Something More is a beautiful (and incredibly important!) tale of a 9th grade Palestinian-Canadian girl, whose world turns around after receiving an autism diagnosis the summer before the start of school.

When Jessie starts her brand-new high school, she’s unprepared in more ways than one. First, this will be the first school year that she will be entering with a newfound understanding of the way her brain works (AKA yes, she’s #ActuallyAutistic!). However, her life gets thrown for a loop when not one, but two different boys begin to show a potentially romantic interest in her.

Truly, as much as I tried to prepare myself, I did not expect to fall head-over-heels in love with this story from page one. The writing is wonderfully authentic, the characters are realistic, and speaking as a fellow neurodivergent girlie, I would say that it easily has some of the best autistic representation I’ve read in a long time!

Additionally, while this review does not contain any spoilers for who lands up with who, needless to say that I was overjoyed when the pairing I most wanted to happen actually did! I feel like the relationship dynamic between the two characters was written so well, and it makes me all the more excited to read more YA rom-coms & romances by Jackie Khalilieh in the future!

Overall, I truly could not recommend this book more to fans of The Princess Diaries (minus the royalty plot!) and Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, as well as those who are looking for a great book to make the transition from middle grade fiction to YA rom-coms. It’s everything I wish I could’ve had back when I was a teen, and I couldn’t be more excited for today’s generation to be able to experience this book!

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Pace: 5/5
Realism: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

When I read a YA book, I try to think back to my teenage years and see if I could relate to it or not. This one was one that I found myself intrigued in. I could see myself as the main character without hesitation. While this genre is not normally one for me, I really liked the publishers blurb and wanted to give it a shot. The characters are very well developed, flawed and very age like. The author does a great job with having a character diagnosed with autism and then trying to hide it from her peers at school. It is a very cute story.


Thank you to NetGalley as well s the author publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This was a good YA read, with great autistic rep! Overall, I would recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was the most endearing YA novel I have read in a long time. I was immediately drawn in with the cover and was so so happy when the inside was just as good as the outside. The pining was amazing and the representation was so real, I just loved it so much and am so happy I had the opportunity to read it.

Until I read the acknowledgements, I was on the fence about this book. Did it really represent the authentic experience of an autistic adolescent? Once I realized that the author was drawing from her own experiences, it created a sort of truth bubble that encircled the text. I was able to reframe my understanding of it more precisely. As such, I think this will feel empowering and validating to my students whose lived experience includes an autism diagnosis, but I think it will also help other readers view life (and love) from that perspective.

It was so refreshing to see an autistic teen lead in this young adult novel! Like everyone, Jessie Kassis experiences the growing pains of adolescence. The crushes, the insecurities, the social struggles. Her autism is a big part of her life, but it's not the only thing that defines her. At the same time, I appreciate how this part of her was not glossed over or her struggles minimized.

Khalilieh's writing style really helps immerse you in Jessie's world and help understand what she's going through, even if you're not the same age as the characters. The tone and punctuation usage is realistic in demonstrating to how teen girls think, and I was taken right back to writing in my journal about my goals and crushes too!

I hope that this book will help people gain some insight and have empathy for the extra struggles autistic people face growing up. This is the representation young people need to see!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

This was a really funny, heartwarming rom-com with an on-the-page autistic protagonist. The essentials of the story were relatable and universal, but the specifics shown through the representation are so necessary and fresh.

I adored this book and I adored Jessie, Griffin, and Levi. I thought the author did well at capturing a diverse and authentic teen voice. Jessie’s story took me on a wild roller coaster ride of emotions. Every time I thought I knew who she was going to pick, she surprised me again and again. The book tugged me down memory lane, hitting me with all the nostalgia (I’m a 90’s baby), reminded me what first love feels like, made my heart ache over loss and setbacks, and then left me hopeful and content in the end. Jessie’s story is like a really good, really warm, super fulfilling sugar cookie. It doesn’t need chocolate chips and it doesn’t need m&m’s. It’s perfect just the way it is.

"Emotional maturity isn't something you can see or define, really. It's instinctive, for neurotypicals. For you, well, it's something that takes time to develop...Knowing what your triggers are may help you prepare for certain situations and give you a sense of control. I'd like to discuss some coping mechanisms." - "Something More" by Jackie Khalilieh

Not only is it rare to come across a YA novel with an autistic, female protagonist, but it was a lovely surprise to have the neurodivergent MC be more extroverted and not conforming to a stereotype. As someone who is on the spectrum, I enjoy reading about introverted, autistic girls in books but I also think it's fair (and realistic!) to depict kids all across the spectrum with varying personality traits. I am so over the stereotypical autistic white man obsessed with trains stereotype, which is true in some cases, but doesn't represent the full autistic experience through an intersectional lens. Reading about a teen autistic girl trying to date and follow her passions was so moving and inspiring to me.

Something More is one of those tender books. It's about Jessie and her high school experience wanting to hide her autism, while also navigating new experiences and dating. I adored watching the sibling dynamics and Jessie's relationships with them develop especially as she is growing up. This line between her family knowing about her autism, but not her friends at school. Something More allows Jessie to bloom, not only to readers, but also for herself.

All the ways Jessie is relying on masking, on mimicking, and the games of social niceties. The social rules it seems everyone else knows where we haven't gotten the memo. Something More doesn't shy away from difficult decisions or from how hard it is to repair our trust.

I hate love triangles with a burning passion. This book made me hate them more. It felt like 600 pages of torture. I thought it was never going to end. I did not understand the main characters obsession with this annoying guy Levi and his extremely bright blue eyes. The way they were described made me imagine a guy with neon blue eyes which sounds extremely unpleasant. I also cant believe the characters were all freshmen in high school the way they were acting I would have thought they have 2 months left to find a boyfriend or they would die. It is never that serious. I think I am just not the target audience for this book. It wasn't the worst thing I've read and I feel bad leaving a bad review but it was a horrible reading experience.

I love a book with both diversity rep and autism rep. This was a great read and I am glad i got an ARC copy!

3.5 Stars overall

Jessie is about to start high school but now she's more nervous than ever. After getting an autism diagnosis a mere weeks before school starts she's not sure about fitting in and being "normal". Will she find friends? Will guys like her? On top of that she's Palestinian-Canadian and her parents are super strict, and her Arab looks have caused her to be picked on in the past.

When she meets Levi and Griffin, two very different boys with very different vibes, she finds her heart torn in two different ways.

I really liked Jessie. I liked her goals and the way she tries so hard to make high school the experience she wants it to be. I like the portrayal of her family, strict but supportive. I really like how the author gave an honest portrayal of being on the spectrum and combating some of the stereotypes of autistic behaviour. My only issue with the story is that some parts felt repetitive and slow. I realize the author was striving to tell Jessie's story within a full year of high school but at times it serves to slow the pacing down.

this book has a huge heart. it's a love letter to girls finding their places in the world, big, loud Palestinian families, high school friend groups, musical theater, and so so much more. there's also a love triangle, but I wouldn't ignore what else Something More brings to the table: representation. it's honestly all publishing's fault that we don't see more published Palestinian books. so to see a book like Something More which features an autistic Palestinian-Canadian MC is simply too much for my Pali representation starved heart to take. Jackie recently sold two more books and I just. words. I don't have them. I'm so proud of how far we've come. seeing my culture on a page- my language, food, mentions of our struggles without being an inherently political book (we deserve to be more than our trauma!!! our joy is just as important as our struggles!!!)... it is a really beautiful thing.

I just want to mention that this isn't an upper-YA, the MC, Jessie, is a high school freshman. she falls in love FAST, she makes interesting decisions, she may come off as "immature" sometimes and that's because she is a FRESHMAN. jeez. stuff like riverdale and glee really made the media think all underclassmen had to be jacked and mature and all that but that literally only harms teens. it gives them unrealistic expectations and is honestly a terrible influence. jessie is sooo validating and affirming to those of us who dealt with friendship issues, family drama and extracurriculars throughout high school instead of like... drug cartels and whatever else happens on riverdale lmao. this book is an honest reflection of the complexity and confusion that comes with entering high school as well as the joy of finding your place.

okay okay here are some rapid fire things I loved about this book: jessie's goals, GRIFFIN, jessie's relationship with her siblings, the music/90s references, the humor/writing style. this book literally took me BACK it felt like a nostalgic coming of age movie the vibes are so fun.

