SAB AY
Author
About
Sab Ay is a passionate storyteller and advocate for mental health. Growing up neurodivergent, Sab found solace in the world of books and writing. This evolved into crafting narratives that explore the profound journeys of self-discovery, resilience, and the complexities of adolescence.
When Sab isn't writing stories she hopes make the reader cry, she can be found reading obscure middle grade and young adult books not typically seen online, drinking obscenely sweet iced coffees, or listening to Taylor Swift and drawing her characters.
favorites
Favorite Animal: Jellyfish & Butterflies
Least Favorite Animal: Spiders
Favorite Candy: Twix
Favorite Place: Any bookstore
Favorite Colors: Pink & Orange
Favorite Food: Strawberries
Favorite Hispanic Food: Cuban Media Noche
Favorite Drink: Strawberry Lemonade
Favorite Singers: Olivia Rodrigo
Favorite Band: The Smiths
Favorite Musical: Next to Normal
Favorite TV Show: Severance
Favorite Movies: Little Miss Sunshine (2006), The Truman Show (1998), Get Out (2017), Barbie (2023), Zodiac (2007)
Favorite Middle Grade Books:
96 Miles by J.L. Esplin
Drifters by Kevin Emerson
Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt
Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff
Posted by John David Anderson
Speechless by Adam p Schmitt
Favorite Young Adult Books:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness
A Good Girls' Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg
Favorite Books for Adults:
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
The Institute by Stephen King
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Favorite Nonfiction Books:
Because We Are Bad by Lily Bailey
The Birds of America by John James Audubon
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santa
Floriography by Jessica Roux
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
Ornithography by Jessica Roux
Books
All the Things I Cannot Say (debut novel, OUT NOW wherever books are sold)
All the Things I Wish You'd Do (book 2 in the All the Things series, OUT SEP 1, 2026)
Between Touch and Time (short story series with Bardics Anonymous)
Where We End and Begin (novelette, OUT NOW wherever books are sold)
All the Things I Cannot Say
(ALL THE THINGS #1)
Perfect for fans The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Gilmore Girls, comes the quiet journey of a boy who realizes he can’t hide his intrusive thoughts and obsessive behaviors forever.Logan Clark has always had issues. Going all the way back to being four-years-old and crying after stepping on a sidewalk crack. He’d been good at hiding it, though—great friends and a spot on the school football team.But his façade is starting to crack, starting with his mother deciding that his therapist simply isn’t cutting it. Now off the football team, he’s going to a treatment center four times a week and having breakdowns in front of his friends.None of which is helped by the fact that he’s been paired up with an old friend (who hates his guts now) for a school project. An old friend who has the uncanny ability to see right through him.With a dose of self-deprecating humor, debut author, Sab Ay, has crafted a a fiercely hopeful coming-of-age story that is sure to resonate with audiences.
.PRAISE:
"Poignant, funny, and heartbreaking. This is a book you won't soon forget."
-Lisa Graff, author of the Junior Library Guild book, Lost in the Sun"Sab Ay’s debut novel is an honest, at times gut-wrenching, and ultimately hopeful account of one young person’s challenges with OCD, but also with navigating shifting friendships, fraught families, and first loves. An insightful and powerful coming of age story that marks the arrival of a talented new voice."
-John David Anderson, author of the Charlotte Huck Award winner, Ms. Bixby's Last Day"This debut novel from author Sab Ay is one to watch: An authentic voice, compassionate treatment of mental health, and a moving exploration of identity through the challenges of anxiety and OCD. This is an honest and open story about mental health, but it's also a story about crushes, angst, and friendship that is really going to appeal to young readers. I found myself rooting for Logan right away (and his great taste in music). This novel would make for an excellent addition to any school or home library."
