This book was a roller coaster ride for me. We know Colette is lying, she tells us over and over. I had to find one of my students who’d read this to see if I was going to be upset at one point – I was afraid Connor, the love interest, wasn’t real at all. I actually asked for a spoiler! So much happens and then it hasn’t happened that it’s almost hard to keep track of the plot line, but I wanted to finish this book, and did in just a day.

I have a cadre of kids who love books in verse. I’m glad I found this one for them. There in even a lesson, about the power of words, that’s not too heavy handed to swallow.

My favorite lines:

“Change how you see. Not how you look.” (on a mirror) Page 83

Connor laughs –
a deep, throaty laugh.
And the sound of it

vibrates all through me…
like I’m a wind chime
and he’s

the breeze. Page 98 ( )

Connor is a dink.
Right from his first hissy fit after she said no. He needs a punch.

Will is adorable though. Good kid. ( )

I’ve become a fan of Sonya Sones writing in the last year or so after reading What My Mother Doesn’t Know and following it up with What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know. I’ve read most of Sones’ work, and like the rest of her books, To Be Perfectly Honest takes some time to draw you in, then hits you unexpectedly with something to make it great.

The narrator of this book, Colette, is a minor character in Sones’ other work One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. We don’t see too much of her in that book, so it was great to see her here with a bigger role. She’s an interesting narrator too; she’s a career liar. With lying being her nature, she’s an unreliable narrator. Lying also plays a big part in the conflict throughout the book. It took me a little bit to warm up to Colette, to be honest, but her personality kept working on me.

What really won me over was the big reveal in this book. At first this was a nice, light teen romance, but at one point it takes on a heavier, more serious tone. It packed a punch, and I like seeing that in a book. It didn’t feel out of place, just unexpected.

Sones’ free verse has all the strength that I’ve come to love in her previous books, and I know I’ll see in the future. I know I’ll be reading whatever Sones has in store for readers in her next book. ( )

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I thought it was really, really godawful. On the other hand, I kind of enjoyed reading this. I think its literary merits are as slim as the book is fat. The novelty of reading a book in prose was kind of nice, though. I think it only took me a few hours to read. That being said, the poetry was kind of bad and just read like someone who couldn’t write terrific prose and couldn’t write terrific poetry so decided to settle for the midpoint of a mediocre poetry novel. If a teen came up to me and said, “I like to read poetry, specifically the work of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton,” I would not recommend this book because the verse was so weak and could destroy someone’s love for quality poetry. I mean, there’s a value to a quick-read for sure, but I can’t endorse a quick-read novel for someone just because it’s lighthearted. To me that’s the opposite of responsible reader’s advisory. [STEPPING OFF THE SOAPBOX] ( )

Colette doesn't know who her dad is, nor does her little brother Will. Their mother is a movie star who has a habit of falling for her co-star, getting completely wrapped up in them and then dumping the guy when filming is over. It's no wonder Colette has learned to lie when telling the truth would serve her better. In fact, she's not always able to tell where truth ends and lies begin.
When Mom cancels the trip to Paris she's been pumped about for months, a trip that's supposed to be an awesome time with her three best friends, and instead drags her and Will off to San Luis Obispo where her new film is being shot, Colette is seriously bummed. She knows she'll get stuck babysitting Will while Mom jumps into another affair and constantly breaks her promises. Colette loves her little brother who has an adorable lisp because of teeth he recently lost, but but the fact remains that she's been shafted and her three friends blame her for the cancellation.
Mom decides to drive there in her Prius as a sort of bonding/environmental statement. Colette's zoned out until this amazing guy on a motorcycle pulls along side the car and stares into her eyes. Her imagination goes into overdrive and she begins to fantasize that the mystery guy on the bike has connected with her in some mystical way.
When Connor, the mysterious bike rider, reappears at the hotel where Colette is staying, she's thrilled, but is certain he'll dump her in a heartbeat if he knows she's only fifteen and who her mom really is. This results in both Colette and Will cranking up the lie machine which sets them and Connor on a wild ride where everyone is lying so much and so often that the truth doesn't stand a chance until the very end of the story.
Told in verse with some fabulous whoppers inserted to help readers understand how Colette has learned to cope with the crazy world she lives in, this is a funny and ultimately touching read. It's a book teens and mature tweens who have a sense of humor or who like a quirky romance will really enjoy. It's worth adding to any public or school library collection where offering teen readers a bit of the offbeat is important. ( )