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What I Thought Was True

Huntley Fitzpatrick (Goodreads Author)

3.72 · Rating details · 23,691 ratings · 2,096 reviews

Gwen Castle has never so badly wanted to say good-bye to her island home till now: the summer her Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, takes a job there as the local yard boy. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will ...more

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Hardcover, 422 pages

Published April 15th 2014 by Dial Books for Young Readers

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Lists with This Book

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YA Novels of 2014

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

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What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

2014 Contemporary YA

264 books — 1,975 voters

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Apr 07, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-contemporary, ya, romance, siblings, mental-illness, awesome-guy, contemporary, high-school

Actual rating: 3.5

Just sex. Am I never going to be anything more than somebody’s strategy, a destination marked off on a road map and then passed through for someplace better?

This book came as a surprise. I expected a light summer read, and I got a whole lot more than that. This is not a fluffy book. It's quite a bit darker and more serious than my anticipated YA Contemporary brain candy (because sometimes I just don't want to think). I have to admit it was rough going at times, because this book did frustrate me somewhat with its slow pacing.

I thought this would be the simple love story of a boy and a girl growing up and falling in love; it's not. It's about a boy and a girl, there's love and maturity, yes, but it's also about family and friends, morals, ethics, regrets, and possibilities. It deals with sexual promiscuity in a way that never slut shames, it deals with infidelity in a sensitive manner, in a way that I found acceptable...and I am by no means a fan of cheating. This is a book about parents, siblings, cousins, neighbors. It has a strong sense of setting and community.

This was not a light read, but it is a good book. I found the book frustrating at times, but overall, nothing in this book gave me a headache. The writing is solid, the characters were well-developed, the plot and pacing needs work.

The good:
1. A beautiful setting, a Northeastern seaside town, with a lot of class (local vs. tourist) conflicts. I have to admit my bias for the book because of the setting, I have a tremendous soft spot for the Northeastern US coast, and that's a huge reason for why I chose to read this book

Can you blame me?

2. A believable heroine, flawed, hurt, ashamed of herself, unsure of the future
3. No slut shaming, despite the heavy topic of the book, and a nice female friendship
4. An absolutely adorable love interest
5. A believable family dynamic, with a lot of serious family issues
6. Adults are present and active in the kids' lives. They are not relegated to the background

The frustrating:
1. The withholding of information: it got to be pretty frustrating at times. We know that something is bothering the main character, we have a sense of what it is, because of her shame, but it is so slowly revealed
2. The length: this book is far, far too long, without much of a plot in-between
3. The flashbacks: while they're crucial to the story, I felt they were often confusingly placed. I found myself rereading some parts, because I wasn't sure whether or not they were actual flashbacks
4. Too many subplots: they were well-written, but I felt like I was far too involved in the lives of these people, it feels like a silly complaint, but I want more simplicity than this

The Summary:

Heaven by the water.
Best-kept little secret in New England.
Tiny hidden jewel cradled by the rocky Connecticut coast.
Seashell Island, where I’ve lived all my life, is called all those things and more.
And all I want to do is leave it behind.

Guinevere (Gwen) Castle spends her summer slinging burgers for the rich locals and the tourists at the family restaurant. They are locals of Seashell Island, and they are far from rich. It's a tough life for the locals, there's almost no work outside of beach season, and there's a lot of resentment between the year-round inhabitants of Seashell and the rich tourists who "summer" there as a verb. There is no future for Gwen if she stays in Seashell, short of cleaning houses for the rich locals like her overworked mom.

To make it worse, Gwen can't get away from her mistake, from her reputation.

In another year, I’ll graduate. I can go someplace else. I can leave those boys—this whole past year—far behind in the rearview mirror.

It's the last summer before senior year, a year that'll make or break her chances of leaving the only life she's ever known. There's going to be changes, for one, Gwen's not going to be working at the family burger stand, she'll be "companion" to Mrs. Ellington, an elderly lady who's sweet, charming, with a penchant for dirty romance novels (I have a feeling that'll be me in 50 years).

“‘Then he took her, as a man can only take a woman he yearns for, pines for, throbs to possess,’” I read softly.
“Speak up, dear girl. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”
Oh God. I’m nearly shouting the words now.

And then there's "José," the yard boy...or as she better knows him...Cassidy Somers, her Kryptonite.

The yard boy is everywhere on island, all summer long. Cass will haunt my summer the way he preoccupied my spring.

