stars knock off with cerebral palsy instead of cancer, because that's what a bunch of reviews told me. Suffice to say, it was not. A book about illnesses does not constitute a rip off of John Green. I mean it can sometimes, I've read some, but anyways!Amy has cerebral palsy and the left side of her body is unpredictable, causing her to rely on a walker and an aide to carry her books in between classes, use the bathroom, etc. It's her senior year and she's not exactly what you would call popular. In fact, she hasn't really got one friend. So she decides to switch out her adult aides for peers that will help, five different students for each day of the week. She let's her mom pick four, but Amy has her eyes set on making Matthew, the guy that inspired her idea, to be number five.Matthew is very compulsive. In fact, he's obsessively compulsive. He needs to check the faucet at least three times to make sure it is completely off, tap every other locker, and he prefers when things have an even amount such as the tiles on the wall or vowels in a word. He's surprised when he gets the call to be Amy's aide, a wee bit hesitant, but he does it since she emailed him directly telling him of her choice.A friendship ensues, and it's a rather cute one. Of course, the entire time I was screaming something along the lines of this. With a "you" instead of "we"And then something happens that I honestly did not see coming at all. It was really out of the blue. I was left gaping, completely dumbfounded at how unlucky Amy was.Then came the ending, where yes, I was pleased, but then I was like really? That's all I'm going to get. An almost promise of something more. I don't know about you, but I like seeing couples I ship get married at the end, gives me a sense of fulfillment. Okay, not necessarily married, but in this case, I would've liked more solid insurance. Instead....All in all, an enjoyable, humorous read!Happy Reading!!!

I loved this. I loved Amy and Matthew. I can't remember the last time I read a YA book with such flawed but lovable characters. They both make bad decisions through the course of the book, but I love how they handled the consequences, and in the end isn't that what you want from your protagonists? For them to make mistakes and grow?If you liked ELEANOR & PARK you're not going to want to miss this one.

You can read more of my reviews at Queen of ContemporaryYou know a novel is truly flawless when you feel as if it’s natural; the words flow into one and you are witnessing the events through the characters’ eyes without fault. That’s how I felt when reading Amy & Matthew.One of the easiest ways to describe Amy & Matthew is to quote from the text itself: ‘there were many ways to be a freak. Amy had no choice, but other people did. If you worked hard and concentrated, you could hide your freakish thoughts.’ Amy has cerebral palsy, which limits her communication and movement. It’s her senior year and she decides she’s going to replace the aides who usually help her with students. Step in five peer helpers. Matthew has noticed Amy since they were young and so offers to help. The thing is, Matthew has his own problems to battle. For fans of Eleanor & Park and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Amy & Matthew will blow you away.I think I fell in love with this novel from the first page. It was understanding and meaningful and it had me completely hooked. I can tell this book will touch a lot of people once released, just as it touched me. I was wary before I started reading it, I must admit. Books dealing with such subjects are becoming ever popular (and for good reason) but there is a certain atmosphere surrounding them that isn’t needed. As it’s only a recently emerging trend, it can always be worrying beforehand; you never really know what to expect. I didn’t need to be worried though, because I loved Amy & Matthew.The thing I loved most about this book was it wasn’t your typical romance book. From the title you would expect it, but it’s really not. To call it a romance novel would be a dishonour because it’s so much more than that. It’s the blooming friendship between two people as they discover themselves at the same time and explore the changes of the world around them; it’s the differences between the two and how they bridge the gap. In two words: truly stunning.I don’t want to talk too much about both Amy and Matthew because I think the brilliant thing about this book is discovering their personalities and hidden depths for yourself. I thought I knew who they both were but then things would happen and I had to reassess. It was such a refreshing way to read because you don’t often get that.Simply, you should go out and buy Amy & Matthew straight away. It challenges preconceived notions and will blow you away.

