Review: What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Rating: ★★★★★ stars
Date published:April 30th, 2012
Synopsis: Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat. His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again. When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn't the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.

What I Thought:

This book is breathtakingly beautiful and haunting at the same time.  I couldn't help but fall in love with Jake as he struggled to deal with his new reality and deal with the one that was forever changed.  I fell in love with Samantha too because she never gave up on Jake.  She was like sunshine to both Jake and me.  

The story itself is a roller coaster of emotions.  When Jake was frustrated I felt my heart wrench in my chest.  When he realized perhaps he could do this, I felt joy.  The story was intense from the first page and I couldn't put it down until it was over.  Keary Taylor is beyond talented.  She's a new author to me and I'm so glad I decided to read this book.

I think a major part of why I loved this book so much was the realness of it all.  There were no platitudes of everything will be okay and both the good and bad got equal air time.  We all take so much for granted and it was eye-opening to see how Jake handled losing his voice.  This is going to sound really cheesy, but it was as if losing his voice led Jake to find his mettle.  

This book will stick with you longer after you've finished the last page.  If you're looking for a book that will take you on an unbelievable journey, you need to pick up this book.  I'm just surprised it's taken me this long to discover Keary Taylor.  

Purchase Links:

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About the Author

Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of THE EDEN TRILOGY, the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, and WHAT I DIDN'T SAY. To learn more about Keary and her writing process, please visit www.KearyTaylor.com.

Please Note: Keary does not check Goodreads very often, so the best way to get in contact is directly through email: me@kearytaylor.com.

*A copy was provided by the author for review.  I do also own my own e-book of it.  All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any manner for them.*