Everything We Know About The Vertical Drama ‘Things I Wanted To Say’

Things I Wanted To Say falls into the dark academia category, and honestly, that should prepare you for at least some of the chaos you’re about to experience.

This isn’t a perfect book. In fact, there were multiple moments where we had to put it down and ask, “Who signed off on this?” Some scenes are genuinely infuriating, and there are decisions made by these characters that will have you questioning everyone’s judgment.

But that’s also kind of the point.

At its core, this is a high school bully romance. It’s not a blueprint for healthy relationships or a guide on how people should behave. Instead, it’s a story that lives in the messy gray area where people are shaped by trauma, circumstance, and the choices they make. No one here is purely good or purely evil, and that’s what makes the story so compelling.

People become who they are for a reason. Sometimes it’s because of what they’ve lived through. Sometimes it’s what they’ve been taught. Love and hate both exist on a spectrum, and this book explores just how tangled those emotions can become. Whether you empathize with these characters or want to throw the book across the room is entirely up to you.

And yes, there are parts of this story that are completely unhinged. There are also scenes that are incredibly steamy. That’s dark romance for you—it isn’t trying to make you comfortable. If anything, it is trying to make you challenge what you think you know.

Things I Wanted To Say definitely isn’t going to be for everyone, and that’s okay. But we’re excited to see how it’s adapted because, despite all the moments that made us yell, groan, and question humanity, it’s also one of those books we couldn’t stop thinking about.

Besides, isn’t that the best kind of reading experience? The one where you’re simultaneously obsessed, horrified, and yelling, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!” at fictional characters.

Yes, we scream at books. We have a lot of feelings, and we’re not apologizing for it.

“It’s been incredible to see readers embrace ‘Things I Wanted to Say’ and the Lancaster Prep series over the years,” Murphy said in a statement. “Watching Whit and Summer’s story come to life in a new format has been exciting, and I’m grateful that both longtime readers and new audiences will have the opportunity to experience these characters in a different way.”s

Here’s everything that we know about the ReelShort adaptation.

THE PLOT

Based on the best-selling novel by Monica Murphy, Things I Wanted to Say follows quiet, observant Summer Savage, whose deepest thoughts and secrets live safely within the pages of her private diary, until it falls into the hands of Whit Lancaster, the school’s golden boy and her relentless tormentor. When Whit discovers the raw truths Summer never intended anyone to read, an explosive game of secrets, power, and unexpected attraction begins. As the lines between hatred and desire blur, Summer and Whit are forced to confront the feelings they’ve spent years hiding and the consequences that come with finally being seen.