Grades 9 - 12: I wanted to give this book a starred review, I just did, but not all of the elements hit the high notes I for which I had hoped. In most respects, Chloe Mitchell's life is pretty mundane. She goes to school, she has a hot boyfriend with whom she has an equally hot physical relationship, and her mother and stepfather are relatively well off financially. Chloe differs from her equally prosaic classmates because her older sister, Ivy, has autism. Ivy is about to age out of her special school in the Los Angeles area, and Ivy has some pretty well defined opinions. Like many children with siblings who have special needs, Chloe feels responsible for Ivy's well being, so she takes it upon herself to play matchmaker with a young man from Ivy's school. After several semi-successful dates, Chloe finds herself falling for Ethan's brother, a young man she previously despised. Things are complicated further when Ethan does, in fact, fall hard for Ivy only for everyone to discover that Ivy is gay. There is much to love about the story. Chloe's and David's sense of responsibility for their siblings is a perspective that is rarely examined (aside from Terry Trueman's works and "Wonder" by R. J. Palaccio). The discussion of relationships and sexual orientation is equally light on literature. Finally, an institutional home that is shown in a positive light rather than as a warehouse is also valuable. The less lovable aspects: David continues to be a jerk, but Chloe decides to see past his flaws; David's and Ethan's stepmother is over the top, and Chloe's reconciliation with her stepfather is just a little too pat to be believable. Less sophisticated readers will likely overlook these flaws in favor of this book that has a lot of heart. Verdict: This is a book that will be enjoyed by readers who liked Cammie McGovern's "Say What You Will." It has a place in any library that is building a collection that favors diversity.
Curricular Use: The topics in this book align nicely with the following high school level Health Education Core Ideas: Wellness as it relates to Communication (H4.W5.HS) and Decision Making (H5.W5.HS) as well as Social Emotional Health especially as it relates to Expressing Emotions (H8.So4.HS)

Reviewer: Jodi Kruse, Teacher Librarian, R. A. Long High School Library

This is a difficult book to review, I loved all the representation within this book, special needs, and LGBTQIA+ specifically. I think the autism within this book was written incredibly well, although I don't have personal experience or know anyone with autism, I think the author did a really good job showing and explaining everything that comes along with it. Also, I love that Chole was just a regular girl she was having sex, she had friends and was considered popular and had a difficult family (hate the step dad). However, for all of that, I just don't think it's higher than 3 stars. Although it is a good read, it is a quick book that I don't see myself thinking about later.

When I saw this book in Netgalley, I requested it on a whim because a) it sounds great and I never read books with autistic characters, b) it's by Claire LaZebnik, whose books I've read and loved, and c) the cover is so pretty! some people might think it's too simple but I live for minimalist.


This book follows Chloe Mitchell, your average high schoolers who has an older, autistic sister, Ivy. One day, she decides to play matchmaking and set her sister up with one of Ivy's friends, who turns out to be David's (aka Chloe arch-nemesis) brother. David dislikes Chloe's because of her "perfect life" and Chloe dislikes David for being too rude and too antisocial. But hey, for her sister's sake, she spends much time with David while their siblings are on a date.


To be frank, I don't see any personalities that stood up from both Chloe and David. They both are just like a regular teenager, except they happen to have an autistic sibling. But that doesn't mean this book is boring, on the contrary, I like it. I think that's why I enjoy reading this book, because they're just like most teenagers in this world, like me. No special snowflakes or Mary Sue tropes here. Also, I love how they treated their siblings. Having an autistic sibling is definitely not easy, since you have to be extra patient and all. Both Chloe and David have their own (good) way while dealing with their siblings, and I like both ways.


Another thing that I love from this book is the autism aspect. Like I said before, I don't know many about autism. In fact, up until now I only know one autistic people, and this quote pretty much sums up how I act around them :

"You know, if we were pushing out siblings in wheelchairs, people would be nice to them and to us. They'd be like, Oh, the poor handicapped people and their wonderful siblings! Let's hold doors for them! But Ivy and Ethan...they basically look like everyone else, with just these tiny differences in how they behave and move. And that bugs people. They don't know what to do with that. It's like people have a place in their brain for normal, and they have a place in their brain for something obviously wrong, but they can't deal with something just a little bit different"

Yes, I'm ashamed to say that I tend to stay away from autistic people. Not because I hate or dislike them, but more because I don't know what to do or to say to them. I've seen the autistic guy that I know got angry over small things (and by angry I mean, kicking everywhere and won't stop shouting that he had to be carried away by teachers because it cause quite a commotion). But thanks to this book, at least now I know a little about autism--that they're basically us, just a little bit different--and I hope to change my attitude toward them.

