Book Review: If I’m Being Honest

Authors: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA contemporary

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Release Date: 4.23.19

Synopsis:

“High school senior Cameron Bright’s reputation can be summed up in one word: bitch. It’s no surprise she’s queen bee at her private L.A. high school—she’s beautiful, talented, and notorious for her cutting and brutal honesty. So when she puts her foot in her mouth in front of her crush, Andrew, she fears she may have lost him for good.

In an attempt to win him over, Cameron resolves to “tame” herself, much like Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. First, she’ll have to make amends with those she’s wronged, which leads her to Brendan, the guy she labelled with an unfortunate nickname back in the sixth grade. At first, Brendan isn’t all that receptive to Cameron’s ploy. But slowly, he warms up to her when they connect over the computer game he’s developing. Now if only Andrew would notice…

But the closer Cameron gets to Brendan, the more she sees he appreciates her personality—honesty and all—and wonders if she’s compromising who she is for the guy she doesn’t even want.”

Everyone grab your popcorn, get comfy, and strap in for one of the longest and most gushy reviews I think I will ever write. Because guess what. . . I LOVED this book! Just when I thought Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka couldn’t impress me anymore they blew me away with this adorable book full of perfectly written character development and laugh out loud humor.

My absolute favorite thing about this book was the characters. Cameron and Brendan officially have taken resident in part of my heart. Cameron’s brutal honesty was written masterfully and I loved how authentic she felt. Cameron had amazing realistic development as she learned who she was becoming. This author duo has a talent for making a character more than a trope and that is clearly demonstrated here! I cannot get over how well their characters are built and developed. Cameron and Brendan are easily two of the best, most real and well developed characters I have read. Ever.

Speaking of Brendan, I LOVE HIM. He is such a sweetheart and I officially need a Brendan in my life. He was nerdy, adorable, and such an overall sweetheart. I couldn’t get enough of him! I could read this book again all in his perspective and not be bored for second. In fact, I think I would cry tears of joy to ever read even one page of this book in his perspective.

I love how these authors take on soft boys and hard girls in their stories. The character development in this book for both Cameron and Brendan was plotted out in such a perfect way it delivered all of the feels. I could talk about how these two developed in an extremely detailed power point presentation for hours if you would let me (and PLEASE let me). If I’m Being Honest should be pointed to as an example of well thought out character development for YA books.

Not only was the development on point, but the plot was PERFECT. It was a well balanced character driven story full of heart that flowed naturally. I loved Cameron’s quest of becoming “tamed” and the way that the different parts of the story danced together. The development and plot intertwined in harmony and OH MY GOSH it was glorious.

And yes, of all the glorious things the romance was among them. The chemistry and interactions that came out of Cameron and Brendan were electric and hilarious. They complimented and challenged each other in a way that keeps any reader dying for more, it makes the book almost impossible to set down. Overall, the new relationships (romantic and platonic) from this book felt like raw expressions of what it means to grow up and find your people. Seeing Cameron discover herself among such a unique group of friends was a real and beautiful thing I’m in awe of. Spending an afternoon with the friend squad from this book in their signature bookstore sounds like the dream and I am so glad I go the chance to experience that magical friend group through the pages of this book.

Speaking of said bookstore, if you’re a lover of a vivid setting this one is for you. I loved the atmosphere of LA through Cameron’s eyes. I loved every minute of exploring this city I have never been to in a way that felt so very alive. I can’t lie when I say Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are magical writers.

To put it simply I loved this book. That’s what I would tell someone in passing if they asked and I didn’t want to have a total book lover melt down in front of them. I would tell them I loved the characters, I loved how they grew. I would mention that the story is funny and the romance is cute. I don’t know if I could handle going into my feels to tell them how much this story captured growing up, how it felt like getting to be a teenager, or even how it feels like experiencing a world I’ve never been to . . . so I’ll tell you that here. I loved this book. You need to read it.