I was so happy to get my hands on this book as an ARC.Sure, there are a few notable books about teens with disabilities--Marcelo in the Real Worldand The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timejump to mind--but never have I read a book like Cammie McGovern's latest, Say What You Will.Say What You Will gives us a typical teen-age love story. What is not typical, though, are the teens themselves. More often than not, teens with disabilities in fiction have wings, or can read minds or can taste emotions in their lemon cake. Matthew and Amy have no such disabilities, and their portrayal in this book is one of the most sensitive and honest I have ever seen. Because the author sees them as nuanced and flawed, the reader is invited to do the same while getting a look at the experience of young adults with physical disability and mental illness. All that aside--and it really shouldn't be; this is a progressive and important shift in the conversation around realistic fiction--the plot and style of the book are great. McGovern uses text messages and emails alongside her narration to fully immerse the reader in the world of her characters. A clever new discovery that might become a trope in fiction: the unsent emails written late at night and saved to drafts for fear of their ramifications. Never again will anyone have to read a chapter that starts, "Dear Diary."And the ending! Oh, man, the ending. Some books hit you like a bus, knocking you flat. Cammie McGovern pulls the brakes just before collision and the shock is that we survive.

o I'm not a Huge contemporary fan. I like books that are far away from the truth as possible. But when I read the summary of this book I felt a huge draw to it, and I am so glad I read it.Literally something I've never ever read about, never would think of reading. A girl with cerebral palsy and a boy with OCD. Sounds like a disaster love story yes? In some ways but in others an amazing tear jerker. I loved the writing style in this book. A lot of inner monologue which was so refreshing. Carries writing is very clever, addicting and a huge emotion jerker. I loved the characters. Amy the seventeen year old girl with cerebral palsy trying to get through high school. And Matthew who's OCD is effecting his life pretty badly. I found these characters so refreshing to read. Their not perfect they have issues like real people. They come together to help each other and end up falling in love. I think Cammie has handled cerebral palsy amazingly in terms of being so despcriptive, but not taking away from the story itself so much. This book felt really real. It brought out emotions I never thought I could feel. That little pain in your chest when someone is just so emotional literally happened every other page. It's just an all around epic love story not about the generic hot guy and non popular girl in school, this is so much better. A warm, magnificent and delicate love story that will break your heart and stitch it back together again.

The very first thing I'd like to point out in this review is that: this is NOT like the Fault in Our Stars. This is NOT like Eleanor and Park. This is NOT a story about 2 kids with cancer who fall in love and then they die and then they mourn and whatever. No. It's not even close to that. Say What You Will takes TFIOS and stomps on it, in fact it trumps it on so many levels I don't know why I'm spending so much time trying to convince you that this book is unique. It is. You'll know from the very first page, actually, from the synopsis alone, that this book is not what you expect it to be. Cammie McGovern did a very good job at releasing a debut novel that absolutely took my breath away. Of course I say this with no exaggeration at all, because books like these are the absolute epitome of YA contemporary and all its glory. The rawness, the reality, of this book is so true and so deep that it cuts you straight to the core. You're allowed into the mindset of Matthew who almost severely has OCD and it's nothing I've ever read before, he's worried about things a million times more than what any other person would be worried about, he's all over the place and at the same time he's not. I related to him on the basis of constant excessive worrying and you truly feel the realism this character has in the story. He has great friendship with Amy that you could just see blossom and bloom and he was so unbelievably frank about most things with her and whenever he held back it just makes you genuinely upset that he didn't tell Amy that ONE THING HE SHOULD'VE TOLD HER!!!! Okay, let me calm down for a bit... [5 minutes later] I'm fine. I can continue this review. The thing I loved about this book was that it took its time for the relationship/love to develop, from the very beginning you fall for their sweet friendship and the way Amy and Matthew just naturally communicated, it was wonderful. The thing about Amy was that you never felt like she had cerebral palsy because her thoughts were that of any normal teenage girl and I really felt like McGovern did her research because honestly everything was so accurately described I loved it. Amy had her faults as any human being should have and I felt like this is what made the book so enjoyable for me and so utterly painful to read about 65% of the time. This book was so heartwarming and surprising and I love a book that surprises me. The one thing that I might've really disliked about it was the abrupt ending, maybe because I was so engrossed in the story that I expected more but other than that I enjoyed this. A lot. I can't wait to read more of Cammie's YA-based books because this one sold me. P.S: if you're looking for a book with this long lasting impression & a lot of inspirational stuff that kind of just sticks with you and I don't mean the self-help book kind of inspirational I mean the kind that just takes your heart and fills it with good quotes and fluffy moments. Then read this. Read it.

