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Book Reviews, Young Adult · April 23, 2019

Review | To Be Honest

Summary: To Be Honest

Savannah aka Savvy is a fat teen with a mom who, post-divorce has just completed a weight-loss centered reality TV show. While Sav is a smart, confident girl, her mom constantly needles her about her weight, under the guise of concern for her health. Sav has also just met her best friend’s cousin, George, and the two soon begin a friendship that leads to romance.

The Good

I loved so many things about this book, but what I loved best of all is the focus on the negative impact of diet culture. Savannah’s mother is a prime example of what can happen when people focus too much on losing weight, or view weight loss as the most important form of self-improvement. Although sometimes insecure about her body (who isn’t?), Savannah’s confidence and acceptance will be helpful to other teens and adults.

Also, Sav’s friendship with Grace is the kind of female friendship that needs to be modeled more in young adult literature. In To Be Honest, Savannah and her sister, Ashley also have an admirable relationship–loving and showing up for each other in good and rough times. Of course, I cannot ignore the adorable love story between George and Savvy. I loved watching them become friends, support each other, and start a romance.

[irp posts=”1111″ name=”There’s Love and Rivalry in These 36 Best Books About Siblings”]

Overall: To Be Honest

To Be Honest is a powerful fat-positive story featuring a strong sisterhood bond, solid female friendships, and a sweet romance. If you’re looking for a young-adult novel featuring an anti-diet-culture message and/or a teen navigating their parents’ divorce, To Be Honest may just be the pick for you. The audiobook is also excellent–would recommend.

[bctt tweet=”To Be Honest is a powerful fat-positive story featuring a strong sisterhood bond, solid female friendships, and a sweet romance. @swoonreads” username=””]


Buy This Book

To Be Honest

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Have you read this book or anything by Maggie Ann Martin? What did you think? What are your favorite fat-positive books? I’d love to know!

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Posted In: Book Reviews, Young Adult · Tagged: body image, body shaming, diet, Female friendships, insecurities, self-improvement, sisterhood, weight loss

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Comments

  1. Lara says

    April 23, 2019 at 10:21 am

    I have been eyeing this book and somehow missed all posts about it, but definitely back on my radar, thanks to you!

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      April 23, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      Ooh I hope you get your hands on it—I loved it! Thanks for reading, Lara 🙂

      Reply

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Review | Three Things About Elsie

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Afoma
🏡 The Parent Trap meets The Holiday 🏡 🏴 🏡 The Parent Trap meets The Holiday 🏡 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In The House Swap, tweens Allie and Sage are forced together when their families plan to swap houses goes awry. Allie is a British girl living in the countryside and preparing to be a spy when she grows up. She’s also the (overlooked, she feels) middle child, stuck between a teen brother and a talkative little sister. 

🇺🇸 Sage is an only child in sunny California, growing up with parents who seem to be growing apart. She gets more worried when she discovers that only her mom will be coming with her to the English countryside. Both girls realize that they have more in common than they think and decide to help each other — Ally with Sage’s parents and Sage with being Allie’s friend.

🏄‍♀️ The House Swap is a cozy, charming middle grade book about family (history & secrets), new friendships, and navigating parental divorce. Reminiscent of the beloved movie, The Holiday, this middle grade book is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good reading experience with a touch of history, family drama, and characters you can root for.
I’m a contemporary fiction girl through and thro I’m a contemporary fiction girl through and through but the only historical fiction I’ll make room for (besides TJR) is middle grade historical fiction! I’ve read and loved so many in the last few years and here are some I recommend — including forthcoming & backlist titles!

Books mentioned:

A SKY FULL OF SONG by @susanlynnmeyer 
FAR OUT by @annebustard 
THE SECRET DIARY OF MONA HASAN by @salmahwrites 
IT AIN’T SO AWFUL, FALAFEL by Firoozeh Dumas
A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by @kealbus 
STEALING MT. RUSHMORE by @daphnekalmar 
HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 

You’ll see there’s a few extra in the cover picture too! 😉 What’s your favorite middle grade historical fiction? And do you particularly like them?
🏊‍♀️ Aniana is a child of Dominican paren 🏊‍♀️ Aniana is a child of Dominican parents growing up on Galveston, an island in the state of Texas. Her mom has undiagnosed PTSD from the death of her (Aniana’s mother’s) brother years ago in a storm back in their home country, so she doesn’t want her daughter near the water. Aniana’s father wants his daughter to pursue her passion and takes her to swim meets without her mother’s knowledge. 

🦴 But when Aniana wakes up one day with painfully swollen joints and other weird symptoms after swimming, their secret is exposed, and Aniana is faced with a new diagnosis that may threaten the one sport she loves.

🏝️ Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a tender, moving middle grade verse novel about disability, sports, family trauma, and standing up for your dreams. 

❤️This verse novel is excellently written and painfully honest about the challenges of bridging the culture and communication gap when a parent has unresolved emotional trauma. Ani does a fantastic job of standing up for her goals, and the ending is very satisfying.
Which middle grade authors are your auto-buys? I h Which middle grade authors are your auto-buys? I have so many that I’m making this a series! So excited to spotlight more of my favorites 🥰❤️
If you’re big on graphic novels like I am, here If you’re big on graphic novels like I am, here are 3 exceptional MG options to put on your TBR this year 😍

Books mentioned:

HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 
FOUR EYES by @thirdrex 
DOODLES FROM THE BOOGIE DOWN by @stephguez 

Books shown in montage in order of appearance:
SUNNY MAKES A SPLASH
ALLERGIC
HOOPS
I often get messages from readers looking for more I often get messages from readers looking for more children’s books set in Africa (because I’m from & live in Africa). Unfortunately, there aren’t that many realistic, contemporary middle grade books or chapter books set here, but at least we have Atinuke! 🥲

Atinuke is a British- Nigerian author of chapter books and picture books who spent her formative years in Nigeria. Her stories are whimsical but realistic and focus more on the character and their family than they do on locale. I love her storytelling and I love that more kids are getting to see Nigeria through the eyes of her characters.
Middle grade books written in a unique format can Middle grade books written in a unique format can be hit or miss for some. Here are 3 (+1) of my favorite unique format stories done right!

Books mentioned:

WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY by @claireswinarski 
ANNIE’S LIFE IN LISTS by @kristinmahoneybooks 
LASAGNA MEANS I LOVE YOU by @kloshaughnessy 
THE NIGHT DIARY (which is written in letters in her diary to her deceased mom — voiceovers are hard!) by @veerawrites 

Do you love any stories written in multiple/unique formats? I’d love to hear!
🫁 the first own voices cystic fibrosis novel ✨

🐬 centers young Penny, a middle schooler with cystic fibrosis. Penny has to take digestive enzymes and do her breathing treatments to help her lungs get rid of mucus that affects her breathing. While her CF case is relatively mild-moderate, she still struggles with being chronically ill. 

🚤 One day a dolphin shows up in the lake near their house and Penny feels a strong connection with the animal. It turns out the dolphin (who Penny names Rose) is also sick and needs to return to her pod to get better. Penny may be the only one who can help the scientists take Rose back. But can she do that, when she feels so drawn to the animal?

🫁 No Matter the Distance is a beautiful middle grade verse novel about living with cystic fibrosis and finding belonging in community. Also starring an adorable dolphin and warm family dynamics, this book will appeal to kids who love animals, books about sisters, and stories about chronic illness and disability.
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