Be True to Me by Adele Griffin is a nostalgic, bittersweet story of love and rivalry set in the summer of 1976. Jean and Fritz, two girls from different worlds, both fall for the same boy, leading to a simmering tension. Griffin’s writing beautifully captures the intensity of first love and the complexities of friendship, making it a compelling read for fans of character-driven, summery YA drama.

Be True to Me is exactly the kind of book that I love to read. The plot, the characters, everything about this book screams "read me!" I could not get enough of it, and I cannot wait to pick it up again in the future.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

This book had seemed interesting - but the synopsis has left me more than a little confused, with too many character names and implications of infidelity. Also, I've been disliking books that focus mostly on romantic drama so I think I'm never getting to this one.

I read about 25% of this book and forgot to finish it before it was expired. I did end up buying my own personal copy to finish on my own time. Thank you for allowing me to read this book in advance!

Picture "Dirty Dancing" set in the mid-1970s, only Johnny is a real social climber, so he strings Baby along to stay on her good side (and therefore the good side of the rich families there), while also dating (and lying about Baby to) Penny because she's NOT a rich girl and she knows the "real" him. It all goes off the rails and ends in serious disaster.

The 1970s slang and Hamptons-esque "society" culture were a little confusing at times, just because I didn't really know anything about them, but the characters were well-developed and brought the story to life. The trouble is, none of them were particularly likeable (except Fritz, I guess, mildly) and the way they treated each other made my skin crawl (which I guess was probably the point...) Overall, an interesting story.

When I first saw this book, I was very intrigued, and rightfully so because this has a very intriguing plot and setting. I'm not gonna lie, it took me a while to get used to the writing style and the setting (as I normally read futuristic novels or from the 1800 era). After I was accustomed to the writing style, it feels so easy finishing this but I decided to not rush into reading because this is the kind of book that you savor.

Anyway, just from the synopsis, we know that there would be some sort of a love triangle - Fritz & Jean with Gil between the two ladies. If this book doesn't have an alternating POV, I would've hated Fritz and sided with Jean but that's not the case so it was the other way around. Jean is an insecure (and childish) girl that's always on the shadow of her more glamorous sister, Daphne. She's so envious and cruel (sometimes) that it feels so easy to hate her but I don't, hate her that is. I kind of understand what she's feeling, it makes me feel so bad for her. Fritz, my poor, poor Fritz. She's my favorite character here. She's an independent, carefree, young woman but she's shunned because she's an outsider, she's not a Sunkie. Enter Gil Burke, a newcomer but he has ties to one of the powerful families in the Sunken Haven. He's so eager to please his "uncle," to fit right in the island. At first, I disliked this guy, it took me a while to warm up to him, to be honest.

Each of the characters are intricately written and their stories so closely woven with each other. The other characters seemed so haughty to me but it just added to the allure of the story, to the allure of Sunken Haven.

This book is divided into three parts and the third part just about broke my heart. That's the part where the characters discover just how much their stories intertwined with each other. It's the part that lead to a very compelling and riveting ending.

Overall, this was such a wonderful book. After finishing this, I was so shocked - it rendered me speechless. Poignant. Astonishing. Remarkable. This is the kind of book that stays with you.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I actually had a request wish granted for this one. An enjoyable read, though very meandering and almost no plot until right before the end.

The novel tells the story of two different girls on an exclusive island during the summer of 1976 and the boy they both want the attention of. I don’t quite get why it had to be set in 1976, the setting didn’t really do anything for the story. The setting didn’t really make much difference, the plot could have easily worked as a modern day summer story.

Jean has been living in the shadow of her prettier, popular, older sister Daphne for her whole life. Only this summer Daphne is off to Europe, so Jean can have some fun without having to be compared to Daphne. She’s really looking forward to it. Jean comes from a very well to do family who are summering on the exclusive Fire Island. She has a couple of best friends and meets a good looking boy, Gil, the nephew of one of her parents’ snooty friends. Gil’s friendly and easy going. They share a night out in New York before heading to Fire Island for the summer, but it’s enough for Jean to be head over heels for him. It’s kind of insta-lovey and she’s obsessed pretty quick.

Jean was nice enough, if a little dim. She’s sheltered, spoiled and very naïve. Whether it’s a rich people thing or whether the drinking laws in 1976 were less strict, I don’t know, but there were lots of parties and everyone was drinking, even the teens. (Might be a rich people world thing, I vaguely remember something along the same lines in the modern day Gossip Girl series of the parents not caring too much if their teens drank at social functions).

Jean has a habit of shooting her mouth off and speaking no inhibition regardless of hurting anyone when she drinks. She does this quite a bit. She can also be very selfish, but I don’t think she realises this. This shows more towards the end, when she does something that appears on the surface to just be her wanting the cute boy for herself, but if she hadn’t done it, then an outcome that was tragic might have been different.

