It had a lot of side plots going on, most if not all of them highly underdeveloped because there was just not enough time spent in each one of them. This made the book lose depth, and it needed it as it was touching a lot of different sensitive subjects. Raised in what he affectionately calls “our little honesty cult,” Michael Leviton was ingrained with his parents’ core philosophy: You do not tell any lies; you do not withhold the truth; and you speak your mind always, regardless of how offensive or hurtful your opinions may be. For young Michael, this freedom to be yourself—despite being bullied and ostracized at school—felt liberating. By the time Leviton was 29 years old, he had told three (what most people would consider) lies in his entire life. To Be Honest breaks down the ways criticism masked as concern can be so harmful to young women. And it’s an empowering reminder to love our bodies, regardless of size." — HelloGiggles I would like to thank Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley and Maggie Ann Martin for the digital arc in exchange for an honest Review!

On the other hand I think Savannah deserved way better than a guy who ended up being afraid of his feelings for her. The scene that took place after he bailed on homecoming where he tells her how he's "never felt this way about anyone before" did not impress me. Savannah is freaking awesome and she put her feelings on the line and he really let her down. I think it's a bad cop out that a lot of guys use, and while in the end George was sincere, he still made her feel like he was playing around with her feelings and that is never okay. A couple of notes: the romance was very cute, but not the most powerful element of the book. Savvy’s sister is gay and her best friend is Columbian. These were nice additions, but these characters weren’t really explored in a way that makes me feel comfortable in suggesting that it’s “rep”. Told in an impressively lighthearted but eloquent manner, the author places honesty under the microscope and dissects and scrutinizes it by asking essential questions. Are white lies really necessary? Would it be best to be blunt? What happens when we sugar coat things? What happens when we don't? All these curiosities are answered in as Leviton describes in great detail his unorthodox relationship with his parents and how what they've ingrained in him his whole life seems to be at the root of his shortcomings. We worked in a scared silence, taking a few moments longer to complete each task than necessary. If we admitted that we were done, we’d have to admit that it was time to leave. I don’t think Mom had good-bye on her epic list of dorm move-in responsibilities. No matter how many blogs she read or careful notes she took, nothing could prepare us for leaving. We meet Savvy as she and her mom are taking her sister Ashley to her dorm in college & there are a lot of feelings from the start. Savvy does struggle with anxiety & having such a tight bond with her older sister made separating all the harder. Besides not having her very best friend around anymore, she also has to deal with a difficult, strained, and just plain toxic relationship with her mother. Savvy’s mom went through a life changing event after her husband/Savvy’s dad cheated on her with her best friend. Her mom won a spot on a weight loss TV show & was flown across the country for intense weight loss training. Upon her return, her whole outlook on weight was toxic and Savvy was unfortunately the person she affected most. We see Savvy miss the relationship she used to have with her mother prior to the drastic weight loss. Savvy is vocal with her thoughts on the unhealthy weight loss these TV shows promote which causes her to butt heads more often with her mom.

As a young adult, Michael’s honestly was detrimental during job interviews. Some funny scenes, in New York City. i always had a fear that life would divide us, but in the end it was us that didn't know how to keep it together. I see this issue in relationships a lot where men constantly want women to "just TELL me" as if the social cues and clues aren't already out there. As if women are to manage and take on the entire mental load and break it down into bite sized pieces for men. Savvy is in High School & we also get to follow her life outside her home which balances out against her home life. Savvy has an amazing best friend who she enjoys spending time with. She’s also a math tutor on the side but her real passion is journalism. There’s a a really caring teacher who encourages her not to drop out of working on the school’s paper & it leads to the sub-plot of this book. We see Savvy uncovering some under the table dealings with one of the athletic departments. We also see her tutoring turn into something more than & I cannot tell you the number of times I found myself smiling for Savvy

I'm always saying I don't really enjoy fluffy contemporary but I really should retract that and say that I don't enjoy fluffy contemporary that is straight, pretty white kids with zero rep of any kind. I just don't relate at all and never would have. I do love diverse or geeky contemporary a lot though and this was such a pleasure to read. It also was a little more hard hitting in parts, so not completely fluff. Her father was the worst character for me, He was simply mean and selfish, I know he has his own reasons but that didn’t convince me. I didn’t expect that I thought this book will revolve around body shaming, It was but equally with other elements. Most importantly, a big thank you to NetGalley, Michael Leviton, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an unbiased review. And let’s not forget how Savannah meeting George, her best friend’s cousin and an absolutely talented saxophonist, gave a light and fuzzy spin into the story. The chemistry between them was 100% delightful. I love how they started off as friends like how real romance sparks and thankfully that family’s summer cookout with the Morenos happened. It was dreamy, sweet and feels like it’s truly meant to be for both of them.

There’s nothing wrong with knowing how you like things,” she said. “Plus, the first one she was looking at was way overpriced. I actually saved her a ton of money.”

Unapologetically promotes healthy body image and love for oneself. Savvy and her mother provide the reader with diametrically opposed perspectives concerning the psychological impact of body shaming: Savvy possesses a strong, positive image while her mother derives self-worth from a scale. ... Educators and librarians seeking literature that resonates with female readers who struggle with body image will want to add this novel to their shelves." -- VOYA I really enjoyed Savannah herself as a protagonist. I saw a lot of myself in her, both as a fat woman and just as a person. Her anxiety, her fears about the future, her love of school and her family… I just related to so much of her experience. Though she is plus-sized, she doesn’t hate her body or want to change it, and that isn’t her entire character. How do you think [character] felt when they were lied to? How do you feel when someone lies to you?

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I stopped rolling my eyes, stopped judging Michael as a precocious self-centered, irritating child, and soon, I was deep into the reveals of the young adult Michael was becoming.

Also, THE ROMANCE. I loved it. Savannah and George’s banter was adorable, and I love that so much of their relationship was formed when Savannah tutored him in math (YAY for girls in STEM! and for boys who aren’t assholes about girls being better at them in STEM fields!). Plus, George was a band nerd. Be still, high-school-Madalyn’s heart. All of Savannah’s fear about entering into a relationship/developing a crush/etc. felt SO true to my own experiences. That being said, Savvy really does love her mom & since it’s just the two of them home now, she tries her hardest to not cause friction or let her mom’s comments get to her. We follow their relationship & the very real fights that take place leading to days of silence. Maggie Ann Martin also did a A+ job of showing us Savvy’s mom & her battle with body image. I felt terrible for her mom because you know she’s a good mom but life’s curve ball really threw her off & her self esteem really took a hit. I wanted so badly to see her mom get the help she so desperately needed & be a positive role model for Savvy. Michael’s friends, many whom were musicians, didn’t exactly experience his criticism as love. Perplexing, a little rude and deviant, were more like it.Unapologetically promotes healthy body image and love for oneself. Savvy and her mother provide the reader with diametrically opposed perspectives concerning the psychological impact of body shaming: Savvy possesses a strong, positive image while her mother derives self-worth from a scale. ... Educators and librarians seeking literature that resonates with female readers who struggle with body image will want to add this novel to their shelves." — VOYA Pro: Savannah was too fabulous, and charmed the pants off me. She was smart and full of life. She was driven, confident, and lots of fun. I absolutely loved her, and I loved her, because she loved herself. No approval needed.