Buy New
 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$3.45 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
127 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
I Can't Tell You
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

I Can't Tell You (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I think you're faking it..." (more)
Key Phrases: Orange Cover, Pocket-Size Graph-Paper Notepad, Dry-Erase Board (more...)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Price: $7.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  Special Offers Available
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Wednesday, February 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
32 new from $0.97 93 used from $0.01 2 collectible from $30.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Library Binding $18.40  
Paperback $7.99  

Frequently Bought Together

I Can't Tell You + Better Than Running at Night + It's Kind of a Funny Story
Price For All Three: $24.97

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: I Can't Tell You by Hillary Frank

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Better Than Running at Night by Hillary Frank

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • This item is eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. Eligible products include select Books, Single Copy Magazines, and Home & Garden items. Buy any 4 eligible items and get the lowest-priced item free. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Over a hundred thousand items are eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. How do I find more eligible items?


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Better Than Running at Night

Better Than Running at Night

by Hillary Frank
4.5 out of 5 stars (16)  $7.99
The Rules of Survival

The Rules of Survival

by Nancy Werlin
4.4 out of 5 stars (28)  $7.99
It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini
4.3 out of 5 stars (40)  $8.99
Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice

by James Jennings
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

by Rachel Cohn
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–During a huge fight with his best friend and college dorm-mate, Jake says something he cannot take back. As a result, he decides to communicate with everyone by writing–using dry-erase boards, Post-its, stained napkins, etc.–figuring he can better control what he has to say by not opening his mouth. Friends at first find him weird, but then play along and decide it's cool. His mother is sure he is cracking up, but his father goes along with him. All the while, he's obsessed with trying to find out if Xandra likes him or, you know, likes him. Each character Jake interacts with is represented by a different typeface and, in some cases, a "handwriting key" might be helpful to keep track of who's who. This unique writing style makes for attentive reading–and guesswork–as readers eavesdrop on Jake's otherwise typical social life and try to decipher what is actually going on. His inner struggles with feelings, friendships, and forgiveness are believable, but despite the highly personal nature of the story, the correspondence comes across as somewhat removed and impersonal as readers witness Jake's struggle to understand himself and, oh, yeah, maybe–or maybe not–to win the girl.–Roxanne Myers Spencer, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. Shooting off his big mouth (again), Jake alienates his best friend and college roommate, Sean. As a result, Jake takes a self-imposed vow of silence and communicates only in written messages. In fact, the text of Frank's playful investigation in narrative technique consists exclusively of Jake's messages, the written replies of others, and occasional drawings. The result is story as assemblage, always interesting to look at but sometimes confusing, and, at least initially, emotionally distancing. Most readers will eventually warm up to funny but feckless Jake and sympathize with his frustrated longings for Alexandra, but the unconventional way the story is told calls attention to itself and distracts from narrative continuity and reader-character empathy. Contemporary teens who communicate largely in instant messages may well disagree, but in either case, Frank's experiment is fascinating. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Graphia (October 25, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 061849491X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0618494910
  • Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #679,165 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #26 in  Books > Entertainment > Humor > Puns & Wordplay

More About the Author

Hillary Frank
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Hillary Frank Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3 books:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Page Turner, October 25, 2008
Jake makes the decision to stop talking after he has fight with his best friend. During the fight he said some awful things that he can't take back. Jake thinks if he starts communicating in writing instead of talking, he will have more control of his words.

I couldn't put this book down. I wondered what it would be like to communicate with written words only. Would Jake be able to survive in college with only written communication?

This was a very interesting premise for a story and I enjoyed it very much.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I devoured this book, June 24, 2005
By Willow (Michigan) - See all my reviews
I CAN'T TELL YOU by Hillary Frank may be one of the best young adult books I've read in quite some time. It's funny, heartbreaking, and easy to relate to...and it doesn't try to glorify being a young adult or falling in love.

After a huge fight with his best friend Sean, Jake decides that he can't ever get into any trouble if he just stops talking altogether. As his friendship with Sean is dying, he becomes closer to his friends Paul, Roger, and Xandra. But when Jake realizes that he doesn't just want to be friends with Xandra, things start getting a bit messy. He doesn't know how to explain himself and he doesn't know what do about it, so...he decides to do nothing.

Told entirely through notes passed back and forth, I CAN'T TELL YOU is an interesting and original story. The friendships between Jake and Paul, Roger, and Xandra are all incredibly realistic, and the course of a friendship turning into unrequieted love is scarily accurate.

Highly recommended.

Overall grade: A+
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Inventive!, December 10, 2004
Inventive, touching, witty and just plain REAL! I work with teenagers everyday and this book does a remarkably good job of capturing their honest emotions and "speech" patterns... Usually YA lit falls short when trying to be "hip" to the current teenage culture but this one hits it right on the money. Terribly original yet a story that everyone will relate to. Keep it up, Hillary!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Talking + me = trouble
"Talking + me = trouble." Though it's simple and to the point, the statement of main character, Jake Jacobson, describes most of the events in I Can't Tell You, by Hillary Frank... Read more
Published on January 8, 2008 by Mid-Praire Teen

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick read, is that a bad thing?
I am writing this the morning after reading I Can't Tell You, the entire thing, front to back, etc. etc. Read more
Published on January 2, 2008

4.0 out of 5 stars More Then Just Friends?


The majority of books I have read in my life, have all been based upon the front cover. Read more
Published on May 26, 2006 by Erin K

2.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre and plotless, if creative
This is a novel unlike any I have ever seen, but having said that (and yes, it's creative and I am sure the author is smart and witty and interesting), it is also almost... Read more
Published on March 28, 2006 by Noor

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST BOOK EVER
I CAN'T TELL YOU! I think this book was the best book ever.This book writen by Hillary Franks is about teenagers.This is mostly about Jake, Xandra and Jake's best friend Sean. Read more
Published on March 9, 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious!!!
"i can't tell you" by Hillary Frank is a wonderfully delicious story that will draw the reader in from the very first page. Read more
Published on November 2, 2005 by wanderingchild81

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but Confusing
I Can't Tell You, a very captivating book, written by Hillary Frank, pulls the reader into the story. This book is great but can get very confusing. Read more
Published on October 21, 2005 by Guadeloupe

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading
I bought this book and read it all that day. it was really very good. I didnt even look at the cover. I just got and read it immediatly. Read more
Published on December 31, 2004 by Stephensgirl

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.