Fritz was the more outgoing, can’t remember her background, but she came from a family of lesser standing, army kid I think. There were definitely some class issues when Fritz got friendly with Gil and was given a cold reception by his family simply because she wasn’t from a family as well to do as theirs. Fritz joins her best friend for the summer on Fire Island, and hits it off with Gil too. Fritz had a lot more personality than Jean did. She was friendlier and more outgoing.

The novel is told in alternating points of view from Jean and Fritz as they both try to get Gil’s attention. I can’t say I liked Gil much at all. While he comes across all polite and friendly, charming and good looking with a great potential future, he was clearly playing these two girls against each other. Telling one something different to the other one. He gets them both pretty obsessed with him, even though he does eventually choose one over the other, the other can’t let go. There’s very little interaction with the two girls together, there’s hints that could be a rivalry but it’s not really explored.

It’s very slow and meandering. And as I mentioned earlier the plot is almost non-existent. Until the end when things take a rather surprising turn. Didn’t see it coming at all. I did think it was well written, and while I can’t see the point of the 1976 setting, the actual place the girls were summering in was lovely. The setting was well described, the characters were all well fleshed out. Despite being rather slow at points, I did enjoy the novel. Don’t know if this is something I would read again, but I would definitely read something else by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for granting my wish to read the title.

Historical fiction always has a place in my heart, so I was super excited for the chance to pick up Be True to Me by Adele Griffin. The cover of the book is simply gorgeous and really made me excited for summer, where the synopsis of the book sounded intriguing and like a really sweet story that I really had the feeling that I would enjoy. It has the “mean rich girl” thing going on in this book that I find myself drawn to from time to time – you know, the generally unlikable character that you find yourself liking anyway? All of the glamour, all of the excitement of a rich teenager – for whatever reason, I always love books that feature these kinds of characters.

Some people talk about not really liking characters like that, or that they are disappointed when the character in a book will end up being shallow despite the fact that they are already mentioned as being a spoiled rich kid, but if you go into the book knowing that about the characters, all that awaits you are fun stories that you can really lose yourself in.

This book was seriously so much fun – and since it takes place in the summer (the summer of 1976 to be exact), it really makes this book a great read for the beginning of summer. It has all the awesome elements that a begining of summer book have – great characters, a story that you can’t put down, and a bit of a sweet romance that really brightens up your day.

I absolutely love the characters in this book – they all have so much depth that it was hard to put the book down – I felt like I was honestly wrapped up in the story with the characters myself. It was a great and interesting novel that really worked well with the setting – you can tell it was well researched and written with care so that in the end, it all worked out nicely.

If you like historical novels with a nice, summery touch of romance, this is definitely a book that you’ll want to check out. It has plenty to offer, including a fun main character who you can’t help but really end up loving, as well as a lot going on in the actual story!

Note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Adele Griffin's Be True to Me focuses on a love triangle on Fire Island during the 1970s. The story unfolds in two voices - Jean and Fritz. Both girls have fallen for Gil and his southern charm. The girls already have an existing rivalry, which now escalates because first love is involved.

I liked the voices but I found the plot and twists to be predictable - no surprises here. I think readers who enjoyed We Were Liars might like this book.

In the summer of 1976, to teen girls fall in love with the new boy visiting their home on Fire Island. How far with they go to win his heart?

I read this book as part of a blog tour I was participating in. However, I disilked it and opted out of the review for the tour. I decided to write one now anyway. I always try not to bash books in reviews and so pair my critiques with complements. But in Be True to Me, I'm sorry to say there are very few complements I can give, and those are generally undermined by critiques. Still, I will be as fair and kind as I can as I tell you what I disliked about this book. But be forewarned that there will be many spoilers from here onward.

As you may know from the synopsis, this is the story of Jean and Fritz, two girls fighting over a boy, Gil.

Both of the girls, not Gil, were point of view characters. So my problem from the beginning was this: Which one do I cheer for? One of them had to lose, but I liked them both and didn't want to wish unhappiness on one or the other.

Next was the plot. It had the potential to be funny, hilarious even. (Bride Wars?) Or a full-on, murderous war. (Pretty Little Liars?) Either one would have made a good story. Neither happened. The girls ignored each other the whole time. Very few things acutally happened until the climax and ending. And the ending was disappointing, leaving none of the characters happy.

Next is the setting. It was the Bicentennial summer on a small-town island on the East Coast. The setting had so much promise. The small town part was portrayed realistically, except that I don't know how it would have been so SMALL TOWN when nearly all of the regular residents only lived there during the summers. It was the 70's, except that the only things showing that it was that time period instead of a more recent one was the lack of electronics (cell phones, computers, internet). And I found the Bicentennial holiday lacking. It was celebrated, but there were few indications that it was different than any other Independence Day celebration. The setting, like the plot, had potential but didn't follow through.