The "yard boy" isn't exactly a yard boy, he's a rich local, working at a summer job at his father's behest. Cassidy is someone Gwen knows, rather intimately, in every sense of the word. Gwen and Cass have a past; their current relationship is fraught with shame, distrust, and misunderstanding. This summer will force them together; they will have to confront what happened between them last spring, no matter how reluctant Gwen is to discuss it.

He jams his hands into the pockets of his suit, turns away from me. “Fine, Gwen. Gotcha. And you’ve got me figured out. Clue me in on this, then. Why do I bother with you? Why not just ram my head against a brick wall? It would be easier and less painful. Why are you so freaking—burned, that, that nothing I do counts! How come it’s so clear to you when some made-up fictional characters are massively stupid and you can’t see it at all when it’s you and me?”

It would be so easy if Cass and Gwen could have their Happily-Ever-After and leave it at that, but this is not just the story of a boy and a girl. There are family concerns, money is always an issue...and how to get more is always a question lurking in the back. It's always a battle between the Haves and the Have-Nots, here on Seashell Island.

“Just think about it, Guinevere, smart advice from your old man.” Dad takes the pole from me, securing the hook. “Embroider it on a pillow. Spray-paint it on your wall. Just never forget it: Don’t be a sucker. Screw them before they screw you.”

There is an beloved younger brother, not quite autistic, but not quite right either. One missed moment, and he will disappear to god knows where. There are questions about ethics, how far will you go to get money, how much can a person overlook? There is the story of a cousin and a best friend, meant to be, or are they? One final summer that will change them all.

What you’ve always had doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll always get. What you’ve always wanted isn’t what you’ll always want.

The Setting:

Maple trees arch and curl their branches over me, making the path a tunnel. The air smells earthy and tangy green. These woods have been the same for hundreds of years.

I've always been drawn to the Eastern seaboard setting, and this book gave me a much-needed fix of that small-town beachside atmosphere. The place is well-described, there's no question about that, but what makes the town feel alive is how well-drawn the tension feels between the wealthy residents and the local townies who work for them.

We get woods at our back and can only squint at the ocean; they get the full view of the sea—sand tumbling all the way out to the water—from their front windows, and big rambling green lawns in back. In the winter it’s like we year-rounders own the island, but every spring we have to give it back.

There is a huge socioeconomic gap between the wealthy and the poor on the island, and it's pretty obvious. The wealthy are sometimes condescending, not always, to the servicepeople running the island, providing the services for them. Most of the island's income comes from tourist season, but the rest of the year the locals (like Gwen's parents) have to pick up odd jobs to pay the bills. There is minor racial tension, played out into humor, like the lady who calls all her workers Josés and Marias, no matter if they're white or Mexican. Not all the wealthy are assholes, not all the poor are nice. There is a realistic portrayal of the island's inhabitants.

The Main Characters:

1. Gwen:

The realization is quick, sharp, and shattering like that bag striking the wall.
I’m not the only one who can get hurt here.
Who was hurt here.

A wholly sympathetic heroine. Hard-working, a good daughter, and a loving sister to her special-needs brother. Gwen is not perfect, she's got that type of reputation. She is not promiscuous, but she's made some regrettable mistakes in her life. I like the fact that while Gwen is ashamed of what she's done, she never slut shames herself, and she never slut shames others. We've all done things (and people) we have regretted later on, and I can definitely sympathize with Gwen.

I like that she has a sense of morality. She faces several moral dilemmas throughout the book, pressures from her father, and an employee. I felt like she handled them in a realistic manner, she is not a perfect character, and I loved that about her.

I liked her stubbornness, it frustrated me a bit at times, but it made her a realistic character, and I appreciated the fact that she eventually matured and realized her errors.

He was right. I should come with a YouTube instructional video. Or a complete boxed set. How the hell can I expect him to figure me out when I don’t even get myself? And worse, I’m a total hypocrite.

2. Cass:

"I can’t claim to know you”—he pauses, has the grace to turn red, then forges on—“but I know you don’t put up with crap. That made me sick.”

A complete gentleman...even if Gwen doesn't think so. The misunderstanding between Gwen and Cass overshadow the book; we know that Gwen both likes him/lusts after him while resenting him, but the reader never got a sense that Cass is anything but a great guy. He is wonderful with her brother, he gets upset, but only when Gwen drives him (and me) to the limits with her lack of communication, he puts up with Gwen's occasional BS, and he's not at all an asshole, despite being a privileged, wealthy townie. He's not afraid of hard work, he never feels like a girl in disguise, and I really, really loved Cass. He never criticizes Gwen for having a past, he never judges her for it. He's a patient guy, he's willing to wait, and we all need a Cass in our lives.

