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.