This book was pretty awesome even though I didn't really like most of the characters. I suppose I can see why Shawna is the way she is, but she still made me pretty angry at times, though not as much as her father. I did like Fran, Schmule and LeeLee. They were great characters.

The plot was interesting and it was well written. I couldn't put this book down and read it in a few hours. There is nothing in this book that I disliked, other than most of the characters.

Say the Word deals with homophobia and that is, for some weird reason, the biggest reason I liked this book. ( )

Hmmm...I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I always wanted to pick it up and read more, but when I actually was reading it wasn't so great. The family dynamics were basically the whole novel: Shawna's mother left her and her father for a woman. Her mother dies and she has to deal with Fran, her mothers partner, and her sons in ways that she never imagined. Her father is a controlling jerk, and Shawna tries to be perfect for him. It's all about the relationships.

I never really connected with Shawna, which I though was a problem. A lot of the stuff she did I really didn't understand. A lot of the things that she said I didn't understand. I thought some things were out of the blue and just put there for more drama. Shawna's relationship with Arye was a little weird too. One second they hate each other, the next they don't.

One thing that I did like was that it was set in Ohio, which is where I live. And Shawna has her mind set that she is going to go to Kenyon College, a private college that's very hard to get into and very pricey. And, incidentally, is the place where my band has band camp. So when she talked about it, I knew what it was.

Like I said in the beginning, this book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. If you like family drama, this is definitely the book for you. ( )

Wow, there is sure a lot packed into this book, it was emotional, powerful, and definitely original. And I think for the most part it works really well! Shawna's journey spans everything from what it means to be family, sexuality, friendship, and love, it goes everywhere. I was compulsively turning the pages of Say the Word, I had to know where it was going and had to know that everyone was going to come out of this situation ok. It was definitely stressful at times to read, especially any scene that involved Shawna's father. A few of the plot twists I could see from miles away but there were others that I was clueless as to where they would go and also a few that were so small I could have done without them. I really admire how much the author takes on in just one book!

I really liked the use of Perfect Shawna, Pathetic Shawna, and Evil Shawna, they all took turns coming out to play. I felt like by the end of the story Shawna was just Shawna, she found a common ground for all the versions of herself. I will admit, the ending had me a little teary eyed, it made me sad but it was an ok sad I think! All in all a powerful book that explores tons of issues a teen can face (and maybe some they won't) in a way that blends them together into a beautiful story. ( )

Shawna Gallagher’s mother left her and her father for another woman, Fran, and her two sons, Arye and Schmule, when Shawna was just seven, and now, ten years later, has suddenly died. Shawna doesn’t know how to feel. She can’t be especially mournful about the loss of a mother whom she hardly knew, especially a self-centered mother who abandoned her.

However, things begin to fall apart in everyone’s lives when Shawna’s father, a control freak with anger management issues, insists on staking genetic claim on the son whom he never knew he had, a son whom Shawna’s mother tried to pass off as Fran’s. Shawna’s father is determined to get his way, even if it meets using or hurting a dozen people in the process, including those close to him. Shawna has lived under his control all his life, but now just might be the time for her to take a stance and do what SHE believes is right.

Jeannine Garsee tackles the difficult subjects of homosexuality, homophobia, and family loyalty in SAY THE WORD. In particular, I found the family loyalty issue most striking. It’s incredibly difficult for an author to create a despicable character who we want to beat the crap out of, yet still empathize and understand where he’s coming from. Mr. Gallagher, and, to a lesser extent, Shawna, are two such characters. They’re flawed, sometimes with unadmirable points of view or attitudes, and yet you can’t help but feel for them, can’t help but understand where they’re coming from, even as you wish for them to grow up.

I feel like the issue of homophobia could have been discussed more in-depth, and I certainly wasn’t satisfied with the blasé way in which Shawna’s sex life was treated. The characters of Shawna, her dad, Schmule, and even Shawna’s friend LeeLee were well developed, but something was missing in Shawna’s budding friendship with—and later, romantic attraction to— Arye. That came out of nowhere, and I found myself unable to understand their relationship.

Even with those small complaints, I found SAY THE WORD to be an overall good read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Elizabeth Scott. ( )