How to Say I Love You Out Loud

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.