Things I Should Have Known

Things I Should Have KnownTitle: Things I Should Have Known

Author: Claire LaZebnik

Summary:  Looking at Chloe Mitchell you would think life isn’t fair.  After all, she’s beautiful and smart, does well in school, everyone seems to like her, and she has the perfect boyfriend.  Chloe, herself, knows that life isn’t always fair, but for other reasons.   It isn’t fair that her mother remarried a jerk who tries to bully her and her sister into making “healthy” life choices.  It isn’t fair that her mother never seems to have time for her or her sister.  And it isn’t fair that her older sister Ivy, who is on the autism spectrum, is lonely and that Chloe is having problems planning for her own future because she is too worried about leaving her sister.   While Chloe can’t fix all the unfairness in her life, she’s decided it’s time to step-up and help her sister.  So, she comes up with a master plan to set-up her Ivy with another student, Ethan,  from her special needs class.  Ethan’s a sweet boy and Chloe thinks he’s Ivy’s perfect match.

The biggest obstacle Chloe sees in getting those two together is that they don’t feel comfortable going out alone.  So, Chloe and Ethan’s brother agree to chaperone the dates. What Chloe doesn’t know is that Ethan’s brother is none other than David Fields.  David Fields, aka the Class Jerk, who seems to exist just to get a rise out of people by saying exactly what is on his mind.  He and Chloe have clashed many times in the past, but can they get over those hard feelings so that their siblings have a chance to develop some kind of relationship?  And, if Chloe and David give it a chance will they learn that they have more in common with each other than they thought and that maybe they can learn to respect and appreciate their differences?

Who will like this book?:  Fans of realistic fiction will like this quick read.  All the main characters are likeable and well-intentioned, even if at times they are a bit misguided.

If you like this, try reading: What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum, Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

Recommended by: Jen, Teen Librarian