In conclusion, I definitely recommend this book! If the reasons above isn't enough, here's another thing why you should read this book : Chloe and David's hate-to-love relationship, Chloe and Ivy's not-absent parents (eventhough sometimes the mom irritate me, but hey, at least the parents is there, and they're supportive), and oh! The little 'twist' about Ivy! I promise it's a good twist 😊

Things I should have known est une lecture feel-good. Je l’ai beaucoup aimée et elle m’a donné envie d’appeler ma soeur pour partager un moment de complicité.

This book was genuinely a really awesome read with realistic characters, and great pacing. I've never really read a book like this before, and from what I can remember, I've never read a book about people with autism. The way that David and Chloe looked after and cared for their older siblings was lovely, and the family dynamic in this novel made me smile. The romance was also well paced and engaging, and Ivy was a fantastic and realistic character. Highly recommended!

So, the most important part first: This is one of the best young adult novels I have ever read! I was so hooked, I couldn't put it down for more than five minutes until I wanted to find out more. There's one other book by Claire that I've read called Epic Fail and I remember not liking it too much, but this one... It's a true masterpiece.

After reading Things I Should Have Known I found out that Claire LaZebnik has got a child diagnosed with autism, which is probably why she captured things in this book so perfectly. No one would have ever hinted at the things Chloe's autistic sister Ivy thinks or goes through. I was stunned, too. But it's such a good way to make people think about what's going on inside of people's mind that are diagnosed with autism. Normally, people don't even care to think about that, but this book makes you aware of it.

While Chloe pretends to have the perfect life - perfect home, perfect boyfriend, perfect repuation - she's got a lot of weight on her shoulders. She's the only one trying to understand her sister Ivy. Her stepfather definitely doesn't, trying to control everything Ivy says or does. Or even eats. Gosh, I found those scenes really horrible. Let the girl eat whatever she wants, you! And why does Chloe and Ivy's mother never say anything about his behaviour anyway? Why is she okay with everything he says? I didn't understand, which made me feel conntected to both girls in a way. And then of course I couldn't stand Chloe's boyfriend from the beginning, simply because I hoped there would be someone better for her out there. His name is James and while he seems friendly enough in the beginning, some things he says make his true soul come out. And it's not a nice view, let me tell you.

So, we need something swoon-worthy... And there comes David. That weird guy in Chloe's class. Well, at least the way she describes his looks in the beginning doesn't make him any appealing to the reader. But it's not about that... It's what comes later that makes you fall in love with him. And his brother Ethan is just such a cutie, I wanted to hug him all the time. Especially when Claire describes the way he squeezes Ivy's shoulders or something like that. He's too cute for his own good. And so naturally, I cried later in the book. I won't tell you why, but Ethan doesn't deserve that. Find out yourself what it is I am talking about - read this book!

I enjoyed the setting - the frozen yoghurt place, the bowling area. Sometimes, these settings happen in other books too, but the characters fit so well into these places. And well, when Ivy and Ethan are a part of it, it sure is interesting to read about their behaviour. I shipped these two so hard.

By the time I got to the end of Things I Should Have Known, I felt like there weren't enough pages left for the things that still needed to happen for the story to finish. And I was right. Things were a bit rushed at this point, which is the only negative thing I can say. And it's not even that harsh, so just forget about it.

Even days after reading this book, I am still speechless. It was exactly what I needed, what I wanted without even realizing it. Everything about this novel was great and I don't say this often, but I kind of wish I could unread it, only to discover the beauty of it all over again.

This book definitely brought the wow factor. The premise is interesting. Chloe, a 17 year old, wants to help her autistic sister, Ivy, find a love match. She quickly discerns that the best love match is one of Ivy's classmates, Ethan. Unfortunately, it turns out that Ethan is the brother of Chloe's English class nemesis, David.

Besides an interesting storyline the author created amazing characters. There is amazingly good character development. I thought the author did a great job showing what it was like living with autism but also showing what its like for a teenager growing up with an autistic sibling. So good in fact that it wasn't a surprise to see in the end that the author has written books on autism and has an autistic child.

The romance aspect was both predictable and completely unpredictable but in the best way possible. The dialogue (as well as inner dialogue) is witty and funny. This is always a huge perk for me. I enjoyed this book so much that it kept me up later than I should have been the last 2 nights.

