Discussion Post for Something More by Jackie Khalilieh
Editor’s Note: Hi everyone, it’s your host, @LibraryOfDreaming. I want to apologize for the lack of updates here on the website. Once again, I’ve been going through some intense health issues and I just haven’t had the capacity to update the website the way I would like. I’m hoping to get back in the groove but in the meantime the best way to keep up with all our book club’s news is to follow me over on Instagram. I’m going to do some housekeeping around here to catch you all up on some old updates. Happy Reading!
[ID: a book with an illustration of a Palestinian-Canadian girl in a blue school uniform sitting in between two white boys in front of a school facade. The book sits on a pile of brown rocks covered in white petals next to a field of white flowers and dappled with sunlight. The video includes ambient nature noises.]
Our #ChronicallyIconicBookClub May read was SOMETHING MORE by Jackie Khalilieh, a YA romance featuring an autistic heroine!
Summary: A contemporary teen romance novel featuring a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school, for fans of Jenny Han and Samira Ahmed.
Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.
I’m so glad that we selected a book by a Palestinian author this month! In the face of genocide enabled, aided, and abetted by Americans’ own tax dollars, I know it’s not enough to read Palestinian books and pass on their stories, but I hope at least it brought a tiny bit more attention and space for Jacke Khalilieh’s books.
Overall, we enjoyed seeing Jessie come into her own in this book! We weren’t a huge fan of the love triangle (to put it politely) but found Jessie relatable and loveable. Some of us wanted a little more detail or focus on Jessie’s journey to acceptance towards her autism, but we felt like it was really special to read her story. I wished that the book was just 20 pages longer to get more detail.
As always, I urge you to contact your representatives and donate to Palestinian support funds if you are able. If you have more recommendations for Palestinian books (especially with disability rep!), please leave them in the comments!
Discussion Questions:
What did you think of this book? (How many stars did you rate it?)
What was your favorite part of the book?
What was your least favorite part?
What did you think about Jessie and her journey throughout the book?
What did you think of the depiction of Jessie’s autism?
What did you think about the romance/love triangle?
What did you think about Griffen as a character?
What did you think about Levi as a character?
Was there anything you wish was different/anything about the book you would like to change?
What did you think of the way the book ended?