What to Say Next

What To Say Next 
by Julie Buxbaum
Review by Ruby

David Drucker. The socially awkward kid who wears big black headphones every day at school. David has no friends but one day, he finds himself sitting across the table from Kit Lowell. David had heard about Kit. Kit was the most popular girl in school. Her dad had died in a car crash recently. He looked at her, her staring at her indian food, and he thought that he should say something to her. Naturally, he just blurted out, “So your dad died.” David had this notebook where he wrote about every single person in her school. He wrote their names, looks, and every encounter he had with them. Under Kit’s name, only a few encounters stood. Kit and David were on complete opposite ends of the social pyramid. Kit and David started talking and eventually, they developed feelings for each other.

David and Kit came up with this project called the “accident project,” where they investigated Kit’s father’s death so that Kit could gain closure. As they sat at a restaurant, Kit and David were talking. Eventually, David found out something about Kit and the accident that she hoped no one would ever find out. David was so proud of himself for finding out that he sounded excited about this awful thing. Kit was mortified because everyone in the restaurant heard what David found out. He messed up. What to Say Next is a coming of age story and learning that not everyone is perfect. Everyone messes up. What to Say Next will leave you in tears and on edge after every chapter. This story is a great book for young adults who are looking for a good read.