-Wesley King, author of the Silver Birch Award winner, OCDaniel"A powerful story that gives an authentic, poignant portrayal of a boy harnessing the courage to hope. You’ll cheer for, laugh with and cry alongside Logan as he grapples with OCD, first crushes, and middle school bullies in this bold, honest book. His courage, vulnerability and wit will stick with and empower young readers."
-Beth Vrabel, author of the Cybil Awards finalist, Caleb and Kit"Ay pulls no punches in this debut as she puts you squarely into the mind of a complex, neurodivergent character that so many of us find connections with in these pages . Surrounded by a supporting cast of friends and foes (you'll LOVE Ivan and Octavia), readers will walk away with a great deal of empathy and understanding for anyone they know living with OCD thanks to the fast-paced dialogue and intensity that Ay builds throughout."
-Adam P Schmitt, author of the Golden Sower finalist, Speechless"All the Things I Cannot Say is an incredibly beautiful and devastatingly raw middle grade novel. Sab Ay’s characters are all complex and realistic, I had to remind myself that they were fictional. I just know that this book is going to help so many people."
-Lily Grace, author of Last Summer"This book is sweet, charming, and so so real. It’s something I wish I could give my 13-year-old self, and that healed my 22-year-old self in ways I didn’t know I needed. This is one of those stories that will stay with you long after you put the book down. As an OCD-haver and a human being, I want everybody to read this book."
-Chloe Henkel, author of Unthinkable Things
All the Things I Wish You'd Do
(ALL THE THINGS #2)
Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Judy Blume comes the companion to Sab Ay’s All the Things I Cannot Say.Molly Pearson wasn’t necessarily shocked when her dad walked out, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Now she’s starting over in a small apartment with her mom, miles away from the life she yearns for.Her boyfriend, Logan, is pretty much the only constant in her life at the moment. The music, the memories, and the way he’s able to read her silences keep her afloat when everything else makes her feel like she’s drowning.But as things keep piling up—broken promises, new friends, and a love that feels too big for her heart—Molly has to decide what’s worth holding onto. And what she’ll have the courage to let go.Heartfelt and messy, All the Things I Wish You’d Do is a story about love, girlhood, and learning to choose the people that choose you.
Between Touch and Time
(Bardics Anonymous)
Declan Reed knows nothing about himself when he wakes up in the white room. Nothing when the disembodied voice in the corner gives him a list of questions. Nothing when he hears the girl yelling next door. He's given a file with his basics--he learns he's an American fourteen-year-old named Declan, but little else.When he begins talking to the girl next door, who tells him her name is Lyla, they try to piece together who they are, what could've happened to them, and why they have no memory of their pasts.
(also known as: The I.I. Files)
Where We End and Begin
(amazon & ku)
"i had the nightmare again. the one where i can feel the weight, smell the perfume, feel the cold porcelain..."Elliot Finch is a quiet boy. He loves the beach and pancakes at the local diner and drawing in his journal. A journal that housed his most private, most intimate thoughts and feelings. A journal that was never meant to be seen by anyone other than himself. But someone did see it, and it ruined his life.Everything in Elliot's life is now marked as "before" or "after" The Party, and he vowed to never put his thoughts down on paper again, that way no one can use them against him.But when Ms. Sue, the high school guidance counselor, tells him to journaling might help him process his feelings, he begins writing again. Slowly, the journal entries peel back the layers, revealing what happened to him the night of The Party, and maybe, maybe help him move on.
Content Warnings
All the Things I Cannot Say
Language: Uses of hell, damn, pissed, crap, as well as ableist language such as "freak" and "psycho".
Sex, Romance & Nudity: The romance between Logan and Molly plays a large role in the story, but it never goes beyond a few (realistically clumsy) kisses. Calvin talks about having kissed a girl during spin-the-bottle. The boys talk a bit about girls "growing". Logan talks about his attraction to Molly, particularly in a handful of (not graphic) dreams. He often refers to himself as a "perv" for being attracted to her. Liv, a girl in Logan's group therapy has "erotophobia" (fear of sex) and a boy makes jokes about it, making the (untrue) claim that she gets to watch porn in therapy. Piper occasionally says things that could be taken inappropriately, but she's always very matter of fact about it, and the scenes are more humorous than sexual. Talk of boys needing to "cover themselves" around the girls they like.
