I am always, always looking for more books with autistic rep, and I am so glad that I found this one! It such a beautifully written book.

There is so much that I enjoyed about this book but what I loved most was Jessie. Jessie is a 15-year-old teenage girl trying to navigate family, friendship and love after her recent diagnosis of autism. Naturally, that came with its fair share of teenage angst as many coming of stories do. At the ripe age of 28, I couldn’t always relate to the angst but I still found her so loveable and even relatable in many other ways. She was endearing, witty, smart, and caring. She was strongly motivated to say things as they are and do what’s right and I think I loved her most for that. There were times when the way she looked at the world resonated deeply with me both now and I am sure would have had I read it as a teenager. As the story unraveled I enjoyed watching Jessie learn that things are not always black and white…probably because I’ve gone through the same learning. She is certainly much better off considering she’s only 15, it wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I truly came to understand this 😅😂

I also enjoyed reading about a Palestinian Canadian and found that there were elements of the Arab representation, especially in the family dynamic that were so relatable (even as a non-Palestinian) they had me laughing. I wished we got even more of her family for that reason. But alas, I suppose all books must come to an end even when we want more 😂

Beyond the romance, we got to read about Jessie navigating friendship. Reading about Jessie accepting all the parts of herself, including her autism and finding friends who loved and accepted her for who she is made my heart full 💜

And lastly, in case it wasn’t obvious from the photo, I am definitely #teamgriffin - you’ll have to read the book to find out why, but let’s just say, he has a heart of gold 💛

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Something More was fantastic! It reminded me of the YA books that I was reading when I was in high school 10 years ago! I loved those books because they were so authentic! The feelings of the characters were the exact same things I was feeling in high school and I think this book captures those feelings perfectly!

This book follows a Palestinian-Canadian girl named Jessie as she tries to navigate through her first year of high school after being diagnosed with autism right before school starts.

The representation in this book was amazing! There still aren't many books out their with lead characters that have autism and it makes me so happy to see more coming out. I loved watching Jessie's journey to acceptance of her diagnosis,

My favorite part about this book was how relatable it was! The things Jessie was going through and experiencing were exactly what I remember going through in high school. She deals with making friends and realizing that maybe some friends aren't ones you keep. She deals with first loves and letting go when the person you are with just isn't quite right for you. And she deals with her family and the bonds she has with them. I really could relate to everything she experienced, especially dealing with her friend group and specifically Cat. Griffin is seriously adorable and I literally said "Awwww" basically any time he talked. He was by far my favorite character!

This book is awesome and I think anyone who is a fan of YA books that are genuine and truly encompass what it is to be a teenager will love this book!

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh was an amazingly realistic representation of an autistic girl in high school. Being set in Canada, it helped me to remember what it was like in high school. It was a fun read. I laughed, I got mad at the characters, I felt like I was in high school with them in some ways.
I wanted Jessie to be with Levi, and then I didn't. The constantly flipping sides was kind of fun, it made the characters feel a lot more real, because nobody is absolutely perfect, especially not high schoolers. I wrote some notes while reading, just random thoughts that I had, and it was entertaining to go back and look at them, one would say "wow, amazing character", and the next would say "this character needs to go learn how to be better", which felt accurate to how most people are. It was a beautiful story that had everything that was needed; drama, love, pop culture references, and growth.
Griffin's friendship was one that I really loved to see progress throughout the book and seeing Jessie and him together as friends was beautiful.

"Something More" is a YA romance read with authentic feeling characters thrust into the high school experience. The MC, Jessie, is an autistic Palestinian-Canadian girl who has a special interest for all things from the 90s and the as a result, this novel had a particularly distinct 90s feel to it, even though it is a based in our current time. The author, Jackie Khalilieh, really brings everyone in Jessie's social circle to life through their distinct obstacles and in their relationship to each other as they navigate crushes, betrayals, and newfound maturity. I did wish to see more of Jessie's personality grow outside of her two crushes. The focus on her toxic crush felt a bit more like a "My So Called Life" tribute that it helped to actually show how she adjusted to living with her pre-summer autism diagnosis in a new environment. Overall, this is a fun read with excellent representation full of a ton of awkward moments and the intensity of a first crush. I am always excited to see autism shown in a real way that doesn't have harmful stereotypes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books for an advance reader copy of "Something More". This review expresses my honest opinions. This book is expected be released 6-Jun-2023.

