Review: What I Didn’t Say by Keary Taylor

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat.

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He’s been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it’s too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.

When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he’ll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn’t limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she’ll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she’ll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn’t say before, even if he can’t actually say it.

This is my first read by Keary Taylor, and I’m so impressed that I can’t wait to pick up one of her other books. When I saw this on NetGalley I figured it for a serious and heartbreaking read. And while there were moments when I found myself trying really hard not to cry, the book, altogether, had a positive, uplifting tone.

Jake loses his voice early on in the book, so the rest of the book is spent focusing on Jake coming to terms with what his life is going to be like now. Jake has a hard time, but he also gets a fresh perspective after befriending and falling for Samantha Shaw.

What I enjoyed about this book, the most, was that instead of going down a morose road, Ms. Taylor chose to take a pretty awful situation and turn it into a lesson on what really matters. I loved that there was such tremendous character growth in this story for both Jake and Samantha.

Life really hands them both a crappy hand (even though Jake kind of brought HIS problems on himself) but they help each other make the most of their situations.

I felt like the relationship progression was refreshing and realistic between Sam and Jake. There were moments when they both acted like, uh…idiots, for lack of a better word. But, I think that fits their age.

If you’re looking for a sweet, poignant read, then I suggest you read this book. It’s well written and original. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Taylor.

My Rating: