Tell Me Three Things

Jessie Holmes's life changes when her father remarries and moves them from Chicago to Los Angeles two years after her mother's death. At her new private school, Wood Valley High, she struggles to navigate unfamiliar social dynamics and her complicated relationship with her new stepfamily. A mysterious fellow student begins sending her anonymous emails under the name "Somebody Nobody," offering friendship and guidance through her transition. Their online connection grows as they share observations about school life and personal challenges, with Somebody Nobody promising to reveal his identity eventually. As Jessie builds connections with various Wood Valley students in real life, she must balance her virtual friendship with her developing in-person relationships. The story explores grief, new beginnings, and the complexities of modern teenage communication. This contemporary young adult novel examines how relationships form in the digital age while addressing universal themes of loss, identity, and finding one's place in a transformed world.

Readers describe Tell Me Three Things as a sweet YA contemporary romance that tackles grief and new beginnings. Many praise the authentic teen voice and email/text message format that drives the anonymous relationship at the center of the story. Readers appreciated: - Realistic portrayal of blended families and loss - Natural dialogue and humor - Steady pacing that builds anticipation - Character growth and emotional depth Common criticisms: - Predictable mystery of "Somebody Nobody" identity - Some found the romance too slow to develop - Side characters needed more development Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (86,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (1,400+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.5/5 (300+ ratings) "Perfect balance of heart and humor" - Goodreads reviewer "The grief elements felt honest without being overwhelming" - Amazon reviewer "Would have liked more scenes with the stepfamily" - Barnes & Noble reviewer

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🎓 Author Julie Buxbaum wrote this novel after experiencing grief and moving to a new city herself, drawing from her personal experiences of feeling like an outsider. 💌 The anonymous email storyline was inspired by the author's own teenage experience of receiving mysterious electronic messages from a secret admirer. 📚 "Tell Me Three Things" was Julie Buxbaum's first Young Adult novel, though she had previously published two successful adult fiction books. 🏫 The prestigious Wooden Prep School in the novel is loosely based on Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, known for its academic rigor and wealthy student body. 🎬 The book's film rights were optioned by Universal Pictures, with "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" producer Matt Kaplan attached to the project.