First off I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada Publishing for giving me the privilege to review the ARC for Something More by Jackie Khalilieh. Now off to the review. 
As someone who works with individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities (and has for going on 10 years), I couldn't get enough of Jessie Kassis. Not only is she obsessed with the 90s, which happens to be my childhood nostalgia, but she seems to have the same struggles I had at her age. Autism or not her struggles are real and this story embodies what is truly is like to be a teenager trying to fit in all the way down to the minor bullying. 
Jessie ends up finding some of the most amazing friends that she never knew she could make. Of course there were stumbles along the way, such as Cat who is your typical high school girl who thinks she needs it all more than the next girl. Which brings me to the next topic....... the Jessie Kasis love triangle. Love triangles seemed to be a major topic of this book but I am here for it. I loved Griffin straight from the get go! I kept begging for Jessie to open her eyes and let go of Levi. To see her struggle with her own identity as a girlfriend as well as an autistic female was truly hard.

This book made me laugh, cry and get mad at times. I 100% fell asleep several nights while reading it and my husband would have to put my kindle up for me. This is a must read!

i won't lie when i read the first blurb i genuinely thought the book would end in a poly relationship and was a bit disappointed when it didn't...

this book is the embodiment of a young adult book, it's a coming-of-age story with messy characters and i think i really enjoyed that. i found jessie's character easy to read about and relatable. through the writing, i could tell how much jessie's character has grown from questioning every single one of her decisions to voicing her opinions more assertively. also, the book feels exactly like a movie, i could watch the entire story play out in my head as i read it.

overall, this is a fun and heartwarming book for hopeless romantics <33

First thing's first. This book is Unbelievably funny. I have never choked on my lunch laughing so hard at a book, but that happened three times in a row with this. I adore Jessie and her sass. I relate to her quite a lot as an autistic woman myself, and it was really funny to see an internal dialogue that so often matched mine especially when she was feeling a little petty. This book even did my favorite thing when it comes to representation in books it put into words something that I experience and helped me make sense of it (I've been told that I don't pick up on people flirting, but it's very likely that without being explicitly told I automatically just compartmentalize the concept out of existance lol). I pretty much ate this book up like candy, finished it in about a week. There are a couple instances of casual diet/weight culture in the book that really threw me off (it feels like it's been a minute since I saw that kind of stuff just out and about in a book). They are only one or two throw away lines throughout the whole story, not a major aspect of the character's journey, but they were definitely jarring. Otherwise, this was the easiest five star.

I really enjoyed this #ownvoices YA debut by a talented Palestinian Canadian writer. I loved getting insights into life as part of a Palestinian Canadian immigrant family and the best part for me was what a great protagonist Jessie was. Recently diagnosed with autism, Jessie tries to mask her condition as she starts high school. Ultimately she finds that there are people who are happy to accept her for who she is, differences and all. Good on audio narrated by Parmida Vand. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Libro.fm for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Loved this fantastic YA, especially because it had a 9th grade main character, something we don’t see enough of in publishing. This story hits all the marks for the universal themes faced by so many early HS students. Highly recommend!

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.

Something More is incredibly well-written and relatable -- I am shocked it's a debut! Jessie is a great character who learns so much about herself and the world throughout her first year of high school. I loved the autistic representation -- it certainly reminded me of my high school (and college) experiences, attracting the wrong boys and totally missing when the "right" ones *were* interested back.

I was accepted to receive an e-arc from NetGalley, here’s my honest review.

Woah-
I adored this book from start to finish. I was excited when I first read the blurb I’ve never read a book where the main character is autistic or a character that was Palestinian-canadien.
I loved every page of it, seeing how much Jessie grows as a character and seeing her struggles with accepting herself and her struggles with navigating high school.
Some parts where very relatable to not just me but to a lot of teenagers. I loved this book so much the romance was so cute ahh it had me smiling so much. The friendships in the book were perfect, I loved the characters!!
I really enjoyed the writing and how hard it was to put to book down!!

Lovely YA contemporary, I enjoyed it from start to finish. The characters were an absolute highlight for me. I will be recommending it to readers both young and older.

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh, a young adult contemporary debut, is witty and nostalgic and shines a spotlight on two groups of people who are sorely underrepresented in the book world. One of the best kinds of books is one that teaches the reader while also entertaining, and Something More fulfilled that for me quite satisfactorily.

When the book opens we meet Jessie Kassis, a Palestinian-Canadian teen, who is about to embark on her first year of high school after just being diagnosed as autistic. She’s determined to hide her diagnosis from anyone outside of her family, and after encouragement from her therapist, she creates a list of goals to help keep her focused on what she’d like to achieve her first year of high school.

