Review: Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

Book Blurb:

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

Find out more about the book on Goodreads

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Heart-Wrenching, Romance, Teen--

I was so distracted by the emotions and sorrow that came off the pages that I did not even realize that this was a contemporary retelling of Robin Hood until I heard the author speak about it at a book event. But of course it is, the book even makes direct references to the classic tale! The main character "Rob" has taken it upon himself to take money or items from his wealthy classmates in order to help the needy in his class, first being Owen who was personally hurt by Rob's father's actions. There were a lot of lessons about morality and actions here that are missing in the Disney version of Robin Hood, and I love the twists and reasoning used to justify actions.

This was such a hard read, filled with the entire spectrum of emotions and a lot of questionable topics such as theft, morally gray areas, teen pregnancy, cheating, bullying, disabilities, abandonment, poverty and suicide all thrown together in a blender to create Call It What You Will. I feel a little like my insides (aka my heart) was being squeezed while I was reading the book and the first good breath I got was once I reached the end. And even in the face of such potentially dark topics that I usually avoid, Brigid makes me emotionally connect to her characters and root for some sort of positive outcome in such a bad situation.

I am a sucker for Brigid books and I love that this was a standalone, making this the perfect emotional, devastating yet heart-breakingly wonderful romance read. The relationship dynamics between Rob and Owen, Rob and Meagan, and Meagan and Stephanie were the highlights of the story. I highly recommend this as well as any of her other books for anyone looking for great characters, sweet stolen moments and a long lasting impact on your heart.