Review | Something More

Summary: Something More

Jessie is a fifteen-year-old Palestinian-Canadian who’s getting into high school soon after an autism diagnosis. She feels “abnormal,” especially as she doesn’t have a cellphone, but is determined to belong to a friend group and fall in love this school year. However, when she finds herself caught between two very different boys, she realizes that things don’t always go to plan.

The Good

As all the positive reviews mention, this book feels unique in its realness, and Jessie’s voice and problems are comfortingly realistic. This, of course, means that things get messy like they can for teens at that age. We hear a lot of Jessie’s internal monologue and see how her autism manifests in the way she views the world. Jessie is struggling to feel confident with her autism diagnosis — even hiding it from her schoolmates and new friends. But eventually, she learns to own it.

Something else I enjoyed about this story is Jessie’s Arab family, their camaraderie, and the warm dynamics at home. Jessie has an older brother and sister who are also figuring out their lives. Her brother is out of high school and wants to go to culinary school, while their dad wants him to go to college or help out with their family business. Her sister is still in high school and has a massive independent streak.

There’s major drama at school as Jessie desperately wants to be liked by lazy, cool Levi, who only talks to her when they’re alone. Their “relationship” will frustrate others who can see through Levi’s excuses, but is painfully true to life as most 15-year-olds can’t easily tell when someone truly wants to be with them. I loved the other love interest, Griffin, and the friendship he has with Jessie. She also a group of female friends and experiences both good friendship and a touch of toxic frenemy behavior.

Finally, while this book isn’t all about autism, it is a major part of Jessie’s life, and readers will learn a bit about how it feels to live with autism. Jessie gets help seeing a therapist who teaches her to identify common coping mechanisms like masking. I enjoyed seeing how these visits help Jessie find her balance. I wish more autistic kids had this level of support.

Overall: Something More

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh is an original, relatable, and funny young adult novel about autism, family, and coming-of-age. With a memorable younger teen protagonist, a lovable Arab-Canadian family, and a unique Canadian high school setting, this YA novel is sure to win many readers — especially younger teens and older tweens!

My Rating

Content Notes

Here are some specifics to know about the content.

Content Warnings

• Language: Infrequent use of inappropriate words and phrases and some mild profanity
• Alcohol/substance abuse: Mentions of Jessie’s brother smoking a joint, some underage drinking
• Violence: Mentions of the crisis in Palestine

Diversity

• Ethnic: Most characters are white, Jessie and her family are Palestinian-Canadian
• Sexual orientation: Mostly straight characters

Recommended for ages: 12+

Good for kids who like:

• The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim
• Books with autistic protagonists
• YA stories with love triangles
• YA books about family

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Publisher Details

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