Overall, the book was refreshing, funny, sweet and endearing--all in one. I highly recommend fans of the young adult genre to pick this one up.

***Advanced copy obtained from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group via Netgalley***

Things I Should Have Known took me by surprise, and completely swept me off my feet through its lovable characters and thoughtful, heartwarming story.

At first, I thought I was reading about our usual pretty, popular girl with the perfect boyfriend when we first meet Chloe.. But she felt unique as her layers were pulled away and we truly got to know her. Here's the thing, Chloe doesn't necessarily care too much about being popular (more like her need for everyone to find her nice) or having the perfect boyfriend, it's more like that's the cards she's been dealt with thanks to her confidence/personality.

Her inner struggles are what really set her apart from other protagonists in YA contemporaries. Chloe's thoughts are constantly being drawn back to her home life, where life becomes complicated and stressful for her. The heart of this story is family, and I appreciated this so much. Chloe's relationship with her older sister, Ivy, who is autistic is something truly special.

Ivy has such a huge heart and is a big sweetheart. Chloe and Ivy spend a lot of time together and it's great because you can tell how much alike they are because of it, but they are also so different. Chloe can be a bit sarcastic at times and there were moments when Ivy would mimic things she's heard through Chloe's mannerism. I just really loved these sisters.

As the story progresses, Chloe is determined to help Ivy with her dating life because she's worried about her sister becoming too lonely, and maybe she wants a little bit of freedom also. Enter our other main characters, Ethan and his brother David. Ethan's Ivy's classmate and once Chloe sees him she constantly tries to bring them together to forge a friendship. As for David, well Chloe and him happen to go to school together also.. And hate each other. EVERYONE knows how much I LOVE hate-love romances and theirs was super cute! They balanced each other out well because Chloe is sweet and David comes off as a jerk most of the time. . . But deep down they are both kind and caring and they form a bond over their siblings.

Their relationships with their siblings was everything in this book and I was all for it. I don't have anyone in my personal life that is autistic so I can't say how well that aspect of this story was portrayed.. But I can say that it was explained well and didn't give us a one-sided view of autism. We see both Ivy/Ethan's frustrations and Chloe/David's own struggles with it. I appreciated how we saw the good and the bad, the patience and frustrations that came along, and everything in between.

It all wraps up nicely. I think this is Claire LaZebnik's best work! I really loved this story because it not only tackled autism but it found a great way to bring up LGBTQ issues as well. It's a fantastic read with a strong story and great characters, even the unlikable ones (cough Chloe's boyfriend cough) play a role in the overall theme of this book. Highly recommend to everyone, especially those who enjoy contemporaries!

I didn't exactly like this book but I do respect what it is trying to do. It's kind of all over teh map though.
The protagonist is enraged when people judge her sister based on brief exposure, when they assume they know what is best for others. Yet that's what she spends the entire novel doing.
She's the master of her sexuality and comfortable with herself yet her solution for the problems of others is to find them romantic relationships. when her sister seems lonely, she seeks a boyfriend, not a friend. When she realizes her sister is gay, she scolds her mother for being "so heteronormative", even though she's spent the entire novel assuming that her sister is straight. It felt like LaZebnik was trying to make a point about judging and assuming but between obvious plot twists and non-linear progression that point gets lost.

We are not supposed to judge books by covers or at least that is how that platitude goes, however, the cover for this book was a large factor as to why I picked it up. I found the description of the book to be an interesting one and adding in another element to a typical YA book of having an autistic sibling related to the main character drew me in. I thought it was clever playing with the title on the cover to change the tense of when the character should have have/did "know" these important things. I was a little let down by this idea not coming up more in the book itself.

Let me start with what I think is my really positive takeaway from the book. I think that the autistic characters in the book were written very well and respectfully. There is some interesting nuance used both in developing those characters themselves and maybe more strikingly in the book the way that family members interact with these characters. Any time the book was focused on these relationships I was really interested and I think that it did a wonderful job portraying these things.

Unfortunately, I found the rest of the novel to be a bit boring and predictable. I did not particularly like the main character Chloe and think that although there is some growth throughout the book she starts off in such a ludicrously stereotypical place that this character growth doesn't feel satisfactory. The same can be said about her dating life in the book. Things are not just telegraphed but explicitly stated at times in the book in a way that makes them feel a bit inevitable and like a slog to get through. I kept hoping that something would happen to subvert this or at least be propelled forward in an interesting way, but at least in my opinion it did not.

