YOU SAY IT FIRST

Two 18-year-olds form a turbulent connection after a chance phone call.

On the surface, Meg’s suburban life in Philadelphia seems picture perfect—she’s college-bound, politically active, and works at a voter registration call center. In reality, though, Meg is still suffering from her parents’ tumultuous divorce and avoids conflict at all costs. About an eight-hour drive away, in Alma, Ohio, Colby Moran is dealing with his own troubled family life while working a dead-end job. When a voter registration call accidentally connects Meg and Colby, the two decidedly do not hit it off. Despite this difficult start, they have an undeniable connection, and their long-distance phone calls turn into a friendship and, eventually, romance. Told in alternating perspectives, Meg’s and Colby’s distinct voices and equally flawed characters complement each other in an unconventional yet realistic way. Meg is an optimist and hell-bent on changing the world, one voter at a time; meanwhile, Colby doesn’t have many expectations about things changing and is mostly content living in his small town. Together, they challenge each other to think and act differently—but are they strong enough to overcome their differences? Part romance, part coming-of-age, this is a realistic and captivating story that speaks to the issues relevant to teens today. Most characters are cued as white; Meg is attracted to both boys and girls.

Romance, politics, family drama, and more—this one has it all.