Don’t just read You Say It First…Experience it.

I picked up You Say It First, by Katie Cotugno, because the cover grabbed my attention. I read it because I was intrigued by the idea of a romance budding over the phone. In this day and age romance isn’t unheard of over the internet but through phone calls seems uncommon.

You Say It First tells the story of Meg, who is finishing her senior year with hopes of changing the world through political activism, and Colby, who is living paycheck to paycheck post high school without any goals. But a heated phone conversation, initiated by Meg as she tries to help people register to vote during her part time job, leaves both of them feeling unsettled. So Meg ignores work policy and calls Colby back, opening the door for a connection between two people from very different backgrounds. Then the two must decide how to navigate their growing relationship as they continually challenge one another’s beliefs.

I liked the idea of a character like Meg who has such strong political opinions. She may be able to acknowledge that the system doesn’t always work in her favor, but that doesn’t discourage her from remaining hopeful and staying active. I think this is a great frame of mind at this point in time.

It used to seem like people tended to believe the same things as their neighbors–or maybe they just assumed they did–and then maybe their eyes would be opened at college when they were suddenly around people from different backgrounds. This isn’t entirely true today, where it seems like politics are in your face constantly. This is the world the young adults of today are going to have to adjust to, one where people talk politics very openly and not always productively.

For that reason, something that stood out to me in this book was the way Meg and Colby talked to each other about their differing opinions. They both brought a lot of baggage to the table, which often made them defensive.  Therefore, it may be more accurate to say they argued. In fact, they argued about so many issues: electoral college, what makes a joke over the line, government corruption, super PACs, raising minimum wage, fake news, feminism. This felt real for the current political landscape. However, once they took time to digest the others’ thoughts, they could generally find some middle ground and possibly even budge a bit on the rigidity of their initial stance. This is a step that few seem to take these days. Although it gave me hope for the future, because despite their differences they motivated each other to be better.

There you have it. As you read You Say It First, take the time to consider what you think about the issues Meg and Colby discuss, and maybe even a few others, but don’t stop there. Ask yourself why you believe what you believe, and then maybe take the time to check the most recent information on those topics to make sure you have the most up to date data on which to base your opinions.

If you haven’t already read You Say It First, what are you waiting for? If you already have, why not pick it up again? Either way, take my advice when you do–don’t just read it, experience it!