Say the Word

Reader reviewed by The Library Lurker

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 thought 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.



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.

Reader reviewed by Yan

Say the Word is a conflicting book for me. For one thing I cannot seem to make up my mind on the grading. Shawna portrayed various personalities which she describes as Evil Shawna, Perfect Shawna, and Pathetic Shawna. The Perfect one annoyed me, the Evil one I adored, and the Pathetic one I can relate to. So what happens when the main character can be separated into 3 beings? You tell me as I have no clue.

Say the Word is a whirlwind of important topics from modern todaydomestic abuse, homosexuality, and the fear of different. Garsee covers all the topics in a way that binds them together. The plot forces the reader to go along Shawnas life while she tries to figure out why her mother left her behind.

What I love was the way Garsee crafted the tale of Shawnas mother and her partner. The way they connected in the past and possible links to their relationship. It was not really out of nowhere as the beginning had led on. I actually got a sense of deep between the two especially when her mother dies. You can definitely feel the anguish behind the tears and frustration.

I would have love to seen was more development between Arye and Shawna. Can I just say that a simple rump between the grass (yes, grass) does not cover the whole love relationship aspect. The ending as well was too&disappointing. After the struggle to achieve a sense of unity and clarity were back to the basic! Shawna still following Dads dream and becoming a doctor rather than following her passionart.

Overall: Nice effort

Reader reviewed by Steph Su

Shawna Gallaghers 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
doesnt know how to feel. She cant 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 everyones lives when Shawnas 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 Shawnas mother tried to pass off as Frans. Shawnas
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. Its 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 hes coming from. Mr.
Gallagher, and, to a lesser extent, Shawna, are two such characters. Theyre
flawed, sometimes with unadmirable points of view or attitudes, and yet you
cant help but feel for them, cant help but understand where theyre 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 wasnt
satisfied with the blasé way in which Shawnas sex life was treated. The
characters of Shawna, her dad, Schmule, and even Shawnas friend LeeLee were
well developed, but something was missing in Shawnas budding friendship withand
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.