Things We Couldn't Say

Jay Coles' "Things We Couldn't Say" is a poignant young adult novel centered on Gio, a bi Black teenager whose life is upended by the sudden return of his mother, who abandoned him and his brother when he was nine. As Gio navigates the emotional turmoil of a fractured family, including his father's struggles with alcohol, he also explores a budding romantic relationship with David, a new boy on the basketball team. The book delves into themes of identity, forgiveness, self-acceptance, and the multifaceted nature of love, offering a rich narrative for readers aged 12-18. It's a powerful story about finding your voice and figuring out who you are amidst challenging circumstances.

From one of the brightest and most acclaimed new lights in YA fiction, a fantastic new novel about a bi Black boy finding first love . . . and facing the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine. There's always been a hole in Gio's life. Not because he's into both guys and girls. Not because his father has some drinking issues. Not because his friends are always bringing him their drama. No, the hole in Gio's life takes the shape of his birth mom, who left Gio, his brother, and his father when Gio was nine years old. For eight years, he never heard a word from her . . . and now, just as he's started to get his life together, she's back. It's hard for Gio to know what to do. Can he forgive her like she wants to be forgiven? Or should he tell her she lost her chance to be in his life? Complicating things further, Gio's started to hang out with David, a new guy on the basketball team. Are they friends? More than friends? At first, Gio's not sure . . . especially because he's not sure what he wants from anyone right now. There are no easy answers to love -- whether it's family love or friend love or romantic love. In Things We Couldn't Say, Jay Coles, acclaimed author of Tyler Johnson Was Here, shows us a guy trying to navigate love in all its ambiguity -- hoping at the other end he'll be able to figure out who is and who he should be.