4.5 stars!This book was so beautifully written and had such amazing characters!I will say this book spoke to me on a more personal level as a lot of the issues in this book are things that are personal to my life!

**This review will post to Ashley Loves Books at a later date.**There are so many things I can’t say about this book, simply because I feel like there are no words that can accurately describe it. If ever a standout in the YA genre, it is Say What You Will, in almost every aspect.The obvious way is that it deals with two characters who have their own handicaps: Amy, with her disability, and Matthew, who seems fine but you learn has his own disabilities that cripple him—perhaps not in the same visual way as Amy, but he has them, certainly. And it is astounding to see how they are handled in a young adult book, amongst all the usual drama and stress and emotions of a Senior year.These characters are also incredibly unique to any book I’ve read. They’re both quite strong, as people and as they are written. Their downfalls and their own handicaps are integrated really well into their personality, and I love that both are much more than their issues. Just as we always hope “cancer books” aren’t just about the cancer, this book is most certainly not just about Amy’s disability. I want to talk so much about Amy and Matthew, about how they are together and separate, how they really are better with the other…but I really can’t without saying what exactly ails Matthew, without saying what exactly they endure. So I’ll have to leave it at this: I’ve never met anyone quite like the two of them, with their quiet, strong demeanors. Who are somehow both closed off and entirely open to new people and things. Who confront being uncomfortable with a resolve I wish I had.But I can say that this story is beautiful, that this is a friendship built on so much more than days spent together. That it’s written so well, with their words and emails and texts and her Text. That I was caught by surprise in so many instances, both big and small, in big moments and small ones. There is so much heart and tenderness in these pages, I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to control all the out-of-control beating of my own heart. And I can also mention that I was not impressed with all the parents in this book—not in terms of the writing, that was still great. But the parents themselves and what they do (and didn’t do) in the book make me very crabby when I think of it haha.Say What You Will is a stunning addition to the YA contemporary world, introducing new characteristics while retaining all the emotions and feelings we crave and love. It is a beautiful story of friendship and love, and friendly love and loving friends. It’s also about confronting and accepting faults and flaws, and learning to not necessarily overcome them, but absorb them into who you are. And that is a fantastic lesson for us all to learn.

This was my first book by Cammie and I. Loved. It!This book follows Amy and Matthew during their senior year in high school and on. They both have fears to face and overcome before the thing between them can work and it was a rough road to take in. They are put into situations where a weaker person would've given up. Amy is disabled and I loved that she didn't let it turn her into a shell. Her humor shined and it made me super happy. I loved watching her help her best friend who is a peer that helps her get through the school day...In comes Matt. He is her peer and that is where their story starts. My heart went out to him time and time again. He has his own disability and it hurt seeing it eat away at the person he really is. His humor had me laughing more often than not and his loyalty to Amy warmed my heart to the point where I thought it would explode. It's safe to say that he is my favorite out of this story. Not because he's a guy, but because I felt like he opened up more than Amy did and I grew so attached to his pain and sorrow that in his moments of happiness... they were a miracle to me. This was like nothing I have ever read before and I loved every moment of it. The sad part about loving a book is when things aren't going the way you want it to. And this book is guilty of that. I was heart-broken by the unfairness of their situation and the selfishness of a particular character!! I kept crying my eyes out since this story took a hold of my heart immediately and has yet to let me go. I wanted these two wonderful beings happier, more than anyone. I want to be optimistic about that ending but I don't know if I have a reason to. Cammie explained things so beautifully that I was swept into their shoes. I felt like I was the one going through what these characters were and it was scary at times. I read this in one sitting and if I could turn back time and read it again, I would. I miss Matt so much, it's ridiculous. The plot twist hit me pretty hard, which is surprising. I usually, in the back of my mind, yearn for this exact plot twist with every character I read about but somehow I was too invested in this story to think about it. Until it hit me in the face. I loved witnessing Amy and Matt handle the situation in the best way they could. I would have written a completely different ending but hey, too late now. Can Cammie write a sequel PLEASE!?!?!?! I miss these characters so much it isn't even funny. My heart hurts just thinking about them. I want to know more!!4.5 stars!

