To Be Honest

An NPR Best YA Book of 2018

The author of The Big F is back with another snappy, utterly relatable contemporary novel about loving yourself and forging your own path.

Savannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her big sister—and best friend—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.

To Be Honest is another sharp, witty novel from Maggie Ann Martin, about a spunky heroine who is dealing with very real issues—body image, parental pressure, loneliness, first love, and finding your way—with heart and humor.

Praise for To Be Honest:

"Savvy’s story is a welcome one in today’s YA market and will help spread a much-needed message to teens about parental mental health issues and the potential dangers of diet culture." —School Library Journal, starred review

"I love that the book, itself, is not obsessed with its plus-size main character. ... It's a shame that books like this are so few and far between." —NPR

"To Be Honest captures the struggle to be proud of who you are and to find the courage to live boldly, no matter your shape or size ... For fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Dumplin’." —GERM Magazine

© 2025 Swoon Reads (E-bog): 9781250184740

Release date

E-bog: 25. juni 2025