My last comment is on the little bit of symbolism mixed in. Kudos to the author for adding it because it gave another layer of depth to the story. It was about a pair of earrings Jean believed were hers. She took them from her sister only to find out that weren't hers at all. Her pair was forgotten. The earrings represented the boys in the story (Jean had another guy who loved her). The earring metaphor was clever and showed that Jean learned something from all of this. However, the boys were earrings? Pretty possessions to be owned and discarded at will? Itay not have been intentional, but the symbolism can be interpreted as objectifying men. Objectifying anyone is never good.

Well, I've said my piece. I welcome any comments from people willing to discuss the book with me. Other readers - what did you like and why? I'm willing to listen and contemplate if you are.

I received a complementary copy of this book from NetGalley. I received no compensation, and all opinions are entirely my own.

Be True To Me is YA at its best - a literary read with an historic milieu that is engaging and stays with you long after the story has finished. Characters are conflicted but very much a product of their upbringing - each making decisions and mistakes that are both heartbreaking but also poignantly teen. The writing is engaging: straightforward but evocative. And the story arc is crisp and surprisingly brisk for a slow burn type of plot.

Synopsis: In 1976, vacationers converge on the resort community of Sunken Harbor (on Fire Island, NY). A retreat for the wealthy, it is serviced by the less affluent along with the community's wealthy teens. Jean, the daughter of one of Fire Island's most upstanding families, is looking forward to a special Summer: her perfect older sister is going overseas and she can finally shine. Fritz is best friends with the daughter of one of the wealthy families and comes to Fire Island to work and enjoy the resort. Jean and Fritz's paths crossed the previous year - when Fritz took away the tennis trophy championship from Jean. And now, with the entry of the charming but mysterious Gil Burke, a different rivalry begins. One that will have tragic consequences for all.

Where this book shines is in the characters. Each is exquisitely drawn - products of their environment and how it shaped their outlook on life and situations. Protected, cosseted, wall flower Jean reveling in finally being able to come out from under her beautiful and accomplished sister's shadow. Grounded, fatalistic Fritz experiencing the Island resort as an outsider and somewhat reveling in it. Then there is Gil - also thrown into an unusual situation and with heavy stipulations due to being a 'poor relation' given a chance to live the good life. All three characters are main though only the two girls are given POVs. Even the side characters were impressively drawn.

In a story that stays true to real life, there are no idealistic heroes or situations. Gil's mistakes stem from idealism and impulsiveness, Jean's from lack of true life experiences, and Fritz's from frustration and stubborness. Author Griffin impressively translates those three perspectives into true expressions of the different aspects of being a teen. The book never hits a false note. Those worried about a love triangle need not - the choice is made clearly early on and each of the main characters has to deal with that situation in their different ways.

The story is brisk, moves nicely, and has a complete arc. The setting of 1976 makes sense but the author doesn't overdo the 'disco era' references and they do not overwhelm the story at any time.
No one is overidealized and tragic events are beautifully understated. The conclusion is logical but also surprising at the same time. It's a reminder that it's always the littlest of things that can snowball, especially through the minds of teens trying to find their way in the world. In all, highly recommended. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

The story was told in the alternating POVs of Jean and Fritz, which gives two different perspectives on things. I am not sure who to root for. It doesn’t help that I don’t really like the characters, aside from Julia, Fritz’ best friend. She seems fun and level-headed. But the two main characters plus Gil appear to be selfish at times that it is hard for me to like them. There were times that I sympathize more with Jean because I feel like there’s more to her but it wasn’t explored. Gil may be portrayed as a nice guy but the fact that he switches from one girl to another and left that one girl hanging shows he’s not the guy everyone believes him to be. And the fact that those two girls let that slip and continue to pine over him made me like them less.

The plot is good and the setting is perfect which fits the story perfectly. The residents are intriguing and I was hoping for some scandals with rich people involved but there’s nothing of that sort. The story focuses on Jean and Fritz and the love triangle which is interesting at first to see how things will play out for the characters. But after a while, it gets dragging. The twist though is nicely done but not actually surprising. It doesn’t affect me in a way that it should have been. The ending is okay but seems rushed that I was disappointed how some things are not addressed properly like Gil’s parentage. Despite all that, I’d say Be True to Me is still a solid book and will be a perfect summer read for those who enjoy contemporary YA.

So, this will be pretty short because I didn’t really love this story. I guess exclusive and ritzy island stories aren’t for me because I didn’t like We Were Liars either. I wanted a fun summer story of love and drama, but the abundance of pettiness just made the story drag for me.

Things I Liked:
This book really delivered on the summer drama and teen angst. It was over the top and very entertaining. It also helped the plot to move quickly.