What makes this story shine is Jesse’s voice. I’ve seen several other reviewers use the word authentic, and it’s spot-on. The author, who also identifies as an autistic, Palestinian-Canadian, uses her own experiences to bring life to Jesse, and she’s created an unforgettable character. Jesse’s aware of the things that make her seem different from her peers, and she wears so many different masks, sometimes it’s hard for her to know who the real Jesse is. She knows she’s uncomfortable in social situations, that she says unexpected things, and that she’s obsessed with all things 90s. But she yearns to be accepted, have real friends, and to fall in love, just like most teenagers. Her journey is messy, but oh so rewarding.

I was especially impressed by Khalilieh’s ability to illustrate that what may seem obvious and predictable to the reader, is not so for Jesse. She did this graciously by showing and not just telling, a perfect reminder that we may all see the world differently and shouldn’t expect uniformity.

I had an unexpected nostalgic reaction while reading this book. Khalilieh did a good job of placing me back in my high school years. It may have been that Jesse is obsessed with all things 90s, which is when I attended high school, but many of Jesse’s successes and heartbreaks during her first year brought back memories of my own experiences. I was surprised by how much Jesse’s story made me revisit those emotions.

Jesse has a wonderful supporting cast, as well. From her boisterous, loving family to her new friend-group to her love interests. While much of the book does focus on Jesse’s love interests, the relationships are deftly woven into Jesse’s life, only enhancing her story.

And if you’re a follower, you know I can’t end a review without mentioning all the music that was included throughout these pages. I was thrilled to find Jesse’s playlist at the end of the book.

Joyful, authentic, and nostalgic, make sure you add Something More to your summer TBR!

Something More perfectly encapsulates the plight of an autistic teenage girl who is trying to come to terms with what that means in her life, while also trying to become the best version of herself, all while entering high school. Jessie was so freaking relatable it hurt. From the special interests, to not understanding teen social interactions, to overcompensating, to not being able to figure out situations with the people you're attracted to, to the feelings of knowing you must've done something wrong, but what? There's almost too much to name. The amount of times I wanted to knock advice into this sweet little 9th grader's head was so high, and yet I couldn't help but empathize with her, because learning about your diagnosis and then starting high school while trying to make friends must be HARD.

I would totally be interested in following Jessie's story throughout high school as she learns more about herself and autism, and goes through changes and decisions. There's a lot of heart in this book, and I really loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the e-ARC!

A really sweet coming-of-age ya contemporary featuring an autistic Palestinian-Canadian girl. The main character, Jessie, gives us an engaging narration of navigating the high school experience of finding yourself, friendships, and relationships. This really feels Jenny Han vibes. I can see young patrons loving this book.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!! This is probably my favorite book I’ve read this year so far. As someone who doesn’t really enjoy the love triangle trope, I was rooting for both ships at some point. Jessie was such a lovable protagonist! It’s so incredibly important that women on the spectrum get represented especially young women of color. An amazing debut from Jackie Khalilieh

Following Jessie through her freshman year of high school, with a new Autism diagnosis and a notebook full of her biggest goals, Something More is a sweet story about identity and finding yourself.

I really enjoyed this story! It was light and enjoyable and full of heart. It was so very genuine and raw at times that I couldn't help but see parts of my younger self in Jessie - boy crazy (not that I had the confidence Jessie has about it) but anxious about friendships. Wanting to do the right thing because it seems like the only solution, but not understanding that there are nuances to situations in high school that you don't understand. I remember, in the same way Jessie experiences, not getting why things were the way that they were - the heirarchy of high school, the importance of keeping secrets because the truth mght hurt someone - and the difficuly of having to learn that. The sense of missing the handbook that everyone else seems to have read for teenagedom. I think it's why I am so drawn to studying and learning about youth culture these days, because it gives me the understanding that I lacked when I was that age.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. Not every little moment was perfect, but that's okay! That's what life is all about. Jessie's story was so fun, and I kind of wish I could follow her through the rest of high school. I'll have to settle for waiting for the next of Jackie Khalileh's books.

This book. The author has beautifully represented a neurodiverse character. It's funny because while not autistic myself, I know someone who is who is so similar to Jesse, even right down to her love of the 90s. I am obsessed with this book, not just for the stunning writing but for the fact that this book is doing what we need in publishing, bringing underrepresented characters to the forefront for people who deserve to see themselves in fiction. I also love that it's a Palestinian Canadian main character as well!

This book is a book of firsts and in many ways will be the book best friend to any teenager and young adult no matter their background as they navigate the often confusing and troubling times of the path to adulthood.

This book should be on the shelf of every high school and college library. I am in awe of how wonderful this book is and how so incredibly important this novel will be to all that read it!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!