How to Say I Love You Out Loud

by Karole Cozzo

Overview

Tackling real world issues with sensitivity and grace, this is a touching contemporary novel about learning to accept yourself, speak out for others and let people into your heart.

When Jordyn Michaelson's autistic brother joins her at her elite school, she's determined not to let anyone know they're related. Even if that means closing herself off to all her closest friends, including charming football stud Alex Colby. But she just can't shake the memory of kissing Alex last summer, and the desire to do it again.

Can Jordyn find the courage to tell Alex how she really feels—and the truth about her family—before he slips away forever?

Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Karole Cozzo’s heartfelt debut novel How to Say I Love You Out Loud will stay with readers long after they have finished reading.

Praise for How to Say I Love You Out Loud:

“A budding romance with family drama and a feel-good ending.” —School Library Journal

"A book of acceptance, bravery, and most of all, love. ” —Bibliophile Soprano

"An impactful story about love, compassion, and the power of your voice.” —Snuggly Oranges

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250063595
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	470,496
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Karole Cozzo, author of How to Say I Love You Out Loud, How to Keep Rolling After a Fall, and The Truth About Happily Ever After, lives outside of Philadelphia with her loving husband, unendingly exuberant daughter, and eternally pleasant son. She is a school psychologist by day and a lover of all things colorful and creative by night. Karole spends her free time drawing with her young artists-in-residence, making photo books, decorating her home, and of course, writing.

Editorial Reviews

A budding romance with family drama and a feel-good ending.” —School Library Journal

"A book of acceptance, bravery, and most of all, love. It’s a book that will touch everyone’s hearts.” —Bibliophile Soprano

"Powerful and emotional, and it brings autism to light in a way I had never considered it before . . . It’s an impactful story about love, compassion, and the power of your voice.” —Snuggly Oranges

"What a wonderfully written and poignant story! This story hit me from two angles—one as the sibling of a person with a disability and the other as a high school guidance counselor. A beautiful story woven with just enough romance and drama to keep you on your toes." —Casey, reader on SwoonReads.com

From the Publisher

05/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—At home, Jordyn has always been the patient, understanding sister, stepping aside while her parents' resources and time are consumed with the care of her brother, Philip, who has autism. When Jordyn transfers to a new, competitive high school she sees an opportunity to start fresh in a place where she's not defined by her brother's disability—so she doesn't tell anyone he exists. Jordyn's lies of omission keep her from letting her friends get too close, and drives her too-good-to-be-true crush, Alex, into another girl's arms. A few weeks into her junior year, Jordyn's family announces that Philip is going to be attending her school while they find a new placement for him, and the walls she has been building for years start to crumble. Denying the existence of a family member with special needs is a heavy topic, but Cozzo gives readers enough backstory and character development to see how the protagonist rationalizes her decisions, even if they make her less than likable at times. Readers may become frustrated with the teen's insistence on keeping a secret that betrays her brother and sabotages her own happiness time after time, but will see real character growth by the very end. VERDICT A budding romance with family drama and a feel-good ending.—Beth McIntyre, Madison Public Library, WI

School Library Journal