Fresh story and unique characters. Full review on Goodreads. Glad I grabbed this one. Still thinking about it a week later.

I want to start off saying I went into this book blind, like I do all books. The voice K.J. gave Joel read like a teenager. His voice was genuine and his random, anxious thinking was realistic for his age. I loved the concept of saving drafts of his text messages. I empathized with him that at times he felt he shouldn’t share his true voice. The secondary characters were also spot on: Eli, Benj, Jacey, Alex B. And of course, Joel’s parents. The downside that cut up the forward flow in the plot for me was the repeated statements, the run-on sentences, and the holes in the storyline. I loved the hands-on postivity and kindness of the characters and the genuineness in their actions. Finding out the horrible thing that happened and how it all pieced together near the very end of the novel was another let down for me. I felt the ending brough closure, in a move forward way, but there were many events that were irrelevant which would make for the climax to have happened earlier in the novel. Overall, I appreciated this message of “Words We Don’t Say”.

This story takes you inside the thought process of a teen boy trying to navigate grief and growing up while learning tbr hurts that others experience as well. He learns about the "violence of words" and why books and stories carry so much power. If you are a teen you'll be able to relate to Joel's rambling thought process. If you are an adult, it will help you remember your own teen years and allow you to grow in empathy for a new generation of teens.

Joel is trying to figure out how to put his life back together. He misses his best friend Andy, and is in love with a girl who doesn't know how he feels. Joel spends his time taking care of his little brother and helping Eli at the soup kitchen so he can spend as much time as possible with her. Through Joel's interactions with a homeless man at the shelter, maybe he can figure out where he's going in life.

I really wanted to like Words We Don't Say. I liked that the story addressed homeless veterans and PTSD, and I truly liked how it ended. That being said, I really hated how it was written. The rambling narrative style was just too much for me, and the repetition got annoying. I did like seeing Joel's unsent text messages--that helped the narrative. I think this book will appeal to some of our readers, but not too many.

KJ Reilley wrote "Words We Don't Say" just as a teenager talks. That being said, the curse words were a little much (although it's realistic). "Words We Don't Say" made me laugh, cry and think....a winning combination for a book.