Things I Didn’t Like:
All of the characters were so petty and selfish and unlikeable. Which also made all of the relationship dynamics uninteresting to me. They never actually felt like real people who were trying to navigate this exclusive island, they felt like whiny children.

The love triangle was so boring. Call this a controversial opinion, but I actually have nothing against love triangles, and I think they can actually add tension to the story if done well. But here, I felt like the love triangle was just a way to get these two girls who didn’t really like each other to hate each other even more, over a guy they just met.

I wanted a story of intense family drama and beach politics of the wealthy in this exclusive island, but I felt like I never got to know any of these characters. If you like fun beachy reads, this will probably work for you, or if you’re craving some high class drama.

First of all, I totally missed the fact that the story was set in the 70's until the near end, when they mentioned Bruce Jenner was playing in the Olympics. Also maybe the lack smartphones should have clued me in. Though it definitely has that forlorn feeling of summers from your youth.

In a way I hated everything that happened in this story. Not because it was badly written, on the contrary, but because of the subject, and drama. Two young girls, one boy, a summer on an island. One girl who's always lived in the shadow of her older, more perfect sister. The other girl more from the wrong side of the track. Then the one guy stuck in between, trying to find his footing in the high society world.

A million reasons why these girls could have been friends, only a handful for them to hate each other, the boy being the last drop. Honestly this book was not easy to get through. The hate, the pettiness, the jealousy between these girls was awful. Instead of supporting each other, there is this unhealthy rivalry between them, that only gets worsened by this guy.

Who honestly is not that amazing. I feel that the ladies are a bit blinded by his looks, and while he seems to have an interesting personality, I feel that most of his actions were lacking. Trying to fit in with the rich, he made some not so solid choices. Definitely a bit of playing going on, which I don't condone.

Of course it all explodes in their face, and it does take a very unexpected turn towards the end. A twist I did not see coming, and honestly not sure if I like. I feel I would have liked it better that the girls realised what a butthead the guy was, and managed to make up between them. Sisters before misters.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Jean: Long time visitor to Sunken Haven with her family. Her parents care more about appearances than pretty much anything else. She is used to being in the shadow of her much more outgoing and pretty older sister. Thankfully her sister is not going to Sunken Haven with her family this summer so Jean has a chance to step up and be her own person.

Fritz: A long time staff regular she is enjoying her independence as it is her first year living in the staff dorms. She and Jean used to be really good friends but it seems lately they have started to drift apart.

Gil: The object of affection for both Jean and Fritz. He's a handsome guy with some dark secrets and an outgoing personality. He is spending the summer with his materialistic uncle and his family and immediately starts making waves amount the residence of Sunken Haven.

Every though this story is in the 70s (I usually don't like stories told in past) I enjoyed reading this book. She wove pop culture references into the story well without seeming forced or awkward as some similar titles have done. Plus honestly, love is relatable no matter what the time period! If you decide to give this book a try I hope you enjoy it!

1976, summer, love triangles, and beach houses. I was hooked as soon as I read the description for this book. I used to always read teen 70s and 80s paperbacks at the pool when I was a teenager and the plot of this book just sounds like one of those.

Sunken Haven is a summer destination for wealthy families where nothing outside of the island matters. Jean's family has been part of Sunken Haven since the first houses went up and her big sister is island royalty. Fritz, usually seen as an outsider, has been spending the last few summers with her best friend Julia and Julia's family in Sunken Haven. Jean and Fritz went head to head last summer for the Junior Tennis Cup and now they're competing for the affections of a new guy on Sunken Haven.

I loved the juxtaposition of the two girls' perspectives throughout the story with one POV picking up where the other left off. This is such a classic teen summer romance with sweeping, unending summer days and late nights. Jean and Fritz had their own distinct voices, as well as their own experiences with Gil, the long lost family member of one of Sunken Haven's most well known families, turned hot hunk of the island. Griffin perfectly captured Jean's determination and desperation to be Gil's girl and Fritz' swoony, falling in love state of mind. Griffin's writing made me root for both girls to find what they needed.

This book takes a darker turn that I didn't see coming but the story feels fully fleshed out and the turn feels genuine. I was completely invested in the plot and couldn't put it down. Overall this is a fantastic summer read about friendship, first loves, and regret.

The comparisons to the wonderful We Were Liars made me push this to the front of my reading list and I am glad I did. Set in the 1970's at summertime I just loved the overall vibe of this book.
Its a story of rivalry between 2 girls Jean and Fritz, they used to just be rivals in tennis competitions but now they have fallen for the same boy, new guy Gil. Its told from both of their perspectives and I loved reading their insecurities and deep rooted envy for each other. The author really did nail the intense feelings of first love perfectly and the ending was a real shock.