“It’s not about a jumbo box of condoms,” I say.
“Never was,” Cass says simply.
He slants his hand against my jaw, tips his mouth to mine.

Final comments: The pacing is slow, it really is. I feel like the book could be cut down by 100 pages without losing much relevance, because much of the book is about Cass and Gwen working together over the summer and getting reacquainted. While that's great, I could use less of that because I lost patience at some points. There are also a few small side plots, that of Mrs. Ellington and Gwen's cousin and best friend who have been together forever, Viv and Nic.

There is a lot going on in this book, but if you have the patience, I think you will find this book to be enjoyable. At the very least, nothing will give you a headache. ...more

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Nov 01, 2012 mara • (chaotic reader) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Heaven by the water.
Best kept little secret in New England.
Tiny hidden jewel cradled by the rocky Connecticut coast.
Seashell Island, where I've lived all my life, is called all those things and more.
And all I want to do is leave it behind.

This is a story of anger.

Screw them before they screw you.

There's the islanders and then there's the summer people. The island is Gwen's and the islanders most of the year. They live on it, eat from it's sea, and swim in it's waters. ...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it it was ok

Shelves: realistic-fiction, young-adult, own-dtb-tbr, dnf, 2014-publication, read-2014, penguin, april

DNF around 200 pages once I realized I was only halfway through and nothing interesting had happened yet. The withholding of information was irritating (I mean, when everyone in the book knows what happened except the reader, it's pretty freaking annoying, especially since we're not talking about a murder mystery here ) and the constant flashbacks were also confusing when the big mystery of what happened in Gwen's past isn't even that shocking.

Positives: the older woman she cares for, the New E ...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Cinthia rated it liked it

Since my first language is Portuguese, reading the book I kept trying to understand why Gwen called her grandmother "vovó" but her grandfather was simply Grandpa Ben... Makes no sense. specially because he was the one who came from Portugal not her.

Overall a nice read but the book kind of lost me at the last three chapters. I would've added a few Cass's POV chapters because, clearly, Gwen offers us a skewed and prejudiced version of herself. it would've been nice to see her trough Cass's eyes.

.. ...more

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Apr 26, 2014 Jacob Proffitt rated it did not like it

Shelves: unfinished

Holy crap, just tell me already what the freak happened with Gwen and Cass! At halfway through, not telling the readers what literally everybody in the novel not only knows but that affects all their actions and reactions is just being coy for the sake of coyness. Even worse, you've bracketed the core event with flashbacks that make Gwen look stupid and irrational in the present. So essentially, the author is counting on keeping my interest despite a bitter protagonist who we can see has badly m ...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Angela marked it as to-read

Shelves: contemporary, books-library-owns, owned-physical, 2014-april

In honor of Kissing Day, a little taste of kisses from WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE.

"He is absolutely still, motionless.
Very, very slowly, I lift my own hand, slide it up to rest on top of his and squeeze. His breath catches, but he still doesn't move. There's another flash of lightning. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. The way to count out a storm. Another beat of silence, then I turn my face to the side and catch his mouth with mine.

Someone pinch me. ...more

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Sep 29, 2013 Keertana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-favorites, arc-galley-and-first-reads, swoooon, wishlist

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Although Fitzpatrick’s sophomore novel has made it onto many “Waiting on Wednesday” posts and “Top Ten Most Anticipated” lists, it’s one of the last books I expected to be reading this year. While Fitzpatrick managed to hit the nail on the head concerning quite a few issues with her debut novel, My Life Next Door fell seriously flat for me. Thus, to find myself quite besotted with her sophomore piece is a surprise, to say the least. But What I Thought Was True battles the crashi ...more

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Sep 28, 2013 Rashika (is tired) rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, touchy-issues, realistic-contemporary, would-have-blown-my-mind-but, why-did-i-read-it, read-2014, brainless-characters, pretty-covers-lie, offensive, buddy-read

Buddy read with Jasprit

It would have been a good four except that... (you may proceed to read my rant under the spoiler tags)
(view spoiler) ...more

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Dec 22, 2013 Liza Wiemer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

It's been over a year since I read this novel, and I am still thinking about it! If you missed this novel, I highly recommend checking it out! (Feb. 2, 2015)

ADD THIS TO YOUR "to-read list" IMMEDIATELY . . .
I read this novel almost straight through - I only had a break for dinner with my husband - and I have so many things that I am thinking about . . .

