Say You Swear

Article Written By: Lindsey

Disclaimer** This review may contain spoilers and is firmly based on my opinion**

Title: Say You Swear, The Boys of Avix series

Author: Meagan Brandy

Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2024

Category & Genre:  Young adult romance fiction

Page number: 538

Tropes:  Emotional scars, unrequited love, friends to lovers, amnesia, 

Synopsis from the book jacket:

“For years, I’ve dreamt of what college life could bring and while some things changed, there was always one constant. 

It didn’t matter how wild I allowed my imagination to run, it always led me to the same place in the end. 

It led me to him. 

My future was clear, and he was it. 

Until suddenly ... he wasn’t. 

Now I’m a shell of who I was, on a path too blurry to follow, and I see no way out.

No way up. 

They say first loves last forever.

That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

Why did I choose this book to read?

A friend of mine from work is moving in the near future and had a bunch of books she wasn’t taking with her. She gave them to me, and Say You Swear was among them. I initially looked up the book and saw it was a hit throughout BookTok, which was enough convincing for me that it would be a great YA Know It book review candidate.

What did I like about Say You Swear?

There were a lot of things wrong with this book, in my opinion, but something I think the author did do right was hooking their reader. I read this book quickly because something about it piqued my interest. The characters were vibrant, and their background was detailed. I enjoyed the dynamic of their friend group and that the five of them were more like family than friends. I enjoyed the idea of having the beach house as a way of always remaining closely connected to one another. The romance between Noah and Ari was pretty good, as well. I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as slow-burn, but it wasn’t love at first sight. I appreciated how naturally it felt to fall into place.

Where did Say You Swear go wrong for me?

Man, some dialogue was hard, especially at the beginning. My friend who gave me the book said that when she read it, she quit after the first few chapters because the dialogue was so incredibly corny and cringe, and I have to say she wasn’t wrong. It was very overdone, as if the author was an older person trying to imitate how kids talk today. It transferred some strong auras of second-hand embarrassment to me as I read, and I also found myself sticking with it at some points. I will say it gets some points back, as the awful dialogue gets better throughout the story and becomes palpable by the end.

I also found the plot to be very predictable at critical moments, which kind of ruined it for me. I like a good plot twist, and this, without a doubt, didn’t have any. I could tell right away and pick apart the plot, and I could easily guess what was going to happen next in some moments, which was frustrating when proved correct. One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is an obvious or predictable plot. It just makes me so bored.

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

“It’s hard when you realize you simply aren’t enough for someone, and it’s even harder when everyone you’re connected to is connected to that person as well.”

“Fear not the fall, but the life that comes from having never leaped at all.”

“Nothing, and I mean nothing, forces a man to face his feelings for a woman… than the interest of another man.”

My character connection…

Noah is what every young man ought to be when pursuing a woman. He doesn’t pressure Ari, gives her the time to heal from her past relationship with Chase, and is a good friend when she feels isolated despite his underlying wish for more. He takes her mind off of things and brings back joy to her life. He’s also an incredible person without the influence of Ari. He is a passionate person and a dedicated, loving son who takes on any burden for those he cares about.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Final Verdict: 

It’s not the worst I’ve ever read, but the dialogue was just too cringey for me. Nobody I’ve ever met in real life has ever talked the way these characters do. It’s too hard to get around, and while some moments of normalcy are sprinkled throughout the book, the overwhelming poor dialogue is just too difficult. Unfortunately, I can’t say this ranks high due to this issue.