I just really appreciate it when characters are taken apart like that and Kemmerer is at the top for me for creating incredible character arcs. She writes it so damn well. This book was basically like a modern day retelling of Robin Hood. A big theme of this story was ‘what is right and wrong’. And it was something that I haven't read about for a long time in YA. As usual, Kemmerer's story has two unlikely people finding comfort in one another and there is literally nothing more wholesome than that to me. Her contemporaries typically have a slower-burn romance where the two characters grow as friends first before taking the next step in their relationship, and it works so well every single time. I was rooting for both Maegan and Rob individually and together throughout the entirety of this book.

As is common with Kemmerer's other YA contemporaries this story also focused on characters who are misjudged. You don't ever truly know what's going on in someone else's life. I love how reading her books remind me of that. The writing is smooth and highly readable. The friendships were so well done. Rob and Owen. So many feelings.Alissa DeRogatis is an up-and-coming author based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Call It What You Want is her debut novel and is a love letter to all girls who have had a hard time getting over someone they never dated.

Overall, I felt this book has a lot to offer and is quite moving. I would definitely recommend it to readers looking for a hard-hitting contemporary. I fell so hard for Rob, because how can you not fall for one of this woman’s main leading men? She creates the most tortured and lonely souls I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and I love what she did with his character. I literally had to question every motive, every move, every play-yet never wholly disagreed with what he did. That’s a true author-to make you wonder whether something is right or wrong, yet never telling you if it is or isn’t. In all honesty, he was wrong. Every time. But then you would hear his reasoning, see it through his eyes. Live it like he did-and I found myself saying [almost every time] I’d have done that. But that’s the ambiguity of it-It’s for you to decide, and she didn’t make it easy. Each character in this story has a difficult decision to face every day, and I loved reading about these confused and lost souls. So, about the plot. I love the idea of "exposing" the BL industry, and they definitely took a much more serious approach than Lovely Writer. It was almost a bit too heavy for me, but it was probably also realistic. Either way, there is for sure so much shit going on behind the scenes. Not in all instances, but some, and it's so sad to think about. We need to remember BL actors are also people, so we should treat them as such. No forcing them to go on insane diets, no forcing them to get surgery, no robbing them of their freedom. Basically, let them have their basic human rights. Also, no fanservice unless they're completely comfortable with it. Let's not get too invested in relationships that most likely aren't real. It can be very damaging.Rob had it all - friends, a near-guaranteed lacrosse scholarship to college and an amazing family - but all that changed when his dad was caught embezzling funds from half the town. Now he's a social pariah. Maegan always does the right thing. But when her sister comes home from college pregnant, she's caught between telling their parents the truth about the father and keeping her sister's trust. When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a project, they form an unexpectedly deep connection. But Rob's plan to fix his father's damage could ruin more than their new friendship ... About This Edition ISBN: I devoured this book in less than 24 hours, which is a pretty rare occurrence for me now that I have both a teenager and a toddler in the house. Falling in love with Rob and Maegan was so easy to do. Brigid Kemmerer is brilliant at creating these scruffy underdog characters with complex layers who are undervalued and underappreciated by the people around them. The friendship that blossoms between Rob and Maegan is one of my favorite things about Call It What You Want. I love the way Kemmerer writes unlikely friendships like theirs. She portrays that initial awkwardness of the relationship and then the slow opening up to one another so authentically and so beautifully. I could read books like this from Kemmerer all day every day and never get tired of them.

I absolutely adored the set up of this plot. One of my favourite tropes that I love is characters being put in a situation where they are forced to work together even though they don't really want to. It is the perfect set up of a not necessarily hate to love but definitely dislike/indifference to love. Which I find is more realistic and enjoyable when it comes to contemporary. These characters in particular really find a trusting friendship with each other first which I thought was great and meant for a more slow-burn romance to really get the feels going. And damn were there feels! I won’t lie to you guys-I begged for this book. It wasn’t classy. It wasn’t dignified. And it was honestly a bit pathetic-but IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT. This book? It’s gold. I loved every minute of it. When your dad stole half the towns investment money and everyone thinks you were in on it — no one really wants anything to do with you. No longer the High School Golden Boy, Rob is reminded everyday of the crimes of his father and is hated for it. Other people don’t have the challenges we have, Owen. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own.”Call It What You Want is a book about Sloane Hart & Ethan Brady, and their journey together navigating their situationship.