This was my first Brigid Kemmerer book and it was everything I was expecting it to be - a YA with a bit of contemporary! Recommend to anyone looking for a quick read!

This was one of my first Brigid Kemmerer reads and I really enjoyed it! I have since picked up several of her other works!

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

Another book I read when given the galley that I gave 5 stars but never wrote a physical review for. Brigid is just so talented when it comes to really hitting good topics with mental health, and I enjoy every book I pick up.

Kemmerer does a good job of covering serious and complicated topics in this novel. YA novel that is also enjoyable for an adult audience

Wow.

Not going to lie, after reading the first two books in Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series, I genuinely thought I just didn’t care for her writing and plot style. It had always seemed somewhat gimmicky to me, complete with the most obvious and tired plot “twists.” I’ve always kind of hated that series for numerous reasons.

I got this book as part of a subscription box and it has sat on my shelf for years now, gathering dust since I just wasn’t ready to read more of her writing.

What a damn horrible mistake that was.

But then, we all make mistakes.

I haven’t read all her books, so I can’t say whether this is the best she’s ever written. But it’s certainly the best of hers that I’ve read. And it’s all down to how utterly real her characters felt.

Call It What You Want deals with some pretty heavy topics, for sure, but it does so in an incredible manner. I genuinely felt like these characters could be real people dealing with these real situations and it was a journey I couldn't turn away from. One of the most unputdownable books I've read. This is definitely a book worth the read.

CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT is a solid YA contemporary! This dual POV novel has both characters working through complicated family situations. It’s an emotional read that will pull on your heartstrings. And it’s also a bit of a Robin Hood retelling. Perfect for fans of Katie McGarry and Abigail Johnson!

I’ve finally dove into Brigid Kemmerer’s contemporary books and boy did Call It What You Want not disappoint! I adored the story, the characters and just all of the topics Brigid touches upon in this book.

It’s powerful and moving, and serves to remind the reader that perspective is everything. I could easily have read more of Rob and Maegan’s story!

I'm always impressed with how perfectly Kemmerer captures the teen emotional state, no matter the circumstance. I think kids really relate to her characters and I am happy to recommend this one, along with the others.

Kemmerer has a talent for writing about damaged teens who are disenfranchised. She sensitively portrays Maegan and Rob, who are both estranged from their normal social circles because of actions on their own part (Maegan) or by others (Rob’s father). As they are drawn to one another, they see a kindred soul dealing with ostracism.

The one issue with this novel is the similarity to the plot of some of Kemmerer’s other contemporary novels. That being said, the characters are realistic and the situations are unique in their particulars. Alienated teens who seek solace in one another is a compelling storyline that elicits feelings of compassion and empathy. For all who love her other titles, this one should please and add to her popularity.
3.5*

I absolutely LOVE anything and everything Brigid writes and CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT did not disappoint!
With characters you can connect to and a deeply moving storyline this book whizzes bye. I found myself not wanting to to end!

Brigid Kemmerer has been one of my favorite authors for many years. Starting with her Elemental series she has yet to disappoint. This book was no exception. Her characters are always so well written and complex. Rob and Meagan were just as pragmatic. Both Rob and Meagan were shouldering the burden of not only their own secrets, but those of their loved ones too, While Meagan was judged by a single bad choice, Rob was judged by a choice someone close to him made and never given the benefit of the doubt. The best part about this book was that as the story progressed both characters still made good and bad choices; showing that all choices and their consequences can shape us and help us evolve. The book illustrates that not everything is always "black & white" and what may be wrong in one person's eyes, may not be in another's. As with all of Kemmerer's books, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great, contemporary YA read.
Recommended for 15 & up
Mild to adult situations

For the record, my heart belongs to every single one of Brigid K’s books. I read Letters to the Lost last year and absolutely adored it, so naturally I was thrilled to receive an e-ARC of this through NetGalley.

This book was a mess of emotions and mistakes and broken people trying to make things right. All in all, it was fantastic, and Rob is now mine to protect.

