been there done that. i think there is a clear audience for this book and it's just not me. I'm looking for a different type of YA story, but if i had read this years ago it would have been more for me.

I went into this book thinking it would be somewhat like "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han. I'm not sure why. Maybe the unsent letters/text premise?

Boy, I could not have been more off! "Words We Don't Say" first kind of seems to meander around the soup kitchen and Joel and then we find out about Eli and then his deceased friend, etc. All of the wandering DOES have a purpose though as we reaching about half-way through. That's when it all really starts coming together.

I happened to read this book during Banned Books Week so the scene at school where Benj (he's a troubled kiddo who snags Joel's attention) questions why they are reading "gay" books. (His words.) The teacher takes that and makes it into a great learning opportunity about how lucky we are to have the freedom to read what they want and how they don't have this freedom in many other countries! They even LIST all of the countries. That, plus the discussion about trigger warnings (which made me feel a little uncomfortable to be honest), were very cool Easter Eggs for Banned Books Week.

There are A LOT of issues discussed in this book: veterans, death, grief, homelessness, hunger, God, intellectual freedom, and crushes. At times, it felt like a little "much". Then, I remembered, you know what? Life can be a little "much". It's very realistic. So I had to tell myself to get out of my own head and into Joel's. This book would be an interesting conversation-starter.

I loved the premise for this book. As a high school teacher, my students confide in me with a lot of things they wish they could say, but don't. This generation is filled with scenarios like this. The problem with this read was that I couldn't get invested into it. I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters and I was never really captured at the beginning of the book.

3/5 Stars

Joel Higgins undergoes a coming of age and social awakening while doing mandatory volunteer hours at a soup kitchen. Between pining for the girl he loves, communicating his thoughts through unsent text messages and building connections with the people served at the soup kitchen, Joel’s world shrinks into perspective in comparison with the world around him.

Dramatic, comedic, heart aching and sincere, WORDS WE DON’T SAY by K.J. Reilly is a chaotic journey through a teen boy’s mind as he traverses the minefields of growing up in the maze called life. All isn’t so bad once you begin to figure it out and accept that the differences and even the rules all around can be the best parts.

This is a treasure to read, share and enjoy!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Disney-Hyperion!

Publisher: Disney Hyperion (October 2, 2018)
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Genre: YA Coming of Age
Print Length: 288 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Story included a lot of unsent text messages. These are the words that are not said. Follows a boy during a difficult time in his life but you are not sure until the end exactly what happened. Not the happiest of stories but worth the read.

I didn't finish Words We Don't Say before the ARC was archived. I appreciate the opportunity to read it - thank you for allowing educators to preview books before we buy them for our classrooms.
Words We Don't Say has an interesting premise, but I had a hard time really investing in the characters. The main character was obviously traumatized by something terrible that happened to his best friend, and maybe that's why he was so flip and seemingly unaffected through the first part of the story, but it was hard to connect with him since he was so disconnected.
I had trouble with his pining over Eli when they seem to have zero chemistry. She seems so perfect and structured, and I'd love to see her as a fallible character, too.
Wasn't for me, but it may be a great story for one of my students. There's good set up. Obviously there's a lot building up. I'll be interested in watching students paying attention to clues.
The gun is going to be fired.
The texts will be sent.
There will be consequences.

I will leave out the criticism and post a review on Goodreads for my students in hopes that they'll give it a shot.

Reilly's novel was on my TBR list for months and I was excited to see it on Net Galley. It tells the story of Joel, a young man who writes text messages that he will never send to people, Eli, his love since second grade and a newcomer to the school named Benj. We have a mystery from the beginning as the reader questions why Joel is writing text messages to his best friend who is never seen in the text. This novel is told through Joel's POV and the reader is able to appreciate his quirky nicknames for people and his storytelling ability. I would recommend this novel to a HS student who is looking for a strong male narrator.

