Is it possible to live a happy life despite the disabilities that afflict you? Many who suffer from mental or physical illness would say no. However, some have recovered and found solace from their despair through friends, family and lovers. In Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern, a girl with cerebral palsy and a boy with OCD find love and help each other deal with their disabilities. The theme of this touching novel is that, despite your disabilities, you are always able to make friends and live a happy life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The setting, atmosphere, and tone of Say What You Will set the scene for a somewhat tragic but wonderfully uplifting book. The story achieves this in the way the narrator describes his seemingly bleak situation. The author states: “For much of her school life, Amy had felt a bit like Rapunzel, locked in the tower her walker created when she walked down the halls. In eleven years no one had ever come to her window or asked for her hair. No one had tried to be his friend” (McGovern 21). This means that so many people had been intimidated or disgusted by its outward appearance that no one had even attempted to look at what was inside it. It quickly becomes clear that the theme of this book is much deeper than the light-hearted young adult books that are commonly read. In Say What You Will, the theme is first introduced when, after years of being shunned, Amy begins to make friends. This happens as Amy's character develops and begins to open up. This long process begins when Cammie McGovern writes of the two characters' time together: “With Matthew it was easy and real. She tried to think of the right word to describe him, and finally it came to her: he felt like a friend” (McGovern 46). This shows the development of the theme as well as Amy's character because it shows how she is starting to open up to people. This will lead Amy to learn to open up to more and more people, making her a happier teenager. In the novel, the plot helps develop the theme as the ups and downs of Amy and Matthew's relationship led them to learn more about their disabilities and how to help each other with them. Cammie McGovern wrote: “This was the real lesson he had finally learned. The voice in his head was never happy, even when he slavishly followed its whims. He was never as happy as Amy was when she finally came back into the room” (McGovern 298). This quote implies that Amy helped Matthew discover how to deal with his OCD and get rid of it. Matthew's OCD was a cage that kept him from experiencing life, and Amy opened the door for him to fly. The ending of Say What You Will helped develop the theme because it shows that despite all the mistakes they made and their disabilities, Matthew and Amy still managed to find someone who made them happy. Cammie McGovern states, “BEING FRIENDS WITH YOU MADE ME FEEL I COULD DO MORE THAN I EVER REALIZED” (McGovern 342). This quote shows that despite their disabilities, both Amy and Matthew were able to experience new things and meet new people because of each other. In the end, they both managed to be happy and make peace with their very different, but equally problematic disabilities. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Every Chapter of Say What You.