Athena Hernandez

Say When Athena Hernandez

On the road to finding yourself, expect to get lost along the way.

Bridget Montez is boring. But it's not her fault.

She imagines she could be a witty, exciting, and badass seventeen-year-old. But for now, she splits her time between school, chores, and nursing her mother back to health after her most recent drug binge.

For Bri, college is where she'll leave the cold walls of her Brooklyn home behind and blossom. She's desperate for change and when Jax, an arresting and mysterious college sophomore, rolls into her life she gets a taste of what freedom - and love - could be.

But when her demanding father threatens her plans for escape, she may be willing to follow Jax into a seedy world that challenges everything she thought she knew in order to get the life she wants. With her future and freedom on the line, Bridget hopes she knows the limits of love, loyalty, and legality.

If you enjoyed On The Come Up by Angie Thomas, or Jackpot by Nic Stone, you'll love Say When, the debut novel by Athena Hernandez. This engrossing tale explores generational trauma, love, poverty, friendship, and a sprinkle of crime all with Brooklyn as the backdrop.