If I'm Being Honest

By Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Book Overview

In this Mean Girls meets The Taming of the Shrew young adult romance, a queen bee learns that her tirade of being brutally honest is going to cost her if she doesn't start apologizing.

"This delightfully feminist rom-com has characters that feel like friends and will surely appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen."--BuzzFeed

"Cameron may be a mean girl, but she's also smart, self-aware and willing to do the hard work necessary to earn her happy ever after."--NPR

Cameron Bright is gorgeous, popular, and--according to 99% of Beaumont Prep's student body--a b*tch. That doesn't bother Cameron, who knows how important it is to be honest. But when her crush, Andrew, sees Cameron's cruelty up close, it's a major turnoff, and suddenly Cameron's consumed with winning him back. So she devises a plan: she'll "tame" herself like Shakespeare's illustrious shrew, Katherine, and make amends with everyone she's wronged. If she can reverse her reputation as a mean girl, Andrew will have to take notice.

Cameron's apology tour begins with Brendan Rosenfeld, the guy whose social life she singlehandedly destroyed in the sixth grade. But earning his forgiveness requires befriending the school's geeky crowd--which isn't as easy as it looks. Soon, though, Cameron begins to see that her new friends bring out the best in her, especially Brendan, who views her honesty as an asset. Now Cameron's left wondering if maybe she doesn't have to compromise who she is for the kind of love she deserves.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451478665
• ISBN13: 9780451478665
• Release Date: February 2020
• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

This intricately carved parable was truly remarkable and helped me learn we are all flawed, all want

This story parallels The Taming of the Shrew. Masterfully the author uses experiences in relationships to unravel human behavior, needs, and desires. To each complex problem there is a healthy resolution. I particularly appreciate the way she gently reassures readers that their feelings are normal: everyone deeply desires their parents approval, to be accepted and not rejected, to be known and not judged by their appearance, for their parents to be proud of them and not to have to earn love in order to feel worthy or good enough. The repercussion of these deep needs going unmet are explored and explained in a relatable way. This would be an excellent read 📖 for high school & college students. I cannot recommend it more highly. I loved this book with all my heart💛✨.