This novel:

is layered,
beautifully written,
has an incredible setting,
contains rich prose,
has emotionally charged characters,
explores deep rela ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-stars, eh, owned, reviewed, unpopular-opinion, contemporary, ya, nope, project-review-everything

i am officially declaring that i have never been wrong, ever, in my life.

for many years, i thought that on the fence (which is by kasie west) and my life next door (which is, like this book, which i will eventually get to reviewing, by huntley fitzpatrick) were the same book.

and even though their insides are very similar, featuring girls with unhappy home lives who begin spending time with families that are rowdy and large and containing many siblings and precisely one cute boy whose eyes and/or ...more

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Feb 28, 2018 Maureen rated it liked it

This was cuuuuuute. I really liked the whole boy-wins-girl back kind of feel but I still feel like some things weren’t totally addressed and the ending felt a little rushed.
Overall though, a cute fluffy contemporary where the characters learn quite a bit. It was good!

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Jun 05, 2017 kate rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

Although I didn't enjoy this as much as My Life Next Door (which I LOVED), this was still a cute and enjoyable read! I just want all the cute, summer contemporaries from Huntley Fitzpatrick please! ...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Jaime Arkin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: stand-alone-books, recommend-forever, ya, on-my-real-shelves, 2014, read-in-2013

What I Thought Was True is my second Huntley Fitzpatrick book, and to say I had high hopes for this book would be an understatement. I mean, you all know my love and adoration for My Life Next Door right? Let me just get this out of the way… You need to go into this book as you should each and every book… not letting previous books by the author influence your expectations of the characters and events that are about to happen. ( I mean, unless it’s a series LOL)

What I Thought Was True was an ama ...more

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May 18, 2014 kari rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014

It is the rare book that only earns one star from me. I don't like giving only one star as I know that someone worked hard to write whatever I've read. Only this doesn't feel like it was worked at much at all. It feels sloppy and poorly constructed and just basically clichéd and a waste of time and paper. Sorry to say that, but it is my honest opinion.
First, let us discuss continuity. I've said this before in other reviews, but an author has to proof-read, not just for spelling and grammar, but ...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Alyssa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Kindle copy bought from Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

Gwen Castle has never so badly wanted to say good-bye to her island home till now: the summer her Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, takes a job there as the local yard boy. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family ...more

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Apr 11, 2021 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: auto-buy-authors, physically-owned-books, contemporary, romance, owned-via-swap

This wasn't bad at all, just way longer than I'm used to in a contemporary romance. There are some quite heavy subjects that my heart wasn't set for when I picked it up. But the writing is strong, the characters are diverse, the setting is beautiful, and the plot is multilayered.

It's just that it's not what I expected, a fun summer read which the author's debut novel, My Life Next Door, is and which I really enjoyed. I guess I was expecting the same vibe and it's what kept me from fully appreci ...more

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Dec 07, 2013 Katrina Passick Lumsden rated it it was ok

Meeeehhhhhhh....

I'm actually kind of upset. I wanted to like this. But Gwen? Oh, my god, what a bitch. Running around with a chip on her shoulder about being poor, being completely unfair to people who don't deserve her shit, giving her cousin a pass for being a total douchebag....

I couldn't like her. I couldn't like her cousin. And I couldn't like Cassidy for actually liking her. ...more

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Apr 15, 2014 Tanja (Tanychy) rated it liked it

Shelves: we-girls-like-to-read-together, realistic, contemporary

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

When I first read My Life Next Door I couldn't describe how much I enjoyed it. It was all I asked for, sweet, innocent and extremely emotional. Honestly, April couldn't be here soon enough to finally grab this one and enter Fitzpatrick's world once again. I wish I could say everything turned out great this time around but that's not the case. So I'll just split my review into things I liked and those that I did not.

Good:
- I'll start from the setting here. I ...more

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Apr 10, 2014 Heather rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-contemporary

I will say I was a HUGE FAN of her first book, My Life Next door so I could not wait for this book to come out! I was expecting big things for this book since I enjoyed the author's first one and I am happy to say it did not let me down!
Now I am a big fan of contemporary books, I can read them very quickly. I read this book in two days, which is no surprise there.
Huntley Fitzpatrick has a way with making me fall in love with each and every character she writes. I loved Gwen from the get go. She ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it liked it

Awh. I liked this. A lot.

