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 friendship and then—slowly—to something more. 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 YA contemporary romance novel about how sometimes the person who has the least in common with us can be the one who changes us most.

Discover a heartfelt story about finding connection in the most unexpected ways:

• Opposites Attract: She’s a politically active rich girl with a perfect life plan. He’s a cynic from small-town Ohio, stuck in a dead-end job and reeling from family tragedy.
• Long-Distance Romance: After a voter registration call ends in a shouting match, they can’t stop talking, forming a friendship—and then something more—entirely over the phone.
• Dual POV: Told from both Meg’s and Colby’s perspectives, this dialogue-driven novel explores how two people from different worlds can challenge and change each other.
• Coming of Age: A poignant story about first love, class differences, and discovering that the person who seems most wrong for you might be the one who understands you best.