I received this book as an arc from netgalley. I absolutely LOVED this book. it took me awhile to get into it but as soon as I did, i read it so fast. The whole book just felt so realistic and i felt like i was back in high school again. The characters aren’t unrealistic like many books especially the love interests. You wanted to love and hate Levi but he was basically a real life man like noncommital and obsessed with sex. Griffin is my favorite book boyfriend which sucks because we never even got to see him as an actual boyfriend before the book finished.

This novel was in so many ways something that I *needed*. I’ve never read a ya book with an autiatic protagonist and although I have a list now this is the first I have read. Sure, Jessie and I are different in many ways and have very different life experiences. But I can still relate to her, I easily understood everything she did, why she made choices she made. The romance of this was such a beautiful story and made up a lot of the conflict, so I definitely recommend this if you like contemporary romances. I’m not usually a huge ya romance fan, but I adored Jessie from the first page so what can I say? No matter what had happened, I cared so much about her journey. plus I really appreciated the way that the messiness of life and being a teenager was discussed. Definitely something I’ve been trying to learn lately.I found the way that autism was discussed made me feel seen, but more importantly gave me hope—for myself, for other neurodivergent people, for the world. Overall, this was a really cute contemporary story, I loved getting to know and cheer for Jessie, and I think this is the type of book the Ya genre needs. I also can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

a cute and contemporary YA romance, i enjoyed this read

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

I really loved how this felt like a true YA coming of age story. It had all the angst, pining, and longing of being a teenager, with the added bonus of an autistic character being beautifully honest about who she is. It didn’t feel like an “autism story,” but just a story about a girl who is autistic, and I think that was really wonderful to see. The writing was lovely and easy to read. I would love to give this book to any teenage girl.

I absolutely adored this book. It was such a cute YA Romcom with fantastic representation that is so needed in the genre. Jackie has written such a beautiful coming of age story for a teen who has recently been diagnosed with autism. Navigating a new school her freshman year, she finds herself in a bit of a love triangle. I loved Jesse as a character, as well as her supportive friends and family.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. It’s not that it was poorly written or not good. It just wasn’t really suited for me.

Something More’ takes you right back to the halls of your high school through the eyes of Jessi Khassis. She’s 15, she’s autistic, she’s in love, she wants to join drama club and she’s ready to be the main character in her life. ‘Something More’ is a messy and genuine story about what it feels like to be a teenager getting pulled by the waves of intense emotions, all the new stimuli in high school and figuring out your identity.

Jessi is so funny and such a great character to follow. I loved seeing the world through her eyes. I enjoyed seeing her make friends, figure out boys, and navigate her Palestinian-Canadian family shenanigans. Her story is uplifted by the hilarious cast of characters around her from her family to her friends, who are also all going through it. It’s a wild ride from start to finish!

Now, the romance. Listen - I’m a girl who picks a dude at the beginning of the story and stays loyal. So #TeamGriffin always, but I see the Levi appeal, I do. It really took me back to high school (my friends loved the Levis), so thank you, Jackie, for really helping me relive that chaos.

Something More ARC

This book is about Jessie, a fifteen-year-old first-year high school student recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She discovered this diagnosis a few weeks before starting high school and is determined to hide her diagnosis from everyone else. With the help of her doctor, she began to write down her goals in a journal.

I like the overall vibe of the story. I liked how it is a book for autism rep, and we need more books that educate people about autism spectrum disorder. I also like the portrayal of Jess because it shows the reality of being a high school student.

One of the things that ticked me off in this book is the often use of the word “autistic.” We should start using “person/child with autism” rather than “autistic.” These labels do not define them; THEY are MORE THAN their illnesses. However, it still depends on the individual whether it’s okay with them to be labeled as “autistic” or “individual with autism.” I feel it’s better to ask them their preference as some people think their diagnosis becomes dehumanizing and stigmatizing.

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with this e-ARC!

Something More is a beautiful (and incredibly important!) tale of a 9th grade Palestinian-Canadian girl, whose world turns around after receiving an autism diagnosis the summer before the start of school.

When Jessie starts her brand-new high school, she’s unprepared in more ways than one. First, this will be the first school year that she will be entering with a newfound understanding of the way her brain works (AKA yes, she’s #ActuallyAutistic!). However, her life gets thrown for a loop when not one, but two different boys begin to show a potentially romantic interest in her.

Truly, as much as I tried to prepare myself, I did not expect to fall head-over-heels in love with this story from page one. The writing is wonderfully authentic, the characters are realistic, and speaking as a fellow neurodivergent girlie, I would say that it easily has some of the best autistic representation I’ve read in a long time!

Additionally, while this review does not contain any spoilers for who lands up with who, needless to say that I was overjoyed when the pairing I most wanted to happen actually did! I feel like the relationship dynamic between the two characters was written so well, and it makes me all the more excited to read more YA rom-coms & romances by Jackie Khalilieh in the future!