That is not to say the book was entirely predictable. There were a few moments that genuinely seemed to work against the overly simplistic and predictable nature of the majority of the book which were greatly appreciated. For that reason I think the book may be one that high school students would enjoy reading. The more I think about it the more I feel my criticisms may come from a place of not being the target audience. Overall I would say it is decent but definitely not something I would go out of your way to read.

[3.5 stars]
I have one major issue with this book, and that is the writing felt a little young? Immature? At times. Eventually I got used to it but it was honestly making me not want to finish the book through the first 20%. Once I got to the heart of the story, it didn't bother me as much. This story is actually quite heartwarming.

Plot: The plot is essentially a girl trying to hook her sister, who has autism, up with a boy who has autism. At first the way the MC was acting drove me nuts, but I grew to understand her motivation and why she was doing what she was doing and I enjoyed the process of getting to the point.
Characters: The main character, Chloe, had a lot of growth throughout the book and it was very believable growth as well. David was probably my favorite character, and he also went through a steady growth. The author did an excellent job of helping the characters grow, while also having the changes make sense, instead of just changing overnight.
Romance: I loved this couple. Especially that they're relationship grew organically, and didn't feel insta-lovey at all!
Diversity: Two main characters on the autism spectrum. A queer character. And several POC characters were mentioned, even if they didn't play significant roles.

The interactions in the book felt really authentic, it made me think a lot about how we see other people and the fact that we should pay more attention to others before we come to a conclusion. The romance in the book felt natural and not rushed. I loved the characters very much and really enjoyed reading the book.

"Things Chloe Knew: Her sister, Ivy, was lonely. Ethan was a perfect match. Ethan's brother, David, was an arrogant jerk.
Things Chloe Should Have Known: Setups are complicated. Ethan could be a perfect boyfriend...but probably not for Ivy. David might be the one person who really gets Chloe. "

I went into this book thinking that it was a romance, but it was so, so much more. This story is told from Chloe's point of view, and she is an attractive, smart, popular girl dating one of the most popular and attractive boys at school. From the outside, you would think Chloe has it all, but her home life is far from perfect. Her stepfather is overbearing, her mother is needy, and her sister autistic. Chloe puts on a good front, but her home life leaves her feeling isolated, as her friends just cannot relate or understand.

"You have a great boyfriend and you do well at school and everyone likes you," she said to me when she was explaining her theory. "You're even blond. So of course your family situation is a little, you know...challenging. That's life keeping things in balance."

Chloe feels obligated to be there for her sister, but yearns to live her own life. From there, an idea is born to find a friend for Ivy. The idea of putting Ivy and Ethan together seems perfect, until Chloe finds out that Ethan's brother is her nemesis, David.

"I don't mind coming along."
"Even if you have to hang out with the most hated member of your class?"
"Don't flatter yourself," I say. "No one cares enough about you to hate you."

I don't know where to start, so I will start with David and Chloe. I loved these two. I found the verbal sparring from the early chapters delicious, and the honest, deep discussion in the later chapters quite touching. These two carried a lot on their shoulders. They both had siblings with autism, who they felt they needed to care for and protect, because their parents were not quite up to the challenge. They found comfort in each other, and gave each other the type of support only those in the same situation could. They both struggled with their own wants and needs, and the needs of their siblings. Finding that balance was difficult, and came at a cost.

"You're a good brother," I say.
"I make up for that by being a horrible human being in every other way."

I absolutely adored LaZenik's writing. It was full of wit, humor, affection, and honesty. There was such an ease to it, and the story just flowed naturally. When reading the afterword, I was not surprised to find out that this book was written by a person who loves someone with autism, as Ivy and Ethan were portrayed honestly and respected in the story. LaZenik show the good, the bad, and the ugly that is out there. How the world can seem to those with autism, how poorly some people react to those with autism, and how wonderful someone on the spectrum can be. I appreciated how she brought me in their world, and thank her for her candor and honesty.
It's like people have a place in their brain for normal, and they have a place in their brain for something obviously wrong, but they can't deal with something a little bit different.

There is quite a bit of lovely romance going on in this book. I found it all quite adorable, and loved every minute of it. I have feels over and over again. It was fantastic.

This book sort of had everything I look for in a great YA contemporary: well thought out characters, great dialogue, honest portrayals, and growth. Growth is really important to me, as I always want my characters to have changed for the better, and LaZebnik gave me that.