I picked up Say What You Will when I was feeling really sick and just wanted an easy read. I hadn’t heard a lot about the book, so I didn’t really have any expectations. I have seen it compared to John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. I honestly hate this comparison, the only thing that they have in common is that it has kids with medical issues. I thought this was very different from the Fault in Our Stars but it was still a good book.Say What You Will primarily focuses on Amy and Matthew. Amy has Cerebral Palsy and is about to be a senior in high school. Her entire life she has had an aid that follows her around school each day. In an attempt to make new friends and prepare herself for college she decides that she wants to have peer aids. Her controlling mother takes over the project and after reviewing many applications and doing several interviews she picks five peer aids to assist Amy through the school year. Matthew is one of those aids. Matthew has O.C.D. that has been progressively getting worse over the past couple of years. He has not admitted to himself or others that he is sick or has a problem.As the story progresses so does the relationship between Amy and Matthew. They both find it easier to deal with their own illnesses if they focus on helping the other. They become close friends and then they both begin to hope for more. It was definitely an unconventional love story. (And for many more reasons than their illnesses.)Say What You Will was a very easy read. I flew through it and finished it in just a couple of hours. The character were so unique, totally different from the normal YA characters we always see. The author did a good job of portraying the supporting characters as well. The story was different from the average love story. There were times were I even felt uncomfortable, but I think that it added to the whole experience. This isn’t one of the great love stories of our time, and it isn’t going to go down in history as a great piece of literature but it is good. It was cute and fun and totally different from anything else that I am currently reading. It was a refreshing read and I do recommend it as long as you go into knowing not to expect greatness.You can read the full review and more on my blog!http://brittanymariereads.wordpress.com

4.5 amazing stars!Say What You Will by Cameron Morgan is not what I expected at all. I normally don't like reading books that involve diseases because they are depressing, but since I won this from a giveaway, I gave it a shot. Turns out, there can be exceptions.Born with Cerebral Palsy, Amy found it hard to make friends because of her disabilities - she can't walk or talk without an extra help. Matthew, who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is avoided by people at school. As Amy and Matthew work together, they find out that they are more alike than they could imagine. This book definitely shocked me. Going into it, I did not expect anything, but after closing the book, I realized how beautifully written the story was. Through this book, I understood so much about Cerebral Palsy and OCD, and for that I am thankful.Though I do not have the diseases that the main characters had, I found Say What You Will relatable because the main story is not about the diseases, but about standing up for yourself and for what you want, and because of that, I fell in love with the book and the characters.Say What You Will truly is amazing, and different from any other book that I have read. I recommend everyone to give this book a chance!

Amy has severe cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair and a voice box. She's a bright girl and determined to look on the bright side. But her classmate Matthew points out to her that she can't be that happy; after all, her only friends are adults. So, Amy decides to request teenage helpers for her senior year of high school.And she requests for Matthew to be one.I loved the blooming friendship and romance between Amy and Matthew. They're really portrayed as issues. Amy has the drive that Matthew lacks, and she's more open about her issues since she can't hide them. Matthew, meanwhile, is trying to deny his OCD. I also like that Cammie McGovern went outside the box. Not only is Amy not a paint-by-the-numbers heroine, the plot goes unexpected places. It doesn't end with senior year and the prom, for instance.I liked that SAY WHAT YOU WILL was realistic about Amy and Matthew's limitations, the way society views someone as physically crippled as Amy and the way mental health issues are stigmatized. I liked that both of them had difficult journeys, but ones they could help each other with - if they approached each other with respect and understanding. It's a hard road for two teenagers.The charm of SAY WHAT YOU WILL started to run out for me about three quarters of the way through the book. The ups and downs just went on for too long for me, like a soap opera. I think I might've enjoyed it more if I read it slower, interspersed with other books. At the same time, I still liked it a lot. McGovern's prose is unobtrusive and she imbues both of her protagonists with charming voices. I liked how organically the relationship grew, and that SAY WHAT YOU WILL explored what happened after high school, when the relationship is tested by long distance and other factors.SAY WHAT YOU WILL is McGovern's first YA novel and bodes well for her future forays in the genre.