Overall, I truly could not recommend this book more to fans of The Princess Diaries (minus the royalty plot!) and Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, as well as those who are looking for a great book to make the transition from middle grade fiction to YA rom-coms. It’s everything I wish I could’ve had back when I was a teen, and I couldn’t be more excited for today’s generation to be able to experience this book!

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Pace: 5/5
Realism: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

When I read a YA book, I try to think back to my teenage years and see if I could relate to it or not. This one was one that I found myself intrigued in. I could see myself as the main character without hesitation. While this genre is not normally one for me, I really liked the publishers blurb and wanted to give it a shot. The characters are very well developed, flawed and very age like. The author does a great job with having a character diagnosed with autism and then trying to hide it from her peers at school. It is a very cute story.


Thank you to NetGalley as well s the author publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This was a good YA read, with great autistic rep! Overall, I would recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was the most endearing YA novel I have read in a long time. I was immediately drawn in with the cover and was so so happy when the inside was just as good as the outside. The pining was amazing and the representation was so real, I just loved it so much and am so happy I had the opportunity to read it.

Until I read the acknowledgements, I was on the fence about this book. Did it really represent the authentic experience of an autistic adolescent? Once I realized that the author was drawing from her own experiences, it created a sort of truth bubble that encircled the text. I was able to reframe my understanding of it more precisely. As such, I think this will feel empowering and validating to my students whose lived experience includes an autism diagnosis, but I think it will also help other readers view life (and love) from that perspective.

It was so refreshing to see an autistic teen lead in this young adult novel! Like everyone, Jessie Kassis experiences the growing pains of adolescence. The crushes, the insecurities, the social struggles. Her autism is a big part of her life, but it's not the only thing that defines her. At the same time, I appreciate how this part of her was not glossed over or her struggles minimized.

Khalilieh's writing style really helps immerse you in Jessie's world and help understand what she's going through, even if you're not the same age as the characters. The tone and punctuation usage is realistic in demonstrating to how teen girls think, and I was taken right back to writing in my journal about my goals and crushes too!

I hope that this book will help people gain some insight and have empathy for the extra struggles autistic people face growing up. This is the representation young people need to see!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

This was a really funny, heartwarming rom-com with an on-the-page autistic protagonist. The essentials of the story were relatable and universal, but the specifics shown through the representation are so necessary and fresh.

I adored this book and I adored Jessie, Griffin, and Levi. I thought the author did well at capturing a diverse and authentic teen voice. Jessie’s story took me on a wild roller coaster ride of emotions. Every time I thought I knew who she was going to pick, she surprised me again and again. The book tugged me down memory lane, hitting me with all the nostalgia (I’m a 90’s baby), reminded me what first love feels like, made my heart ache over loss and setbacks, and then left me hopeful and content in the end. Jessie’s story is like a really good, really warm, super fulfilling sugar cookie. It doesn’t need chocolate chips and it doesn’t need m&m’s. It’s perfect just the way it is.

"Emotional maturity isn't something you can see or define, really. It's instinctive, for neurotypicals. For you, well, it's something that takes time to develop...Knowing what your triggers are may help you prepare for certain situations and give you a sense of control. I'd like to discuss some coping mechanisms." - "Something More" by Jackie Khalilieh

Not only is it rare to come across a YA novel with an autistic, female protagonist, but it was a lovely surprise to have the neurodivergent MC be more extroverted and not conforming to a stereotype. As someone who is on the spectrum, I enjoy reading about introverted, autistic girls in books but I also think it's fair (and realistic!) to depict kids all across the spectrum with varying personality traits. I am so over the stereotypical autistic white man obsessed with trains stereotype, which is true in some cases, but doesn't represent the full autistic experience through an intersectional lens. Reading about a teen autistic girl trying to date and follow her passions was so moving and inspiring to me.

Something More is one of those tender books. It's about Jessie and her high school experience wanting to hide her autism, while also navigating new experiences and dating. I adored watching the sibling dynamics and Jessie's relationships with them develop especially as she is growing up. This line between her family knowing about her autism, but not her friends at school. Something More allows Jessie to bloom, not only to readers, but also for herself.

All the ways Jessie is relying on masking, on mimicking, and the games of social niceties. The social rules it seems everyone else knows where we haven't gotten the memo. Something More doesn't shy away from difficult decisions or from how hard it is to repair our trust.

I hate love triangles with a burning passion. This book made me hate them more. It felt like 600 pages of torture. I thought it was never going to end. I did not understand the main characters obsession with this annoying guy Levi and his extremely bright blue eyes. The way they were described made me imagine a guy with neon blue eyes which sounds extremely unpleasant. I also cant believe the characters were all freshmen in high school the way they were acting I would have thought they have 2 months left to find a boyfriend or they would die. It is never that serious. I think I am just not the target audience for this book. It wasn't the worst thing I've read and I feel bad leaving a bad review but it was a horrible reading experience.

I love a book with both diversity rep and autism rep. This was a great read and I am glad i got an ARC copy!