A somewhat solemn book about a boy, Joel, who has experienced something tragic in losing a best friend. He keeps unsent text messages to his friend, a girl he likes (Eli), and his school principal, which range from random observations to diary-like confessions of emotion. Joel works at a soup kitchen, mostly because he likes a girl there, but also he ends up being pretty connected/concerned about the folks who pass through. He's always thinking big, sad thoughts about the state of the world and about people, and he doesn't share much since he lost his friend. There's a lot about homelessness and the number of homeless veterans, and a whole interested segment devoted to the discussion in one English class about how we're lucky enough to get to read books banned for a number of reasons in other countries and even states. Lots of big thoughts, a lot to mull over, and a pretty decent read.

Of all my summer reads, Words We Don’t Say is at the top of my list. The multi-layered plot is engaging and suspenseful from the get, but it is the cast of perfectly developed characters that steals my heart and remains in my thoughts long after reading. It is a powerful story of friendship, love, redemption and forgiveness bringing attention to a serious problem facing American heroes. A must read!!

Words We Don't Say is my favorite book of all those I read and reviewed this summer. I wish I could give it more that 5 stars. K. J. Reilly does a fantastic job of capturing the language and technology of modern high school students. Joel is an angry seventeen-year-old. His best friend Andy is no longer in the picture - we find out why as the story progresses. Joel is working at the local soup kitchen accompanied by Eli , a girl he's loved since second grade, and Benj, an odd boy who supposedly killed his parents and now lives with his aunt. Joel modified his counselor's suggestion that he journal, to writing text messages that he saves as drafts and never sends.. The title refer to the texts. He texts the Principal of the High School with hilarious suggestions for improving the school ( great ideas really). He texts Eli love notes and confessions, and he texts Andy notes on his life and whatever is on his mind. As Joel and his friends spend more time at the soup kitchen, they get to know the regulars and learn about veterans, PTSD and many of the injustices of the world. Joel refers to his parents by their first names - Jackson and Jesus, Mary (you'll have to read the book for the explanation). He also has a 5-year-old brother. His interactions with them are real and made we want to be a part of their family. Joel is a really good guy with problems with his anger. He's able to work through them with the help of his friends and his family in ways that are funny and heart-breaking while staying true to character..

I really, really enjoyed reading this book. It's hard to convey how special and entertaining it is without giving away key points. I plan to buy several copies for my library as soon as comes available in October, as well as some for gifts. I hope you enjoy it as much as it did. I'm positive middle and high school students will love it.

Joel Higgins has a phone full of unsent text messages. He has gone through some difficult experiences lately, and his phone is his personal journal. Whenever he has something to say, he writes it in a text, then saves the draft for later so he does not send something he might regret later. If only Joel could put his life on hold the same way, he might be able to change some of the choices he makes. Despite a lot of negative events in his life, Joel still finds a way to make a difference in the world in his own way.

This book was an amazing read overall, but there were a few parts that were hard to read. Joel's rambling rants can be a bit much, but it was worth getting through them. Hopefully after reading this, people realize that they should appreciate what they have, and help others if they have a way.

A really interesting read in an interesting style. I liked the character development and I liked the way it was written. I felt like it is a story that will grab some of my students who like things that are a bit different. I also feel like the topics brought up and how we handle those things we can't say will really resonate with some of my students. I waited a while to start this but I am glad that I did eventually read it. Joel's character is one I won't quickly forget. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the synopsis of this book I thought that it was interesting. Joel is an interesting character he saves most of his text messages, he doesn’t hit send. He bottles up his emotions. He’s also volunteering at a soup kitchen and struggling with not having his best friend Andy died. He’s just trying to make it though high school.
One of the things that I enjoyed with Joel was that he was sarcastic and yet honest with himself. I loved how the book deals with some of the important things at that are going on in the world now like homelessness, guns, religion PTSD etc. I don’t want to give away too much.
After reading this book I think it’s a coming of age story that all teens should read. Because of the topics at hand. I think they will find it relatable.

