You Say It First

An addictive, irresistible YA novel about two teens from different worlds who fall for each other after a voter registration call turns into a long-distance romance—from Katie Cotugno, the New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days. Perfect for fans of Mary H.K. Choi, Robin Benway, and Nicola Yoon.

One conversation can change everything.

Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: she and her best friend, Emily, plan to head to Cornell together in the fall, and she works at a voter registration call center in her Philadelphia suburb. But everything changes when one of those calls connects her to a stranger from small-town Ohio.

Colby is stuck in a rut, reeling from a family tragedy and working a dead-end job. The last thing he has time for is some privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process. So he says the worst thing he can think of and hangs up.

But things don’t end there.…

That night on the phone winds up being the first in a series of candid, sometimes heated, always surprising conversations that lead to a long-distance friendship and then—slowly—to something more in this captivating opposites attract romance. Across state lines and phone lines, Meg and Colby form a once-in-a-lifetime connection. But in the end, are they just too different to make it work?

You Say It First is a propulsive, layered coming of age novel about how sometimes the person who has the least in common with us can be the one who changes us most.

• Long-Distance Romance: Meg and Colby build a powerful connection over the phone, proving that love can bloom across state lines, one conversation at a time.
• Different Worlds: She’s a political idealist from a wealthy Philadelphia suburb; he’s a cynic from small-town Ohio reeling from family tragedy. Can they find common ground?
• Dual POV: Told from both Meg’s and Colby’s perspectives, this moving story shows there are two sides to every conversation and every budding romance.
• Contemporary Romance for Teens: A timely and heartfelt story that tackles tough topics like class, grief, and political division with honesty and hope.