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Jun 07, 2018 Jay G rated it it was ok

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

2.5/5 Stars

Gwen Castle lives on the island, but she's always dreamed of leaving. This summer, she gets job caring for an old lady on the island after she fell earlier that year. When Cassidy Summers, a rich boy Gwen has a past with, gets the yard boy job on the island, Gwen decides she must avoid him. But as the summer continues, they grow increasingly closer.

I felt that this book jus ...more

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Jul 09, 2018 Michael rated it did not like it

I made the mistake in judging a book by its cover but for all the wrong reasons. I really loved how beautiful the cover is, I am a hopeless romantic buried deep in my masculinity. However, this book was a bore, it was just too cheesy for me to take it seriously. I could not get pass how rudimentary the writing was. I don't think that I was the target audience of this book, it was not my cup of tea or any other beverage.

"What I thought was true", was that this book was actually going to be good. ...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Glass rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, summer-books, realistic-fiction

Two years ago one of the biggest young adult contemporary surprises for me was Huntley Fitzpatrick's debut novel, My Life Next Door. I was so amazed with this story that I tried to make all my friends read it, I raved and raved and raved about it. No one should be surprised that her new novel, What I Thought Was True, was on the top of my 2014 wishlist. Unfortunately, tale about Gwen and Cass was nowhere near awesomeness of Samantha and Jase.

Last week you could read Tanja's review for this bo ...more

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Mar 26, 2016 Maddie rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs, stand-alones

I really enjoyed the romance and the setting of this book, it was so cute to see the two come together, after a rocky past. The downside was the pacing. The romance plot was slow to begin with, and was resolved by 75% through, which left a quarter of the book to pull the loose ends together for the subplots that I didn't care about as much as Cass and Gwen's relationship. A lot was going on, and I felt the book could have been at least fifty pages shorter, but I was absolutely LOVING the first 3 ...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Gillian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: rep, arcs-i-own, cuter-than-puppies, contemporary, favorites, romance-to-root-for, bookish-boyfriends, writing-so-beautiful-you-could-cry, feelsy-feels, lolz

4.5 stars

Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs

This boooooooooooook. I closed this book with a happy sigh and an aching tightness in my chest, equal parts enchanted and sad. What I Thought Was True was just what I was expecting from the author of My Life Next Door, a book I love to pieces. This book, set in the same town and world as MLND, captures the bittersweetness of summer. How it bridges the end of something with the beginning of something else, how it seems to symbolizes your past and your ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 My_Strange_Reading rated it liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, 2020-reading-challenge

Super sweet chick-lit. My biggest issue is that I hate the miscommunication trope, so it annoyed me that it was so prevalent in this book, but the story itself was adorable.

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Oct 20, 2013 Megan • Reading Books Like a Boss (book blog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-releases

What I Thought Was True was one of my most anticipated books of 2014!!

Book Review:

What I Thought Was True is an utterly charming young adult romance about what has happened and what's to come. It's a story about juggling the feelings of first love. I was captivated from the first page until the last by the characters, the writing, and quiet love story. The scenes in were so vividly described. From the crackling of the seashells to the smell of salt in the air, I was transported to a plac ...more

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Apr 10, 2014 Shannon (kitchandpages) rated it liked it

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

When it comes to books you want to read in summer, Huntley Fitzpatrick is right up there with Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. I read Huntley's first novel, My Life Next Door, last year and look forward to it's upcoming companion book, Boy Most Likely To, out in August 2015. What I Thought Was True has been sitting on my shelf for over a year, since it was released last spring, and I finally decided to pick it up with my book club this past week.

What I Thought was true takes p Actual rating: 3.5 stars

When it comes to books you want to read in summer, Huntley Fitzpatrick is right up there with Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. I read Huntley's first novel, My Life Next Door, last year and look forward to it's upcoming companion book, Boy Most Likely To, out in August 2015. What I Thought Was True has been sitting on my shelf for over a year, since it was released last spring, and I finally decided to pick it up with my book club this past week.

What I Thought was true takes place in a classic beach-seaside location. You have the island kids, who live their year round and do not come from money and then you have the wealthy mainland kids who go to private school and have summer homes on the island. Our main character, Gwen, is an island girl who has quite a mixed up junior year. She's been dealing with rumors, boys and drama and wants none of it over the summer. But one of the boys who she is trying to escape lands (almost) on her doorstep when he takes the job of yard boy on the island for the summer. Gwen is not only trying to avoid the drama this boy brings, but she's also trying to figure out what she wants in life and wondering if she'll ever get off the island.