A YA story that is a bit of a blend of contemporary fiction and a love story that 100% captured my heart!

Ugh this book gave me all the feels! I loved the characters' relationships with each other, especially the sisters!

Another cute romance story but with some deeper questions that are worth asking. Kemmerer is such an amazing storyteller that this is a quick read.

Family dynamics is the front and center of Brigid Kemmerer's Call It What You Want. The story is told from dual perspectives, Rob and Maegan, who are grappling with serious and complicated issues. Rob is a former popular student whose father sustained a profound brain injury after a failed suicide attempt after he was turned in for embezzling his investors’ money. Rob now carries the burden to take care for his father. He is also wracked by guilt and constantly reminded that his father’s clients, many of whom are his peers’ families, lost everything. Many people in his community suspect that Rob knew of his father's actions since he interned at his father's company, but Rob adamantly claims he is innocent. Suspicion tracks Rob everywhere and makes him a social pariah until an unsuspected olive branch is presented in the form of a math project.

Maegan is the dutiful and caring daughter of a police officer who struggles in the shadow of her lacrosse-star older sister, who is now home from college unexpectedly pregnant. Maegan is dealing with the fallout of last year when she is caught cheating on the SAT a year earlier, causing the scores of everyone in the room to be invalidated. Like Rob, Maegan is also working through her own guilt and never feeling good enough.

Kemmerer's has a a knack for creating flawed characters who are complex and real. Rob and Maegan both live in the gray moral boundaries and are trying to remove the taint of their reputation, whether it is by their own action or the actions of others. Both characters are wrestling with questions about ethical responsibility and grief. The romance between Rob and Maegan is a slow burn one where they slowly become confidants and chip away at one another’s defenses—and their burgeoning attraction causes fallout of its own. There is a lot tackled in this romantic realistic fiction novel that could weigh it down, but the story is well-grounded with funny dialogue. There is also a natural discussion of race and privilege in the book, which I appreciated. This is another winner from Brigid Kemmerer.

I thought this story was a really cute story about some of that good ol’ teen romance! Our main characters Rob and Maegan are both a bit troubled, with baggage and issues they are dealing with in their personal lives from both circumstances and personal choices. When they are paired up for a class project, they start on a journey that will bring them together and help them deal with the challenges that face them.

I always love any book Brigid writes. I love her characters so much. I can always feel them right in my bones. I also really like that this wasn’t an “instalove” romance. These characters became friends first, and then fell in love. I always love stories like this, because they feel more realistic and believable to me. If you love Brigid’s books, this is a must read for sure!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If loving contemporary young adult novels Is wrong, I don't want to be right! This is a sweet (without being corny) and well done look at the difficulties teens can face. I really enjoy Brigid's Kemmerer's writing, as well as her range. She can write contemporary and fantasy young adult novels, which is very unusual!

In this story, Maegan and Rob are suddenly outcasts at school. Maegan was caught cheating on the SATs, even though she was a straight-A student. Then, her “perfect” sister came back from college, pregnant with her professor’s baby. Rob’s father was caught embezzling money from his financial company, and everyone thinks that Rob knew what was happening. They are brought together in their calculus class, where they form an unlikely friendship.

Morality was a big theme in this book. The main characters and their peers have to ask if Maegan and Rob deserve to be punished for what they did, or what their family members did. Maegan cheated on her test, but it affected everyone else in the testing room whose papers had to be scrapped. Rob’s father stole money from many of his classmate’s families, so they take it out on Rob by ignoring him. They both end up suffering for these actions, until they can open people’s eyes up to the truth.

This book was very touching. Both Maegan and Rob had to look after their family members. Maegan helps her sister deal with her unplanned pregnancy. She ends up stepping up to look after her. Rob’s father attempted suicide, but now he can’t do anything on his own. Rob and his mother have to look after him, including feeding and bathing him. It was heartbreaking to read about his father, and the way that the people he hurt the most had to look after him. This made me sympathetic to Maegan and Rob, even though they had both made mistakes.

This is a great story!

Thank you Bloomsbury YA for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.