Book Review: Words We Don't Say by K.J. Reilly
Pub Date: 02 Oct 2018
Read courtesy of netgalley.com

Guilty admission... I skipped the "rambling monologues." I know, I know. They were part of and points of the story, but I guess I 'got it' by just skimming them. Otherwise, I enjoyed the characters and the 'message' of the book. It's a good message: Learn from your mistakes... or start your life from here 'cause you can't go back... or look for the good as well as the bad, and you'll find it. The characters all had a place in the story; I didn't feel any of them were just-because. And there was true growth in the characters over time.

I suppose my hesitancy to love the book comes from the author including both humor and rambling monologues. I found it distracting to pick through the monologues, especially when two different characters used the technique. (Yes, one could argue that it was exactly that quality that brought the two characters together, and I'd agree with you.)

Another hesitancy is that the front end storytelling took up 85% of the book, and then the last 15% of the story snowballed quickly and had all of the depth, action, and meaning. So, yeh, the pace of the book threw me off. I almost stopped reading 60% through the book because nothing was happening. But since I liked the characters, I pushed through.

While this isn't a 'humorous' book, I might categorize it as such because I think it's written 85% too lighthearted to be in my 'realistic fiction' section. I'm sorry to say that humorous books don't get enough circulation off of my high school library shelves, so I don't know how well this would circulate, either. It's also not quite fodder for my 'death, drugs, and disease' section; not dark enough and too much of a happy ending.

I will say that it is a well crafted story - hints and innuendos are neatly entwined and tied up, behaviors and actions are connected and followed through.

This is a terrific YA book! The characters are wonderful and have the depth required for the reader to care about them. The premise is lovely and the story moves quickly. Fans of YA novels and teens, both male and female, will enjoy this wonderful story of friendship, love and healing.

When I started reading Words We Don't Say I just didn't like it. I didn't like Joel's rambling thoughts; it really just made my head hurt. I didn't like that nothing seemed to be happening, but for some reason, I really felt like I needed to keep reading. I'm glad that I did.

Things totally do happen in this book, and they are both thought provoking and frustrating. Of course, there is some joy thrown in.

Joel is complicated because life is complicated. He makes mistakes, and he tries to do the right thing. He has the beginnings of two solid friends that help steer and support him.

I can't say that I ever got over Joel's rambling thoughts, but I still really appreciated how the book dealt with life (religion, guns, homelessness, veterans, PTSD, banned books, automatic 'F's').

I loved this book. It's a unique story of a teenager, Joel, who has suffered a traumatic experience and has bottled up his emotions and responses, except for the hundreds of text messages he has written and saved unsent on his phone to three indivuals: his principal, his best friend and his secret love. He's a troubled but noble young man who makes mistakes and struggles with guilt, some of which he needs to learn to set aside.

This is probably my favorite YA book of the year so far, or at least in the top 2. America needs more books like Words We Don't Say by K.J. Reilly. This is a book about real (though quirky) kids in stressful situations, working through trauma and making sense of a less than perfect world. Much less.
I loved this book for many reasons, but most strongly because the teens in the story never tossed aside their individuality in trade for popularity or acceptance. Like so many teens that I know "in real life" as a high school teacher, the characters in this book were passionate about the world and compassionate about the people of the world, but not sure how to make a difference. These kids observed, and listened, and came to care about people in this world who need to be seen and heard and cared about, but all too often are not.
This is a book that should be read by all teens, and adults, too, for that matter. It would make a great classroom read right around Veteran's Day, putting a flesh and blood spin to a holiday that seems far removed from the lives of most teens these days.

Interesting book that I think some teens will connect to. The characters were realistic and relatable. I think if my teen wanted to read this book, it would open up a lot of discussion. I would recommend for older teens.

I rates this 4/5 Stars...More like 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up this time because Joel’s struggle and character development worked for me. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to love this book but I felt compelled to see it through and I am glad it did. I appreciated Joel’s evolution from having so much inside him that he couldn’t share...so very like many young people I know and work with. The author’s use of saved text messages brought this age old struggle beautifully into the present. I loved the PTSD/veteran storyline but I will confess that I didn’t love the darkness that the gun brought to the story. That alone will give me pause in recommending this to students. Otherwise, it was a powerful commentary on the curse of PTSD that taught me much about a problem that needs to be better addressed in our society.