Rating:4/5
Synopsis: Something More follows the story of a newly diagnosed autistic girl Jessie as she starts her freshman year of high school. Relationship and friend drama all play apart in the book as well as adjusting to the life that is high school.
This was such a relatable book, every single moment was genuine and messy perfectly representing the teenage experience of high school. I really enjoyed the love triangle and invested in it. The writing style was casual and easy to read while still being interesting and exciting. I’m also a huge theatre nerd so I loved all the theatrical elements of Jessie and her friends at drama club.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book!

While I want to be so mad at Jessie THE ENTIRE book I can’t because we have ALL been there.

With that being said this book will be so relatable to so many kids. Maybe help open some of their eyes as well? We can hope.

The representation in this book is so good and will allow so many to feel seen.

This was a great YA read so definitely give it a go if YA is for you.

this book in general was just really "eh" for me

i especially did not enjoy the love-triangle dynamic, mostly because it felt like it could be fixed pretty easily, BUT I would say that was pretty realistic in terms of freshman year (or just high school in general) relationships (personally as an adult reading it though, it didn't hit)

the representation is cool (i cannot really speak on how well it is) but I have never read a book about a Palestinian-Canadian; i also haven't read very many books about autistic characters, especially not an autistic girl, so that was cool for me as well

overall, i think the book is decent in all the ways required of it - i would not necessarily recommend it or not recommend it (unless you really enjoyed similar books) cause i did not enjoy it all that much, but i think there is plenty of potential for it to be enjoyed

thank you to Netgalley for allowing me free and advanced access to the book in exchange for an honest review

This is one of my favorite YA romances that I've read in a long time. It follows fifteen-year-old Jessie, a Palestian-Canadian newly diagnosed with autism, as she enters high school. I absolutely adored Jessie and would have been friends with her in a heartbeat. She was so real and authentic, and I felt for her throughout her struggles. The love triangle was well done and her love interests' characters were well-developed(#TeamGriffin for life).

I especially liked how the author showed the difficulties of navigating a new friend group. It's not always easy being a part of tight-knit friend group and interacting with all the different personalities, even when you love and care about them.. This book definitely showed the ups and downs of that, and I appreciated that. It's a real struggle that's not always addressed.

This book was incredibly engaging and hard to put down. I can't wait to see what Jackie Khalilieh writes next!

3.75⭐️

Okay so I remembered why I don’t read love triangles. There so infuriating when the main character chooses the obvious bad mistake. And this boy made a LOT of mistakes.

I figured out very quickly which one was going to be the end game, but it took the main character FAR too long.

This did read a little too young for me but I did enjoy a lot of it! I really related to the character (and Ngl I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing…) but I liked that she did make some good ideas in regards with her friends and family. Especially towards mel. I was screaming at her through my screen to not date a 19 year old!!

Levi just pissed me off the entirety of that. Whenever Jessie forgave him it just pissed me off. It was just so repetitive but also I guess normal for a 15 year old??

I feel like the author captured the emotions of a struggling teen going through autism really well and I was so happy when he finally was accepting of her diagnosis instead of ashamed of it.

I did feel like there were some plot holes. Was the parents okay with her dating Griffin? Considering Jessie and her brother was close, how come he made like 3 appearances… did odelia ever found out what happened? And where the hell did cat go? Like I get she was outcasted and I’m so glad because she was pissing me off the second she got to lunch but like she was just an afterthought.

Overall I did like this but there was just a few issues I had with the book personally but I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this arc in exchange of my honest review

I was really excited to read this one after my friend @flowersfavouritefiction raved about it earlier this year and I binged it in about a day last week mostly on audio. There were a few things I really appreciated about this book:
-Canadian setting (suburb of Toronto likely Oakville ish area)
-Teenage autism spectrum disorder representation (first person perspective so felt very intimately represented) --Palistinian-Canadian representation which also felt authentically presented

Things that worked a bit less well for me were quite a dramatic love triangle situation and significant boy crazyness in a teenager which is likely very authentic but maybe just didn't work for me as a 37 year old mom and would make it hard for me to pass this on to my soon to be teenage girl (but that's just me!) I'm sure most of how this was written was intentional and representative of the main character but it reduced my enjoyment a bit personally. 

I think fans of the stream of consciousness overthinking way that Maame is written might enjoy aspects of this book and the grand gesture at the end was adorable to me and the audio narration was excellent so all in all I'm glad I read it.