Sam doesn't have many friends. That's what happens when
you're a math genius who can't read because of dyslexia.
When Sam and her mom move, leaving behind the two friends
she does have, Sam has to face a whole new school of kids
who will either embrace or reject her always running mind.
When she falls in to the smartest group of kids in the
school, she will have to protect her secret about being
dyslexic or face another group of tormentors.
Told in an engaging first person narrative, COUNTING TO D by
Kate Scott takes a moving look at a teenage genius with
dyslexia. Sam's voice is authentic, and you really care
about her throughout her story. Her growth as a character is
wonderful, and I love the journey that she faces with such
strength and rising persistence. COUTNING TO D does a
wonderful job of bringing understanding and awareness to the
people who have dyslexia, while telling an enjoyable story,
and gives awesome inspiration for anyone struggling to
overcome whatever obstacle they face.
Though I really like the overall concept of the novel, there
are some things in it that just don't seem to fit in well.
The story kind of sets up Sam's dyslexia as something she
really wants to keep to herself, something that could
jeopardize her reputation at her new school, especially with
the Brain Trust kids, but after hardly any time, she tells
two people, and it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal.
One of the Brain Trust kids comes off as supposedly being
the antagonist, but the whole issue with them kind of just
fades away during the middle of the story and isn't brought
back up that strongly until the end. Both of those things
had me confused on the plot and where the direction of the
story was trying to go. A love triangle also starts to be
set up with Sam, Nate, and Eli, but Eli doesn't seem to have
much of a role. I never quite understood his place, and I
think it would have been better if he had just remained a
friend figure only.
The family dynamic with Sam, her mom, and her mostly absent
dad feels very real, and I wish there had been more
exploration with that in the story. I think the story could
have been a lot stronger with that family focus in there,
instead of it just being more of a side element against the
romance. The romance element with Nate (and Eli) is pretty
good, but none of the secondary characters feel nearly as
three dimensional as Sam.
I am glad I read this, and COUNTING TO D has a lot of great
writing and empathy in it, but I had too many issues with it
to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I will definitely still
look for more from Kate Scott, because she has loads of
potential, but COUNTING TO D wasn't totally for me.
The kids at Sam's school never knew if they should make fun
of her for being too smart or too dumb. That's what it
means to be dyslexic, smart, and illiterate. Sam is sick of
it. So when her mom gets a job in a faraway city, Sam
decides not to tell anyone about her little illiteracy
problem. Without her paradox of a reputation, she falls in
with a new group of highly competitive friends who call
themselves the Brain Trust.
When she meets Nate, her
charming valedictorian lab partner, she declares her new
reality perfect. But in order to keep it that way, she has
to keep her learning disability a secret. The books are
stacked against her and so are the lies. Sam's got to get
the grades, get the guy, and get it straight-without being
able to read.
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