To Be Honest
Author: Maggie Ann Martin
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Goodreads Summary:
Savannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her sister goes off to college. But if she can just get through senior year, she’ll be able to escape to college, too. What she doesn’t count on is that her mother’s obsession with weight has only grown deeper since her appearance on an extreme weight-loss show, and now Savvy’s mom is pressuring her even harder to be constantly mindful of what she eats.
Between her mom’s diet-helicoptering, missing her sister, and worrying about her collegiate future, Savvy has enough to worry about. And then she meets George, the cute new kid at school who has insecurities of his own. As Savvy and George grow closer, they help each other discover how to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now before it disappears.
Spoiler free Summary:
Happy release day to Maggie Ann Martin!
Body shaming is a serious topic and I am so glad that an author addressed this! This was a cute and honest read, with a great message: If you like how you look, screw everyone else!
I loved the topics that are addressed because not many authors I have come across have plus size characters or address eating disorders (just my opinion). Not only does it address plus size girls, but also being a nerd in high school. Man can I tell you I related! I wasn’t necessarily amazing when it came to school, but I was definitely a nerd (book nerd). The author shows you how, just because you are nerdy, there is always someone out there for you. You really see what body shaming can do to a person, for both her and her mother, and I thought it really added depth to the novel.
The character development wasn’t super apparent because the characters were pretty stagnant, just growing their relationship. I love that she showed two different perspectives on how body shaming can effect a person. One being Savannah, who is very comfortable with who she is. Then there is her mother who went through a show, Shake the Weight (like Biggest Loser), because her husband left her and she feels it was because of her weight.
Overall, this wasn’t one of my top books of the year, but I still enjoyed reading it. It was a super sweet and cute read. I would suggest it to anyone looking for a nice contemporary read that addresses some real life topics.
From your local bibliophile, until next time!
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