I have to candid here and say that I almost did not finish this book for several reasons. First of all, I didn't think the first 50-100 pages were captivating and the world felt so foreign and unlike anything I've experienced that I wasn't sure if I was going to buy it for an entire book. Secondly, there was too much too fast. The story kind of catapults in with the assumption that the readers knows how it all works and I found that irritating and confusing. And third, I wasn't quite in the mood for a YA contemporary when we started reading it for book club.

So with all those reasons working against the book as I started, I am quite surprised to be sitting here giving you my mostly positive review of said book. Now granted, was it my favorite book ever? No, it won't be on my favorites shelf and I don't know if I'll ever reread it but I did quite enjoy it once I got into the story.

Huntley is really great at writing flawed and real characters. I think a lot of girls (and boys) would relate to Gwen because she was very real. She was a girl who had made some mistakes and wasn't too bad or too good. She was dealing with stuff like a complicated family life and rumors at school. She wasn't portrayed at the most likable girl you ever met or as the badass that everyone is obsessed with -- she was just a girl, and I found that quite refreshing.

I also really ended up liking so many of the side characters. This is something that happened to me while reading My Life Next Door as well. I think Huntley is great at adding a lot of depth and warmth into her stories by having very vibrant and detailed side characters. They have their own stories and are not just their to serve the main character's story. This is something I really appreciate about her books.

I also ended up liking all the twists and turns the plot went on. I liked how we had a possible couple who had a past and it didn't start picture perfect and didn't have a flat timeline. Most relationships are bumpy, with lots of diversions and details, so I felt the authenticity in the romance.

I did not like how unfinished I felt with many (most) of the characters though -- even though we got an epilogue that was intended to tie up a lot of loose ends from the initial story, I didn't feel like I had enough. Either the story needed to have less or the book needs to be a series, but where it left off left me a bit unsettled.

I did feel the story was a bit busy at times. There are a lot of moving storylines and ideas and while I enjoyed so many of the side characters and their journeys, it did at times take away from the story of the main character. I think the author has so many great ideas and sometimes it's hard to cram it in to just one book.

With this in mind, however, I think that this would be an AWESOME TV SERIES. I could imagine a Dawson's Creek type of series because we had 5-6 teen leads that could make an awesome ensemble cast.

Let me know if you've read the book and what you thought! ...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Melannie :) marked it as to-read

Shelves: most-anticipated, 2013

Summary left me kind of confused but I will read it (of course) because Huntley's debut book was sooooo excellent this one can't be anything but :) ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Book lover rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-must-read

I truly loved this book! Huntley Fitzpatrick is the only contemporary author I've read so far that in my opinion write that genre well. Very well. ...more

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YA Buddy Readers'...: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick - MMC GBR - Starting August 1st 2019	46	169	Aug 31, 2019 10:12PM
Contemporary Lovers: Spoiler Discussion for Chapters 31-38	11	113	Jul 18, 2016 12:17PM
Who would you cast as Gwen and Cass in a movie of this book	5	54	Jul 18, 2016 12:09PM
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YA Buddy Readers'...: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick - Starting July 6th 2015	12	71	Jul 13, 2015 01:38PM
Contemporary Lovers: Spoiler Discussion for Chapters 1-10	8	69	Jun 28, 2014 01:18AM

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About Huntley Fitzpatrick

Huntley Fitzpatrick

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Huntley Fitzpatrick grew up dreamy and distracted in coastal Connecticut. She flourished in a family of bookworms where everyone always had their nose in a book. She kept an exhaustively thorough journal which frightened her boyfriends but has proved very useful in her career as a writer. Her debut contemporary Romance, MY LIFE NEXT DOOR, was published in June of 2012 by Penguin-Dial for Young Rea ...more

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The contemporary romance superstar revisits your fave family, the Garretts, in The Boy Most Likely To and delivers another thoughtful love story....

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“That what you’ve always had doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll always get. That what you’ve always wanted isn’t what you’ll always want.” — 65 likes

“I finally get that sometimes we hold on to something - a person, a resentment, a regret, an idea of who we are - because we don't know what to reach for next. That what we've done before is what we have to do again. That there are only re-dos and no do-overs. And maybe ... maybe I know better than that.” — 64 likes

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