REVIEW: I Can't Tell You (Hillary Frank)

Title: I Can't Tell You
Author: Hillary Frank
Reading Level:Easy reading, young adult, but has you reading between the lines
Amazon Average Rating: 4.5 stars (based on 11 reviews)
My Rating: 2.75 (Bonus points for creativity, though. Seriously.)

Keeper Status? Not for me, but am glad I read it!

No sample writing style this time around, (1) because I'm not sure it would capture the essence of the book, and (2) said book is in another room and I am too lazy to go get it. I'll give you one guess which is the main reason....  Anyway, I'm not sure how or why I wound up with this book on my shelf, but I put off reading it for a while. I was drawn to it, because the author pushes the boundaries of what you can do on written page.



In sum, the plot is about a college student, Jake Jacobsen, who stops speaking after a fight with his best friend (yes, over a girl). Instead, he communicates entirely through written notes, and that's what carries this story through. Sometimes other characters choose to write back to him, and sometimes you only get to experience a one-sided conversation. Or the imprint of a smear of pudding. The bigger story is the tension between Jake and his friend-turned-crush, Xandra and how their story plays out.

I liked that this little book because it forces you to look at what is said, and more importantly, what is not. There were some things I struggled with. For example, I know that dry-erase boards are the means of communication in a dorm, but I had trouble picturing if the door was open, closed, were characters in, out?

I also enjoyed how well the author captured the immature bantering, the puns, and just the essence of being a college student with a filthy mind. You know you've had those conversations. I have. (Hi, Dot!)


Even though this is pegged as a young adult book, I still thought it was a refreshing experience, and not your typical read. In fact, it was often a good mental exercise trying to connect all that was actually happening simply from reading all of these hand-written notes in the margins.


The story itself is a bit tedious, but if you're up for reminiscing about the hazards of being a misunderstood college kid, and you want to give a different narrative style a chance, give this one a shot.