Violence: Logan suffers from "harm OCD", meaning that his intrusive thoughts are often violent and disturbing. He goes on true crime deep dives as part of his compulsions and details about the Zodiac Killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Ted Bundy are mentioned in the story. At a school dance, Logan sees a boy harassing Molly and gets into a fight with him to protect her. Calvin gets into a fight to defend Logan at a party. A boy Logan makes friends with at the treatment center suffers from trauma (after being sexually assaulted). Online bullying occurs after a private letter circulates on social media.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: Medically prescribed medication for OCD plays a role at the end. Logan, when talking about self-destructive behavior, says his habits are better than drinking and smoking crack.Trigger Warnings
Graphic: Intrusive Thoughts, Medical Content, OCD, Panic Attacks
Moderate: Ableist Language, Bullying, Self Destructive Behavior, Divorce, Injury Detail, Violence
Mild: Ableism, Sexual Trauma, Rape, Vomit
All the Things I Wish You'd Do
TBA
Between Touch and Time
Language: Hell, damn, pissed, and crap.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: Declan wakes up in the white room completely naked, talks about "traumatizing" the person watching him and covering himself before "they" can see any more. Declan and Lyla clearly have a connection, but it blurs the line between friendship and romance, except during the pool scene. In part 5, Declan and Lyla find themselves in a pool that seemingly heightens their desires. Their hormones run rampant, leading to some kissing before they realize that something is wrong.
Violence: The kids speculate that they were kidnapped or they're being experimented on.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: NoneTrigger Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Forced Institutionalization, Gaslighting
Moderate: Classism, Trafficking
Mild: Kidnapping
Where We End and Begin
Language: Hell, damn, and crap. Elliot censors the word "b---h" because Nina doesn't approve of it. Paris accuses Nina of calling her a "slut".
Sex, Romance & Nudity: Elliot is a fifteen year old boy, and has a burgeoning interest in girls and their bodies. He talks about breasts occasionally, noting his interest in them. His discomfort in his body, and with his private area specifically, plays a major role in the story. He talks about wearing tight underwear to hide his erections after Paris points them out. There's a very vulnerable scene where Elliot strips down in front of his mirror and dissects his naked body, including his penis, as he tries to figure out why he was victimized as opposed to other boys. He mentions writing about his "nocturnal emissions" in his old journal (though none of them are on-page) and mentions having one about Paris. He drew a nude portrait of Paris alongside his entry of the dream (neither of which are on-page). During Elliot and Nina's first kiss, he freaks out when she attempts to use her tongue and tells her not to do that anymore.
Violence: A core piece of the story is that Elliot was raped by Paris at a party. The scene is not gratuitous or explicit, but it's clear what's happening. There's talk of him telling her to stop while she blatantly ignores him, he says he tried pushing her away but she got "on top of him" and "shoved her tongue" down his throat so he couldn't speak. The story deals primarily with Elliot's trauma after the party. Scenes with Paris afterwards are very tense and it's clear she has no respect for his personal boundaries. Nina gets into a fight with Paris, leaving both girls bloody. Elliot has scars on his thighs from where he cut himself after the party, saying that he just "wanted to stop feeling her hands".
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: Elliot talks about kids sneaking alcohol at the party, but he found the drink gross after trying it. Marty got drunk at the party, leaving Elliot alone. Paris was under the influence when she assaulted Elliot.Trigger Warnings
Graphic: Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Trauma, Trauma
Moderate: Rape, Self-Harm
Mild: Bullying
Want to contact Sab Ay?
EMAIL: [email protected]
INSTAGRAM: @author.sab.ay
TUMBLR: @sabs-scribbles-and-soliloquies