Overall: A wonderful story of love, compassion, understanding, and acceptance filled with things that put a smile on my face and a pitter-patter in my heart.

This wasn't the right format and I was unable to read it due to not having the device to download it to.

I sat down and read this whole entire book in an evening. That's just how addicted I was.

Things I Should Have Known is about Chloe, a girl who cares deeply about her autistic older sister. Chloe notices that her sister is feeling lonely and tries to help her get into a relationship. But the potential love connect that Chloe finds for her sister is the brother of her enemy, David. But as she gets to know David, Chloe finds a friend who understands her sibling situation.

Maybe I don't read enough YA books featuring autistic characters, but I thought this one was great. As someone who does not know a lot about autism, I felt like this book really gives you an inside look at what that world looks like. You see how autism affects those who care about the person affected, and how society reacts to people on the autism spectrum. Going into this book, I didn't know a lot about what constitutes as autism and I didn't know what the daily life of a person with autism looked like. After reading this book, I feel like I have a better understanding and I believe anyone else looking for education in YA fictional form should check this book out. (in my opinion)

I liked that the main character, Chloe, was never ashamed of her sister. Chloe is a popular girl at school with a hot boyfriend. But above all, she really cares about her sister. Sometimes she would get annoyed with her, but her emotions toward her sister were like what anyone feels toward a sibling.
I'll admit, Chloe is very oblivious to what happens around her, which can be frustrating. But I always find it a bit difficult to blame characters who have this issue, because who says I'd figure it out in a reasonable amount of time in real life?

Another thing you should know about this book is that it is kind of romance heavy. If you couldn't tell from the synopsis, the plot revolves around relationships. It does feature an LGBTQ character, which is nice, and I think that the relationships were well written.

Overall, I think this book is quite unique from other contemporaries I've read. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for something new or looking for a YA book that has realistic autistic characters.

This was such a great novel with a heartwarming message. I enjoyed the journey as Chloe and David got to really know each other. It was nice to see some depth in the characters and how scary it can be to open ourselves up to new experiences. Ivy and Ethan were interesting characters as well and it was refreshing to see their experiences as well.
I would definitely recommend the book to my students. Thank you for the advanced copy.

Chloe is striving to have the perfect life. She works hard at it -- good at school, perfect boyfriend, loving sister. She wants to be able to go on to college, but she's always felt responsible for her sister Ivy. Ivy is older but is on the Autism spectrum. Chloe hatches a plot to find a boyfriend for Ivy, so she can become more independent. She sets up Ivy with Ethan, a boy who in Ivy's class who is also on the spectrum. What she doesn't know at first is that Ethan's brother is David, in her grade, and she finds David to be the most obnoxious, condescending, annoying person in the school. But she's willing to do anything for Ivy, and David feels the same way about Ethan, so the two end up spending a considerable amount of time together, hoping that Ivy & Ethan will hit it off. During this, Chloe learns a great deal about herself, her family, and David. A fabulous teen romance with a couple great twists makes this novel stand out from the rest. Highly recommended for grades 8 and up.

This honest book shows the difficulties of being a teenager with an autistic sibling--but still shows the love and sibling bonds that exist. (Too many books show the mere annoyance, or focus on the relationships of the siblings at a young age.) By showing the parallels of different family situations, LaZebnik shows that there is no one size fits all solution to families and how they can manage a child with autism

I just adore every young adult book that Claire LaZebnik writes. Each one is always a time lime of events that just makes your heart melt for so many different reasons. Things I Should Have Known is no exception and is not only a cute read, but an eye-opening one as well.

It truly takes a special person to write about such a sensitive topic such as autism. Then to take a topic so serious and make sweet and fun is just something else. There are actually four main characters that our story revolves around. Watching Chloe, Ivy, Ethan, and David goes through so many different life lessons is weaved flawlessly.

I absolutely adored watching Chloe and Ivy's journey. This story is so much more than just a book with autism. It's romantic, coming of age, family-filled, and overall an adorable read. Claire LaZebnik writes wonderful young adult stories and hasn't let me down yet!

In my opinion, Things I Should Have Known is Mrs. LaZebnik's best work. Her characters are well-developed and realistic, the best feature of the text. The whole storyline is filled with surprising moments that wowed me, I had a hard time putting it down. Every aspect of it is executed in a beautiful manner.
This book is a must-read for fans of the YA/Contemporary genre.